Since the process of designing and creating these massive costumes took years, the teams got quite attached to them and actually became jealous of one another. The artists made everything, right down to hand painting the glass eyes. The teams were also encouraged to add their own unique details to help the characters stand out. A small team was assigned to each of the major characters (the ones with names like Mystics or Gelflings) to create their costumes/puppets. It seems that way, because that’s how they did it. The puppets and characters in The Dark Crystal are so detailed that it seems like each one was made by hand to be unique, despite the mind-boggling number that had to be made. Along with a combination of VFX and a bitchin’ smoke machine, the castle exterior was brought to life in all its terrifying glory. The penny-pinching studio wouldn’t give Jim Henson the money to make a full scale castle in a desert somewhere despite Henson’s insistence that it was necessary, so they built it in miniature. The one big exception to this is the external castle of the Skeksis. In fact, over 80 plasterers worked tirelessly to craft these intricate environments that resembled works of art on a human scale. Castle interiors, the Mystic village, Augrha’s massive orrery, all made by hand on sound stages big enough for people in costumes and puppets to run around in. One of things that made The Dark Crystal so believable is that nearly every set was made to scale. It was extremely time and labor intensive, but at least this was back in the days when visual effects artists got paid for their work. It’s a method that dates back over 120 years. They hand-painted the detailed exteriors on massive plates of glass that could then be placed over live footage to create the effect. While most of the exteriors were built practically and shot live, the production team used glass matte painting for some of the more expansive landscapes.Įxterior footage was shot, then a team of artists led by Industrial Light and Magic’s Michael Pangrazio and Chris Evans (no, not that one) got to work. The Dark Crystal may be known for its innovative practical effects, but the visual effects methods they used were downright classical. ![]() They even had an advanced video recording setup so they could look at the takes on the spot instead of waiting for film to develop. Inside the puppet, Oz communicated via radio and even had a specially made, miniaturized television monitor so he could see what the camera was recording in real time. They controlled things like the character’s facial movements and twitches via electric controls and yards of wire. The costumes and puppets were extremely intricate, and involved sophisticated electronics as well as telecommunications.įor example: Frank Oz’s character Augrha, the one-eyed astronomer, took three, sometimes four additional people to operate along with Oz. In reality, the methods used to achieve the lifelike representations of nonhuman actors were cutting-edge for their day. These days, the practical effects of The Dark Crystal are considered old school, classic, and lowtech what with the no computers and all. Without further ado, here it is: The Dark Listicle. This way, the next time some nerd tries to question your devotion to a fictional universe in a misguided bid to manufacture a purpose for their wasted life, you can hit them with some hard facts. ![]() In celebration of a new entry into this fondly remembered world, let’s take a look at seven interesting facts about the effects in The Dark Crystal. Henson’s team, which included other legends such as Frank Oz, Brian Froud, and Oswald Morris, breathed life into a world in a way many people believe have yet to be emulated or matched. The real star of the movie is the groundbreaking and arguably peerless design, animatronics, and effects, both visual and practical. Oh yeah, trust me, they’ll be super impressed.Īnyone who has seen the original Dark Crystal knows that the story is mostly a rambling hodgepodge of ideas Henson came up with based on a book written by a multi-dimensional ghost named Seth. That’s right, a reboot of a cult classic is coming out, so now it’s time to look back on the original so you can impress your friends with obscure pop culture knowledge. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance will be a prequel series that revisits the mystical land of Thra. The Dark Crystal, Jim Henson’s beautiful new age fever dream that was designed to scare kids, is getting the necromancy treatment from Netflix this August.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |