KNB EFX

You may recognize KNB EFX founders Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero’s work from a wide range of films, from Serenity to Sin City to Land of the Dead. And when KNB does aliens, the results are always impressive. They have created physical models to complement the CG in Transformers, critters for The X-Files and The Outer Limits, and numerous rubbery cast members for Men in Black. More »

Todd Masters, MastersFX

Todd Masters has kept busy heading makeup for Stargate Atlantis, designing characters such as the menacing Wraiths. Masters and his studio, MastersFX, also worked on Star Trek: First Contact, bringing the disturbingly sexy Borg Queen (and her serpentine spine) to life. They also showed off their prosthetic chops – and their eye for the bizarre – with the alien mutation comedy Slither. More »

Dave Elsey, The Jim Henson Creature Shop

Dave Elsey was asked to join the Australian branch of the Jim Henson Creature Shop just two months before the launch of Farscape. Although the shop had completed sculpting on Rygel and Pilot, other characters required resculpting, and some looks hadn’t been designed at all. Elsey not only managed to complete the designs, he consistently raised the bar for creating intricate and visually stunning alien life. Elsey’s fierce attention to detail earned him a place as the makeup designer for Revenge of the Sith, where he aimed to remain true to the franchise's visual traditions while updating the makeup and costuming techniques. More »

Michael Westmore

Michael Westmore won an Academy Award for his work on Mask, but he is better known for his otherworldly creations. A member of a Hollywood makeup dynasty, Westmore has worked on every iteration of Star Trek since The Next Generation. It was he who gave the once flat-foreheaded Klingons their pronounced cranial ridges, and he updated the Andorians and Tellarites for the 22nd Century. He also created the original makeup and prosthetic designs for some of later Trek’s most iconic beings, including the Cardassians, Jem’Hadar, and Borg.

Optic Nerve Studios

When John Vulich and Everett Burrell, founders of Optic Nerve Studios, took the reigns of the Babylon 5 makeup department, their goal was to set a new standard for TV ETs. Working with shop head Mike Measimer, they designed the look of the various and sundry species that passed through the space station. More recently, the studio has turned to humans, creating special effects for Heroes.

Neill Gorton, Millennium FX

When all of space-time is your playground, you’re bound to run into some exotic characters. Neill Gorton and his team at Millennium FX are currently responsible for bringing the many worlds of Doctor Who to life, from anthropomorphic Catkind and the Forest of Cheem to the disembodied Face of Boe. Gorton has also contributed creatures to Doctor Who spin-offs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures as well as Hex. More »