Welcome to Muppet Wiki!
No edit summary |
mNo edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[Image:Logo.creatureshop.jpg|frame|Jim Henson's Creature Shop logo.]] |
[[Image:Logo.creatureshop.jpg|frame|Jim Henson's Creature Shop logo.]] |
||
| − | '''Jim Henson's Creature Shop''' is the name of the [[London]] based workshop owned by the [[Jim Henson Company]]. Distinct from |
+ | '''Jim Henson's Creature Shop''' is the name of the [[London]] based workshop owned by the [[Jim Henson Company]]. Distinct from the [[Muppet Workshop]], the Creature Workshop had its roots in the pre-production for ''[[The Dark Crystal]]'', beginning in [[1978]], assembling technicians, sculptors, and production designers, both Muppet veterans and outside talent, to create a realistic unified world. "The Creature Shop" name was thus adopted, to denote the more aesthetically realistic, technically involved "creatures". Traditional puppetry techniques, while not entirely abandoned, were placed to the side in favor of radio-controlled advancements, animatronic technology, body suit performers, and fleshy latex faces capable of multiple eye, brow, jaw, and teeth movements. |
Unlike the Muppet Workshop, which seldom accepted outside commissions, the Creature Shop was soon established as a special effects production house, utilized for both Henson films and series and outside, commissioned projects. The Creature Shop name first appeared in the credits of ''[[Dreamchild]]'', for which the company's staff designed, built, and performed [[Lewis Carroll]] figures. ''[[The StoryTeller]]'' was the first television series to utilize the Creatures. Though primarily associated with realistic monsters and animals, the Creature Shop also occasionally built figures for Muppet productions, such as ''[[The Ghost of Faffner Hall]]'' or the [[Christmas]] [[ghosts]] in ''[[The Muppet Christmas Carol]]''. |
Unlike the Muppet Workshop, which seldom accepted outside commissions, the Creature Shop was soon established as a special effects production house, utilized for both Henson films and series and outside, commissioned projects. The Creature Shop name first appeared in the credits of ''[[Dreamchild]]'', for which the company's staff designed, built, and performed [[Lewis Carroll]] figures. ''[[The StoryTeller]]'' was the first television series to utilize the Creatures. Though primarily associated with realistic monsters and animals, the Creature Shop also occasionally built figures for Muppet productions, such as ''[[The Ghost of Faffner Hall]]'' or the [[Christmas]] [[ghosts]] in ''[[The Muppet Christmas Carol]]''. |
||
Full-bodied reptiles dominated the Creature Shop's slate in the early 1990s, creating the title characters in ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' and ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II]]'', and an array of prehistoric beings in ''[[Dinosaurs]]''. For these projects, technicians developed the Henson Performance Control System, ana dvancement from the earlier radio controls, allowing puppeteers to create complex facial expressions as well as detailed body movements, such as in finger joints. The team, including [[Faz Fazakas]] and [[Brian Henson]], received a special Scientific and Engineering [[Academy Award]] in [[1992]] for this advancement. |
Full-bodied reptiles dominated the Creature Shop's slate in the early 1990s, creating the title characters in ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' and ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II]]'', and an array of prehistoric beings in ''[[Dinosaurs]]''. For these projects, technicians developed the Henson Performance Control System, ana dvancement from the earlier radio controls, allowing puppeteers to create complex facial expressions as well as detailed body movements, such as in finger joints. The team, including [[Faz Fazakas]] and [[Brian Henson]], received a special Scientific and Engineering [[Academy Award]] in [[1992]] for this advancement. |
||
| − | Later in the decade, the Creature Shop also became increasingly involved in digital puppetry and computer animation, in such projects as ''[[Loch Ness]]'' and ''[[Lost in Space]]''. Other assignments involved creating realistic animal characters, for use as either doubles for stunt scenes or to create realistic dialogue in such movies as ''[[Babe]]'', ''[[ |
+ | Later in the decade, the Creature Shop also became increasingly involved in digital puppetry and computer animation, in such projects as ''[[Loch Ness]]'' and ''[[Lost in Space]]''. Other assignments involved creating realistic animal characters, for use as either doubles for stunt scenes or to create realistic dialogue in such movies as ''[[Babe]]'', ''[[Doctor Dolittle]]'', and ''[[Cats & Dogs]]''. |
==External Links== |
==External Links== |
||
Revision as of 19:04, 25 May 2006
Jim Henson's Creature Shop logo.
Jim Henson's Creature Shop is the name of the London based workshop owned by the Jim Henson Company. Distinct from the Muppet Workshop, the Creature Workshop had its roots in the pre-production for The Dark Crystal, beginning in 1978, assembling technicians, sculptors, and production designers, both Muppet veterans and outside talent, to create a realistic unified world. "The Creature Shop" name was thus adopted, to denote the more aesthetically realistic, technically involved "creatures". Traditional puppetry techniques, while not entirely abandoned, were placed to the side in favor of radio-controlled advancements, animatronic technology, body suit performers, and fleshy latex faces capable of multiple eye, brow, jaw, and teeth movements.
Unlike the Muppet Workshop, which seldom accepted outside commissions, the Creature Shop was soon established as a special effects production house, utilized for both Henson films and series and outside, commissioned projects. The Creature Shop name first appeared in the credits of Dreamchild, for which the company's staff designed, built, and performed Lewis Carroll figures. The StoryTeller was the first television series to utilize the Creatures. Though primarily associated with realistic monsters and animals, the Creature Shop also occasionally built figures for Muppet productions, such as The Ghost of Faffner Hall or the Christmas ghosts in The Muppet Christmas Carol.
Full-bodied reptiles dominated the Creature Shop's slate in the early 1990s, creating the title characters in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, and an array of prehistoric beings in Dinosaurs. For these projects, technicians developed the Henson Performance Control System, ana dvancement from the earlier radio controls, allowing puppeteers to create complex facial expressions as well as detailed body movements, such as in finger joints. The team, including Faz Fazakas and Brian Henson, received a special Scientific and Engineering Academy Award in 1992 for this advancement. Later in the decade, the Creature Shop also became increasingly involved in digital puppetry and computer animation, in such projects as Loch Ness and Lost in Space. Other assignments involved creating realistic animal characters, for use as either doubles for stunt scenes or to create realistic dialogue in such movies as Babe, Doctor Dolittle, and Cats & Dogs.