Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor and stop-motion pioneer Phil Tippett has closed his Berkeley, California studio at age 74, clearing out his decades-long career through a public auction of props and memorabilia, according to Berkeleyside via FilmStories.
Phil Tippett Retires From the VFX Industry After Four Decades
Tippett confirmed his departure from the entertainment industry by telling Berkeleyside, “I’m retired from the racket.” According to the artist, his final major project was the Twilight series. The two-day auction held over the weekend featured physical assets, memorabilia, and props amassed throughout his career, marking the physical end of Tippett Studio’s operations in Berkeley.
Stop-Motion Legacy From Star Wars to Jurassic Park
He secured his second Academy Award for his work on 1993’s Jurassic Park.
Classic Film Credits and Directorial Work
Beyond his Academy Award-winning contributions, Tippett’s extensive filmography includes credits on Starship Troopers, RoboCop, RoboCop 2, Willow, Howard the Duck, Dragonheart, and The Haunting, as reported by FilmStories. In 2021, he released the stop-motion feature film Mad God, which he directed after decades of intermittent production.
The Fate of His Academy Awards
Despite selling off his studio space and physical archives at the weekend auction, Tippett confirmed that certain personal milestones remain off the market. “I’m keeping the Oscars,” Tippett told Berkeleyside.
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