This part of
the site will be divided into two sections. FIrst we will deal with
the production of the film and then we'll look the larger and more
complicated area of the special effects involved.
Production
Compnay:
DDLC
Corporation / Universal Pictures
Budget:
$12,000,000
Distributors:
In
the US: Universal Pictures
In Europe: DDLC Corporation
Location
filming:
Acton,
Palmdale, California: the "Lilac Capital of California"
Duration:
85
minutes, colour
Year:
1992
Shooting
schedule:
Began
early summer 1991 unitl end of July 1991
US
GROSS:
$11,250,000
Shooting: -
Raimi was shooting night sequences during the summer when darkness
only lasts for around five hours. At several points during the final
battle at the castle you can see the 'Blue Gel' of the dawn creeping
over the sky
- Raimi had big trouble with the horses,
"They're big scene stealers....They learn a word like 'action';
they anticipate it. So if you've shot some big 'charge' scene, and
now you're shooting dialogue, when you call 'action' they start
charging."
- actress Tippi Hedron (The Birds)
has a retirement site for lions and tigers in Palmdale. The lions
roars frightened the horses
- plans to have huge, skeletal horses were abandoned due to cost.
they were sketched and designed by KNB Efx.
Raimi directing
Campbell on location
Raimi and Campbell
goofying it
Raimi directing at
Introvision Studios
Production
Design:
Introvison turned to conceptual artist Tony Trembley for the overall
look of the film. Trembley was responsible for designing 20 major
sets over an eight month period beginning January 1991. His work
included;
The
Deatite pit
The castle exterior
The windmil
lThe temple ruins (not used in final film) - (see. 'Deleted
Scenes' for a look at this one)
The graveyard
The volcanic chamber used to house the Necronomicon.
(Designed but not used due to budgetary restbr
rictions.
Scene moved to graveyard instead.)
The
film's most important set was the castle where most of the films
action takes place. The exterior sets only made up 20% of the castle
needed to house the ction. "Only
the lower courtyard, which had to accomodate the Deathcoaster, and
certain architectual bits - like the gatehouse, the pit and the
blacksmith shop - were full size,." explained Trembley.
Notes: -
Bruce Campbell began scouting castle locations as early as late
1990
- The original plan was shoot on location at a castle in England
or Spain
- The actor who played the 'Deadite pit monster' was Bill Bryant
who played the STAY PUFT MARSHMALLOW
man in 'Ghostbusters'
- Versions of the film script were written as early as 1988
