Willis O’ Brien1886 - 1962

History

• Willis O’ Brien was born in Oakland, California. He left home in 1897,at just eleven years old, he went on to create his first movie, ‘The Dinosaur And The Missing Link: A Prehistoric Tragedy’ in 1915 with a budget of just $5000.

• He eventually managed to secure an animation role in Harold H. Hoyts, ‘The Lost World’.

• In 1933, he made the highlight of his career with the RKO hit, ‘King Kong’. Which mixed live action footage as well as stop motion creatures. Which turned into an unforgettable cinema classic .

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willis_O%27Brien

The technologyOn a set he had a selection of animatronic puppets which he would glue animation of in time with the footage of actors and actresses in real time

The Armatures used where often extremely complex the one too your right is from King Kong and was designed to be operated under the water line using the water to cover the switches and controls

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Kong_(1933_film)

His most famous moviesHis two most famous Films are the Lost World 1925 and King Kong 1933

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLVt6bMJ8Ds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmixe-Dii0Y

His influence to stop motion

• His influence to stop motion is massive , The lost World is said to have inspired Ray Harry Hausenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Harryhausen

• King Kong has gone on to be remade twice and has been a box office smash on both occasion

• Over the next 70 years stop motion went from strength to strength and is still used in some motion pictures today.