ALIEN 3 Sculpting BTS

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London, 1990. A special look back at the sculpting work on ALIEN 3 featuring such effects veterans as Mark Coulier, Dave Anderson, Gino Acevedo, Steve Norrington, Chris Cunningham, Gary Pollard, Jeremy Hunt, and of course Tom and Alec. (You can get another glimpse of them hard at work in studioADI video, 'Alien 3 Armwrestle Match', The Pikeys of Pinewood: • ALIEN 3 Armwrestle Match )
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[@drexulgeewrangle]

I love Alien 3...it's the one I keep returning to. It's a gorgeous film. You guys did amazing work.

[@CerberusLives]

Alien³ is so underrated, it's criminal.

[@aurozappa305]

Its criminal that they made it

[@janesenese9962]

Amen!

[@Swidhelm]

Out of all the Alien designs that ADI did, this is still my favorite.

[@ReneAlexisPenalozaMunoz]

I'm surprised they can ever meet deadlines working at such slow detailed pace.

[@ChistopherMoonlight]

Out of all of your work, Alien 3 still remains the most inspirational to me. That leaves me conflicted with this movie even more, because like so many others, I was heartbroken by the direction the story took. However, my days as a teenager were all the better, because I felt so inspired by the amazing work you guys did. I tried to build my own rod puppet at home, sculpted an alien head out of wire, newspaper, flower, and glue, and crawled down into the drainage pipes that ran under parts of Thousand Oaks, with my friends video camera (the kind that took VHS tapes) trying to make my own fan film. Alas, being that it was the days before the internet and fan films, my friends didn't believe that making a movie was possible, and they abandoned me. Worse, they took back their video camera. Anyway, I'd love to see more video about the rod puppets, as well as your incredible Bishop animatronic. Thank you.

[@maximumrebo2030]

Thousand Oaks in California? I used to live there when I was a kid

[@bcali7343]

Totally disappointing story line for me also. The whole thing would have been amazing if they kept Newt and Hicks alive, still crash landing on the prison planet but I would have changed all the dialogue which was atrocious, I would have casted different actors for most of the prisoners, Hicks would die saving Newt and Ripley, I would have not revealed the embryo growing in Ripley was a Queen until the ending when it bursts free, I would have made the chestbursting scene particularly gruesome and violent but most importantly the Queen would not have perished, leaving the door open for another film, Newt would be the only one to escape with her life. Ending the movie this way could explain how Weyland captured a Queen but if it were up to me I would change a lot if Resurrection too. Makes me so angry cause the Xenomorph and Alien franchise is so inspiring and mysterious, there is so much to work with, how could they have come up with such dull, thoughtless and boring ideas. However despite mixed ideas I do love Prometheus and I really like Covenant, I prey that Ridley completes the series, hopefully Disney wont destroy it either.

[@arvinclay]

The creature effects in this flick were a friggin marvel. Oh! And that Bishop puppet!! Holy crap. It had perfect lip sync, and was made out of urethane! (it's wild the stuff that was used for translucency in the pre-silicone days) I remember reading and re-reading my issue of Cinefex on the making of the film and memorizing all of the sculptures. To see footage of those same things being sculpted is awesome!

[@studioADI]

Thanks so much, Arvin! We really wanted to push the technology of the time. That was the start of our pursuit of translucence that lead us to the silicones we used in DEATH BECOMES HER. Now it's industry-standard. Proud to say we helped blaze that trail!

[@ChistopherMoonlight]

This is amazing. I used to get the model kits that were based on these sculpts when I was a teenager, and spend days with them. I can't describe how much of this stuff shaped the course of my life.

[@studioADI]

It surely shaped our lives too! We were with the franchise so long we feel like we grew up with it too. All respect to Mr. Scott and Mr. Giger for kicking it off!

[@alfredart]

I know there's probably going to a point when you guys run out of behind the scenes videos to share, but I hope it's not for a very long time. I love seeing this stuff. So Inspiring!!

[@davidlabraccio3599]

The Bambi Burster was originally to emerge from an ox and then they switched to a dog. What I haven't seen so far in documentary coverage is commentary about the design choices for the adult alien in each of those scenarios. The theatrical cut alien is about what I'd expect to see if it had emerged from a dog. But the ox from the Assembly cut? Was everyone leaning towards a stockier, bulkier alien design more reminiscent of an oxen 'parent' before the switch or was it going to be a slender alien all along and no change was made after the switch to a dog?

[@Deunstephe]

Sweet, sweet sculpting.

[@BillyQvarnstrom]

Incredible work!

[@studioADI]

Wow, thank you Billy... it's been cool to look back at all the great work that was being generated for this film. We had access to the best artists in the UK to join our small team and the results were amazing.

[@stoneryoda9377]

Super Pivot The best is Alien mate

[@rustyshackelford2071]

The alien 3 xeno is so perfect... I wish that mold was used ever since!!!

[@LabRat6619]

Brilliant structures from such young sculptors!

[@Hypnobong]

I'm glad you guys (and gals) at ADI like the original Big Chap more than other design. It is still probably the most haunting yet beautiful monster ever created.

[@genesanford9412]

Amazing just how much love,blood,sweat & tears go into the art that we never really see when its all said & done.Thanks to ALL artists out there doin wut you do.Dont stop.

[@skepticalbadger]

Absolutely stunning piece of design. Just enough biomechanical Giger detail, before things went too fleshy. Really wish you could have adapted THESE moulds for AVP & AVP:R. You should also have been given the chance to create the Covenant alien from scratch.

[@TheCosmicFireStar]

It was heart breaking to hear of H R Giger passing away, we've lost the original designer of the Alien whom you've brilliantly recaptured in the following films, will you do a video offering some words of condolence?

[@studioADI]

Yeah, the guy was a genius and his genius erupted on the screen fully formed in ALIEN. Total game-changer. Cameron didn't use him on ALIENS. Fincher did, but we had very little contact with him on A3. As we executed Fincher's vision of the Alien we considered ourselves caretakers of his style. He seemed at first appreciative of what we did, but later expressed his unhappiness with us personally. He was suing Fox over the use of his designs, so maybe he considered us part of the enemy camp. We tried to get hold of him but he wouldn't have it. Sad. We have nothing but respect for his mad, unique vision. We should do a vid, but maybe down the line. Don't want to appear self-serving or opportunistic.

[@larsmehlhop-lange8884]

+studioADI it's great to hear that from your side, there's always so much controversy and blaming when somebody's dissatisfied with other people executing their visions. I hold Giger in high regard as an artist who was stubborn enough not to bend to just any big-mouthed hollywood producer's will...I'm sure there was some miscommunication involved as well. Regardless, I think you guys did an awesome job on Alien 3. I remember how much even the promotional posters outside theaters terrified me as a seven-year-old and I didn't watch any of the Alien movies until I was 13. But those posters really kicked off my love for that bizarre creature, and I've been fascinated with it and the movies ever since!

[@stoneryoda9377]

studioADI I think The Runner alien was a great addition to the franchise a real beast of an alien it almost kills as many people on its own as the original and on screen death of Aliens not to mention the beautiful head of the runner

[@bcali7343]

This Xenomorph is hands down my favorite design, better then Big Chap, Warrior Drone (Aliens), all of them except for the Queen which is my favorite monster design ever. As for the Runner, the head is magnificent, the body is perfect, it really looks like it could perform the way it does in the film, nice long tail with a large blade, it can stand or go bipedal and the color is phenomenal. H.R. Giger did indeed create something so brilliantly unique but you guys perfected the creature and brought it too life. The Runner/dog/ox is by far the star of the film and the reason why I come back to the movie. As far as the host of the creature I would guess that originally it was designed with the thought the Ox would be host because this Xenomorph was larger as stated by Ripley which follows the idea that the Xenomorph developes traits from the host so a dog would have produced a smaller Xeno then even the past forms. I bet they changed the host from an Ox to a Dog so that the chest bursting scene would have a more dramatic effect on the audience cause we have more of an emotional attachment to dogs, I know I was sad. The Royal Facehugger was awesome too, every creature design is genius, your guys talent and hard work is what carries the film, if you all hadn’t created such a masterpiece there would have been nothing special about Alien 3, in my opinion. My second favorite Xenomorph design is the one we see in Covenant, love that one too. And I know a lot of people loved Big Chap but that one is my least favorite, I don’t like the feet, the head is too long, the appendage between the upper dorsal tubes is unnecessary but I still do like the design and the movie is terrifically terrorizing. Anyways thanks for all the classic, historic and awesome behind the scenes footage, I LOVE SEEING THESE.

[@Khether0001]

I hope you guys expose it in some sort of a museum and charge for admission so we can enjoy closely every single detail of those masterpieces! it would be a shame NOT to expose those... they are beyond incredible!

[@studioADI]

Interesting idea! Right now studioadi's channel is our museum! Doing it virtually saves money on velvet ropes!

[@FlyingOverTr0ut]

Fantastic work. For all of its deep flaws (which I'm very aware came from a troubled production), I love this movie and its designs.

[@grimm_destroyer5566]

Loving the music so intense and amps up the creature designs even more

[@creaturedomes9364]

Cool I love the older Alien movies. Back when it was done right! No pure CGI like today

[@kylehuxley4567]

that is art right there i applaud the work and time put into these sculpts. fantastic work!

[@xtraspecialmango]

I still LOVE Alien 3 - Both cuts :)

[@gridlock7425]

I've always been fascinated with the amount of detail that goes into creature effects sculpting. The textures alone mystify me. Is it all hand done, or are there simpler ways of creating the various textures? I'm particularly referencing the seemingly tiny, fibrous looking connective tissue textures. The amount of patience involved in this line of work is absolutely mindboggling. Hours upon hours of steady hands and talent. Thanks for sharing, truly amazing work.

[@luciliamusica5476]

Incredibleee...fantastic work! Wooooooww *.*

[@Yaneos]

Wow! More, please!!!!!!

[@Aphexm1ke]

Windowlicker & Come to Daddy brought me here. Yeah, Chris!

[@APHE03301]

chirs cunningham is my favorite director. i forgot he did some fx work for this movie!!

[@juri5871]

brilliant work,you followed the work of two master's Carlo rambaldi and late boss stan.and created i felt the most organic looking alien and created more fluid puppets and animatronics seen to date.My favorite alien fim too!

[@Sketcher86]

sick creations!!

[@silviochan89]

OMG, I love them all,

[@terrencepark4379]

I CAN'T ESCAPE BTS, THEIR EVERYWHERE, AND HERE I THOUGHT I WOULD ESCAPE THEM TODAY BUT LIFE'S LIKE NOPE,........NO NOT TODAY..... AND NOW I'M HERE THINKING.....THEY CALL ME.....BAEPSAE!!!!

[@miguel_886]

2:20 its just a "baby", but so fuckin' scary! Amazing work

[@ArnoldTohtFan]

Best film in the series. It was and still is a very avant garde picture, and I was pleased that Giger and the art team finally achieved perfection in the design of the alien and its portrayal onscreen. Here it is elegant, streamlined, and feline, and much more sexual. I always felt its previous incarnations on screen were overly cumbersome and reflected the technical limitations of the era.

[@Vaporvice84]

This music...I swear I'm waiting for it to cut to Batman suiting up.

[@noahkirkpatrick8912]

I want this job fawsome

[@sasajugovic5618]

At 1:30 hand it's moving people,did anyone else so ! ?? GREAT WORK,till PERFECTION...masters work,what else i can say !

[@manypseudonyms]

This, this is what I want to do with my life! I wish there were more sculpting classes at my college and less "3D graphics" crap.

[@thegoldendino7816]

Holy shit! that is amazing!!

[@d90movie]

is the young in an orange sweater Chris Cunningham?

[@volkswag12]

In one of the origanl scripts the inmates of Fury 161 were suppose to be captured and cocooned like in Alien. But this was scraped due to issues at the studio

[@lm_8480]

this film ain't so bad

[@porko882]

+Godzilla 1984 Luis Martinez Iv always loved them all, Aliens being my favorite. I also liked the more comical feel of Resurrection.

[@trevorjones7438]

Awesome!!!!!

[@SASculptor]

Anyone know what kind of clay they are using?

[@swisschoco25]

I would pay some good money for one of those face huggers. Just sit it on my coffee table....it would make a great center piece.....

[@pablosuarez3182]

Impresionante .!!!!

[@ravnholt]

what were those squashed human figurs your were modeling in the beginning of the clip? I don't remember those from either of the cuts.

[@snesfan8935]

It's must be android Bishop or Hicks.

[@Biel7318]

The dude in the end is Chris Cunningham the director of the Björk's "all is full of love" music video isn't it?

[@csabakurdi8372]

yes he is

[@TheCupcake0121]

This is it Alien 3, I'm pretty sure this is Alien Resurrection, the fourth movie in the franchise

[@skepticalbadger]

Nope, it's Alien 3. These guys created for both, so they ought to know ;) Elements of the Alien design carried over into A:R though (they just deleted a lot of the Giger detail and made it even more fleshy due to Jeunet's preference/the plot), so it's easy to mistake the two when they're in the sculpting stage and lacking detail. The giveaways are the much shorter hands and lack of 'smokestacks' on the back.

[@CerbeRawr]

I prefer Aliens but the 3 is good, and a making-off is pretty nice.

[@hr3800]

Chris Cunningham att THE END sculpting🍀🌟🍀

[@AnthonyMiceli]

This is really amazing. Did you end up keeping many of these creations or do they usually get destroyed when the movie is done?

[@Colethecon]

How was working with David Fincher? It's a shame the production was so effed or this movie might have been worth all the effort put into it.

[@studioADI]

Fincher was great. We've seen some folks blame him for the outcome of the film, but in our opinion, the film could have been a disaster under a lesser director. He was only about 27 at the time but had the confidence and insight of a veteran. One of the best we've worked with!

[@kidsundance9021]

Alien 3 rules

[@frantzbarichard]

what kind of clay is that ?

[@wmonger]

The Coca Cola budget in this shop must be in the thousands.

[@ghk9207]

:o nice

[@snesfan8935]

If only this movie was based on Gibson's script. Dreams, ah only dreams.

[@Tomycase]

Do you know which materials were used for the sculpting (in most of the production you worked on)? I'm tempted to experiment sculpting and searching for good materials but it seems that there are various types of clay, so I was wondering; Thanks for your answer if you have time!

[@iyorit1089]

全員、美大、芸大の出だ。特に彫刻的センスは必至。

[@RedBattalion9000]

Why alien3 xenomorph host had changed from cow into the dog?

[@proto-guest4511]

Who designed the royal face hugger?

[@poulsonarrow]

Moor please ! Iconic creation how to love what your doing as a job? anyone know the track name on this ? Ok found out track name end edits.

[@stan5470]

Chest burster

[@hungryfilms3707]

Did I see a tail spike at 8:35?

[@ghostdog2041]

So, when the alien come out of a man, Caine, let's say, it is human sized, walks on two legs, and has a human skull underneath it's cranial dome thing. So, if it came out of a dog (or ox), wouldn't it have a long snout, and either paws or hooves?

[@arpadattilaasztalos]

+ghostdog2041 This is what I've been wondering for 22 years!! I always wanted to believe that, unfortunately I don't think that it matters what the host is, it just helps the xenomorph embryo gestate inside it. So my theory is that there are several "types" of xenomorphs and they develop into what they are supposed to develop regardless of the host. But if you find some information that contradicts this theory I would be forever indebted if you shared the source.

[@cone3969]

+Arpad Asztalos Xenomorphs take traits from their hosts but don't really change that much in bodily structure

[@kixzhlagirisanase8179]

Me: Oh, what's this?... BTS...? BTS.. BTS?!?! Save me, save me.. I need your love before I fall... i'm done, don't worry

[@Hahabarow1]

3:16 - what kind of material is this ? Wax ? Oil base clay ? Where can I buy it ?

[@harveydent1731]

Ouch !... My pride .

[@manypseudonyms]

Seriously though, when I get my BA, how would I go about working for a company like this? Does anyone know? Do you have to be headhunted, or do you intern?

[@lauta2346]

5:14

[@bj-gy5pt]

와우 쩐다,,,

[@mewWaON]

最初の模型って何に使われたんだろう…

[@MorellaEvigkeit]

народ, что за материал? Догадался кто, не?

[@user-wc1uf9kc7s]

да

[@pandaath]

3:28 Predator?

[@qsiniqasimu956]

insani yasamaga,yaratmaga heveslendiren seylerden gosterseniz daha gozel olmazmi

[@ArcanusOpacus]

Soberbo,...

[@renanrodriguesdovale1304]

wtf baby alien

[@usernamemykel]

Buys clay by the ton.

[@Judgment_Day]

Lost Art...

[@dionosapae7361]

Scary music...😐😐😐

[@YummyBananaFish]

Amazing craftsmanship. Huge shame that all other aspects of Alien 3 are utter shit, eh?

[@jollygoodfellow3957]

Utter shit? The score is generally regarded as the best of all the Alien films.

[@YummyBananaFish]

Michael Nyholt Fair enough, fair enough. Really though, I wasn't able to appreciate the score when I sat through the movie. The script is abysmal, the story has no scope, and the actors (even ones who are excellent in other stuff) do a terrible job. The viewer isn't given anyone to empathise with or care about remotely (even Ripley! Jeeziz). Granted it *looks* way ahead of its time; genuinely the sets, staging and lighting could pass as a modern blockbuster movie... but then again... is that a complement? Probably not. Seeing this video is a great chance to see the production talent which was overshadowed by the overbearing shitness of the film overall.

[@jollygoodfellow3957]

YummyBananaFish I liked the grim, atmospheric tone of the movie, and the hope that the Xenomorphs had been eradicated forever with Ripley's death, which at the time, was a bold move and I felt a sense of somber triumph upon first viewing it. In a phrase, I would have said "You did it, Ripley. You did it."

[@YummyBananaFish]

Michael Nyholt Yeah, the grim atmosphere is partly what makes it feel so modern, I think. It was a gritty sci-fi before gritty sci-fi really existed. I still feel that was the wrong direction for the film, though. The childish joy while watching 1 & 2 is totally absent with 3 & 4. Alien 3 in particular is a harsh, unfriendly movie. I can't say I liked the ending much myself, for that reason. Everyone - including the only likeable character - dying is not a satisfying ending, or even one which teaches the audience a moral, in this instance. On the surface it's sombre and moving (if the movie even succeeds in affecting you that way) but really it's just unimaginative.

[@jollygoodfellow3957]

YummyBananaFish It was either kill off the characters or recast them since Carrie Henn had aged and Michael Biehn had disagreements with the studio. Couple that with too many writers and too many scripts stitched together and yes, on it's own merits, Alien 3 is not a good movie, but for what David Fincher had to work with he made something better than what could have been. At least Paul W.S. Anderson or the Strauss Brothers didn't direct it.