Deep in the Woods

Deep in the Woods is the first known production by Ted Phillips to use stop-motion animation. It was recorded on VHS-C format on or about February 13, 1993, but was not edited or released to the public until November 10, 2008.

Three herbivorous dinosaurs are eating lunch on a table. The orange stegosaurus is eating a stick, a black triceratops is eating dead leaves, and another black triceratops is eating a pine cone. Suddenly, a green therapod appears, threatening their livelihood. The three herbivores unite forces against the therapod, carry it on their backs, and almost push it into a paper shopping bag just off the table. However, the therapod regains its balance. It bites a plate on the stegosaurus's back but is pushed back. The herbivores back away and the therapod advances on the stegosaurus, pinning it to the ground and biting its neck. The therapod trips over the pine cone, allowing the stegosaurus to roll out from underneath; the therapod knocks over all the other dinosaurs on its way down.

As the dinosaurs rise to their feet, the therapod attacks one triceratops on the neck, rolls off, jumps onto the other triceratops, and wrestles it while biting its leg. The triceratops throws the therapod off. The therapod jumps back onto the triceratops, who casts the therapod into the horns of the other triceratops, and all three fall to the ground. When they get up, a triceratops attacks the therapod. The triceratops and stegosaurus carry the therapod and push it into the bag. The therapod climbs out of the bag and resumes chasing the herbivores.

The rights to Deep in the Woods were absorbed by T.J.'s Cracked Egg Productions when it was created with the principle photography of The Bloody Man later in February 1993.

This short was the first movie on the VHS-C tape "Ted's Movies," traditionally considered the oldest tape in the archives. For many years, scholars believed the shooting date to have been in August 1992, making the short the earliest known production by Ted Phillips. However, further analysis in mid-April 2022 proved the short could not have been made before early January 1993, due to background elements relating to The Flood, which took place in December 1992. This new analysis dethroned Deep in the Woods and reinstated the claim that Th was Ted's first production ever. Further, due to recorded comments made by John Phillips during the photography of When There Were Monsters, it is now also believed that When There Were Monsters dethrones Deep in the Woods as Ted's earliest recorded production. This is further supported by the discussion of the early timeline on Ted's Fun Site, which was written in 1998. That web site also referred to this short by an incorrect title, as "Dino Fight."

The actual title comes from the narration (by John Phillips) at the beginning of the short:

John Phillips said:

And the scene opens with and we begin this movie, deep in the woods, where three dinosaurs are eating their lunch.

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However, due to the nature of VHS-C adapter conversion, which was the technique traditionally used during screenings, this line was only viewable as:

three dinosaurs are eating their lunch.

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When Nick Phillips began archiving footage in 2001, he wrote down "Threes Dinos Eating Lunch" as the title on the VHS-C case insert; he had initially planned to write "Three Dinosaurs Eating Their Lunch," but there was not enough room on the line. Thus, it was called "Three Dinos Eating Lunch" by cult fans who had viewed the source recordings.

• When applying to film school, Ted Phillips described Deep in the Woods in his portfolio:
  

  Ted Phillips said:

  A herd of dinosaurs grazes in a field. They are disrupted by a carnivore, but using teamwork, are able to overcome the threat.

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