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After Tippett Studios closed in August, an anonymous auction buyer digitized and uploaded 90 non-duplicated discs from the studio’s archive to the Internet Archive. The collection includes viewable clips and downloadable disc images, but its contents have not yet been fully catalogued or examined.
An anonymous buyer from the August sale of Tippett Studios materials has uploaded the contents of 90 non-duplicated discs to the Internet Archive, making a portion of the closed Berkeley animation studio’s materials available to browse or download. The digitized collection includes clips and files linked to work by Phil Tippett, whose stop-motion and effects work featured in films including Star Wars, RoboCop and Starship Troopers.
The donor, who identifies as “TippettFan,” told Film Stories they spotted a folder of CD-ROMs and other discs at the studio’s August auction and bought it for an undisclosed amount. They then digitized the contents and uploaded them to Archive.org as .ISO image files, which are digital copies of entire discs rather than a single, conveniently indexed collection of individual files.
Some material can be viewed directly online, including test clips of computer-generated creatures and a 2008 interview with Tippett. Much of the collection, however, is available as downloadable disc images containing gigabytes of material. Film Stories reported that 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.
The archive is a separate preservation effort following the studio’s closure and the sale of its physical materials. The report does not say that Tippett Studios or Phil Tippett organized or endorsed the upload. Nor does it establish that the discs represent the studio’s entire archive: the donor described them as 90 key, non-duplicated discs from the materials they acquired.
A Digital Route Into Studio History
The upload gives fans, researchers and film historians access to material that might otherwise have remained difficult to find. The original auction dispersed props, memorabilia and art among buyers; digitized discs can be copied, examined and cited without requiring access to the physical items. That makes the collection a potential resource for understanding how effects and animation work was developed and documented.
Its value will depend on what the files contain and how usable they prove to be. Disc images are not the same as a searchable catalogue, and the online clips are only part of the material. Still, a public upload creates an opportunity for people beyond the auction’s buyers to inspect at least some of the studio’s recorded history. The archive’s appearance also illustrates how individual purchasers can contribute to preservation after a company closes, without resolving what happened to materials outside this donation.
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From Berkeley Studio to Online Archive
Tippett Studios was a Berkeley-based animation and visual-effects house founded by Phil Tippett, an animator known for work on major films including Star Wars, RoboCop and Starship Troopers. Film Stories reported that the studio had faced financial trouble before its closure. The report says it shut its doors on August 28, after which decades of props, memorabilia and art were sold in a two-day auction.
The sale prompted concern that some studio materials could end up in private collections and become hard for the public to see. The disc folder purchased by TippettFan offered one way to preserve and share digital records. The donor’s upload does not, however, account for all the physical objects sold, or show whether other buyers plan to make their acquisitions accessible.
““What you have here are .ISO image files of the 90 key, non-duplicated discs from Tippett’s archives.””
— TippettFan, as quoted by Film Stories
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What the Disc Images Contain
The collection has not yet been fully reviewed or catalogued, according to the report. It is not clear how much of the content is publicly viewable without downloading the large .ISO files, how the files are organized, or whether every disc can be opened with commonly available software. Film Stories said it could take weeks for historians and fans to examine the materials.
The source report does not identify the donor beyond the name TippettFan or disclose the purchase price. It also does not establish whether the uploaded material includes rights or permissions for every item, whether any files are incomplete, or whether the studio’s former staff or rights holders have commented. The archive should not be treated as the full Tippett Studios collection: the account describes 90 discs obtained at an auction, not every record or object held by the studio.
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Cataloguing the Uploaded Materials
Researchers and fans can inspect the online clips and download the disc images from the Internet Archive, subject to the practical limits of file size and format. The next step is to identify, catalogue and describe the contents so that people can locate relevant images and footage without searching through discs one by one.
Film Stories said it would review the collection and report back if it found material of interest. No schedule for a complete catalogue or broader preservation project was provided. Whether other auction materials will become accessible, and whether the uploaded files will be supplemented with clearer descriptions, remains unknown.
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Key Questions
What has been uploaded to the Internet Archive?
An anonymous donor uploaded .ISO images of 90 non-duplicated discs acquired at the Tippett Studios auction, along with some material that can be viewed directly online.
What material is mentioned in the archive?
Film Stories reported that the collection includes test clips of CGI creatures, a 2008 interview with Phil Tippett, and files whose names refer to behind-the-scenes images from RoboCop and Starship Troopers, slides related to the original Star Wars, and Catwoman publicity stills. The full contents have not been catalogued.
Who uploaded the material?
The donor is anonymous and uses the name “TippettFan.” Film Stories reported that the person bought a folder of discs at the August auction, digitized them and uploaded the files.
Does the upload include the entire Tippett Studios archive?
No. The report describes 90 discs acquired by one auction buyer. It does not say that the discs represent the studio’s complete archive or account for the physical materials sold at auction.
Source: hn
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