Tippett Studios, the animation house founded by Phil Tippett and his wife Jules Roman, went bankrupt in 2024 after 42 years in the Bay Area. The studio’s Berkeley, CA, offices were closed earlier this year, and everything inside was sold off in a liquidation sale. Much of that work was scattered to the wind — but a massive trove of behind-the-scenes material has now surfaced, and it is available to anyone with an internet connection.
The Sale That Saved It
Internet Archive user tippettarchive uploaded 49.6 gigabytes of unseen and nearly lost high-resolution stills, photos, videos, and animation tests from Tippett Studio’s entire run. The collection includes behind-the-scenes photos, production stills, and animation tests. It spans the studio’s 42 years in the Bay Area.
Where was this treasure trove? In a “giant folder of CD-ROMs and DVDs.” Physical media wins again.
Tippett’s Resume
Phil Tippett is a legendary stop-motion animator whose work transformed special effects in numerous features. He is best known for his work on Star Wars, RoboCop, Jurassic Park, and more. His animation also featured in The Mandalorian And Grogu in May.
Tippett Studios was co-founded by Tippett and Jules Roman, who served as Studio president. The studio’s bankruptcy was a sad day for a largely unheralded master whose work continues to generate sequels and merchandise.
What Survived
The collection includes high-resolution behind-the-scenes photos, production stills, and animation tests. It captures the work of a studio that spent decades pushing the boundaries of stop-motion animation.
The material was found in a folder of CD-ROMs and DVDs at the Tippett Studios liquidation sale.
The Collection’s Scope
The 49.6 gigabytes of material cover the studio’s entire 42-year run in the Bay Area. That is a remarkable span of history, and the collection preserves it in high resolution.
Why It Matters
This collection is a gift to fans of stop-motion animation and to historians of film technology. Tippett’s work shaped the look of countless films, and this material documents the craft behind those images.
The collection is also a reminder of the fragility of creative work. Studios close, files disappear, and archives get scattered. When a trove like this surfaces, it is worth celebrating.
The Digital Home
The collection lives on the Internet Archive, where it is freely available to anyone with an internet connection. That is a fitting home for material that might otherwise have been lost.
The upload came in late September.
A Master’s Legacy
Phil Tippett’s work deserves to be seen and studied. This collection offers a rare chance to do both.
The material is a record of a career spent building worlds out of clay and light. It is also a record of a moment in filmmaking history, when stop-motion animation was central to the industry.
Key Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Studio bankruptcy announced | 2024 |
| Berkeley offices closed | Earlier this year |
| Liquidation sale held | Not specified |
| Collection uploaded | Late September |
| Mandalorian And Grogu feature | May |
The collection is a gift to anyone who cares about film history. It is a record of a studio, a career, and a moment in time. It is also a reminder that sometimes, the best preservation comes from a giant folder of CD-ROMs and DVDs.
See the video the story is built around at The A.V. Club.
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