Berkeley’s Tippett Studio contributed stop-motion work to ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’

Hal Hickel, an animation supervisor at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), shared insights into the visual effects work on the film 'The Mandalorian and Grogu,' highlighting the involvement of Tippett Studio's stop-motion animation. Variety reported that Hickel revisited Tippett Studio’s Berkeley facility, now closed, to animate a shot himself, paying tribute to the legacy of stop-motion pioneer Phil Tippett.

The film’s visual effects combined digital animation with practical effects, mechanical rigs, and traditional stop-motion techniques. Hickel explained that the opening battle scene featuring AT-AT walkers used animation tests originally developed for 'Rogue One,' which involved integrating computer-generated imagery into footage from the original Star Wars trilogy to capture its lighting and texture.

To emphasize the massive weight of the walkers, the new animations moved even more slowly than before. Additionally, a full-sized interior set was constructed to extend through a walker, enhancing the film’s practical effects.

This blend of old and new animation techniques reflects a creative approach inspired by Tippett’s work on the original Star Wars trilogy.