Creature suit

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A climate activist wearing a bear suit 2016 DNC Protest (28467899971).jpg
A climate activist wearing a bear suit

Creature suits are realistic costumes used to disguise a performer as an animal, monster, or other being. They are used in film, television, or as costumed characters in live events. Unlike mascots, they are often made with a high degree of realism. In contrast with prosthetic makeup, which is applied to an actor's skin, the wearer is not normally visible outside their movements controlling the costume, although in some cases, part of the wearer's body is still visible (such as in the case of mermaids or other half-human monsters).

Contents

History

A stage actor in a bear costume, 1909 Stage actor Billy Fables wearing a full bear costume (SAYRE 24091).jpg
A stage actor in a bear costume, 1909

Creature suits have been used since before movies were invented. As part of his circus sideshow in London in 1846, P. T. Barnum had an actor wearing a fur suit of an "ape-man", and continued to dress actors in similar costumes as attractions. [1] They were used starting from the early days of film as practical effects, to represent animals that were too prohibitive to train or use, such as gorillas. [2] Some films even tried to pass off costumes as real animals, which caused controversy. [3]

Ricou Browning in costume for Creature from the Black Lagoon Still from the Creature from the Black Lagoon (15666911261).jpg
Ricou Browning in costume for Creature from the Black Lagoon

The first foam rubber creature suit used in film was Gill-man, from the film Creature from the Black Lagoon , which released in 1954 and beat Godzilla by half a year. The suit, created by the film special-effects artist Don Post, was extremely hot when worn outside of the water, requiring actor Ben Chapman to be regularly hosed down, and difficult to see out of. [4]

The success of Godzilla caused creature suits to be adopted in the Japanese tokusatsu genre as kaiju , or giant monsters. They were animated using the suitmation technique, combining slow-motion filming and miniature sets to make them appear larger than they really were.

Creature suit technology advanced during the latter half of the 20th century to include modern materials and animatronics integrated into the costume itself, increasing their realism. The animatronics were usually puppeteered by an operator with a remote control. However, their use dropped due to the advent of CGI, which was often cheaper to implement. For example, the suit used in the television series Harry and the Hendersons cost USD $1 million. [5]

Nevertheless, despite the fluidity of CGI animals and monsters, purely visual effects are often panned, or, at least, not preferred by discerning film viewers. It is extremely difficult to mimic realistic lighting, leading to most CGI creatures and characters looking obviously fake when placed alongside real environments, especially if the film has a low budget and cannot afford sophisticated 3D modeling and rendering. Films such as Jurassic Park, which made heavy use of practical effects, including creature suits, remain well-regarded for their special effects, while CGI creatures quickly become dated as technology advances. This has led to the continued use of creature suits in modern-day films and commercials to provide additional realism, such as Hellboy and Star Wars: The Force Awakens .

In other instances, CGI and creature suits are combined, using green parts of the suit to chroma key them and add or remove appendages in post-production. This technique was used to hide suit actors' heads in the 2005 film Zathura: A Space Adventure , replace satyr creatures' legs in the 2005 film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , and to add facial expressions to the monsters in the 2009 film Where the Wild Things Are.

Creature suits have also been used in many live events and productions, such as the dinosaur suits used in Walking with Dinosaurs − The Arena Spectacular . They are also used in LARPs to represent monsters and other creatures that have to interact with players. In addition, they are sometimes used in hoaxes, such as Bigfoot sightings. [6] [7]

Manufacture

Creature suits are usually made by special effects studios, one of the most well known of which is Jim Henson's Creature Shop, or by individual special effects artists. Different body shapes of suits are made using foam padding covered by painted liquid latex (to simulate bare skin) or fake fur. Foam latex can also be used to create suits, and masks may sometimes be made out of fiberglass. More expensive suits have hairs hand-knitted into the foam to give a more realistic, movie-quality appearance, as well as animatronic machinery, usually as part of the mask.

Sometimes, the suits are made by smaller studios or individuals. Cosplayers often make replicas of famous movie monsters. Some of the most commonly seen creature suits in cosplay are the Alien and Predator from their respective series. Other cosplayers make suits of anthropomorphic or monster characters from video games and anime. They can also come in the form of realistic fursuits made to depict the owner's original character, with no prior appearance in mass media.

Acting

Acting inside a creature suit in a professional context is often done by a suit actor who specializes in wearing them. These are typically stunt performers who have practice embodying realistic creature movements. [8] They must not be prone to claustrophobia from being enclosed by the suit, and must be able to deal with difficulty moving, as well as general sensory deprivation. [8]

While most suits are operated by a single wearer, some suits, such as those of large quadrupedal animals like Greenpeace's polar bear Paula, [9] must be worn by multiple people in a similar manner as a pantomime horse. However, the wearers usually refrain from such goofy and comedic antics as their satirical counterparts, in order to add the illusion of lifelike movement.

Notable suit actors include Haruo Nakajima, who portrayed Godzilla in twelve consecutive films, as well as various other giant kaiju, and was considered "invaluable" to the Godzilla franchise. [10] Doug Jones portrayed many monsters in films directed by Guillermo del Toro, including the faun and Pale Man of Pan's Labyrinth , and the Amphibian Man from The Shape of Water . He had been slated to portray Frankenstein's monster in a film based on the Dark Universe franchise before it was cancelled. [11] Mark Steger, a veteran creature suit actor, portrayed the Demogorgon of Stranger Things . [8] Misty Rosas, among other roles, portrayed Amy the gorilla in Congo , as well as the aliens Kuiil and Frog Lady in Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian . [12]

Common types

Aliens

Cosplayer wearing creature suit of a female Predator alien FXC17 female predator.jpg
Cosplayer wearing creature suit of a female Predator alien

Many depictions of aliens in film have been done using creature suits of various types, including those in the science-fiction movie franchises Alien and Predator , the television series Doctor Who and The Tommyknockers, and the film The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, among others. While shows like Star Trek prefer prosthetic makeup, it has led to the term "rubber forehead alien" due to the fact that most of the aliens look extremely similar to humans save for slight differences in their eye color, skin color or facial prosthetics, and creature suits can allow for more alien body shapes.

Animals

Many animals have been made into lifelike creature suits, including lions, tigers, rhinos and elephants, foxes, wolves, dolphins, kangaroos, penguins, common ostriches and walruses, among others. The benefits of using a realistic suit include not having the danger of a live animal on set, as well as not having to train them or deal with potential incidents of animal cruelty.

Apes and gorillas

Ape suits have a great tradition especially on film, with notable works involving them ranging from 1939's The Wizard of Oz to 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey and Planet of the Apes .

In addition to realistic gorilla suits used in film and television, dressing up as a gorilla for comedic effect has become a public phenomenon. They are sometimes linked to the character of King Kong, who was portrayed using a suit in the Japanese Toho films of which he was protagonist, as well as the 1976 remake and Its sequel.

Bears

Due to the popularity of bears in popular culture, there have been many realistic bear suits created for film and television. They are also used for live performances, protests and scientific studies.

Dinosaurs

Creature suit of a velociraptor from Universal Studios Hollywood's "Raptor Encounter" attraction. Raptor Taming (28733059873).jpg
Creature suit of a velociraptor from Universal Studios Hollywood's "Raptor Encounter" attraction.

Dinosaur suits were used in film and television throughout their history, and became popular for live-action appearances following the debut of Walking with Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular . They are used in theme parks to entertain guests, as well as in educational performances to show people how living dinosaurs looked and behaved, something that is more difficult to depict with stationary displays.

Giant monsters

Suit fitting on the set of Godzilla Raids Again (1955), with Haruo Nakajima portraying Godzilla on the left, and Katsumi Tezuka as Anguirus's suit actor on the right. Visible in the background is a destructible scale model of Osaka Castle, scaled to fit the intended height of the two monsters. Godzilla Raids Again (1955) Behind the scenes.gif
Suit fitting on the set of Godzilla Raids Again (1955), with Haruo Nakajima portraying Godzilla on the left, and Katsumi Tezuka as Anguirus's suit actor on the right. Visible in the background is a destructible scale model of Osaka Castle, scaled to fit the intended height of the two monsters.

Japanese Tokusatsu movies and television shows often use daikaiju, or giant monster suits, as well as similar suits to represent Kyodai Heroes , giant robots, aliens and kaijin, humanoid monsters that are generally smaller than kaiju. Suitmation (スーツメーション, Sūtsumēshon, a portmanteau of "suit animation") is a filmmaking technique initially developed by Eiji Tsuburaya for use in Godzilla films and then used for his Ultra Series productions, a practice which survives to the present day. The suit actor, often moving through scale model scenery to give the impression of size, is filmed at a higher framerate to make them appear slower. In addition, the suit actor performs their movements slowly and deliberately to emulate a slow moving creature, and low camera angles are utilised to further provide a sense of scale.

Though suitmation proved to be a valuable method of portraying giant creatures and characters, some uses of the technology could prove to be a gruelling experience for the suit actors. On the set of Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971), Kenpachiro Satsuma, who portrayed the titular main antagonist, Hedorah, suffered from a bout of appendicitis during production; as wearing and removing the suit was a time consuming process, he was sent to the hospital whilst still wearing it. [13]

Robots

Creature suits are commonly used to portray androids in film and television, including the pop-cultural icon Robot from Lost In Space, which was portrayed by stuntman Bob May. The 2018 remake of the series also featured a practical effects robot with suit actor Brian Steele wearing the suit. [14] Other examples of robot creature suits include Marvin the Paranoid Android from The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, worn by David Learner in the television series and Warwick Davis in the 2005 film; and Mother from I Am Mother , which was designed by Edon Guraziu, built by Weta Workshop, portrayed by Luke Hawker, and based on realistic robot designs to be "100% believable". [15]

The appearance of a robot suit on Russian state television channel Russia-24 sparked controversy when it was billed as a real robot, before being revealed as a £3,000 realistic costume. [16]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Godzilla</span> Fictional monster

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or kaiju, that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films produced by Toho Co., Ltd., five American films, and numerous video games, novels, comic books, and television shows. Godzilla has been dubbed the King of the Monsters, an epithet first used in Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), the American localization of the 1954 film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special effect</span> Illusions or tricks to change appearance

Special effects are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or virtual world. It used to be called SFX but this short form has also expanded to include “sound effects” as well.

<i>Kaiju</i> Japanese media genre

Kaiju is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. The kaiju film genre is credited to tokusatsu director Eiji Tsuburaya and filmmaker Ishirō Honda, who popularized it by creating the Godzilla franchise and its spin-offs. The term can also refer to the monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other creatures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prosthetic makeup</span> Techniques to create special cosmetic effects

Prosthetic makeup also known as special makeup effects or FX prosthesis, is the process of using prosthetic sculpting, molding and casting techniques to create advanced cosmetic effects. Prosthetics are used on stage and screen to create fantasy creatures, simulated injuries, or likenesses of other people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animatronics</span> Mechatronic puppets

An animatronic is a mechatronic puppet controlled by a machine to move in a fluent way. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films, video games and in theme park attractions.

<i>Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla</i> 1974 film by Jun Fukuda

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is a 1974 Japanese action-adventure kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and produced under their effects subsidiary Toho–Eizo, it is the 14th film of the Godzilla franchise, and features the fictional monster characters Godzilla, Anguirus, and King Caesar, along with the mecha character Mechagodzilla. The film stars Masaaki Daimon, Kazuya Aoyama, Gorō Mutsumi, and Akihiko Hirata, with Isao Zushi as Godzilla, Satoru Kuzumi as both Anguirus and King Caesar, and Kazunari Mori as Mechagodzilla. The film marks the first appearances of King Caesar and Mechagodzilla in the franchise.

<i>Tokusatsu</i> Japanese film genre

Tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, tokusatsu mainly refers to science fiction, war, fantasy, or horror media featuring such technology but is also occasionally dubbed a genre itself. Its contemporary use originated in the Japanese mass media around 1958 to explain special effects in an easy-to-understand manner and was popularized during the "first monster boom" (1966-1968). Prior to the monster boom, it was known in Japan as Tokushu gijutsu or shortened Tokugi.

<i>Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II</i> 1993 film by Takao Okawara

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, is a 1993 Japanese kaiju film directed by Takao Okawara, with special effects by Kōichi Kawakita. Distributed by Toho and produced under their subsidiary Toho Pictures, it is the 20th film in the Godzilla franchise, as well as the fifth film to be released during the franchise's Heisei era. The film features the fictional monster character Godzilla, along with Baby Godzilla, Rodan and the mecha character Mechagodzilla. Despite its English title, the film is not a sequel to the 1974 film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.

<i>Walking with Cavemen</i> 2003 British television documentary series

Walking with Cavemen is a 2003 four-part nature documentary television miniseries produced by the BBC Science Unit, the Discovery Channel and ProSieben. Walking with Cavemen explores human evolution, showcasing various extinct hominin species and their inferred behaviours and social dynamics. The original British version of the series is presented by the British researcher Robert Winston; in the American version Winston's appearances and narration is replaced with narration by Alec Baldwin.

<i>Godzilla: Final Wars</i> 2004 Japanese science fiction action film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura

Godzilla: Final Wars is a 2004 kaiju film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura, with special effects by Eiichi Asada. An international co-production between Japan, Australia, the United States, and China, the film was produced by Toho Pictures, CP International, Zazou Productions, and Napalm Films, and is the 29th film in the Godzilla franchise, the sixth and final film in the franchise's Millennium series and Toho's 28th Godzilla film. The film stars Masahiro Matsuoka, Rei Kikukawa, Don Frye, Maki Mizuno, Kazuki Kitamura, Kane Kosugi, Kumi Mizuno, Kenji Sahara, Masami Nagasawa, Chihiro Otsuka, Shigeru Izumiya, Masakatsu Funaki, Masato Ibu, Jun Kunimura, and Akira Takarada. In the film, when a mysterious race of aliens known as the Xiliens arrive on Earth, the Earth Defense Force find themselves locked in battle with various monsters attacking cities around the world, leading them to revive the only chance to save their planet: Godzilla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baragon</span> Godzilla kaiju

Baragon is a fictional monster, or kaiju, which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1965 film Frankenstein vs. Baragon, produced and distributed by Toho. Depicted as a burrowing, four-legged, horned dinosaur-like creature with large ears, Baragon appeared alongside Godzilla and other monster characters in films in the Godzilla franchise, also produced by Toho, including Destroy All Monsters (1968) and Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001).

<i>Kyodai</i> Hero Japanese fiction genre

KyodaiHero is a television subgenre in tokusatsu that involves Japanese superheroes or robots either with the ability to grow to immense heights to fight giant monsters or who are originally giant as a part of their lives. The Kyodai Hero is the mainstream superhero genre that is widely popular in Japan. One of the earliest and most famous Kyodai heroes is Ultraman who made his debut in 1966. Since then, Ultraman has helped spawn the Kyodai hero genre with countless shows, franchises and films such as Go! Godman and Iron King.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bear suit</span> Costumed character or creature suit

Bear suits are a type of costumed character or creature suit resembling a bear. The first bear suits worn by humans were used in shamanic ritual practices by native peoples. In the modern day, they are a popular choice of mascot, and both stylized and realistic bear suits are commonly used in film and on stage, due to the bear's prominent role in the arts and entertainment. Specific types of bear suits are also used in activism, such as polar bear suits to draw attention to the threat of global warming. Bear suits are also commonplace in the furry community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monster movie</span> Film genre

A monster movie, monster film, creature feature or giant monster film is a film that focuses on one or more characters struggling to survive attacks by one or more antagonistic monsters, often abnormally large ones. The film may also fall under the horror, comedy, fantasy, or science fiction genres. Monster movies originated with adaptations of horror folklore and literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gorilla suit</span> Creature suit

Gorilla suits are a type of creature suit resembling a gorilla. The gorilla suit is a popular Halloween and costume party costume, and is also used as a source of humour, while more realistic suits have been used both to represent real gorillas in film and on stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suit actor</span> Tokusatsu actors in costumes

A suit actor is a member of, usually, a Japanese tokusatsu production who works similar to a stunt performer. However, the suit actor does all of his or her stunts while in a full costume that normally obscures their identity from the viewer, and the actor's voice is dubbed during after-recording process. The word is typically used when discussing Japanese stunt performers and is rarely used in any other context.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Henson's Creature Shop</span> Special/visual effects company

Jim Henson's Creature Shop is a special/visual effects company founded in 1979 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. The company is based in Hollywood, California, United States.

Bob Burns is an American actor, consultant, producer, archivist and historian of props, costumes, and other paraphernalia from science fiction, fantasy, and horror motion pictures. He is notable for his work with and collection of movie props, particularly from horror and science-fiction movies. He has also had numerous acting roles, including Tracy the Gorilla in the 1975 television show The Ghost Busters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinosaur suit</span>

Dinosaur suits are a type of costumed character or creature suit resembling a dinosaur. Dinosaur suits are also called dinosaur costumes. Such costumes were used in film and television and as mascots for decades, reflecting dinosaurs' prominence in the arts and entertainment. Usually operators use two cable-pulled handle to control the motions. Realistic dinosaur suits also gained popularity for live shows following the success of Walking with Dinosaurs − The Arena Spectacular. An experienced performer can make lifelike movements with a dinosaur suit. They are also used in theme parks and in an educational context at various museums. Inflatable dinosaur suits have been used for pranks, gags, and protests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Woodruff Jr.</span> American actor

Tom Woodruff Jr. is an American actor, director, producer and special effects supervisor. He won an Academy Award for Best Special Effects for his work on the 1992 dark fantasy film Death Becomes Her; that same year he was also nominated for the same award for Alien 3.

References

  1. ↑ Weinstock, Professor Jeffrey (2014-01-08). The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 45–. ISBN   9781409425625 . Retrieved 8 November 2014.
  2. ↑ Geiger, Jeffrey (2011). American Documentary Film: Projecting the Nation. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 61–. ISBN   9780748621484 . Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  3. ↑ Geiger, Jeffrey (2011). American Documentary Film: Projecting the Nation. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 61–. ISBN   9780748621484 . Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  4. ↑ Rayne, Elizabeth (2018-01-31). "Firsts: 9 creepy creature effects firsts, from T-Rexes to tentacles". Syfy. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
  5. ↑ Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. 1991-02-04. pp. 62–. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  6. ↑ Loxton, Daniel; Prothero, Donald R. (2013-08-13). Abominable Science: Origins of the Yeti, Nessie, and other Famous Cryptids. Columbia University Press. pp. 47–. ISBN   9780231526814 . Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  7. ↑ Baker, Robert A. (May 1992). Missing Pieces: How to Investigate Ghosts, Ufos, Psychics, and Other Mysteries. Prometheus Books, Publishers. pp. 259–. ISBN   9781615924141 . Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 Squires, John (2016-08-10). "Meet the Man Who Played the Demogorgon in "Stranger Things"!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
  9. ↑ "Greenpeace Hopes to Purchase Polar Bear Costume With Donations - Canada Polar Bear Tour News". 2018-01-01. Archived from the original on 2018-01-01. Retrieved 2021-05-27.
  10. ↑ Ryfle, Steve (1998). Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G" . ECW Press. pp.  179–180. ISBN   9781550223484.
  11. ↑ Arnold, Ben (2020-11-04). "Doug Jones spells out how good Guillermo Del Toro's 'Frankenstein' was going to be". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  12. ↑ Roth, Dany (2020-11-13). "This is the actress who plays the Frog Lady on The Mandalorian". Looper.com. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  13. ↑ Guy Marriner Tucker, Age of the Gods.
  14. ↑ Debnath, Neela (2019-12-25). "Lost in Space 2018 robot actor: Who plays the robot in Lost in Space 2018?". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  15. ↑ "Here's How Weta Created the 'I Am Mother' Robot". /Film. 2019-06-12. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  16. ↑ Roth, Andrew (2018-12-12). "'Hi-tech robot' at Russia forum turns out to be man in suit". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2020-11-20.
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