Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Tek) 9/26/83; site shark.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!hou3c!hocda!twitch!hocad!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!orca!shark!hutch
From: hutch@shark.UUCP (Stephen Hutchison)
Newsgroups: net.tv
Subject: Re: Marionette Shows
Message-ID: <1096@shark.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 16-Oct-84 01:09:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: shark.1096
Posted: Tue Oct 16 01:09:47 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 11-Oct-84 07:19:28 EDT
References: <1400@qubix.UUCP>
Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR
Lines: 18

{ I wish I was a Spaceman, the fastest man alive,
  I'd roam around the Universe, in Fireball XL-5 }

The technique used in these is called  "Supermarionation" tm,

Apparently they got quite sophisticated with the synchronizing
mechanisms.  According to an article in one of the sfx fan rags,
they never actually used micros, it was all done with a huge switch
board similar to a theatrical light panel.

The UFO tv show used several of the Thunderbirds ships.  The whole
reason (according to a magazine interview with the special effects
designer for UFO and its followup Space:1999) was that they had a
whole bunnch of these models which they wanted to get rid of so
they could use the storage space for more important things...


Hutch