Clash of the Titans is a 1981 epic fantasy adventure film directed by Desmond Davis and written by Beverley Cross, loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. Starring Harry Hamlin, Judi Bowker, Burgess Meredith, Maggie Smith and Laurence Olivier, the film features the final work of stop-motion visual effects artist Ray Harryhausen.
For Clash of the Titans, Harryhausen poured his creative energy into crafting an array of mythical creatures, each with unique characteristics and challenges for animation. His workshop for the film was a hive of creativity, filled with intricate models of creatures like Medusa, Pegasus, the Kraken, Bubo the mechanical owl, and more. He would begin with sketches and small sculptures, giving each character its unique look and feel, with meticulous attention to textures, expressions, and articulation points to enhance lifelike movement.
“We’ve gone into mythology before with Jason and the Argonauts, and we always wanted to make a sequel,” said Harryhausen. “Mythology is the ideal subject for my form of cinema, but Clash of the Titans is more complicated than other films. We have a greater variety of monsters and creatures, locations spanning four countries and the technical part is more complicated. We have intimate scenes between the actors and a character called Calibos and they have to act and react accordingly as in normal dramatic situations. Calibos is part man, part creature and he is Dynamated in later sections of the film. It’s the first time we’ve done something as intricately woven as this.”
Animating these creatures required his ‘Dynamation’ process, allowing him to combine stop-motion animations with live-action sequences smoothly. One of the most impressive creations was the Kraken, a towering sea monster summoned by the gods. Harryhausen carefully planned the Kraken’s scenes to show its scale and power, with layered details like scales and moving limbs to evoke an otherworldly menace.
Bubo the owl was a rare blend of Harryhausen’s artistry and comic relief, requiring precise mechanics to mimic an owl’s movements realistically, but with a touch of humor and charm. Medusa was perhaps his most intensive work in the film, with individually animated serpents in her hair, a detailed snake-like body, and an expression that conveyed both malice and terror.
Harryhausen’s workspace during Clash of the Titans reflected his devotion to detail: each creature model was surrounded by sketches, lighting rigs, and miniatures. Animating each frame by hand, he worked tirelessly to bring Greek mythology’s most iconic creatures to life, making this film a testament to his legacy in stop-motion animation.
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