American Cinematographer

July 1979 cover of American Cinematographer

December 1982 cover

From the March 1983 issue

Rowlf and John Denver in a plane

Video: the flying sequence.

American Cinematographer is a monthly magazine published since 1920 focusing on the art and craft of cinematography.

Appearances

July 1979

The July 1979 issue contains several articles covering the production of The Muppet Movie.

December 1982

The December 1982 issue features an article by David W. Samuelson and Ann Tasker about the making of The Dark Crystal. It includes a look at everything from Brian Froud's concept art to the Creature Shop's creation of the puppets. (Archive.org)

March 1983

The March 1983 issue featured an article by David H. Huie titled "John Denver, Rowlf & Ikegami Take to the Air" detailing the filming of the flying sequence in Rocky Mountain Holiday.

The majority of the article covers technical details on the types of cameras and rigging used for the shoot, and describes preparing the plane whose occupants included John Denver, pilot, and Jim Henson, performing Rowlf the Dog.

“We needed two camera angles on the bi-plane, a forward and reverse view, which would later aid the editor in the cutting room. This also meant the maneuver had to be performed twice. Then the same maneuvers had to be performed a third time, this time with Jim Henson securely tied to the floor of the plane underneath Rowlf so that we could get some flying Muppet action shots.”

Huie also describes some technical difficulty that placed Denver and Henson in danger during the flight:

“The crew being in contact with the airport tower heard all radio communication. After about 30 minutes we heard an emergency priority landing request from Denver which actually stopped my heart for a second. We didn't know what was wrong but he was in trouble! Straining our eyes we could barely make out his small plane above the tree tops. He made a very unusual approach to the landing strip, slow and low, the plane slammed down once, twice, then three times, landing hard onto the runway and jarring the plane violently. I was sure my goose was cooked! He taxied up just like he left, with a smile and said his throttle linkage had broken and left him with no power, a dead stick landing. Luckily, John had been trained well by his father.”

The scene was included in the special when broadcast on TV, but was cut from the 2003 DVD release.

December 2011

The December 2011 issue contains two Muppet related articles, one centering on the "Muppet Show Theme Song" music video with OK Go, and another about the shooting of The Muppets. Director Kirk Thatcher, and cinematographers Craig Kief and Don Burgess are interviewed for the pieces.

November 2021

The November 2021 issue features an article discussing Muppets Haunted Mansion and its use of the AR Wall technology. Director Kirk Thatcher, cinematographer Craig Kief, production designer Darcy Prevost, and visual effects/post production supervisor Brooke Stone are interviewed for the piece.

References

• The November 1981 issue, featuring Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark on the cover, can be seen on the newsstand at Hooper's Store in Sesame Street Episode 2387.

External links

• Official website