--- i'm Phil Tippett, VFX Supervisor, Animator, Director & Dinosaur Supervisor - AMA

At what point during Jurassic Park filming did you realize that the dinosaurs were completely beyond your level of supervision?

--- when they became digital --

As a lifelong animator, always sectioning a particular reality down into portions of a second, do you ever find yourself breaking down actual reality into its component parts?

• ALL THE TIME --- we heavily reference things that are close physically to whatever it is we're doing --- developing a project w New York artist lucy raven that is more abstract than what u usually see from me ---

Do you agree with the argument that practical effects are generally more interesting to watch than pure CGI?

--- yes

Hi Phil, I'm a fellow bay area artist in the vfx industry. While other companies gave expanded into Canada and only retaining a tiny bit of work stateside, I'm glad that you do what you can to keep your studio around. I have worked with artists who are currently employed there and they only have great things to say about their experience. Hopefully I can join the ranks one day.

My question is: Did you hide any fun things in your AT-AT sequences the same way a shoe and potato were used as asteroids in Empire?

--- snow was baking soda ---

So we've all seen the "dinosaur supervisor" joke, but what kind of work does that actually consist of?

-- good question ! --- working w the animators, making sure when background plates on location are shot properly so they will be useable later ---

How well behaved were the AT-ATs between shots?

--- very quiet --- we did not call them at - ats at the time, we just called them walkers --

Lifelong Star Wars nerd and VFX nut here - I just wanted to throw out a sincere "thank you" for all the hard work you've socked into all the big films you helped make famous, your own stuff like Mad God and all the outreach you've been doing with fans over the recent years.

How does it feel to be considered one of the top three Hollywood stop-motion/VFX animators of all time, alongside Willis O'Brien and Harryhausen?

-- its what i dreamed of as a child, & I am honored.

There's a lot of talk the last few years about SFX houses paying their CGI animators next to nothing and only giving them short contracts - where it was a lucrative career for them 15 years ago. Did stop-action animators have an equivalent problem when it was the main method used?

--- no, there were relatively few of us --- skilled craftsmen get paid well --

What is the best effect that you ever had to macgyver together in a pinch?

--- WAMPA from empire, & snakey things tjhat hatch from the eggs in willow

How would you have designed Jar Jar Binks?

-- i would've listened to what george was looking for, & attempt to imagine something. on rtj, for instance, joe johnston, nilo rodis, ralph mcquarry & I did a number of designs for jabba & george wasn't quite happy so I asked him if he could choose any actor, who would play jabba? -- he thought for a bit & said 'sydney greenstreet' - & light went off in my head & i did a little maquette which he chose. in fact jabba originally had a fez but it was nixed

Which actor/actress provided your most memorable moment on a set and which movie was it?

--- peter weller & i had fun going to dinner & talkin art --

This is something that I wonder about every person involved with stuff that happens on screen. Was there anything that you were involved in during the filming that gave you post film release remorse?

--- whenever i wrap a film i put it behind me & don't think of it anymore --- like the victim of a violent crime --

What is the very best dessert?

--- if i had to eat a dessert it would be choc. cake --- don't like sweets

Mr. Tippet, I am a huge fan. At one time I was going to follow in your footsteps and become a magic maker like yourself. Being 40 years old and in a completely different field (IT) how would you recommend I get back into it? Also any news regarding Mad God?

--- that would be really rough --- your level of skill will determine re-entry --

Hi Phil

Where do you think VFX are heading in the foreseeable?

--- they will all be taken over by AI & we'll all be out of work --

my friend just finished Dune--i live in Port Townsend, WA--do you think it's ok to go drink a beer outside Frank Herbert's old house?

-- I WOULD! --

Are you happy with more movies doing practical effects or are you satisfied with what CG has done for films/TV?

--- model work in blade runner was exemplary ---

Did you keep any "souvenirs" from your film history?

--- yes --- LOTS

Which one is better, Godfather 1 or Godfather 2?

-- both

Did you really only have one job on Jurassic Park?

--- it was a large job! -- u wear a lot of different hats from pre-production to production to post-production ---

Without armatures, models and other physical things - what will be the movie memorabilia for collectors from today's films?

--- people are still making props & artifacts ---

Jim Henson or Walt Disney?

--- not disney --

In terms of animation, what have you usually taken into mind the most while working on a project, stylistic or realistic movements?

--- depends on what is required from director/script --

Which is more important for an animator to study, music or visual art?

--- neither & both -- best to use moving reference or study living things --

Hi Phil! I'm the archivist for Steve Johnson and I maintain all the photos and videos from his 30+ year career. Did you keep extensive photos or video and, if so, do you plan on releasing or publishing any of it?

--- yes -- i have released a fair amount of it ---

How do I get my animation pilot animated for under a billion dollars? Seriously though.

--- do it yourself ? --

Hi, how was make twilight wolfs? And you think if they were made today, would it be more easier or same?

• all were made in computer --- easier now, but always difficult --

hi phil! any idea when we will be able to buy MAD GOD Part 3?

-- toward end of year / beginning of next ---

So what would you say is the most challenging project you've ever worked on in your career?

-- troopers

First of all, it’s a pleasure to get in touch with You. I watch videos of Your works every given day. Then, can we hope to see one day a book about Your body of works, which me and many others would love to own?Thanks, Saverio

--- a book is on its way in the next 2 yrs ---

what's the most amazing recent practical effect you've seen that everyone thinks is CG?

--- dunkirk was impressive -- also the new blade runner -- miniatures

Any particular effect that bugs you that you had to compromise because it wasn't working and you had no more time/money?

--- no, not really --

What are the major differences you've seen in big budgets compared to smaller ones (Besides the check). Which is easier, which would you prefer?

-- most of the projects I've worked on were pretty sizeable & had relatively good budgets -- bigger budgets give u more resources, more to play with -- i haven't really worked on any super low budget movies since pirhana .. or house 2

Hi Phil! How did you end up working in the animation field? Is it still the same after the introduction of digital cgi?

-- i started as a kid working w 8 mm in my bedroom, & everything DID change w computer graphics -

Over the course of your entire career is there any movie or project in particular that you worked on that you find memorable? (if it was difficult or you just liked the project as a whole)

Also I'm a huge fan of your work and watched many of the projects you worked on when I was a kid so thank you for that too!

--- original 3 sw, robocop, troopers & jurassic were memorable

If you could have any obscure, relatively mediocre superpower, what would it be?

--- control over all aspects of time --

in MAD GOD part one, are the monkey creatures in the cages animation or actors?

--- they are children --- in cages ...

G'day Phil,

First there was Stop Motion. Then there was Go Motion (which you helped create).

Have there been any important new non-CGI developments in techniques for animating models since then that make the movement seem even more realistic?

-- dragonframe technology is a big help ---

my theory about the beings being electroctuted to produce the shit men is, that they are the crew of a crashed/captured alien spacecraft, whose excrement causes mutation in humans, so they are tortured to produce it, funneling it down into a man whose body has been stripped away and replaced with mechanical parts for basic life functions. is this close to what you were thinking?

--- that is an ok idea !! -- run with it ---

Do you think that inexpensive digital tools removing barriers to entry is a net good for filmmaking?

--- yea, certian digital tools allow more freedom & flexibility --

and am i correct in thinking that the mutated man's body is stripped down to basically just the lungs, which grow to a giant size, pushing pistons, which turn the turbines and gears of the shit man factory?

-- COULD BE!

do you think that the Master behind the magnetic eye and TV screens is using those metallic blocks to build some kind of fortress?

-- nope

Mr. Tippet - I'm a big fan of you and your work! I grew-up with your movies. My question is: do you as the artist have any say in what goes into a shot? I'm thinking of ED-209 in Robocop when it's trying to navigate the stairs, falls, and kicks and screams like a baby. Is that sort of thing what you're told to do or can you improv a little if the mood strikes you? edit: typo

-- one example is the introduction of ED-209 -- bc of budgetary constraints i proposed that we build a fullscale prop that when ED shuts down, ronnie cox could do dialogue over - we would keep the presence of the character alive with a pedal-tone bass sound effect -- paul agreed --

in the beginning of Part Two, The Assassin comes upon a room with skeletons...my theory was that these are the originals Lords of this mad world, who are now dead, having committed suicide in shame of their own horrors, and now nobody is running the show...were you thinking anything like that when coming up with the story?

-- i wasn't thinking THAT but that's a good one! --

Could you name a moment in a film that you didn't work on that the VFX in particular had you impressed or intrigued?

dennis muren's work on War of the Worlds & the new blade runner

What practical effects/scenes are you most proud of? I grew up watching the minecart scene from Temple of Doom, and it still stands out for me as one of the best scenes in the entire Indiana Jones franchise.

-- the tauntauns & walkers, ED209 & the Cain robot from robo2.

I’m a huge fan of the Tremors movies and I see that you worked on the second one.

What was your time like on that movie?

Any cool stories?

-- that was interesting bc we reconfigured some of the DID (dinosaur input device) technology & used it to figure out ways to generate shots more quickly w multiple characters

Hey Phil! Any memories of the late Laine Liska? Love the stuff you, Laine, Jon, Rob and Doug did with Rick on Star Wars.

-- lane was a really great guy. very talented puppet/model maker & animator

We all know and love many of the projects you have been a part of, but is there one particular SFX project you wish you were a part of but wasn't? And is there something on that project you would have done differently? Thanks!

--- metropolis & the orig king kong --

Have you ever been on a podcast to talk about your work?

• yep, a number of em --

Do you happen to remember which ones you've been on? I'd love to give them a listen. I also have a podcast and would love to talk with you sometime about your career.

-- lets see --- reel nerds - jurassiccast - why its great -- starwars insider -- vice -- jurassic legacy -- VHS -- beyond the box office -- voice of the republic --

I'm worried I might be too impatient for animation. Do you have any tips for how to keep up your motivation on projects that take a lot of time?

--- all stop mo takes a lot of time --- if patience isn't ur thing, it's gonna be rough --

Would you rather work with modern CGI technology or practical effects from the early 90's (first JP era)?

practical

Any advice for inexpensive ways to practice stop motion? Cheap ways to build armatures, etc?

-- wire armatures rather than machined --- much cheaper

Watched a great mini-doc about your career on a flight once, really enjoyed it. About your 2 part film "Mad God" what is the message that you hope people could take away from it? With a title such as Mad God, is it in any way reflecting on what the world is like? How chaotic things seem to be today? Is there even a message or is it just good creative fun?

--- its a very broad reflection of a world after mankind, inhabited by its ghost --

Is CGI cheaper or more efficient than on-set practical effects? I saw the new Thor movie and it was minutes of end credits just for effects people, I wonder if the old analog methods wouldn't be better all around in a lot of cases.

--- it completely depends on the context & what needs to happen --

With all the knowledge you have gained through the years in this business, which film would you go back and improve on if you could, using what you know now that you didn't then?

--- i try not to look back -- forward ho

Is there a general guideline for when computer-generated effects versus physical props, sets, and models are appropriate?

it's totally contingent on the needs of the script & the director (& the budget) ---

If you could choose any one movie, be it past, recent, or future (known future) to take part in...what would it be and why?

This could be a movie that already had VFX/Animation/etc. in it, or maybe one you felt would've benefited more from your expertise/style...or maybe an old timey one you think could've been AMAZING with your modern day knowledge of VFX n such.

-- maybe the original king kong? -- but maybe not

Mr. Tippett,

Did you have different aspirations in mind when considering your career path in the industry? Or did you simply follow the opportunities presented to you?

Either way, you've been a huge presence and influence in modern film-making and I'd like to thank you heartily for being a part of my childhood (and adult life).

-- i was lucky in the beginning, bc there weren't that many people doing that kind of work, so i got hired frequently

So, any news about the release of the Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom trailer?

--- nope --- that is someone else's JOB ---

When will we see Mad God 3? (and I love Dan Wool's sound design on the first two parts…)

-- me too --- Dan Wool is the composer, Richard Beggs is sound design --