[Watch the video interview on YouTube here]
Film Courage: Craig, I understand you just wanted to make monsters?
Craig Caton-Largent, Visual effects artist and current Chair of 3D Animation & VFX at New York Film Academy (NYFA) Los Angeles: That was it. Yeah, it started when I was a little kid. I saw the original Planet of the Apes movie and I said to myself I want to be a monkey too, not realizing the context of what I was saying.
I went out and I got this monster makeup handbook from a magazine called Famous Monsters of Filmland and after a couple years I perfected a Planet of the Apes makeup and that’s kind of how it got started. I had so much fun transforming myself into a Planet of the Apes person and when I realized that when you put on these makeups that you become this other character and it was really fun to jump and do stuff like that.
I just thought this is what I want to do and that started around the fifth grade on out. I knew this is what I wanted to do.
Film Courage: You thought you could make a career from this? Did you have other aspirations?
Craig: No, I just wanted to come down here and make monsters but my mom thought that impossible. She said maybe I should get a real job so I can have something to fall back on. What I was doing at the time was a community resource training program through high school. I was up at the local hospital working in the X-ray department for several hours every day. I learned the basics of X-ray and I thought wow this is a pretty cool profession and it tied in well with monster making because it had physiology and anatomy. I thought that’s important to know as a monster maker how things move. I went ahead and I went to school and became an x-ray technologist and then I moved down here.
Two weeks later I got a job working on a movie called The Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn and I didn’t have to do X-rays ever again.
Film Courage: How is it different to break into the film industry today versus the 80s or 90s?…(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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