Creating the Skinned Body Dummies for Predator 2
Predator 2, the iconic 1990 sci-fi film, is renowned for its intense and gruesome scenes, including a scene where the characters discover the hanging skinned bodies of Jamaican gang members. We'll briefly examine the practical special effects created by Stan Winston Studio for this scene.
WARNING: Some viewers may find the following images disturbing.
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Sculpting and Painting the Bodies
Creating the skinned bodies involved a combination of sculpting, molding, casting, painting, hair work, and rigging techniques. The process began with sculpting a lifelike corpse that was then molded and cast multiple times in red-tinted foam latex to simulate the undertones of human flesh.
(A clay sculpture of one of the skinned victim's heads at Stan Winston Studio.)
The mold making process captured every contour and curve of the skinned dummy sculpture to ensure a highly-detailed result in the final product.
(Stan Winston Studio crew member Mitch Coughlin releases the surface of the mold in preparation for running the foam.)
(One of the foam latex skinned dummies, fresh from the mold and ready for seaming, patching, and painting.)
To create the appearance of flayed skin and exposed muscle tissue, Stan Winston Studio painters meticulously matched the texture and tone of real human skin and flesh.
(Close-up image of a gutted dummy corpse created by Stan Winston Studio.)
Rigging the Dummies
Stan Winston Studio artists knew from the start that the bodies would be hanging upside down in the scene, so care was taken to sculpt the musculature, shoulders, and arms as if they were being pulled down by gravity. To hang the bodies on set, the dummies were suspended from wires and rigging.
(The Jamaican gang members' skinned body dummies hanging at Stan Winston Studio and ready to be shipped to set for filming.)
(Close-up image of a fully-painted and detailed skinned body puppet showing a cavity where the heart was removed.)
(Some skinned dummies hang alongside Predator suits at Stan Winston Studio.)
Lighting and Camera Techniques
The filmmakers designed the lighting of the scene with the hanging bodies to be both dramatic and functional: backlit scenes and practical flashlights highlighted the gruesome details of the skinned bodies while also setting the tone for the overall atmosphere of the scene without revealing too much. Close-up shots of the bodies and slow camera movements were used to heighten the tension and suspense.
Watch the related scene from Predator 2 here: "Who the hell is King Willie?"
(SWS team member Shane Mahan adds fake blood to one of the skinned corpse dummies on set.)
TO CREATE YOUR OWN REALISTIC DEAD BODY MAKEUP, CHECK OUT THIS COURSE: Dead Body Makeup: Creating Realistic Corpse Makeups
TO CREATE YOUR OWN REALISTIC CORPSE, CHECK OUT THIS COURSE: Blood, Gore And Makeup Effects Part 2 - Gags, Props, Fake Bodies
COURSES WITH THE CREATORS OF PREDATOR 2:
- Special Effects Sequence Design with Shane Mahan
- How To Sculpt A Character Maquette - Human Anatomy with Jordu Schell
- Animatronics Design Basics with Richard Landon
More PREDATOR 2 STUFF from Stan Winston School: