Films

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

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January - February 2014 / NATM3 Ltd., London

James was part of small Special Effects crew on the London shoot for the Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. This was mostly filming at night on location at The British Museum, Trafalgar Square and The Tower of London.

 

Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy

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Aug 2003 - May 2004 / Asylum Models and Effects Ltd., London

James was part of a team designing and making many items for the film but primarily The Guide Book, Thumb Ring, Vogon guns, talking sofas and other models for the film Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy.

 

Die Another Day

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April - May 2002 / Eon Productions Ltd., Pinewood Studios, London

James was part of the model unit on James Bond 007 No 20, Die Another Day making a 6th scale Ferrari 355, Lamborghini Diablo with full internal, external and underside detailing and Antonov AN-124 Cargo Planes. The cars were used to simulate real cars falling from the Antonov AN-124 Cargo Plane. The initial intent of the scene was for the cars falling out of the back of the cargo plane (having been pushed by Bond) and tumbling towards camera which travels through the back window and out the front as the cars fall past the camera, ending up in the paddy field. This is why the inside and outside detailing of the cars had been done, although it didn't make it into the film as described.

 

Animal Farm

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April - August & October 1998 / Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, London

James was involved in many different aspects of the film Animal Farm but was specifically part of a three man team designing and making the animatronic heads for the horses, Boxer, Molly and Benjamin. James also helped in the making of the many other animatronic animals and worked on location in the Wicklow mountains, Ireland.

 

Tomorrow Never Dies

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June - July 1997 / Pennicott Payne Ltd., London

James was part of a team making several versions of the Ericsson mobile phone which was designed especially for the film. These versions of the phone were of the lock pick, finger print scanner, stun gun, stunt shots, long and close up shots and remote control for when Bond uses the phone to drive his car remotely around a multistory car park in a chase sequence. Spares were also made for each version.

 

Lost in Space

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March - April 1997 / Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, London

James was involved in many parts of the construction and final assembly of the Robots for the film. Two versions were made, one as seen at the beginning of the film before it was destroyed and one after. Will Robinson rebuilt and reconfigured from undamaged and spare parts a new robot, which more closely resembles the old iconic robot from the black and white TV series.

Two of the first version were made, which were then changed into the second version so that two film units could be filming at the same time. The Robots were 10ft tall, made of aluminum, steel and fibreglass etc. The Robots drove around on tank like tracks which were electrically powered, the other main body movements were hydraulically controlled. They were the first, fully remote controlled robots in a film.

 

Event Horizon

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December 1996 / Pennicott Payne Ltd., London

James was part of a team designing and building nine Cryogenic capsules made from perspex and mounted on steel frames. The capsules were held vertically and filled with water, consequently they had to be very strong. All the capsules had dummies in them, except for one, which was rigged for an actor, for filming close ups of the capsule draining of water.

 

The Adventures of Pinocchio

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July 1995 / Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, London

James was involved in some of the animatronics and the design and construction of the two mobile work shops that went to Prague for the shooting of the film.