How to Film the Impossible 8

Forty years ago, BBC Horizon released a documentary called “𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲.”

They visited Industrial Light & Magic to show how the magic was made.

In this segment, the illusion is held together by ink and discipline.
To keep Indy’s swinging legs and the bridge from breaking the composite, ILM created an articulate matte, a hand-drawn mask traced directly over the original film.

Ninety-two frames.
Ninety-two outlines.
Each one drawn by hand, each one photographed in the same gate as the live-action plate so every bump, swing, and sway would align without drifting.

When the strip runs in sequence, it becomes a traveling silhouette that protects the painted cliff and lets the movement pass in front of it cleanly.

Watch closely for the trousers crossing the matte painting.