King Kong could not have been possible if not for the contribution of the special effects genius Willis OBrien who turned an eighteen inch high model into the eighth wonder of the world. OBrien utilized a cinematic process known as stopmotion animation where miniature models were photographed one frame at a time and repositioned between exposures.When the processed film was projected in sequence the inanimate models moved with the illusion of life.OBrien is known as the father of this process which he debuted in his 1917 short film The Dinosaur and the Missing Link. He would further develop the process and create whole herds of dinosaurs in the 1925 classic The Lost World, based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyles novel.King Kong was the greatest challenge yet for OBrien. He brought the giant gorilla to life on film using eighteen inch high models constructed on metal skeletons with ballandsocket joints, padded with foam rubber and cotton, and covered with rabbit skins to simulate the beasts fur. His team constructed lavish and intricate miniature sets to provide the appropriate backdrop for the animated models. OBrien used these models to film all but a few short scenes which utilized a lifesized bust of Kong as well as a lifesized hand to hold Fay Wray and a lifesized foot to trample Skull Island natives.OBrien studied the movements of gorillas in zoos and other large animals to develop his characterization of Kong and the dinosaurs of Skull Island as well as attending professional wrestling matches searching for ideas of how to make his creation battle the other prehistoric denizens of Skull Island. It is this attention to the performance of his models that sets OBriens work apart as a pinnacle of the art.

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