Catacombs Credits GuideSpecial Effects
Catacombs Credits Guide|
Born Brian Johncock in 1940, Johnson wanted to be a pilot, but after failing the physical exam he joined a company making TV commercials. He became a camera assistant, working on documentaries and films, before national service in the RAF. After this he joined special effects veteran Les Bowie as a special effects technician, working on The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961) and Phantom Of The Opera (1962). Johnson joined the special effects team of Derek Meddings at AP Films, working first on Anderson's Fireball XL5. He worked on Stingray and directed the second unit effects on the second series of Thunderbirds. He was also working with Bowie on Hammer films, including Taste The Blood Of Dracula (1969) and When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth (1969). He also worked on 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), in particular on the lunar and moonbase scenes. After Mosquito Squadron (1970) he returned to Anderson to work on The Protectors (1971-1973). In early 1973 Johnson directed the effects on Revenge Of The Pink Panther (1974) and was recruited for Space: 1999. When the project entered a hiatus in mid-1973 he went to Barbados to film The Tamarind Seed, but had returned when special effects filming began on Space: 1999 in November 1973. Johnson also handled the effects for Anderson's Into Infinity (1975), and the Alien Attack Anderson commercial (1977). In 1976 he had been approached for Star Wars (1977), but was committed to Space: 1999 Year Two at the time. He directed the effects for The Medusa Touch (1978), Alien (1979, for which he won an Oscar), The Empire Strikes Back (1980, and his second Oscar), and Dragonslayer (1981, and an Oscar nomination), The Pirates Of Penzance (1983), Legend (1985), The Never Ending Story (1985), Aliens (1986), Enemy Mine (1986), Labyrinth (1986) Telepathy (1987), Slipstream (1989), The Never Ending Story II (1990), Star Truckers (1997). |
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Son of a camera engineer, Allder worked as an assistant cameraman on commercials for 8 years before moving to effects in films. He worked on Khartoum (1966), A Man For All Seasons (1967), Submarine X-1 (1967), A Twist Of Sand (1969), The Battle Of Britain (1969), Moon Zero Two (1969), Fear Is The Key (1972) and with Brian Johnson on Anderson's The Protectors, Space: 1999, Into Infinity, and the Alien Attack commercial. He also worked with Johnson on The Medusa Touch (1978), Alien (1979, winning the SFX Oscar), and The Empire Strikes Back (1980 and the second Oscar). Without Johnson he worked on Conan The Barbarian (1981), Return Of The Soldier (1982), The Keep (1983), Top Secret (1984), Legend (1985), The Princess Bride (1988), Leviathan (1989), Leon (1994), Braveheart (1995), The Fifth Element (1997, and the third Oscar), Lost In Space (1998), Underworld (2003), Hellboy (2005). | 
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Oakes has worked on most Anderson series since Thunderbirds, including Terrahawks and Space Precinct. He also worked on the films Flash Gordon (1980), Legend (1985), Aliens (1986) and Memphis Belle (1990).
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Reed has worked on many film and television projects, making models, props and producing effects. Films include Superman and sequels (1978), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Aliens (1986), The Living Daylights (1987), Batman (1989), Memphis Belle (1990), Mission: Impossible (1996), The Fifth Element (1997), Titanic (1997), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), Entrapment (1999), Gladiator (2000), Quills (2000), Enigma (2001), Tomb Raider (2001). |
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Born in 1952, Bower was a childhood fan of the Eagle comic, Anderson productions and 2001: A Space Odyssey. After leaving school he worked as a scenery builder before joining Scale Models International where he worked for 3 years building display models. In 1972 he left wanting more creative work, but finding no such work he had to work as a house painter. In 1974 he learnt a new Anderson series was being filmed and sent him a letter and a collection of photographs of his model spacecraft. Anderson was impressed and introduced him to Brian Johnson. He was given the script of Alpha Child and asked to design a spaceship. Bower designed and built one model and sold them another model that he had built several years earlier. He designed many of the 84 models he built, including several that were built before or inbetween the series for his own pleasure. He also built models for the Into Infinity film and the Alien Attack commercial. Other Bower models appeared in The Tomorrow People (1975), Blakes 7 (1978), Dr Who (1978), The Tripods (1984), several commercials, and the films The Medusa Touch (1978), Alien (1979), Flash Gordon (1980), and Outland (1981). He also produces many models for display and replicas for fans. He tried to launch a science fiction series Starguard in the 1980s. He now makes models on commission for collectors. |
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Left to right: Cameraman David Litchfield, chief SFX assistant Terry Schubert, electrician Dick Lewis
Copyright Martin Willey
