Category Archives: Videos
S.S. Wilson’s Stories – Short Circuit – Johnny 5
S.S. Wilson the co-writer of Short Circuit 1 and 2 shows off his collection of memorabilia from Short Circuit and Short Circuit 2.
S.S. Wilson’s Stories – 1st Sound Movie
S.S. Wilson the writer of such films as Tremors and Short Circuit shows his first sound movie.
The Idea Behind Tremors
S.S. Wilson the co-writer of Tremors tells the story of how he came up with the idea for the film Tremors.
Michael Gross Receiving Best Act Award for Tremors 3
Michael Gross accepting the Best Actor award for his roll in Tremors 3: Back to perfection. This award was presented at the DVD Exclusive Awards in 2001.
At the Video Premiere Awards show October 23rd. 2001, Tremors 3 star Michael Gross was presented with the Best Actor award for DVD and VHS film release.
The “Father” of Short Circuit
A group of filmmakers recently came to our attention when they requested an interview with Stampede’s S. S. Wilson. They were making a documentary on famed robot Number Five, star of Short Circuit and Short Circuit II. But the whole course of their research was changed by new information they found. They claim to have uncovered a decades-old robot which was the inspiration for the Number Five character.
Part 1
Part 2
Graboid Tentacle Test
Early Graboid tentacle test. S.S. Wilson takes a grab to the face. Ouch!
Early Graboid Tentacle Test
This is a test of the articulated puppet mechanism which would eventually be used on set as a Tremors Graboid tentacle. Yes, this test scene is shot in reverse.
Early Graboid Tentacle Test – Over Wall and Feel Around
This is a test of the articulated puppet mechanism which would eventually be used on set as a Tremors Graboid tentacle. This is perhaps the most ambitious of the early tests requiring multiple puppeteers to operate the tentacle for this complex series of motions.
Early Graboid Tentacle Test – Feel the Wall
This is a test of the articulated puppet mechanism which would eventually be used on set as a Tremors Graboid tentacle.
Early Graboid Tentacle Test – Basic Squirm
This is a test of the articulated puppet mechanism which would eventually be used on set as a Tremors Graboid tentacle.
AB 3D Rendering
AB Walking Animation
Graboid Turn Sequence
This is an early computer generated (CG) graboid created by CG effects house Himani productions. It was created in this spinning form so that we could study it from all angles to make sure that we had the proportions right before going to the next steps of “painting” putting on the skin texture. This was the first time a graboid was ever built in computer form. In Tremors 1 and Tremors 2, graboids were created solely with full-sized puppets and ¼ scale miniatures.
AB Door Crash
AB junkyard animation test
Shrieker Run Cycle
A “cycle” in animation terms is an action that is the same at the beginning and the end. In other words, it’s an action you can repeat over and over with no jump or glitch. The animators created this run cycle so that we could see what shriekers would look like when charging at Burt in the opening El Chaco sequence of Tremors 3. Notice how the shrieker appears to have weight, how its feet blur when they move, and how its head moves naturally with each step. It’s a very nice, realistic piece of animation. Variations of the basic cycle could be used over and over on different shriekers, no matter which way they were running or what size they were. Of course the animators had to create many other actions as well, such as the animals falling when shot.
Animation test – display screen
Animation test – display screen
Gate Crash Animation Test
This is a test of Burt’s truck crashing through a fence. The truck is live action but the gate was an animation element.
Shrieker Spin Sequence
Like the graboid, the shrieker was created in this simple form to allow us to study it before committing to the more complex and expensive steps of building it in the computer. The Himani staff had to create the Shrieker using laser scans of existing models at the Amalgamated Dynamics shop. Software compatibility problems prevented us from using the CG shriekers previously created for Tremors 2.
Tucker’s Monster Undercovered
Promo piece on SS Wilson, author of Tucker’s Monster and Fraidy Cats. Produced by Virgil L Harper/Yb Productions, LLC.
This is one of a series on self-published writers. SS Wilson is a screenwriter with credits on such movies as Short Circuit, Batteries Not Included, Heart and Souls, Tremors. He is also a producer and director in the film industry.
Shrieker Turn Sequence with texture map applied
This spin sequence shows the next step in CG creature design – the shrieker with computer “paint” and skin texture added. The Himani staff created this more detailed shrieker so we and the studio executives could all “sign off” on the final look for the Tremors 3 shriekers.
Shrieker Turn Sequence
Like the graboid, the shrieker was created in this simple form to allow us to study it before committing to the more complex and expensive steps of building it in the computer. The Himani staff had to create the shriker using laser scans of existing models at the Amalgamated Dynamics shop. Software compatibility problems prevented us from using the CG shriekers previously created for Tremors 2.