Who's actually building a Monster?

If i was doing something for MFest, I'd probably just get an already-available mask and touch it up w/ make-up, latex or modelling wax, etc. Use quick cuts, fast motion, "cool" angles, and creative lighting to work around the crappy parts. FWIW, I remember seeing them film ROBOCOP the TV Series here and half the time, ROBOCOP only had the helmet + shoulder pad 'armor' on, while wearing blue jeans and cowboy boots no less.

Depending on the type of your monster, I think most can use the costume/MU departments to cover lack of SFX expertise/budget. Unless, you're an animator, then the sky's the limit (within the time constraints, of course).

To the poster referencing HALLOWEEN, it was a Bill Shatner mold that Mike Myers wears.
 
stephenmick said:
Sometimes the scariest monster scenes are the ones where you don't ever see the creature, or if you do, you only see bits and pieces. Leaves a bit more to the imagination, I think.

I guess I'd rather see a really well-made SFX hand/claw than an Ed Wood-esque full-body creature suit.

--SM
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This is true

JAWS, SIGNS, WAR OF THE WORLDS None of these show much of anything until much later in the film.
 
Dingos8mybaby said:
If i was doing something for MFest, I'd probably just get an already-available mask and touch it up w/ make-up, latex or modelling wax, etc. Use quick cuts, fast motion, "cool" angles, and creative lighting to work around the crappy parts. FWIW, I remember seeing them film ROBOCOP the TV Series here and half the time, ROBOCOP only had the helmet + shoulder pad 'armor' on, while wearing blue jeans and cowboy boots no less.

Depending on the type of your monster, I think most can use the costume/MU departments to cover lack of SFX expertise/budget. Unless, you're an animator, then the sky's the limit (within the time constraints, of course).

To the poster referencing HALLOWEEN, it was a Bill Shatner mold that Mike Myers wears.
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Yeah, I'm thinking something along the same lines. I've found some appropriate masks online. Some are just masks you can buy, Halloween stuff, etc... but the one I really love that would also fit my film perfectly is not a mask, but a Halloween display prop. I think with the right lighting, angles, sound design, and editing I can make it work out just great. Also, I would just be using it for the head of the monster, and would have to create the body myself. That is if I need a shot that shows the creature's full figure from head to toe.

This would be something that only the mods could answer, namely, if I buy an already made mask and alter it, is that OK? Or, if I buy a mask or prosthetic from the person or company who actually created it, and get their permission is that also OK? Or are we required to create one from scratch with concept art and either make it ourselves or get someone with the proper skills to make our monster for us?

I'm fine with creating one myself or finding a talented prosthetics dude because it is fun to create one from scratch, but if I can find the perfect prop online, it would knock out one of the many things off the list to do. Not to mention, it might help trim the budget down for some of us too.

Jeff Anderson said:
This is why I'm going with vampires... teeth I can make... an entire monster... not my thing...
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I was thinking of vampires or zombies for mine, but there are already several zombie ones, so I figure at this rate I might as well go all out with a non-human creature (alien, orc, troll, werewolf, etc.). I'd love to do a big ass sea monster, but I don't have access to any ships or anything that would work with those types of stories.

J.R. Hudson said:
This is true

JAWS, SIGNS, WAR OF THE WORLDS None of these show much of anything until much later in the film.
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Even though I'm being very picky about my monster, I plan on not showing too much. It is way more effective to hint than to show.
 
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Creative ways to "show" the monster's all well n'good. Dunno if I could say that it's any scarier or terrifying not seeing it as it is to see it.

War of the Worlds (newer one), you may not have seen the pilots but you saw the PODS and what they could do, that was scary. CLOVERFIELD, you may not have seen the monster right off, but you still saw the entire thing as it progressed.
 
Kholi said:
Creative ways to "show" the monster's all well n'good. Dunno if I could say that it's any scarier or terrifying not seeing it as it is to see it.

War of the Worlds (newer one), you may not have seen the pilots but you saw the PODS and what they could do, that was scary. CLOVERFIELD, you may not have seen the monster right off, but you still saw the entire thing as it progressed.
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Shame the pods were the best thing in that movie...
Alien was very scary without seeing the monster, but was still scary when you did. Predator was a similar build up.
 
I think it was a blessing that they had so many mechanical issues with the shark in JAWS.

We didn't even see it during the first attack and in my opinion it's probably the scariest part in the entire film.

MAH
 
DarkElastic said:
Shame the pods were the best thing in that movie...
Alien was very scary without seeing the monster, but was still scary when you did. Predator was a similar build up.
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Yeah, that's what I meant too. Start with the mystique, but then slowly reveal a little more of the creature as the film goes on. Then, just as Alien, Predator, and Jaws did, finally give the audience a better view of the monster.

To me that is very satisfying, instead of showing it right off the bat.

What Kholi said about the tripods in War of the Worlds works too. For me, when I say it, I never got the impression that they were going for scary, but for intensity and spectacle. The same thing does sort of apply, because I think the audience wondered if they'd see the aliens that were inside the tripods. So there was still a bit of mystique there until later in the film.

Another good example is Jurassic Park. From the get go, the first scene with the velociraptor in the cage, they built up the suspense and mystery by not showing it. All we saw was an eye and maybe a claw. Same thing with the T-rex. The whole thing with the goat, the storm, then the ripples in the water cups, all building up to the reveal.
 
Hmm, I'm wondering how much disfigurement a person would have to physically have to be a monster? Would a scar be enough?
 
jpsheets said:
Hmm, I'm wondering how much disfigurement a person would have to physically have to be a monster? Would a scar be enough?
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It would take more than a scar.

TheElephantManposter.jpg


Even still he wanted to be known as a man, not a monster. :)

MAH
 
Where's Peter Murphy at for this one (he did Visting Steve for ZombieFest (I think it was Zombiefest) he'd be perfect for this Fest... haven't seen him around in a while though:(
 
Do you really need to see the monster?

Some of the best monster films never clearly show the monster. Of course this never happens anymore when the huge budgets comes out.

I have a couple scripts where you never really see the monster. I have a couple where the monster is simple and one where the monster will involve work. Some are funny some are creepy. It can all be done. So if you can't 'build' a monster take a story where that isn't needed or even a benefit.
 
Like mentioned a lot of movies will hide the "monster" until later in the movie. I would think as long as the monster is hinted at, grotesque arm here, deformed eye ball there, fangy tooth grin over abouts a way, and maybe most of it is just silhouetted against the back ground (maybe a horn or tentacle is part of that shadowy silhouette)... I think as long as people get that it's monster and not just a guy in a shadow it should be fine... but I'm not a mod so... yeah:)
 
Chris_Keaton said:
Do you really need to see the monster?

Some of the best monster films never clearly show the monster. Of course this never happens anymore when the huge budgets comes out.

I have a couple scripts where you never really see the monster. I have a couple where the monster is simple and one where the monster will involve work. Some are funny some are creepy. It can all be done. So if you can't 'build' a monster take a story where that isn't needed or even a benefit.
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Not seeing a monster, to me, just feels off. You may not NEED to see it but I'd like to place my money on the idea that if you're doing an original monster movie (not sharks, not zombies, not werewolves or zombies) the audience will feel cheated if they don't get the entire monster at some point or another.

Even in SIGNS we DID get to see an entire alien, no matter which way it came about (through a television mostly).

Audiences have matured. I think they'll accept a few hands or feet or tails throughout, but at SOME point-- if this is an original monster movie-- they want to see the entire thing. Take Cloverfield as a prime and most recent example: everyone on the planet was like "WHAT IS IT!?!?!?". Most of the viral campaigning was centered around what this thing was, because we only heard this horrible (it made my stomach turn, no lie) growl and saw glimpses of it.

But they didn't skimp, they showed it.

I guess if you're talking typical monsters or even feral animals, wolves etc, then you're okay because we know what werewolves look like. We also know what Vampires and Zombies and all that look like. In fact, those kinds might need a "you don't see it" treatment to freshen it up a bit.

I would be, and will be, happy with seeing a semblance of something complete even if it's only a complex silhouette.
 
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