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An anonymous buyer who calls themselves TippettFan has uploaded digital copies of 90 non-duplicated discs from Tippett Studios’ archives to the Internet Archive. The collection includes some viewable clips, while most material is available as downloadable ISO disc images; its full contents and future preservation plans are not yet clear.
An anonymous buyer has uploaded digital copies of 90 non-duplicated discs from the archives of Tippett Studios to the Internet Archive, making materials connected to the stop-motion and visual-effects studio available to browse and download after its closure. The collection includes a small number of clips viewable online, while most of the files are ISO images of the original discs.
According to Film Stories, the person who acquired the discs at an August auction uses the name “TippettFan”. They said they bought a folder containing CD-ROMs and other discs, digitized its contents and uploaded the files rather than keeping them private. The report does not identify the donor or give the amount paid.
The donor describes the upload as ISO image files of 90 key, non-duplicated discs. A few clips can be watched on the archive page, including tests of computer-generated creatures and an interview with Phil Tippett recorded in 2008. Much of the collection, however, is presented as disc images that visitors must download and examine themselves.
Film Stories says filenames point to behind-the-scenes images from RoboCop and Starship Troopers, slides related to Tippett’s work on the original Star Wars, and publicity stills from Catwoman. These descriptions indicate the range of material named in the files; the report does not establish that every file has been reviewed or independently verified.
A Studio Archive Reaches the Public
The upload gives fans, researchers and film historians a way to access at least part of an archive associated with work spanning several well-known films. The studio’s closure and the sale of its materials had raised concern, according to Film Stories, that artworks and other items could end up in private collections and become difficult for the public to see. Digitizing the discs offers a different form of access: people can retrieve copies of the files online without needing to own the physical media.
The scale and format also shape what the upload can accomplish. Some clips are immediately viewable, but most material requires downloading ISO files and looking through their contents. That may make the collection useful to people prepared to examine older digital media, while leaving its contents less accessible to casual visitors. The report says the files amount to gigabytes and could take historians and fans weeks to explore.
Availability online does not answer every preservation question. The upload preserves digital copies of the discs, as described by the donor, but the report does not say whether the studio’s physical objects, original files beyond these discs, or other parts of its archive have been preserved. Nor does it describe rights or permissions covering the materials. The archive is a concrete public resource, while its scope and long-term status remain open questions.
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Closure and the August Auction
Tippett Studios was a Berkeley-based animation and effects company founded by Phil Tippett, whose work includes films such as Star Wars, RoboCop and Starship Troopers. Film Stories reports that the studio had been in financial trouble for some time before closing. The report says it shut its doors on August 28; it does not specify the year in the supplied material.
A two-day auction followed the closure, selling decades of props, memorabilia and art. The discs acquired by TippettFan were among the auction material, according to the donor’s account quoted by Film Stories. The article describes Phil Tippett’s retirement alongside the closure, but provides no separate statement from Tippett or the studio about either development.
Film Stories says the prospect of works moving into private collections prompted concern about their future visibility. The newly posted material is a digital collection from discs, rather than a public catalog of all the art and objects sold at auction. Its existence therefore documents one preservation effort, not the fate of every item associated with the studio.
“I quickly realized that some of this information wasn’t available online and might not ever be in the future in such high resolution.”
— TippettFan, the anonymous donor, quoted by Film Stories
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What the Disc Images Contain
The full contents have not been described in the supplied report, and Film Stories says the files will take time to examine. The filenames offer clues about subjects such as film production images and slides, but filenames alone do not confirm the contents of every disc or file. It is also not clear whether the 90 discs represent a broad sample or a limited portion of the studio’s records.
The report does not state whether the ISO images have been checked for completeness, whether all files can still be opened with current software, or whether additional material will be added. It gives no information about copyright or other terms for reuse, so online access should not be taken as confirmation that files may be republished freely. The donor’s identity beyond the name TippettFan and the purchase price are also undisclosed.
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Further Review of the Files
Visitors can browse the Internet Archive listing, watch the clips made available there and download the disc images to inspect the rest of the collection. Film Stories says it plans to review some of the material and report back if it finds items of interest. That is the only follow-up stated in the source; no timetable or formal cataloging project is announced.
As researchers and fans work through the files, more detail may emerge about what the discs preserve and how the materials relate to the studio’s film work. For now, the confirmed development is the online release of the digitized discs. The extent of the archive and plans for its continued care remain unreported.
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Key Questions
What has been uploaded?
The anonymous donor says the upload contains ISO images of 90 non-duplicated discs from Tippett’s archives. Film Stories reports that a few clips are also viewable online.
What kinds of material are mentioned?
Filenames reportedly refer to behind-the-scenes images from RoboCop and Starship Troopers, slides of Tippett’s work on the original Star Wars, and publicity stills from Catwoman. The full contents have not yet been documented in the report.
Who put the archive online?
The person uses the name TippettFan and is described as an anonymous buyer at the August auction. Film Stories does not identify them or report how much they paid.
Can visitors watch all the material online?
No. The report says a few clips can be viewed directly, but most of the collection is in downloadable ISO disc images that visitors need to inspect themselves.
Does the upload preserve everything from Tippett Studios?
The source confirms a digitized collection of 90 discs. It does not establish that these discs contain the studio’s complete archive or explain what happened to all the physical art, props and memorabilia sold at auction.
Source: hn
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