The IMDb Show Season 2 Episode 27 IMDb on Location: Creature Effects
- July 16, 2018
In this episode of The IMDb Show, season 2 episode 27, titled "IMDb on Location: Creature Effects", host Tim Kash takes us behind the scenes of some of Hollywood's biggest productions to explore the creative process behind bringing monstrous creatures to life.
Kash starts by visiting Legacy Effects, a company responsible for creating some of the most iconic and terrifying movie monsters of all time, including the Xenomorph from the Alien franchise and the T-800 from Terminator 2. He speaks with Shane Mahan, one of Legacy's founders, who explains the critical role that practical effects play in film-making, even with the advent of CGI.
Later, Kash checks out the Creature Effects shop at Universal Studios in Hollywood, where he meets with Tom Woodruff Jr. and Alec Gillis, the men behind the Alien designs. They discuss the challenges of designing a creature that both terrifies and fascinates audiences, as well as the evolution of creature effects in the industry over the years.
Kash then travels to Vancouver to talk to the special effects team behind Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water, which won four Oscars including Best Picture in 2018. He speaks with creature designer Mike Hill about the process of creating the film's iconic fish-man character, played by Doug Jones.
Finally, Kash visits the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where he explores an exhibit of Guillermo del Toro's collection of movie monsters, props, and artworks. Del Toro himself joins him, discussing how his childhood fascination with monsters inspired his career in film-making and the creation of movies such as Pan's Labyrinth and The Shape of Water.
Throughout the episode, Kash highlights the artistry and creativity that go into the creation of Hollywood's most memorable creatures. From the early days of practical effects to the modern era of CGI and motion capture, we see the evolution of creature effects and the incredible skill and dedication required to bring these characters to life on the big screen.