Clearwater Features/Behind the Scenes

Periscope Lens System
The Clearwater Periscope lens system was the special 35mm movie camera designed in 1984 by David Mitton and Terence Permane working in Clearwater Features for use on the children's television series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends. The cameras were built in the United States with the lenses grounded in Japan, an inverted periscope was built in, and were used together with live action model animation, to produce the image of character movements at eye level. Only two of these camera systems were ever made  to film both Thomas & Friends and TUGS, though for the filming of Theodore Tugboat, the system made for TUGS was shipped from England to Canada and modified to work with a Sony BVP-7. As one of the directors for Theodore Tugboat, Robert D. Cardona funded for the modification of the camera system.

Present Day
After production of the model series wrapped in 2008, most of the studio equipments, lights and cameras would be put into storage, which would be given to crew members for the other live-action shows and which to be disposed off when never used. The periscope lens system is now in storage by HiT and later Mattel's ownership. It is not entirely clear what became of the TUGS and Theodore Tugboat lens after production on the latter show ended, whether it is still in the possession of Robert D. Cardona or Terence and Nigel Permane.