Steve Johnson (special effects artist)
Steve Johnson | |
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Special effects | |
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Website | www |
Steve Johnson (born Steven Marcus Jacobs; February 7, 1960)
Early life
Johnson was born in Houston, Texas. As a child, Johnson watched
Early career in film
Johnson's first job was with four-time Oscar-winner Greg Cannom on The Galactic Connection, though the film was not released. He then worked on The Howling (1981) and two other films with Rob Bottin,[4] after which Rick Baker hired Johnson as a member of the special makeup effects crew for the John Landis blockbuster, An American Werewolf in London (1981).[5] In 1982, Johnson worked on Ivan Reitman's new project, Ghostbusters, where he created "Slimer", which he based on John Belushi and the "librarian ghost".[6] In 1982, he and visual effects artist Randall William Cook were brought in by Richard Edlund to create and run the special makeup effects studio at Boss Films, where they created characters for films like Poltergeist II (1986), Fright Night (1985), and Big Trouble in Little China (1986).[7]
XFX and Edge FX
Johnson started his own effects company in 1986 called "Steve Johnson's XFX."[6] It was later renamed Edge FX. In 1989 Johnson worked on The Abyss,[8] directed by James Cameron, which became one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. He created the "alien" creatures for the film's climax.
For the 1995 film Species, the filmmakers wished to create a half-human, half-alien character named Sil that was unlike any that had been seen on screen before. They brought in artist
During the XFX and Edge FX years, Johnson also worked on two
Rubberhead
In 2017 Johnson published the first volume in his five volume series "Rubberhead," which chronicles his career in special effects. Volume 1 was critically acclaimed and features hundreds of photographs from Johnson's thirty plus year career. Volume 1 also features a foreword by acclaimed filmmaker John Landis.[11]
Innovations
For the film
For Lord of Illusions (1995), horror master Clive Barker required Johnson to create an organic-looking creature with skin that could pulse, move, and morph without the use of stop motion photography or other techniques such as mold-casting that were industry standards at the time. Thus Johnson innovated a monster-making technique with Bill Bryan that employed plastic bags, old yogurt containers, colored methyl cellulose "slime", and used gravity and liquid as a propellant. This technique is one that he modified time and again, such as for making slimy tentacles out of plastic and goop for the embryonic pods in Species (1995).[2][14]
Personal life
Johnson was married to actress
Awards and nominations
- 1992, nominated – 19th annual Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films[21]
- 1993, co-nominated – 20th annual Saturn Awards for "Best Make-Up" for Freaked (1993) by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films[22]
- 1994, won (shared) – Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup" for The Stand (1994)[23]
- 1995, won (shared) – "Best Special Effects" for Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival[24]
- 1995, won – Universe Reader's Choice Award for "Best Make-up in a Genre Motion Picture" for Species (1995) from Sci-Fi Universe Magazine[citation needed]
- 1995, co-nominated – 22nd annual Saturn Awards for both "Best Make-Up" and for "Best Special Effects" for Species (1995) by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films
- 1997, won (shared) – Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup" for The Shining (1997)[25]
- 2003, won – Fangoria Chainsaw Award for "Best Makeup/Creature FX" for Blade II (2002)
- 2004, co-nominated – "Best Special Makeup Effects" by Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Award for Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (2003)
Partial filmography
Johnson has worked on the following films:[2][7][26][27]
- The Fog (1980)
- Ghost Story (1981)
- Humanoids from the Deep (1980)
- Tanya's Island (1980)
- The Howling (1981)
- An American Werewolf in London (1981)
- Videodrome (1983)
- Ghostbusters (1984)
- Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984)
- Biohazard (1985)
- Fright Night (1985)
- Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf (1985)
- The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986)
- Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
- Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
- Solarbabies (1986)
- Predator (1987) (uncredited special effects)
- Night of the Demons (1988)
- Dead Heat (1988)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
- Howling IV: The Original Nightmare (1988)
- Leviathan (1989)
- Monsters (TV Series, 1989–1991)
- The Abyss (1989)
- Night Angel (1990)[28]
- A Grande Arte (1991)
- Howling VI: The Freaks (1991)
- Suburban Commando (1991)
- The Knife (1991)
- The Rapture (1991)
- Highway to Hell (1992)
- Pet Sematary II(1992)
- Innocent Blood (1992)
- H.P. Lovecraft's: Necronomicon(1993)
- The Temp (1993)
- Return of the Living Dead III(1993)
- Freaked (1993)
- Brainscan (1994)
- Next Door (1994)
- Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All (1994)
- Stephen King's The Stand (TV Mini-Series) (1994) (Emmy Award received)
- Night of the Demons 2 (1994)
- Dead Man (1995)
- The Surgeon (1995)
- Species (1995)
- Lord of Illusions (1995)
- Here Come the Munsters (TV Movie, 1995)
- The Outer Limits (TV series, 1995)
- Eraser(1996)
- Fatal Frames (1996)
- The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996)
- Bad Moon (1996)
- Poltergeist: The Legacy (1996–1999)
- Amistad (1997)
- Anaconda (1997)
- Buddy (1997)
- L.A. Confidential (1997)
- Nightwatch (1997)
- Stephen King's The Shining (1997) (Emmy Award received)
- Stargate SG-1 (TV series) (1997–2007)
- First Wave (TV series) (1998–2001)
- Host (1998)
- Hulk (1998) (cancelled)
- Species II (1998)
- Sphere (1998)
- Superman Lives (1998) (cancelled)
- Wrongfully Accused (1998)
- Bicentennial Man (1999)
- Can of Worms (1999)
- Charmed (TV Series, 2 episodes, 1999)
- Election (film) (1999)
- Stephen King's Storm of the Century (1999)
- The General's Daughter (1999)
- Charlie's Angels (2000)
- Red Planet (2000)
- Along Came a Spider (2001)
- Arachnid (2001)
- Monkeybone (2001)
- Blade II (2002)
- Rose Red (miniseries) (2002)
- Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
- Dreamcatcher (2003)
- The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
- The Rundown (2003)
- The Cat in the Hat (2003)
- X2 (2003)
- Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed(2004)
- Spider-Man 2 (2004)
- The Village (2004)
- Constantine (2005)
- Fantastic Four (2005)
- Jarhead (2005)
- War of the Worlds (2005)
- Stay (2005)
- Unearthed (2006)
- I Am Legend (2007) (makeup test)
- Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
- Fear Clinic (2014)
- The Death of "Superman Lives": What Happened? (2015) (interviewed)
References
- ^ Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997. Texas: Texas Department of State Health Services, microfiche roll number 1960_0008.
- ^ a b c "'Make-Up Artist' Exclusive: Announcing Steve Johnson's New Shop". Make-up Artist Magazine. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
- ^ a b Nazzaro, Joe (July 18, 2011). "Back From the Abyss: Effects artist Steve Johnson returns after a six-year absence". No. July/Aug 2011 issue 91. Make-up Artist Magazine. pp. 40–41.
- ^ a b "Rick Baker on making the Wolfman". CraveOnline Media. Retrieved 2015-01-07.
- better source needed]
- ^ a b "Steve Johnson's XFX". Beckson Design. Archived from the original on 2020-02-22. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
- ^ a b "BREAKING NEWS: Boss Film Studios has closed its doors". Visual Effects Headquarters. 1997. Retrieved 2015-01-07.
- ^ a b Schnaufer, Jeff (1995-07-07). "FILM : Engendered 'Species' : XFX in Sun Valley sprinted to create an alien that would attract and repulse viewers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
- ^ "Creating a New Species". Archived from the original on March 29, 1997. Retrieved 2013-09-09.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Everloving". Brooklyn Film Festival. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
- ^ Johnson, Steve. "Rubberhead: Sex, Drugs, and Special FX." California: Montauk Publishing, 2017.
- ^ "Episode 26: The Master Rapture". www.soapboxoffice.com. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
- ^ Bene, Jason (2012-04-25). "Late Night Classics – Innocent Blood". Killer Film. Archived from the original on 2015-01-10. Retrieved 2015-01-07.
- ASIN B00AID1JCM.
- ^ Timpone, Anthony. Men, Makeup, and Monsters: Hollywood's Masters of Illusion and FX. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996.
- ^ Morawetz, Thomas. Making Faces, Playing God: Identity and the Art of Transformational Makeup. Texas: University of Texas Press, 2001.
- ISBN 0739176218
- ^ "Teachers". Stan Winston. Retrieved 2014-12-31.
- ^ "'The Death of 'Superman Lives'; What Happened?'to debut at London Comic Con". MCM London Comic Con. Archived from the original on 2015-05-03. Retrieved 2015-05-02.
- ^ "'RUBBERHEAD: Sex, Drugs and Special FX'". Retrieved 2020-11-05.
- ISSN 0047-4959.
- ^ "Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA. Date: October 20, 1994". IMDb. Retrieved 2015-01-08.
- ^ "46th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners". Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
- ^ "28ed. Festival Internaciona de Cinema Fantàstic de Sitges (7/10 - 14/10)". Private Foundation Sitges International Film Festival of Catalonia. Archived from the original on 2015-01-10. Retrieved 2014-12-31.
- ^ "49th Primetime Emmys Nominees and Winners". Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2014-12-30.
- ^ "Everloving". Brooklyn Film Festival. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
- ^ Newton, Steve (2014-02-26). "Horror in Vancouver: Watching Helen Shaver give demonic birth in Poltergeist: The Legacy". Vancouver Free Press. Retrieved 2015-01-07.
- ^ Esposito, John (1989). "Just What Does the Upcoming Night Angel and Next October's Halloween 5 Have to Do with Each Other?". Slaughterhouse Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 5. HCS Associates. p. 21. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
External links
- Official website
- Steve Johnson at IMDb
- Steve Johnson bio at Stan Winston School of Character Arts
WARNING, December 2017: Apparently there are no works by this Steve Johnson in the Library of Congress (LC) catalog (that is, for LCCN below), where "Johnson, Steve, 1960–" and "Johnson, Steve, 1960 June 14–" are two others born 1960. This effects artist is "Johnson, Steve, 1961–" at WorldCat (below), but that is yet another person in LC catalog.