Jasmine (Devourer) - Angel: Season 4

10 year ago (very strange typing that) when I was working on Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer I got to design the true form of the Devourer, or rather Jasmine, for Season 4 of Angel. At the time the character/monster was simply called "The Woman". Jasmine was played by the very talented and Joss Whedon favorite, Gina Torres. The idea was simple, MAGGOT ROT FACE... and I tried to do my best to make that happen. Here is how the final monster version of Jasmine looked on set as the puppet head I got to puppeteer on the show...

Devourer/Jasmine on set during filming Angel season 4

© 2003 - Somebody, but at this point I have no idea who...

The design was built off of photos we took when Gina Torres came for her life cast of her head. The design was very photoshopy but for what it was and the time I did it I do not find it now too cringe worthy. I did create a maggot brush while working on it to make the maggot layer a little easier. Here is how the final turned out...

Devourer/Jasmine final design

© 2003 Almost Human

There was another "less maggot" version of the design too. I am not sure anyone outside of production has ever here this second design...

Devourer/Jasmine "less maggot" design

© 2003 Almost Human

As an added bonus I have for you some shop photos of the head in progress. I was not responsible for  the sculpting and the majority of the painting on this particular piece.  I handled the design end and the care, maintenance, and puppeteering on set at the very end. Here is what the puppet head looked like before heading to set...

Devourer/Jasmine clay sculpture

© 2003 Almost Human

Devourer/Jasmine clay sculpture

© 2003 Almost Human

Devourer/Jasmine cast silicone puppet mid paint process

© 2003 Almost Human

Devourer/Jasmine cast silicone puppet mid paint process

© 2003 Almost Human

 

Devourer/Jasmine cast silicone puppet mid paint process now with hair work in place

© 2003 Almost Human

We used real maggots on set to add to the look and feel of the puppet head. For filming I was under the head in front of a green screen trying to mimic what Gina Torres previously filmed so they could comp the puppet features into the scene. Here are some more images from on set while filming and an idiot...

Devourer/Jasmine on set during filming Angel season 4

© 2003 - Somebody, but at this point I have no idea who...

Hey there 10 years ago me... you need to draw more. You have 10 years of hard work ahead of you so you been stop goofing around with a maggoty puppet and get to work...

That is all for another exciting week on the blog, see you back here on Monday! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Funny Things found on the Web - My Life as a Demon

I recently mentioned in my post about blogging and traffic that I use Google Alerts to do daily searches so that I can easily find out if my work or urls are being posted around the net. Recently the searches began turning up a weird image linked to my name and the sale of a particular movie in Europe. That movie is a little opus named The Doorway and the image is the European DVD box art...

HOW SCARY! The DOORWAY! ...and my gigantic looming disembodied demon head.

Back in 2000, one of the first movies I ever worked on was a little Roger Coreman feature called The Doorway. The movie was originally filmed in Ireland in late 1999, but all the FX shots and some new scenes were being filmed in LA in early 2000. They wanted to replace and add some new demons and gore shots and that is where I came in. Because it was a very low budget shoot and because I was around and overly eager, I found myself in the roll of the Mirror Demon!

RAWR! I'm a Mirror Demon! RAWR!
© 2000 Almost Human FX

The Mirror Demon was the first of several monsters and creatures I was able to perform as. It was a blast, even though the shooting of my scenes may have taken three hours tops, and I ended up in the final movie for mere seconds. All in all, it was a fun morning, and then we got Chinese food for lunch! Lets see some more pics of the Mirror Demon...

RAWR! I am badly lit!
Nothing like the clear light of day to make your monster makeup look... like a makeup.

© 2000 Almost Human FX

Not only did I preform the Mirror Demon, but I also designed the makeup and was in charge of sculpting the head piece and horns for the makeup. I also dealt with a lot of the molding and casting of the various elements. Some really fun memories though I also remember making loads of mistakes that could have resulted in whole parts of the makeup needing to be remade. In the end we pulled it off and there were no catastrophes... which was amazing for how green I was at time.

Now for the hardest part... I did mention that I designed the Mirror Demon, so I suppose I should share my designs with you. I did three in total, though we always wanted to do something that was close to the first one. I think production may have actually chosen the second design and we still went with the first... the benefits of low budgets and lack of control. Fresh from 11 years ago I give you my Mirror Demon designs...

It is nice to see that I have improved over the years, it still creeps me out to see things in these that I still do. There is just so much wrong with these drawings... Enjoy!

© 2000 Almost Human FX

These are from my pre-digital days so I had to go find the actual drawings and scan them for the first time to post them here... if you can believe that. What surprised me was just how easily I uncovered them from my achieve of old drawings... but there they were, surrounded by loads of other frighteningly old bad drawings. Live and learn and improve!

I also built a 15th scale miniature of the main house seen in the movie that was burned down for the climax of the movie... but that is another story altogether.

Make sure you run out today and get yourself a copy of The Doorway and have yourself a laugh or two at my expense. The movie does have Roy Scheider in it and there are a couple neat gore effects ...and a few seconds of me!

That is all for another exciting Wednesday, see you back here in two days! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Bloated Choppers - my life as a zombie

Felt like switching it up this morning. I am in the middle of several projects which are all screaming for my attention. I thought something fun (for me at least) was in order for the blog today...

I bring you a look back at my life as a zombie named Bloated Choppers on the set of All Souls Day: Dia de los Muertos. I'm in the credits! You can check and see that they misspelled my name... again... You might remember seeing a photo of me as the zombie before but I have some images I have never shared.

RAWR! I'm a ZOMBIE! I was responsible for the design, paint work and performance.

The zombie I was portraying was invisioned as having been a drowning victim that floated around for a while becoming swollen and rotten before being reanimated. Fun times! I worn lip retracters most of the time while in the makeup to give the proper look. By the end I got so use to pulling my lips back that I could do it without the retracters. I also usually had a mouth full of black cake icing to add to the drooling wreck that was my zombie face.

Two zombies are better then one! RAWR!

I am pictured above with my friend Camden Toy, I worked with Camden on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. It was nice to be in front of the camera with him for once. On the last day of shooting I was able to do Camden's makeup (pictured above) and if that isn't enough, I did it while in my makeup.

Danny Trejo RAWR!

YES! The actual real life Danny Trejo. He was totally awesome to work with and a cool guy that has seen and done a lot in his life. He had a million stories and was ready for the camera on a moments notice. A real pleasure to be able to say I worked with Danny.

OM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM RAWR!

Spoiler alert! I eat people as a zombie. I also did all my own stunts and go shot a couple of times. There is even a little thing about me in the extras on the DVD if you are so inclined to watch it.

He coming to get you, Barbara...

I spent my 3oth birthday on the set of All Souls Day: Dia de los Muertos as Bloated Choppers and would not change that for anything.

That is it for today. As long as all goes according to plan I will be back here on Friday with something new! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com