diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/media/MediaPanel.java b/src/java/com/threerings/media/MediaPanel.java
index 87227e07d..3ac01b761 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/media/MediaPanel.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/media/MediaPanel.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: MediaPanel.java,v 1.16 2002/06/25 01:00:22 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: MediaPanel.java,v 1.17 2002/06/25 17:31:16 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.media;
 
@@ -132,6 +132,14 @@ public class MediaPanel extends JComponent
         _spritemgr.removeSprite(sprite);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Removes all sprites from this panel.
+     */
+    public void clearSprites ()
+    {
+        _spritemgr.clearSprites();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Adds an animation to this panel.
      */
diff --git a/src/java/com/threerings/media/sprite/SpriteManager.java b/src/java/com/threerings/media/sprite/SpriteManager.java
index b5a3e3280..769c7396d 100644
--- a/src/java/com/threerings/media/sprite/SpriteManager.java
+++ b/src/java/com/threerings/media/sprite/SpriteManager.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: SpriteManager.java,v 1.32 2002/06/20 00:54:53 mdb Exp $
+// $Id: SpriteManager.java,v 1.33 2002/06/25 17:31:17 mdb Exp $
 
 package com.threerings.media.sprite;
 
@@ -114,6 +114,22 @@ public class SpriteManager
         sprite.shutdown();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Clears all sprites from the sprite manager. This does not
+     * invalidate their vacated bounds because it is assumed that either
+     * the whole view will be repainted after this or it is going away
+     * entirely. The sprites will be {@link Sprite#shutdown}, however.
+     */
+    public void clearSprites ()
+    {
+        int size = _sprites.size();
+        for (int ii = 0; ii < size; ii++) {
+            Sprite sprite = (Sprite)_sprites.get(ii);
+            sprite.shutdown();
+        }
+        _sprites.clear();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Provides access to the region manager that the sprite manager is
      * using to collect invalid regions every frame. This should generally