involving Al aboard a train. The Vietnam War sequences were filmed in Modesto, California, where the art department found difficulty in pinpointing filming locations, as the entire area was flooded. The use of helicopters during filming was the subject of frequent discussions with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), following an accident during the production of Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983). The special effects department used fifteen 20-gallon drums of gasoline rigged with explosive charges to depict a napalm strike. A total of four cameras were used to film the explosions. Principal photography concluded in early August 1984. Cinematography The film was the first to be partially shot with the Skycam, a computer-controlled, cable-suspended camera system created by Garrett Brown, inventor of the Steadicam. The Skycam had 100-foot high posts with four hanging wires controlled by a computer, and a lightweight Panavision camera with 200 feet of film hung at the center of the wires. The filmmakers intended to use the Skycam to fully depict Birdy's point of view during a fantasy sequence in which he imagines himself as a bird flying, but they encountered difficulties, as the camera would often malfunction. Although the Skycam proved successful on its first take, Parker insisted that the filmed footage be shot more rapidly, but the camera system malfunctioned during its second take, after capturing 40 seconds of footage. This resulted in the camera operators shooting the remainder of the sequence with a Steadicam mounted on top of an improvised camera dolly. Music The score was written, co-produced and composed by English singer and songwriter Peter Gabriel, and marked his first work on a feature film. During post-production, Parker had been incorporating the percussive rhythms from Gabriel's solo albums into the film. He contacted the musician's manager David Geffen, who advised him that producing the soundtrack would be a slow process, as Gabriel was known for working at his own pace. While working on his fifth studio album So, Gabriel agreed to score Birdy after viewing a rough cut of the film. Recording sessions took place at the Ashcombe House in Somerset, England, from October to December 1984. Gabriel used tapes of previously recorded material from the past four years, which he and music producer Daniel Lanois remixed for select scenes in the film. The score "Close Up" originated from the song "Family Snapshot" (from Gabriel's third album), which was composed on a Yamaha