When "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" was released in theaters in the United States on June 11, 1982, the science fiction film went on to become a box office hit for producer and director Steven Spielberg and the film's cast. 40 years later and the movie is still considered iconic.
As we celebrate the film's 40th anniversary, here are some tech-related facts about it that you might not know about:
E.T. is Animatronic Puppet and Spielberg Required Sets to be Raised on Stilts
As you may have already figured out, the beloved alien E.T. was actually an animatronic puppet in real life. To make the scenes realistics, the puppet was bolted down to the ground of sets that were raised on stilts so that the wiring could be hidden under the floor, according to an article by Mental Floss.
The puppeteers managing E.T.'s performance had to do so from another room using TV monitors that have been set up.
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E.T.'s Voice is a Collection of Different Sounds
Sound design played a huge role in the creation of the iconic film, especially when it comes to the voice of the beloved alien itself. According to an article by Screen Rant, E.T.'s voice is not a product of the talent of a voice actor, but of sound designer Ben Burtt.
Burtt used around 18 different sounds effects, animal sounds, and people's voices to create E.T.'s voice. "There are raccoons in there, there are sea otters, there are some horses, there's a burp from my old cinema professor from USC," he told the BBC.
The Movie was Shot from a Child's Point-of-View
Screent Rant's article points out that the "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" was shot from the point-of-view of a child on purpose. This means that the movie was shot from a lower angle and that the adults in it were seen only from the waist down.
There is one exemption though and that is none other than Mary, who was portrayed by Dee Wallace.
Why was it done this way? Screen Rant states that it was done this way so that the children watching the movie could identify better with the characters they saw.
Steven Spielberg Didn't Like E.T.'s Mechanical Arms So They Hired a Mime
Considering that E.T. was an animatronic puppet, it goes without saying that it had mechanical arms. However, the film's producer and director was not a fan of it as they were jerky. Spielberg believed that E.T. should have balletic arms.
So what did they do to solve the dilemma? They, believe it or not, hired a mime named Caprice Rothe.
According to Menal Floss, "Each time the puppet was meant to interact with Elliott or pick certain things up during a scene, Rothe would have to lay horizontally underneath the puppet and extend her hands vertically, for take after take."
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