[Watch the video interview on YouTube here]
Film Courage: I understand there’s 12 principles of animation according to Disney that you apply to puppeteering. Number one is squash and stretch.
Craig Caton-Largent, Visual effects artist and current Chair of 3D Animation & VFX at New York Film Academy (NYFA) Los Angeles: Squash and stretch yeah this okay.
So it’s a Disney Animation principle (one of the 12) but we embraced this in the real world puppetry too. In particularly squash and stretch for the slimer ghost on Ghostbusters, and by the way his real name is Onion Head. We wanted the slimer ghost to be able to stretch and squash and keep his volume.
I actually came up with this idea, I’m really glad I did. One of those moments we’re down in Marina del Rey [CA], here’s our monster shop across the street is Beacon Storage and in a Beacon Storage there’s these big crate boxes and they have this wire bandit material holding them together. I thought we could use that wire bandit material for dress hoops. We made dress hoops in the slimer ghost with bungee cord. That way he wasn’t a big fiberglass shell, it was these dress hoops attached to his rubber skin with bungee cords and that his whole body could like bounce and squash and stretch but it wouldn’t lose its volume. It would keep its volume. So that was squash and stretch for slimer ghosts.
Film Courage: Number two is anticipation?
Craig: Anticipation. So anticipation, my favorite example when I discovered this a long time ago. I was watching this Disney movie called The Rescuers Down Under. In the very beginning of the movie (it happens in Australia) in the beginning of the movie there’s this blade of grass and there’s a dragonfly on it. Then the dragonfly takes off and flies down and flies through canyons and stuff as you follow it.
I decided I want to recreate that scene. I want to make it a dragonfly flight. I looked at the shot and I just made this…(Watch the video interview on YouTube here).
About Craig:
With over 40 years in the film industry, Craig Caton-Largent is a legendary visual effects artist and the current Chair of 3D Animation & VFX at New York Film Academy (NYFA) Los Angeles. He has worked on over 100 films, creating some of Hollywood’s most iconic creatures, including the Slimer ghost in Ghostbusters (1984), the penguins in Batman Returns (1992), and the raptors in Jurassic Park (1993). Craig has collaborated with top directors like Tim Burton, Steven Spielberg, and James Cameron, earning six Academy Award nominations for Best Visual Effects. A pioneer in digital effects, Craig co-founded Digital Domain and developed groundbreaking VFX software like Animservo, used by top studios and theme parks. As the Chair of the Visual Effects and Animation Department at NYFA, Craig is dedicated to helping his students develop animation and storytelling skills that will lead to success in the industry. Craig is also a sought-after speaker on motion capture technology at film festivals and universities worldwide.
CONNECT WITH CRAIG CATON-LARGENT
About New York Film Academy:
Founded in 1992 by Jerry Sherlock, the New York Film Academy (NYFA) provides an accessible, hands-on education in filmmaking, media, and the performing arts. With a mission to make the film industry more accessible to all, NYFA empowers students from diverse backgrounds to tell powerful stories through a project-based, immersive curriculum. Students work closely with industry professionals, gaining invaluable mentorship and real-world experience while building creative, technical, and collaborative skills. NYFA’s global community includes students from over 160 countries, fostering a network of passionate storytellers. From day one, students dive into creating projects that refine their craft and prepare them for successful careers. With a focus on practical experience and individualized support, NYFA equips students with the tools and confidence to excel in the competitive world of filmmaking and the arts.
CONNECT WITH NYFA
Nyfa.edu/location/nyfa-los-angeles
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