The Wizard of Speed and Time Original Short 1979

[@manfromkapow]

I met Mike Jittlov years ago. He was an eccentric genius! For those who don't understand what they're looking at. Understand this. NO CGI HERE! This was all done in camera one frame at a time!

[@anothertrackmom]

2008

[@anothertrackmom]

2008

[@anothertrackmom]

2008 0:57

[@anothertrackmom]

2008 0:57

[@alonzospurley23]

Video Brinquedo

[@UFOBobTV]

Just had dinner with Mike a few weeks ago. He’s still a magical friend.

[@bobblum5973]

Pass along a "Hello & Thank You" from his many fans, myself included.

[@backslashxy1]

Same here

[@Pocketrocket-pj1us]

Hope he's doing well and is still, magically bending time and space :)

[@Pocketrocket-pj1us]

Hi again. I was just wondering. Has Mike seen any of Keith Appercary's oeuvre, or best of?? I'm sure Keith has tried to make contact, as the signs of inspiration are all featured in Mike's work. We all learn from what, or who came before us and hopefully these two have met, or even worked together. Thanks for reading. Mike surely puts the rapidity, into my 2nd favorite sign-off, Godspeed.

[@UFOBobTV]

@@Pocketrocket-pj1us I haven’t chatted with Mike lately. I have been extremely busy with my work but I’m sure he is doing well.

[@balthezaar100]

Still amazing in 2020. This is why we still need practical effects in movies. Mike was responsible for so many amazing movie effects. Ghost being extremely noteworthy.

[@Pocketrocket-pj1us]

2024 and still holding up. Tough, inovated, nearly impossible work, talent & tenacity, rarely lose their luster and ability to inspire! Did I mention that I'm in love with this? Cheers from Montreal Quebec Canada

[@theotherwaldo]

I remember watching the news when they announced that this short movie won a prize. Then they showed "The Wizard of Speed and Time". The news staff just looked at each other, then said, "We have to see that again!" So I got to see it twice that night.

[@Pocketrocket-pj1us]

I hope it's in the Library of Congress, or Criterion collection. The preserving of this Masterpiece, is a must!

[@KendrickSF]

When I was a nerd teenager in the mid-70's, this short played to packed houses at every sci-fi and Star Trek convention for a decade. Pirated 8MM film prints and VCR copies were around, but they were expensive.

[@hogwashsentinel]

mid 70s? but it was released in 79

[@forrinwolf3592]

Omg! I haven't seen this since I went to this annual filming that was called the Festival of Animation back in the mid-to-late 70s I remember when this played the whole theater we all lost our friggin Minds and at the end of the evening they asked for us to put our comments on the cards and submit them and just about everybody their wrote wizard wizard wizard more Wizards and some of us even Drew little Wizards hauling ass on the back of the card it was just an amazing night. All of us guys would get together and go that one night out of the year to go see the Festival of animation. Great times. Great friends. Fond memories.

[@forrinwolf3592]

And I forgot to mention this was all back in the days living and growing up in Southern California

[@websurfer5772]

@@forrinwolf3592 Cool. Thanks for telling us. Sounds like fun.

[@mmorris7419]

When I went to SF conventions back in the day,this and Hardware Wars were required viewing. Nearly 40 years for both and they STILL hold up!!!! Ernie Fossilius and Mike Jittlov (whom I met back then,(yay!) are both FREAKIN' SWEET GENIUSES!!!! :D

[@ApolloWasReal]

Don't forget Bambi Meets Godzilla.

[@lisag2560]

OHMYGOSH!!! I FORGOT ABOUT HARDWARE WARS!!!!! Cons were the BEST back then, weren't they?

[@ericdietz1795]

Do I know you? I, too, once met Jittlov at a con.

[@lisag2560]

Ohmygosh, I forgot about Hardware Wars!!!!!!!! YESSSS, conventions in the 70s and 80s were the best!

[@douglasdixon524]

I remember watching short films like this or "Closet Cases Of The Nerd Kind" on HBO in the early 1980s. They put them on in between movies.

[@fairportfan2]

The sequence where he outruns the train was filmed on the edge of the yards, where the train is barely moving at slow walking speed. He used to like to tell the story of the 600 MPH guard dog that bit the 500 MPH wizard on the butt in one out take...

[@scottandrewhutchins]

Mike Jittlov is amazing. I wish he made more films.

[@allistairmitchell3845]

I went to Marshall High in Los Angeles and Greg Jittlov, Mike’s brother, was in my class. I think Mike was in the class ahead of us. I’m glad this short film has surfaced. I’ve always wanted to see it again. A great deal of fun!

[@Bullitt3401]

I watched the movie last night and loved it. I noticed his very retro website is still up. 😊 He has to be the most good-hearted guy that ever went to Hollywood.

[@limbdarkening]

1:37 Mike Jittlov getting beaten over the head for rating a 9.7 rather than a 10!

[@joebobjones2238]

I remember this as a kid, and I LOVED it. Good to see it again after 33 years.

[@kenyork1107]

I had never heard of this until my son introduced it to me about 12 years ago and now i am hooked , i love this and whenever my son and i get together you can bet we watch it 😊 .

[@XX-sp3tt]

This is a TIMELESS work of art, nothing less than that!

[@markdee8031]

Used to watch this on LSD back in the 90s.. it was the trippiest film ever .....

[@davewanamaker3690]

I love watching him t speed through the countryside and cities. Great expression on his face. I don't know how he got such great shots. Wow!

[@derp-construction3341]

I saw this around 2002 in a VJ concert hosted by Dr. Demento. Been low-key looking for it ever since. Thank you for sharing. 👍

[@JohnEvansChaoseed]

Awesome! I'm glad this is finally available on KZbin! Mike Jittlov is a true innovator.

[@dtphilbrick]

i remember a wonderful nite at boskone where this was shown upside down, ah my misspent youth!

[@stomassetti2]

Sooooo many memories... there was a local cinema that played this as an intro before movies when I was a kid. I was always more excited for this than the movie :)

[@JohnMassari]

We're going to release this music in Vinyl.

[@jackfulkerson4441]

John, did this happen? I loved your music.

[@diskkun4120]

@@jackfulkerson4441 It's on IndieGogo right now. I'll link it: www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-wizard-of-speed-and-time-soundtrack-on-vinyl#/

[@mibevan]

Way to go man

[@housevil2]

I will always upvote Mike Jittlov.

[@CetranRage]

One of the best VHS covers ever and an absolute delight to watch.

[@IAM_GhosT1]

I remember the wizard Mike. I remember his story about how the slate (the thing that kept biting at the cameras) in his clip was inspired by a yippie little dog that kept biting peoples ankles. Moreover I still remember going to house on the rock with the wizard as well many, many years ago.

[@Darrylizer1]

Science Fiction conventions used to show this movie every convention! It was so much fun when I was a kid.

[@REGIFISHY]

Every single person in the world needs to see this short. Simple, yet BRILLIANT! (And the catchy song at the end.)

[@samael2]

WOW, in my childhood/birthday in a anthology restaurant -pizzeria see the poster, just once, finally see the short,,, Thank you so much for the sweet memories

[@JohnEvansChaoseed]

That's also Mike Jittlov holding the "9.7" sign, of course. ;)

[@nicholasmoose6574]

This feels so much like something that would have been on Night Flight. Come to find out it was featured on the Wonderful World of Disney! I read about the short and the feature version in books about cult movies, but I never watched either and seeing it, I can see why everyone thought it was so impressive.

[@LorenIpsum75]

@Nicholas Moose Night Flight! Search KZbin for Tony Powers' "Don't Nobody Move. This is a Heist!" 😀👍

[@larrylem3582]

I haven't seen this in 40+ years since a Spike and Mike animation film festival...

[@ravenofno]

I remember my t\professor showing this in our film production class in 1978-ish and RAVING about it. ..I agreed. Wonderful!

[@petergant8767]

This was simply a Great piece if imaginative fun, and, though some artists came close, in their own way, I'd still say, THIS is a one if a kind creation, in stop animation!

[@rexosaurus]

I saw this when it first came out 33 years ago (of course, as a child) and loved it! Never thought I'd see it again. Punched it into youtube, and here it is :)

[@sparc77]

I remember first seeing this in the late 70s at conventions in the 80s. Fantastic for a small independent artist!

[@faceachedeath]

Exceptional, how come I’ve never seen this before. A retrospective bravo. 👏

[@dragdragon23]

Glad to find this again, Love it!

[@createtoserve]

This was on an old VHS tape my dad used to test A/V systems back in the day. I loved watching it as a kid.

[@ferghalicious1480]

I like your funny words, magic man!

[@CountBifford]

This was made in 1979 and the speed effects are way better than Smallville.

[@JohnMassari]

Very true. I was there when he shot it.

[@scottbruckner4653]

I JUST GOT FUCKING CULTURAL WHIPLASH.

[@WSNO]

Film cameras, being designed to take literally one picture at a time and run them together, make a smoother speed effect than digital ever could. The speed is literally how many pictures are shown per second. Digital uses the terminology but applies the concept differently. There's too much coding fuckery and file-based shortcutting to reduce size and so on to effectively manipulate anything the way you can on a film strip.

[@GymbalLock]

I saw the film as a result of my video club in high school back in the 1980s. The local Wherehouse video rental store had it on VHS.

[@7Dunaway7]

15 people don't know a good thing when they see it.

[@hi-im-lugh9570]

This song, I love it

[@JohnMassari]

We are going to release the music on Vinyl.

[@kelseycoca]

It's a banger

[@AbraxasSteadicam]

Ironic that Jitlov, who didn't care for video, finds his films (both this and the feature) available only in the absolute lowest-quality video. However, when I saw this fim in 16mm in 1980, it inspired me to make my own (even shorter) film called "Auto-Kitchen". You can see it by searching "Auto Kitchen Gary Davis"

[@yaterjebaiter3977]

Man… my dad once showed me this exact video a long time ago and I forgot why he did it exactly but it’s the absolute easiest thing I ever remembered watching, coming back brings back so many great memories and looking back at it, this whole thing was amazing!

[@cindydott452]

Still an amazing film! June 25th, 2024

[@dirklittle]

Man this is a flashback to my past, I am stoked to see this again!

[@jmkrieger67]

oh, wow. this has been one of my favorite freaky shorts for years... never thought I'd get to watch this again! thanks for posting it!

[@sandranicht6506]

thank you! I remember seeing him at Balticon years ago, he showed us his work and told the stories behind the pieces....

[@ericdietz1795]

Ah, now you I might have met. Though I don't recall him being at a Balticon, so this might be before my time.

[@sandranicht6506]

@@ericdietz1795 the first time he came no one knew who he was and he only had a few shorts but he regaled us with hilarious stories about making them. he became one of the most popular presenters ever.

[@7Dunaway7]

Mike Jittlov is a genius!

[@MrSinner666]

I'm glad Decker Shado did a video on this, I would never had heard of it otherwise

[@patronwizard4936]

I remember there being a whole movie that goes with this, actually it was about making this video... Now to find it, again.

[@killian9314]

Same name

[@ooEVILGOAToo]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGbEkGNmjruJobM

[@MisterFiend]

Damn, I haven't seen this in twenty years! Sometimes I love KZbin.

[@diskkun4120]

Yeah, sometimes.

[@whittpond8803]

I got to hear Mike Jitlov when they showed his film at the Boston Science Fiction Film Marathon many years ago. Super nice guy, told fascinating stories, and I loved his film.

[@jsl151850b]

I saw him in person at a BosCon in the early 80s. I have several of his 16mm prints. He said the music/animation positively affected the brain. I have the VHS movie, except it's subtitled 'Not for Resale'. Are his Disney Channel bumpers on KZbin? He struck me as a mad genius. Never really made money.

[@MidnightDStroyer]

So here I was, browsing through KZbin & I saw the title pop up in my feed. The Wizard of Speed & Time seemed so familiar but it's been long enough that I just couldn't put my finger on it. As I started to type out the the title in the search bar is when it hit me; "No, that couldn't be it could it?" When that green robe popped up on the Wikipage, my memory was confirmed. Then the rest of it came flooding back into my head & I grinned...I never thought I'd see this again but here it is. What got to me the most way back when I first saw this mostly boiled down to one single thing. I immediately recognized that he used stop-motion photography & I thought is was so clever of a way to use it back then, but that wasn't it...The one thing that made everything else fit together with perfection was that $#|+ eating grin all the way through.

[@sniperbob1992]

Thanks you for this. I remember first watching this as part of a special on TV that Disney did for the release of "The Black Hole" (man I just dated myself!) Had recorded it on a $1000 (at the time) VHS player and must have worn it out watching this over and over again. Wasn't until a few years later I got to see the movie that was inspired by this.

[@dominicfastbender4029]

God bless you wizard.

[@MrUnidyne]

Mike has done stop motion, cel, pixilation, puppetry, all using animation equipment that HE BUILT BY HIMSELF! Check out the feature film and you'll see the multi-plane he built using an Erector set!!

[@EfrainQuihuis]

Mike was a freakin genius...thanks so much for posting =)

[@SCRnflz]

I remember seeing this in my 2nd or 3rd grade class in So Cal on the film projector, and it blew my little 7/8 year old mind! Pretty innovative. Imagine what he would have done with help from a computer.

[@robabiera733]

I saw this in a theater as part of an animation anthology 40 years ago. Hasn't lost a bit of charm!

[@williamstewart1883]

I didn't know the short was made before the movie! Neat!

[@teeeeeveeeee314]

I showed this at our Kanwha Valley Sci-fi group I was president of back in the '80's at the library. I show several others of his shorts like Animato too the West Virginia Library Commission had for loan. The first time I ever seen the Wizard was this and this got me into the movie version. How can you not love a movie that has your favorite car in it? A Studabaker Avanti?

[@Buttscum]

i remember watching this as well as blaze glory and hardware wars on my local community access television. great stuff!

[@ukulelemike]

Got to meet him in the very early 80's at a Sci-Fi convention in LA-he showed his tapes. This was while he was still in talks to produce the effects for Dr. Strange. On the Movie, he refers to it as the Doctor Magic show.

[@mmorris7419]

ukulelemike I also met him at a convention around that same time. He was (and I assume still is) and awesome guy!

[@JohnMassari]

Was it the convention near Los Angeles airport?

[@ZyxthePest]

Dr. Strange eventually became Dr. Mordrid when the rights for the character fell through for Full Moon, who were producing it. Never knew Mike was talking about doing the effects for it. I DID hear something happened with him and the effects for the 90s Flash TV show.

[@cjharrisman]

i loved this film when i was a kid, the 1987 film i grew up with, who ever posted this vid, thanks, A+

[@jimhumphreys1064]

The cave at the beginning is in Griffith Park (L.A.) and was the entrance to the Batcave in 1966 Adam West Batman!

[@TurdFerguson1800]

I had the feature film on tape as a kid. I wore that movie out. My folks were sick of it I watched it so much. This stuff is awesome.

[@kurchatov324]

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned yet that the music in the first part of this trailer is from a Russian Cossack dance called "Dance of the Zaporozhe Cossacks". Here in KZbin you can see a video of the dance interpreted by the dancers of the Soviet Army Chorus and Dance Ensemble Group, directed by Gen. Boris Aleksandrov. Just look for the name between quotations above.

[@RJW59]

I remember seeing this in 1979 and this is the first time that I have seen it since then. Using the technology that was available at the time this is totally awesome. I hope he went on to bigger and better things.

[@LisaMarli]

One of the truly awesome animators of all times. We love you Mike!

[@ThorneIdentity]

i doubt most folks will appreciate the achievement here but this guy was (is?) a freaking genius. Wizard indeed. Thanks for this.

[@Hellsinger667]

it was here ones befor but got deleted. glad to see someone uploaded it again :)

[@peterpro9284]

inspired me to become a vfx artist !! so great

[@bobblum5973]

In the animated series _Justice League,_ there's an episode where Brainiac merges with Lex Luthor. _Spoiler:_ They are finally stopped by Flash; he races around the Earth multiple times hitting them from different directions. During one run you see Flash's viewpoint, shots of various locations. I think it's a tribute to the same effect shown here, as well as in the "Wizard Run" segment at the end of _The Wizard of Speed and Time_ feature film. (Yes, there is one!) Thank you, Mike, for passing along your wonderful sense of life and fun!

[@carpenoctem66]

The four people that disliked this video should be removed from the Earth. this is perhaps the most indescribably brilliant things ever made! Everyone should know about this!

[@photomitch]

Didn't this get nominated for an Oscar?

[@godzzla]

What a great little film. Fantastic.

[@QuietLumina]

Thank you thank you, I love you for uploading this!

[@QuietLumina]

I was sure I didn't make up this memory! Thanks for uploading!

[@tuttt99]

Jittlov is a Genius!!

[@GHLIII]

I love the scene clacker or whatever you call it. Sweet, beautiful -- he did more sophisticated work later but none more affecting.

[@OverlordShamala]

Wow! That's been solong I saw this film. It was so fun to watch. The old times...

[@jupiterran]

He later worked as a special effects technician on the film Ghost.

[@mthai66]

@fairportfan2 I saw the original premier of this at Boscon 79. Awesome.

[@rocketraccoon1976]

Starlog #37. Never saw this short, but Starlog magazine had an article on him, so I recognized his costume.

[@wepsful]

I'm appearently too young to know what i'm talking about. but i'm Staggered by this masterpiece. i'm now addicted to this

[@taracarstensen3210]

Forever a classic. Who all went bodysurfing with Mike at SDCC?

[@BuckySeifert]

Man good stop motion is priceless.

[@Soapcloud705]

I think I saw this on HBO between movies in the 80’s. They used to play little shorts like Giselle Kerosine and this. Good times.

[@TheBladeJunker]

Thanks for the posting, I've seen the full length movie he made later but I hadn't seen this short. :)

[@3dpprofessor]

Sad, this video is getting beat up by JPG compression. Probably didn't ahve the VHS it was ripped from doing it any favors either.

[@TheVCRTimeMachine]

These are more convincing special effects than any CGI I have seen

[@tallguyshortgirl]

This was an annual staple at my friends birthday party...his father would get the reel to reel film and project it for the kids. Yeah, film and a projector.

[@tadmjgptwmjg]

Great....

[@timmooney6910]

Now I have the urge to chant “Backwards! Backwards!”

[@Banjo_Oz]

Whoa! Talk about nostalgia! I remember seeing the "full length" movie on VHS as a rental when I was a kid (I literally remember nothing about it apart from the theme music, the Wizard's appearance and "speed running" and the title)... I had no idea this started life as a (very cool) short! I've gotta track it down again now (even though I agree that the CONCEPT is probably far cooler).

[@hannahduggan3599]

My manufacturing teacher used to let me and my friends watch this is high school 🏫. It was so funny 🤣 when those guys were hitting that other guy with their signs 💀.

[@ebinrock]

I'd rather watch this over ANYTHING made by CGI or especially by AI. It's more amazing and interesting to see the best of what we mere mortal humans can come up with, especially with limited tools.

[@paulrankin8578]

Insightful thoughts.

[@BahstX]

The Wizard of Speed and Time-making "little Unicorn Loving Girls with dreams of stardom" dreams come true since '79...