Welcome weary traveller of the web to DNEG’s Halloween carnival of creatures and monsters.
Like Dr. Frankenstein, over the years, here at DNEG we have ‘brought to life’ a collection of monsters.
Allow us to introduce you to a few of our favourites from our 20-year history.
But beware! Don’t pet any of them and don’t get too close…
Fungus The Bogeyman
First up, it’s Fungus The Bogeyman (Sky); arguably our politest specimen, but also our most putrid – something he is very proud of!
Fungus is the brainchild of children’s author and illustrator Raymond Briggs, who introduced the world to Fungus and his fellow Bogeymen in 1977.
In 2015, DNEG TV worked with Andy Serkis’ production company, Imaginarium Studios, to bring the slimy and grotty world of the Bogeymen (and Bogeywomen) to life for a three-part series for Sky One.
This ambitious project pioneered new techniques of combining performances by costumed live actors (to give realistic body movements), with fully animated CGI heads. For this impressive work, the show was nominated for a BAFTA TV Craft Award for Special, Visual and Graphic Effects. Take a look at the show page for more.
Venom
Next, allow us to introduce you to Venom, one of our latest projects, made for Sony Pictures and based on Marvel’s ever-popular comic book character. As a Symbiote – an amorphous extra-terrestrial – this constantly shape-shifting creature created a series of challenges for our VFX artists. To bring him to life, we developed an animation rig that enabled the animators to animate a constantly shifting central body that could move in any direction, climb any surface and adopt any shape. Our artists took inspiration for his movement from time-lapse photography of slime moulds, footage of under sea creatures such as jellyfish and microscopy footage of amoebas!
Discover more on the Venom show page.
Obscurus
From one shape shifter to another, the Obscurus is perhaps best described as a malevolent force of evil without form. We created this creature for the 2016 movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Watch this trailer to see it wreak havoc and leave a trail of destruction throughout 1920’s New York.
Gringotts Dragon
Fans of Harry Potter will recognise our next monster – the mighty Gringotts Dragon from the movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. DNEG artists breathed life into this winged creature and realised director David Yate’s vision for a tortured yet fearsome dragon that audiences would simultaneously fear and have sympathy for. As well as VFX for TV and cinema, we’ve also created content for theme park rides inspired by shows. For the Harry Potter Escape from Gringotts immersive ride at Universal’s Orlando resort, in Florida, U.S, we re-created a giant 3D version of the dragon, which gives guests the chance to witness Harry, Ron and Hermione confront this fire-breathing beast. See the Gringotts Dragon in action, watch the trailer over on the show page.
Jekyll and Hyde
Don’t be fooled by this gentleman’s appearance; Robert Jekyll has a darker side. DNEG TV provided VFX for Charlie Higson’s 2015 ITV reboot of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic horror/thriller. Set in the 1930s, we were the lead VFX vendor for this show and our artists’ work included creating Jekyll’s transition into his menacing alter ego, as well as the on-screen havoc he creates. Discover more over on the show page.
Hollowghasts
If you can see these then you may be ‘Peculiar’. Hollowghasts are the invisible and deadly, eye-munching monsters that we ‘brought to life’ for director Tim Burton’s screen adaptation of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. In 2017, the VFX on this show was nominated for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature for the VES Awards. Visit the show page to read an article and to see trailer.
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More amazing creatures
To see more examples of DNEG’s work creating monsters and creatures, check out our latest Creature showreel below;If you’re interested in joining our talented teams of artists, visit our careers pages. In the meantime, happy Halloween!