To bring his Komodos to life, [Michael] Lantieri went to longtime friend Phil Tippett, having also won an Oscar for Jurassic Park. Tippett knows there is something inherently scary about lizards:
Phil:
"There's some kind of primordial image I think, a prehistoric image, the fear factor
that I think is inate within us that we've carried with us for millions of years of
having been preyed upon. It's our heritage. We've spent more time running from things
being their food than we have as cosmopolitan social creatures."
Thomas Schelesny - Visual Effects Supervisor:
"We brought in two 7-foot Water Monitors into the studio and let the animators and the
technical directors and the compositors all have an oppurtunity to see, touch, interact
with these creatures. Water Monitors look very much like Komodo dragons, the difference
is that the Monitor won't try and eat you for lunch."
Details:
Komodo
