The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance [Making Of]

In the lead up to the Netflix original series release of 'The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance', the BFI hosted a behind-the-scenes exhibition, and a documentary of the making-of, in the same week. I'm a huge fan of Jim Henson's 1982 film, so I went along to both to see how they had remastered his original puppetry.

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Above: Henson Associates Inc. (1982). 'The Dark Crystal' Movie Poster. [image] Available at: https://uvmbored.com/event/free-movie-screening-dark-crystal/ [Accessed 26 Aug. 2019].

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Above: Netflix (2019). Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. [image] Available at: http://collider.com/dark-crystal-netflix-trailer/#dark-crystal-series [Accessed 26 Aug. 2019].

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The most defining part of the Netflix release, lays with the crucial decision to not abandon the original puppetry for complete CGI fabrication. This series is one of many examples coming to the surface in the film industry of the revival (and demand) for hands-on special effects. As technology continues to break boundaries, the public still crave these tactile and nostalgic physical creature creations. Below are a collection of photographs from the 'Into Thra' exhibition held at the BFI Southbank.

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Above: Netflix (2019). Into Thra Exhibition Poster. [image] Available at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/into-thra-the-dark-crystal-age-of-resistance-exhibition-august-dates-tickets-64359770807 [Accessed 26 Aug. 2019].

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Above: Images taken by myself at the Into Thra exhibition, BFI Southbank [23rd August, 2019].

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During the exhibition, there was a small activity booklet in order to claim prizes of a movie poster and a free pale-ale ! Below are some facts I found out in the process:

- 500 artists were involved in creating The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

- 300ft of fabric was used to create a Skeksis costume.

- There were 59 voice artists working on the production.

- They spent 176 days filming in London.

- 70 different types of creature species were created.

- The Pink Petal Tree had 850 individual petals hand made for it.

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Above: Netflix (2019). 'The Making Of' Documentary Poster. [image] Available at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-dark-crystal-age-of-resistance-the-crystal-calls-the-making-of-tickets-65647183493 [Accessed 26 Aug. 2019].

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With the exhibition as a brief overview, I went along to the screening of 'The Crystal Calls: The Making Of' to get a more in-depth documentation of the technical processes.

Throughout the documentary screening, I tried my best to take notes which can be read below:

- The original 1982 film was Jim Henson's most humanist creation without the involvement of any human characters. While the crew and artists brought the technicalities and artistry, it was Jim Henson who solidified the universe; accomplishing believable world-building and those key elements of humanism through puppet-making and acting.

- Statements by the team that real, textured and layered objects/puppets will always look better than CGI - no matter how good the CGI work is. The way the light falls on objects in real-life can never be matched by technology.

- Originally, the series was set to be animated episodes but after creating some test shots [in which one character was a live-action puppet and the other CGI'd] it was obvious which was the more successful.

- Before the CGI team were completely let-off, they proposed an idea of augmenting the faces of the puppets with CGI embellishment; adding small quirks to add more realism to facial expressions.

- All story-telling is a commentary on human behaviour. When the human condition is narrated through non-human creatures, we can let our guard down and see ourselves in even the most evil characters.

- Writers need to be able to be as expansive and imaginative as possible; it's the artists/designers/creators problem to bring it to life.

- Puppets: foam latex mouth, hand controls mouth while technology remote controls the eyebrows and eyes.

- Very few famous puppeteers in the world, it's a profession where you choose to hide.

- Interesting scene: puppet film within the dark crystal.

- There was a beautiful dance relationship between the camera and the puppets - lots of spontaneity.

- One director for all 10 episodes, difficult job but results in one unified vision.

- He would shoot scenes as soon as the puppets walked on the set, as though they were actors.

- Locations, species and characters have expanded massively from the original film.

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