How Ray Harryhausen Combined Stop-Motion and Live Action 

The skeleton fight from Jason and the Argonauts is still visually stunning. I couldn't believe this was made almost 60 years ago!

The history of visual effects will never fail to astound me. VFX artists then and now deserve more appreciation

I love how, even though there aren't many, there's always a couple of stop motion films that come out every few years. People are still attracted and enamored by this ancient technique. And that's just cool

An older special effect doesn't automatically look "bad" simply because we can tell that it's an effect and how it was done. True artistry is timeless. It donesn't need to be "seamless".

That crocodile fight from Gulliver is so incredibly clean it blows my mind. Like you can't see matte lines, there is no generational loss from optical printing. It just looks like a tiny guy fighting a crocodile oin a table

I made a Harryhausen-inspired short film with stop motion and live action during my final year at uni. It was a technical nightmare, even using computers to composite everything and looked far worse than anything Harryhausen created. It really gave me a new appreciation for his work and just how good it looks.

9:11 OK, genuinely impressed by this shot. That's at least three separate elements, all being combined in-camera. And it's completely seamless. He even perfectly matched the lighting on the model to the lighting on the actor fighting it.

The skeleton fight has always stayed with me from childhood. Even now, with all the advances in tech, I still find it astonishing to watch. I would love to see someone actually try and assemble all the equipment and attempt to recreate a shot like this.

I'm a millennial. But I grew up on his movies, as they were often repeated on UK television. They astounded me then. And to this day they still do. And it's in no small part because of them that I have a career in art now.

Harryhausen had an absolutely beautiful sense of motion in his animation. Truly lovely to watch the shots just standing alone Also should out to Monsters Inc who first introduced me to the name

I never get tired if enjoying Harryhausen’s works, more entertaining than many of today’s

The Jason skeletons thrilled and terrified me as a kid. Harryhausen is a legend

Harryhausen is pure magic. Time hasn't dulled that. If anything, his work has more fun and wonder in each frame than modern movies with all the technology we have now. He's right up the re with Walt Disney in my book.

Ray Harryhausen would be missed as a legend. Rest in piece 1920-2013

The skeleton scene is one of the most badass pieces of film history.

9:26 That Iron Golem turning his head with the sound of the screeching metal is awesome.

Mad God is a perfect example of blending stop motion with live action in this wonderfully creative format of animated cinema, the level of techincal prowess and knowledge that title protrudes is just simply amazing

Just watched Jason and the Argonauts a couple days ago and it reminded me of what a genius Ray Harryhausen was. Many movies from my youth featured his work.

What's truly amazing about Ray Harryhausen is that in spite of all the accolades and fame, he was just a "regular guy" to his friends, and a very entertaining one. Those of us fortunate enough to call him a friend miss Ray the "man" as much as Ray the special effects artist.

It always amaze me when I think about the old times of movie making. Special effects as also cartoon movies are so freaking much an accurate work to do.

The shot of Medusa going through the torch-lit hallway is one that never gets enough credit. Think of the time and effort need to do the dynamic lighting on a real clay model in a frame-by-frame manner and to have it synch up with the dynamic lighting of the rear-projection. Harryhausen was not just a genius, he was an INSANELY AMBITIOUS genius.

His works made the lives of my grandparents and parents wonderful. Thank you Ray. RIP.

I was talking to Ray one day about stop-motion vs. CGI and expressed to him that I found his work more effective because I could feel a personal artistry, real hands at work and loved how his work had a dreamlike quality. He agreed.

9:27 Is one of my favourite film shots of all time.

9:27 Such a classic moment. I'll always remember how my heart beat fast watching this on TV one afternoon as a kid.

Thank you for making a video on the legendary Ray Harryhausen!

Many nice comments here. Well spoken, well said. One small note: many people often say that they admire the "claymation" Mr. Harryhausen did, or his "clay figures" or that he animated with real clay models. They were all real world effigies (not CG virtuals, which is the main point, I surmise), but I think it should be stated that though these animation figures were initially sculpted from an oil based plasticine clay, the animated models were never "claymations" (a term coined by Will Vinton). Mr. Harryhausen's animation figure's final form were almost exclusively made of built up latex, or (mostly) cast foamed latex (he called it "sponge latex") with jointed metal armature skeletons inside. They would initially be sculpted in clay to achieve the aesthetic form, then a mold would be made (moulded) from that sculpture in gypsum stone plaster. The foamed latex (whipped up in a Mixmaster, or the like) was injected in to the mold and cured in an oven at around 200° to 210° Fahrenheit (around 93° to 98° Celsius). The final casting was finished and painted personally by Mr. Harryhausen. In the end, he would ultimately have a flexible figure that would retain its shape and not have to be resculpted during animation, as is often necessary to some degree with the "claymation" approach to stop-motion animation. Virtually all of his animation models (some call them "puppets" or "Animodels") were made this way, with the exception of the Giant Crab in *Mysterious Island*. That particular model was made from an actual crab's shell, taxidermy prepared by an artisan from the London Royal Museum for him. The shell was assembled by RH, a custom made ball and socket armature inserted, and the fleshy bits replicated in latex -- in the mouth area and joints between the shell portions. Sometimes he would use clay for bits of "business" during animation (making Mighty Joe Young's lips purse, for example, when it was not possible to controll the rubber figure's face that tightly). However, his animation models were never animated as clay figures otherwise, as is the case with the majority of Will Vinton's most well known work and (most often) Nick Park and the Aardman Studio's films.

Even though you can tell it's fake, the stop motion just looks so good. It's really charming in its own way. It's fun to see how to make fantastical situations without CGI. It makes it feel more grounded in a way. I think because of our increasingly digital world it's nice to see something more tangible.

There are the visual effect GOATS, and then there is Harryhausen who stands above them all ♥️

Harryhausen was amazing. A true visionary and unbelievable artist. I wish movies were still made like this today.

There was a fantastic exhibition of his work, including the original models, some FANTASTIC sketches and storyboards, and film clips at the The Scottish National Gallery Of Modern Art. Phenomenal experience, seeing the detail in the models, and the armatures, and learning how much his parents allowed him to grow and experiment as a child,

Harryhausen is a god - when I was a kid and learned that this name was synonymous for stunning Stop Motion I got really excited each time a (for me) new Ray Harryhausen film was shown on television.

He was a true pioneer in special effects. Everyone knows him for his mastery of stop motion, but no one ever talks about how he put it together.

THANK YOU for giving such a gracious, educated, and "in the context of the times" tribute to Ray Harryhausen. I talked with him once and he was everything you'd hope one of your heroes to be - kind and quite open to discussing his work. It is so good to see you talk about the limitations he fought against in each film he made... budget, time, film processing in post production, etc. I am directing your fascinating video to all my friends.

I'm in fear of the future generations losing any ability to appreciate these older styles of filmmaking and special effects. I feel there's hope as long as there are people passionate about making movies in their garages with tiny figures.

I got into Harryhausen's work through Clash of the Titans because I'm a big Greek Mythology fan and it just grabbed me from the get-go. I could sense the love, craft, and care put into each design and movement of his creations, and it was enthralling. Like you said, while some might think his creatures look "dated" compared to something modern like the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park, Gollum, or even the Na'vi from Avatar, every time I see Harryhausen's works, there's always a heart and a sense of magic to it that never goes away. A sense of quality and attention to detail that makes it feel timeless. It fills me with wonder and childlike awe, adventurous excitement, chilling thrills, and even a little bit of fear at times. It makes me want to make a film or creature like that of my own.

When I was growing up, I loved monster movies. Dracula, Frankenstein, King Kong, Godzilla. Foe Halloween in 4th grade my teacher showed the school 7th Voyage of Sinbad. The Cyclops riveted me. I could not figure out he he could be as he was definitely not a man in a suit, but moved so naturally (it wasn't a hand puppet or on strings). I started making animated monster films with the family's 8mm. Wanted to work on movies. Star Wars just cemented that idea, though SW did open up the types of special effects. While I was never able to make it a career, I did work on films. I worked with a pyrotechnician where cars were blown up, stuntmen set on fire, and I created most of the blood bags used in a massive shootout for Maniac Cop II and helped surround a stage for a music video. Also got a chance to work at Apogee for a Pillsbury Dough Boy commercial actually getting paid to take orders from John Dykstra (Yes, that John Dykstra). I was even an extra for five days on Army of Darkness (where I can say I was actually given direction by Sam Rami for a few shots). All thanks to Harryhausen and my 4th Grade teacher, George Mason.

Excellent work! The Harryhausen films are still among my favorites. Today's Hollywood could benefit from rewatching them and employing more of what made them work - and last as long as they have - into their current and future productions.

Meeting Ray is a moment I’ll cherish forever. To see his work is still inspiring and still recognised to this day is really refreshing to see.

Jason and the Argonauts one of the best movies ever made. he was a genius..

I think that Jason and the Argonauts was Ray's "crown jewel." Thanks for posting this.

We truly had some magical movies back in the good old days.

Harryhausen was the best at looking at all parts of the film. He was present at the live action scenes studying how the actors worked with the stand ins for his creatures. His ability to impeccably match the lighting and foreground textures makes his animation the gold standard of classic vfx. I get annoyed when people claim it looks cheap, but sometimes that may speak more to the B genre with the grade of actors they could afford and often how many didn't even know what they were reacting to when filming the live action scenes. Beast from 20,000 Fathoms is the best of the genre he worked on vs his work on fantasy films is nothing short of inspiring

What I really loved is the fact these guys were true, true pioneers in the film industry. It's not like you went to youtube, looked this stuff up, and made a film. Back then, they had to research things on their own, fail numerous times, and figure out what worked, what didn't, and stay within their means. What they learned on one film aided them in the next, taking that true, raw talent with them to each new film. Even now, we're starting to get into another phase of pioneering in terms of film making. The Mandalorian is one great example where they are starting to turn to the gaming industry for ideas. What I hope to see is equipment, software, etc. that typically costs hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars condensed into packages for indie developers. Have some VR headsets worth like $500 to $1k each, get actors in there, use Unreal Engine 5 (or whatever at the time), and create some truly awesome indie films. What'll be even sweeter is if VR tech progresses to the point -- similar to Sword Art Online -- where you can feel the environment. Feel that flash of heat from fire, a quick chill of wind, or your body tingle if it's near electricity. That might be Sci-Fi level stuff, but many people thought current cellphones, paper-thin TVs, and the like would never happen/the realm of Sci-Fi.

I know what you mean about the magic of stop motion. I especially feel in in King Kong. The qualities of the animation, combined with the Gustav Dore jungles, and silver-nitrate shimmer, all combine to create a dream like feeling to the film.

A serious legend, these films/effects are so charming and the interaction between elements is still impressive.

I'm impressed with Stop Motion. I don't have the patience for it but I admire people who do it.

I remember watching those Fairy Tale shorts by Ray Harryhousen about the retelling of the classic fairy tale stories with his style. That man is way ahead of his time for stop motion animation alongside with Art Clokey and Henry Selick.

Thank you for this - the best example of Harryhausen's brilliance was his work on Jason and the Argonauts, and Medusa in particular - best to compared his version of Medusa to Medusa in the 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans - you can't match the utter strangeness of the original !!

There is something fascinating about how much work you can feel with stop motion, it is something almost vertiginous, to think the long hours and days and weeks into something consumed, almost, casually in seconds. CGI requieres much hard work too, but its perfection tends to make it harder to grasp the effort.

@8:00 Understanding and integrating the limitations of the budget and the limitations of the techniques are every bit as much of a skill and talent as the creative engineering involved in creating an effect.

There was nothing "hokey" about Harryhausen's work. The time and creative effort he used on his films was simply amazing.

Thank you! I watched this video twice, loved it and still have no idea how they do it!

Some of his subtler shots are amazing.

Incredible. I remember watching the Argonauts some time ago...I was thinking that the writing was pretty basic, and overall it looked like an Ulysses discount. Then I saw the special effects, oh my god, it was astonishing, it made it all worth it. Thank you for this video, can't wait to watch all of the other movies mentioned!

Masterful stuff Andrew! This entire video is so well constructed from every possible angle, you deserve wayyyyyyyyyy more attention than you getting

Love Harryhausen. I feel strongly that his films hold up even today. Jason and The Argonauts, Valley of the Gwangi, Beast from 20,000 Fathoms....Yep...I'll watch that over a CGI heavy film like The Hobbit any day.

Marvelous VFX breakdown of the most beloved fantasy genius in cinema history. Cheers from Brazil!

Wonderful stuff! Always love your content!

Man, even though I've never seen most of the films mentioned, I've unknowingly taken a lot of inspiration from Ray Harryhausen and still uses similar technique in the videos on my channel. Thank you for this video!

I grew up in the 80's watching Ray Harryhausen's films, and even though they are dated, I still love them, they're so beautiful to watch; movies back then had a magic to them that always brings me back.

such a great video! i always enjoy your deep dives into the history of animation and such! very very great!

Another really great video. Constantly in awe of your ability to put together these informative and compelling film history videos. Keep it up. I'm sure I'm not the only one discovering something new from these projects.

Excellent video! Ray Harryhausen was a tremendous influence on me in my youth and his films will always have a sense of magic to them that never gets old; it's also incredible to see how much sheer work and creative thinking was involved for even the most minute details.

Thank you for explaining the exposure layering- editing on physical film is crazy

Outstanding. Appreciating the work Ray Harryhausen is to appreciate the art of filmmaking and the wonder of it all. Keep up the good work. Every video like this adds to the great snowball that keeps on rolling and rolling.

You are one of the best creators on here, i am excited to watch every one of your videos. Thank you

First the AIP video a few weeks back and now Harryhausen! Bravo ROS, what wonderful videos.

A video from one of my favorite film RU-vidrs on one of my childhood heroes. I couldn't be happier. Amazing video, man.

I always love your videos! They are just so well done

My two favorites are everything in Clash of the Titans and the giant metallic guardian with the 'Achilles heel' in JATA. But one must marvel at his overall creativity and enormous work load. (And I have to say that the skeleton fight is just damned good.)

Great job! I had the pleasure of knowing Ray and Diana for many years. Ray would be pleased with your tribute to his work and legacy.

That was excellent and as a student of film I thank you. I am going to give this mubi a try as well.

Perfect! Just the video I needed. I have a Christmas movie on the mind that combines Rankin Bass stop motion with live action. Kind of like Elf, but with more animation…AND more Rankin Bass references.

I always wondered about this. Really cool, thank you.

Another fantastic video. Love your channel!

Amazed and inspired. Thank you for sharing

It's INSANE to think how they did this Purely with FILM!? It almost should motivate us to try and do anything nowadays now that we have the ability to do so much

Fabulous explication. The "3D-ification" of the b&w clip was beautifully conceived and executed. I've seen these techniques described multiple times, but never so well. Cheers.

This was awesome! Thank you!

Another fantastic video essay! Watching this video right after I saw that Netflix are releasing a series in August called Lost Ollie which combined live action and stop motion

I grew up watching the Sinbad movies and loved them so much, especially the creature design. The movies with the most amount of special effects were my favorite as a kid. The fight with the 6 armed Indian statue was my favorite. i still love them today, even though I must admit they look pretty bad with my adult eyes. However, the one thing all of them do better than any modern cgi movie is that the monsters were actually scary. Like looking at them even today freaks me more out than any cgi monster we have seen for the last 20+ years.

Showing the user interface of your cutting software like that was just the perfectly right choice!

You forever impress with both topic and execution!

Beautifully edited video.

If you watch these movies to laugh at them, point out their flaws, and crow about how much better CGI is now, you miss the point. The films with Harryhausen's magical effects were magical at the time. I saw a lot of these movies in the theater, when they had several cartoons at the start of the show; then previews, and finally, the movies themselves. It was a bargain, paying fifty cents to get in, and paying ten cents for a box of popcorn, and a nickel for a soda. Thanks for bringing up old, cherished memories.

I love this, thank you for putting it together.

Excellent video!!! Thanks! And thank you to Mr. Ray Harryhausen!!!!

you are KILLING the magic with this stuff. Mac!!

These classic special fx I feel added to the overall finishing touches for example the iron man in Jason and the Argonauts, the fact that the motion of when he turned his head wasn't smooth only added a truer feel for how you'd imagine a massive and rusting creature to move. Chilling back then, still chilling today 👌🏻

Great video, helping others to see how Harryhausen did his magic. My first was "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" when I was about 7 or 8. I remember seeing "20 Million Miles to Earth" and then I was hooked and realized he was the source of this magic. I saw everything I could find about Harryhausen. I realized a few years ago that the thing most people complained about was the jerkiness of the movements, but I always found it made the creatures more 'otherworldly' than the smoothness of CGI. I was fortunate to see Harryhausen at an area museum about 40 years ago and got to talk to him for a couple of minutes after the presentation. He was a very kind person. I just saw "Maurice..." and even though it was stop-motion, it had no soul. Ray brought life and personality to the creatures he animated. There will never be another like him. RIP.

This was another beautiful essay from you.

I remember and I still enjoy it sir.

Thank you for this video ❤️

Jack the Giant Killer introduced me to Ray Harryhausen, he was amazing!!

*For me the perfect 'Sunday Movie' will always be a Harryhausen film*

Wonderful video you created here.

Such a great video, made 10 minutes feel like 30 seconds!

Great video! Thanks for sharing :)

Thank you for this video!