Extras approaching the other side toward rock of Moses

Annotated photograph used in the production process for the `Parting of the Red Sea' sequence from the film THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, 1955: Extras approaching the other side toward rock of Moses, no #FFAX-3. with acetate overlay with markings.

Rehearsal of Egyptian chariots racing towards the Israelites in the Red Sea bed. Cecil B DeMille and John Fulton are on the parallel. The location was the desert at Beni Youssef, October 1954. Aeorplanes used for wind effects. Rocks of plaster were positioned along the sea bed, matte paintings of additional rocks were added later. The dates and annotations on the mount and acetate indicate when the various sections of miniature water for sea walls were photographed. The white markings were scribed by the optical department just to indicate the parameters of the sea walls. Each wall was a composite of three sections taken from different angles, split-screened together.

The parting of the Read Sea sequence is one of the most impressive in The Ten Commandments. It was created thorugh a combination of rear projection and optical photography. The sequence took 6 months to create, with scenes shot on the banks of the Red Sea and at the Paramount backlot.

The wall of water was created at Paramount on 1/5th scale using a tilted ramp approximately 32 feet high and 80 feet long. The water was supplied by an elevated tank through 15 manually controlled hydraulically operated valves allowing the 360,000 gallons of water to cascade down in a thin sheet. Along the ramp were long wooden batons which caused the water to break up into choppy tides and undertow. This shot was then used in reverse to give the impression of the water going up and the sea parting. All elements were combined in an optical printer and matte paintings of rocks concealed the matte lines between the 'real' location shots and the special effects.