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Blue tongues and an exposed brain: How ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ visual effects went back to basics

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Blue tongues and an exposed brain: How 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' visual effects went back to basics

As a seasoned film enthusiast with a lifelong passion for the art of cinema, I can confidently say that the resurgence of practical effects in modern films is nothing short of a breath of fresh air. Having witnessed the evolution of special effects from the early days of stop-motion and prosthetics to the era of heavy reliance on CGI, it’s refreshing to see a return to the roots of filmmaking.

On a regular filming day for Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” I found myself amidst an unusual scene – a silent, deceased mime letting out ear-piercing shrieks!

The most disconcerting issue was that the actor’s tongue retained an unmistakably non-spectral shade of pink.

Christine Blundell and her team swiftly prepared a blue food coloring mix for the actor to swish around and then spit out, turning his tongue dark. This is an illustration of the sort of hands-on special effects Tim Burton relied on for the 36-year follow-up to his cult hit “Beetlejuice” – a film recognized for performing genuine illusions directly in front of the camera.

Blundell, the head of hair and makeup department at Warner Bros., mentioned, ‘There are so many minor details,’ he said, ‘constantly building up the level of decay.’

Recently, there’s been a growing trend towards utilizing more tangible special effects in films, as viewers express discontent with movies overly reliant on obvious digital effects.

Movies like Fede Alvarez’s “Alien: Romulus” and Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which rely heavily on practical effects such as prosthetics, puppets, and even stop-motion animation, are creating a stir. It is said that at least 85% to 90% of the work done by the hair and makeup department in the final cut of the film remained undisturbed by digital enhancements.

Thus far, the efforts have been met with positive responses from the public, as evidenced by the successes of movies like “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and “Alien: Romulus.” The former has grossed approximately $153 million globally, while the latter has earned an impressive $314 million. Notably, these achievements were accomplished against production budgets of $100 million for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and $80 million for “Alien: Romulus.

During their first conversation, Burton emphasized to Blundell that the visual effects in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” should maintain the original film’s homemade aesthetic. He also mentioned that any practical effects, such as adding blood or enhancing what was already filmed, would be handled using practical methods instead of relying on post-production edits, which is a common practice in many modern films today.

When a director praises your work like that, you feel something like, ‘Wow, this is fantastic! It means I can return to those days when I didn’t need CGI to clean up wig strands and other details.’ For her, it was a refreshing change, as if she was saying, ‘This production is bare-bones; we’re seeing exactly what will make it into the final movie.’

For several decades, digital special effects have been a part of films. However, significant leaps forward occurred in the early 1990s, notably with James Cameron’s “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” in 1991 and Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster “Jurassic Park” in 1993.

Despite having only a few CGI sequences, the films demonstrated that visual effects like transforming liquid into robots and dinosaurs roaming the planet could captivate audiences, proving the potential appeal of such technology, explained Julie Turnock, a media and cinema studies professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Although the process was costly and technically challenging to execute, it paved the way for future advancements in the industry.

As a film enthusiast, I found them to be a striking demonstration of innovation in the industry. Not only did these productions exhibit visual appeal that resonated with audiences, but they also served as intriguing marketing pitches: “Witness the evolution of cinema!

During the 2000s’ initial phase, blockbuster series like “The Lord of the Rings” and “Harry Potter” demonstrated to production studios that they could create storybook settings primarily using digital technology. However, excitement was somewhat dampened by the poor reception given to visual effects in films such as “The Mummy Returns.

Daniel Leonard, a professor and associate dean at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, pointed out that effective storytelling involves making the audience willing to overlook reality and embrace the fictional world you’ve crafted. If they perceive it as unrealistic, it can disrupt their immersion in the narrative.

Over the past 15 years, technology has advanced significantly, making digital special effects more accessible financially. This development has enabled both high-budget productions and smaller projects to utilize computer-generated illusions known as “movie magic.” Today, many blockbuster films incorporate visual effects in almost every frame, with these enhancements frequently going unnoticed by viewers, according to Turnock.

Frequently, real-world phenomena serve as a base or blueprint for adding visual effects. For example, a movie crew might shoot a puppet, then employ computer-generated imagery (CGI) to intensify the character’s facial expressions.

As a movie critic, I found myself utterly captivated by the ingenious special effects in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” In collaboration with Neal Scanlan, our animatronic and makeup effects supervisor, I helped create an instantaneous mask featuring yellow-tinted ping-pong balls. This clever trick brought the character of Beetlejuice to life by giving him those googly eyes that appear whenever he gazes at the sun. It’s these creative touches that make this film a true standout in the world of fantasy cinema.

Other effects were deliberately designed to be crude.

In the movie, the half-shaven head of Willem Dafoe’s character Wolf Jackson, portraying a detective, was designed to resemble an old-fashioned, bulky prosthetic. This visual joke is based on Dafoe’s dramatic and vintage performance in the film.

Danny DeVito’s brief role as a deceased janitor in the Afterlife required him to wear green makeup, fake teeth, and special contact lenses that hindered his movement, according to Blundell. Later, Burton requested that DeVito’s character drool goo from its mouth. The team concocted a mixture of egg whites and other liquids for this effect.

“It’s the kinds of things that, you would have done years ago,” she said.

In the role of Jenna Ortega’s Astrid Deetz’s late father, Richard, portrayed by Santiago Cabrera, a blend of prosthetics and makeup was used to create the illusion of puppet piranha fish nibbling at his face, neck, and body. After the puppeteer controlled the piranhas in the scene, Blundell and her team would quickly step in to give them a shinier appearance.

This level of detail for practical effects was necessary for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” she said.

Blundell expressed, “If we had remade it using CGI, I believe we’d have faced severe criticism, particularly Tim. I think people preferred the nostalgic feel of the original ‘Beetlejuice’, and they longed for the sand worm and rough makeup effects.

While it’s true that movies that showcase physical special effects often receive favorable responses from audiences, minimizing the focus on digital effects during movie promotion may carry significant, tangible implications for the artists involved. Many visual effects artists work under challenging conditions and are not unionized, which means they don’t always receive overtime pay as required, according to Turnock.

She stated that the perception others have of them influences a company’s ability to negotiate with its production partners. If their contributions are undervalued or they don’t feel like essential team members, it becomes challenging for them to advocate for improved working conditions.

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2024-09-12 13:35

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