If you have ever wondered about what goes on in the studios of Hollywood’s monster designers, this is your perfect chance to do so.
WIRED was given the chance to speak with one of the big dogs and it is every bit as awesome as you would think. Jordu Schell is responsible for the sculpting and designing of the masks that you see in all sorts of films and video games.
His reputation precedes him if you are the type of person who pays close attention to what is said in Hollywood circles. “Jordu Schell is a master of monster masks. He designs creatures for movies, television and video games, and has worked on countless projects that you’ve most certainly heard of,” WIRED’s video description reads. Our interest was piqued right then and there.
When he gets started, he puts the general shape of the face on a piece of paper and goes from there. The details are added once the general shape is created. Once he’s got the right idea for the form, the process truly begins. The design is brought to life. In his mind, one of the most important things that happens has to do with the finer details.
“But what we’re always going for is what is going to bring us the most character. What is going to affect the viewer the most? If it’s adding teeth, it’s adding teeth. If it’s giving the eyes a more sinister feel, if it’s scrapping it and starting over, the whole point is to bring out the most and the best character you can,” Schell shares in the video. That’s not all that he had to say, either.
“I think monsters represent a powerful being, but it’s something that is concrete and can be dealt with very directly. David slays Goliath. King Kong falls off a very tall building. These dangerous bad things can just be dealt with, and they’re gone, and it’s over. And that’s kind of a fantasy because rooting out evil in real life is much more complex and much more difficult than that,” he says.
This is a great point when it comes to the monsters that dwell within our imaginations. If you would like to learn more about the work that this amazing artist has put in, this is your chance to find out everything that you ever wanted to know.
Check out the video below:
To see a demo of Schell working in action, you can also check out a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of an alien soldier sculpture: