Creature suit

Last updated
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 cowritten 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.

<i>Kaiju</i> Japanese media genre

Kaiju is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. A subgenre of science fiction, it was created by Eiji Tsuburaya and Ishirō Honda. The term can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monsters.

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

Anguirus is a fictional monster, or kaiju, which first appeared in Godzilla Raids Again (1955), the second film in the Godzilla franchise. Anguirus is the first monster to be shown engaging in combat with Godzilla in a film. Since then, the character has appeared conversely as an enemy and an ally of Godzilla in numerous films produced by Toho, including Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. Megalon, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, and Godzilla: Final Wars. He has also appeared in other media, including comic books and video games.

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

An animatronic is a mechatronic puppet. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films, games like fnaf and in theme park attractions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disguise</span> Accessories to conceals ones identity

A disguise can be anything incognito which conceals one's identity or changes a person's physical appearance, including a wig, glasses, makeup, fake moustache, costume or other items. Camouflage is a type of disguise for people, animals and objects. Hats, glasses, changes in hair style or wigs, plastic surgery, and make-up are also used.

<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>Godzilla vs. Gigan</i> 1972 film by Jun Fukuda

Godzilla vs. Gigan, is a 1972 Japanese kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda, written by Shinichi Sekizawa, and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and produced under their effects-based subsidiary Toho-Eizo, it is the 12th film in the Godzilla franchise, and features the fictional monster characters Godzilla, Gigan, Anguirus, and King Ghidorah. The film stars Hiroshi Ishikawa, Yuriko Hishimi, Tomoko Umeda, and Minoru Takashima, alongside Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla, Kenpachiro Satsuma as Gigan, Koetsu Omiya as Anguirus, and Kanta Ina as King Ghidorah. It is the last film in which Godzilla was portrayed by Nakajima after playing the character since the original 1954 film; he subsequently retired from suit acting.

<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. Destoroyah</i> 1995 film by Takao Okawara

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is a 1995 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 22nd installment in the Godzilla franchise, and is the seventh and final film in the franchise's Heisei period. The film features the fictional monster characters Godzilla, Godzilla Junior and Destoroyah, and stars Takuro Tatsumi, Yōko Ishino, Yasufumi Hayashi, Sayaka Osawa, Megumi Odaka, Masahiro Takashima, Momoko Kōchi and Akira Nakao, with Kenpachiro Satsuma as Godzilla, Hurricane Ryu as Godzilla Junior, and Ryo Hariya as Destoroyah.

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

Gigan is a kaiju from Toho's Godzilla franchise who first appeared in Godzilla vs. Gigan. Gigan is a space monster resembling a species of reptile who was turned into a cyborg by the Nebulans. Gigan sports a huge buzzsaw in its frontal abdominal region and large metallic hooks for hands. Gigan is considered one of Godzilla's most brutal and violent opponents, and the first kaiju in the Toho sci-fi series to make him bleed. Complex listed the character as No. 2 on its "The 15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time" list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zilla (Godzilla)</span> Fictional character/Kaiju

Zilla is a fictional monster, or kaiju, in Toho Co., Ltd.'s Godzilla media franchise. The character first appeared in Godzilla (1998), released by TriStar Pictures. It was initially created as a reimagining of Godzilla but was later re-branded as a separate character. Patrick Tatopoulos designed it after iguanas with a slim theropod appearance rather than the thick, bipedal designs of Toho's Godzilla. TriStar's Godzilla, both the film and character, were negatively received by fans and critics. In 2004, it was featured in Toho's Godzilla: Final Wars as "Zilla". Afterwards, Toho trademarked new incarnations as Zilla, with only the iterations from the 1998 film and animated series retaining the Godzilla copyright and trademark.

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

Godzilla Junior is a kaiju which first appeared in Toho's 1993 film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II.

<i>Kyodai</i> Hero

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. The first and most famous Kyodai hero 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.

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 best known for his work with and collection of movie props, particularly from horror and science-fiction movies. He has also had numerous smaller acting roles in movies, 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.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.