The Boogeyman VFX Artists On Bringing Stephen King’s Creature To Life

Posted in: 20th Century Studios, Exclusive, Interview, Movies | Tagged: 20th century studios, chris messina, exclusive, Gabriel Beauvais, interview, Jonathan Piche-Delorme, rob savage, Sophie Thatcher, The Boogeyman, Vivien Lyra Blair

VFX artists Jonathan Piche-Delorme & Gabriel Beauvais talk to Bleeding Cool about 20th Century Studio’s The Boogeyman, the creature & more.

Jonathan Piche-Delorme & Gabriel Beauvais have a combined experience of over 40 years in the VFX industry. Piche-Delorme provided some of the most intense work in 20th Century Studios’ X-Men film franchise, and AMC’s Preacher. Beavuais’ provided an equally impressive resume with work on Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Disney+ series The Mysterious Benedict Society, Netflix’s Shadow & Bone, and Freeform’s supernatural series Motherland: Fort Salem. Both previously worked on the AppleTV+ dystopian war epic See. The two spoke to Bleeding Cool about how they got involved in The Boogeyman, based on the Stephen King short story of the same name. The film centers on a high school student Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and her little sister Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair) who are reeling from the recent death of their mother. When a desperate patient of their therapist father (Chris Messina) unexpectedly shows up at their home seeking help, he leaves behind a terrifying supernatural entity that preys on families and feeds on the suffering of its victims. Piche-Delorme is the FOLKS VFX supervisor and Beauvais is the Head of Creatures/Senior CG supervisor on the film.

Building the World of The Boogeyman

BC: What intrigued you about working on The Boogeyman?

Beauvais: As soon as a project has a creature, it intrigues me! In VFX, we’re not just behind the camera; we work in post-production and often remain hidden in the background. So, this is a special moment for us to shine. Creating The Boogeyman in CG allowed us to be a part of the shoot. To the team, it feels like we’re an integral part of the project. We kind of feel like creatures in a way.

Piche-Delorme: Upon reading the script, we could witness the gradual development surrounding the Boogeyman and the progression of the action leading up to the ultimate scenes, where we finally catch a glimpse of the creature and its demise. Observing the evolution of our work towards this pivotal moment in the film and witnessing the destruction of our designs is truly gratifying.

What was the process of bringing the creature to life? What elements inspired the design?

Piche-Delorme: Initially, we received several creature designs that didn’t make the cut for the project. While some showed potential and had interesting elements, none fully matched Rob and the team’s envisioned concept. That’s when Gab set off on an exploratory phase to come up with our own design.

Beauvais: I often find inspiration from two sources. Firstly, my beard (the beard) often seems to hide little characters within it. Secondly, I draw inspiration from a concrete shower, where prolonged observation can also reveal the presence of small figures.

Piche-Delorme I totally get what you mean! I have these exquisite wooden doors at home, and sometimes I spot hidden creatures within their patterns.

Beauvais: On a more serious note, I’ve been studying numerous images of mummies for inspiration. Additionally, the works of Zdzisław Beksiński, a painter whose imaginative world deeply inspires me, have also influenced my creativity.

Was the plan always to make the character CG or was there any discussion about making the creature with practical effects?

Beauvais: Yes, it was always intended to be a fully CG character. The script made it clear that filming the creature in live action was not the intention. The production was planned as a fully CG project from the beginning.

What was the most difficult aspect or sequence in the film?

Piche-Delorme: As we approached the end of the movie, specifically during The Boogeyman’s burning and the burning of the black rot, we faced a challenging sequence. It required us to adapt and deliver a large number of shots involving multiple departments.

Beauvais: Personally, the close-up shot revealing The Boogeyman’s true face, unveiling a creature within a creature, added another level of complexity. This particular CFX shot spanned around 1000 frames and demanded meticulous animation work. It involved two characters interacting within two adjoining worlds, presenting significant challenges in terms of animation, composition, and lighting.

The Boogeyman is currently in theaters and is scheduled to be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on August 2023. You can check out our interview with Blair here.

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