The Lost World Test

Harry Walton Optical Composite -
Coast Special Effects, North Hollywood, CA 1984 -
This was a test to generate interest for a Lost World live action television series that would have stop motion dinosaurs, similar in concept to the Land of the Lost television series. The dinosaurs for this test were made and animated by Laine Liska. Phil Kellison supervised all aspects of this test, and I did the optical, compositing the live actors on the fallen tree. A computer motion control camera was used to film this in two repeatable passes. The first pass filmed the set with the stop motion dinosaurs and the second pass filmed a small projected plate of the live actors in silhouette against a white background. I made a female matte to clean up the holes and the final male matte produced black actors against a clear background. I did the optical in two passes to control the density of the matte. For example, I would film one pass of the background interpositive with the matte at a 100-degree shutter and then I exposed the second pass of just the background I.P. at a 70-degree shutter to complete the full exposure which yields the silhouette of the actors on the fallen tree at the proper density.

[@axis3d]

This was great. Do you still have the original dinosaur animations (on film) from the Land of the Lost? It would be amazing if those were transferred in HD. A lot of the detail was lost back when they transferred it for use (at standard def) in the TV series.

[@waltonartvisualeffects1077]

I only have about 12 of my shots on 35mm color work print. It was too difficult to get an extra print for oneself during production.

[@axis3d]

gotcha. It would e amazing to see what you did have. But I understand the challenges of getting the film transferred at this point. Thanks.