Some years ago I bought this original matte painting, made for the Battlestar Galactica 1978 pilot episode "Saga of a Star World". The matte painting, made by a still unknown artist, wasn't used like this in the pilot. It was redone slightly different in the screen used version. The painting itself is on a transparant sheet which drops over a photo of a mountain landscape (both were different on the screen used version).

unused matte painting of Battlestar Galactica's pilot "Saga of a Star World"

The actual screen used version of the matte painting shows an almost similar background mountain landscape, though probably photographed under a different angle (see comparison below). The painting of the screenused version shows a larger amount of vipers which are further away than in the unused version. Also the moons over the mountain are slightly different.

On the planet Carillion Boxey jumps out of the landram to go after Muffit and is then abducted by the Ovions. The background mountain landscape photo from the unused matte painting was used in that earlier scene (see comparison below).

screen used matte painting of Battlestar Galactica's pilot "Saga of a Star World"

background photo comparison of the Battlestar Galactica matte paintings

background photo used in the Boxey abduction scene in
Battlestar Galactica's pilot "Saga of a Star World"

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