Jurassic Park was one of the last nails in the coffin for stop-motion animation — a special effects technique that had brought dinosaurs to the silver screen almost 50 years ago. But before the advent of computer graphics it was considered the cutting edge of visual effects, thanks to the work of a man named Ray Harryhausen who was a master at the technique.
In this interview dating back to 1974 — a time when stop-motion animation was still very much a popular technique in filmmaking — Harryhausen discusses some of his more infamous creations, including dinosaurs and the multi-headed hydra. It shows how sophisticated modern visual effects have become, but the clips of his creations in action are still surprisingly convincing. Even when you know that towering Allosaurus is only a 45cm tall rubber model in real life. [YouTube via BoingBoing via Dangerous Minds]