Oftentimes the success of a production is credited to very few of the people involved. Actors are usually at the center of marketing campaigns for movies and television shows, with directors and writers getting credit after.
The truth is, however, that art is collaborative, no matter the scope of the project. With that said, many instrumental creatives are overlooked despite their level of involvement just because they aren't credited at the top.
One example of someone who's name remains unknown despite their contributions is Phil Tippett. Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Robocop, Starship Troopers, and countless other massive science fiction franchises all contain his creations. If it weren't for Tippett, the AT-ATs and Tauntauns wouldn't be what they were in Empire Strikes Back, not to mention the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park and the insects in Starship Troopers.
Many of his contributions are from very old movies, and that's for a very good reason. The past three decades have seen Tippett dedicate all of his time and resources into creating his passion project, a terrifying animation called Mad God. After thirty years the movie is finally set to screen this weekend, and you can check out the trailer below.
Mad God is a feature film directed by Phil Tippett, the world's pre-eminent stop motion animator.
Mad God screens at the Edinburgh Internation Film Festival on August 21st and 23rd.