<P> The special visual effects for Raiders were provided by Industrial Light & Magic and include: a matte shot to establish the Pan Am flying boat in the water and miniature work to show the plane taking off and flying, superimposed over a map; animation effects for the beam in the Tanis map room; and a miniature car and passengers superimposed over a matte painting for a shot of a Nazi car being forced off a cliff . The bulk of effects shots were featured in the climactic sequence wherein the Ark of the Covenant is opened and God's wrath is unleashed . This sequence featured animation, a woman to portray a beautiful spirit's face, rod puppet spirits moved through water to convey a sense of floating, a matte painting of the island, and cloud tank effects to portray clouds . The melting of Toht's head was done by exposing a gelatine and plaster model of Ronald Lacey's head to a heat lamp with an under - cranked camera, while Dietrich's crushed head was a hollow model from which air was withdrawn . When the film was originally submitted to the Motion Picture Association of America, it received an R rating because of the scene in which Belloq's head explodes . The filmmakers were able to receive a PG rating when they added a veil of fire over the exploding head scene . (PG - 13 rating was not created until 1984 .) The firestorm that cleanses the canyon at the finish was a miniature canyon filmed upside down . Brian Muir and Keith Short created the Ark prop based on the paintings of James Tissot . </P> <P> Ben Burtt, the sound effects supervisor, made extensive use of traditional foley work in yet another of the production's throwbacks to days of the Republic serials . He selected a . 30 - 30 Winchester rifle for the sound of Jones' pistol . Sound effects artists struck leather jackets and baseball gloves with a baseball bat to create a variety of punching noises and body blows . For the snakes in the Well of Souls sequence, fingers running through cheese casserole and sponges sliding over concrete were used for the slithering noises . The sliding lid on a toilet cistern provided the sound for the opening of the Ark, and the sound of the boulder in the opening is a car rolling down a gravel driveway in neutral . Burtt also used, as he did in many of his films, the ubiquitous Wilhelm scream when a Nazi falls from a truck . In addition to his use of such time - honored foley work, Burtt also demonstrated the modern expertise honed during his award - winning work on Star Wars . He employed a synthesizer for the sounds of the Ark, and mixed dolphins' and sea lions' screams for those of the spirits within . </P> <P> The final scene, where the Ark is placed in a vast warehouse, was Spielberg's homage to Citizen Kane, where Kane's lost childhood sled, "Rosebud", is similarly treated . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> "The Raiders March" (1981) Raiders of the Lost Ark </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Problems playing this file? See media help . </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Where was raiders of the lost ark set