wait wait wait you're actually friends with Mike Hill, the creature designer for GDT's Frankenstein??? that's INSANELY COOL 8D any chance you could share any insights from him about the production, working with Jacob, the design process, that sort of thing? I've read the art book but it's not nearly enough, I'm obsessed with this movie and I need moooooore <3
Lol, yeah. What do you want to know? He's kinda specific with what I can and cannot share regarding the film. I definitely can't share any of the pics he's sent me, but as far as details about the production, maybe?
He says Jacob was a miracle. He said he'd prayed for a "Christopher Reeve and Superman" situation, and found just that in Jacob when he and Guillermo watched Saltburn. He said he was the best "patient" he could ask for, so quiet and still, never complained about the torturous makeup process. I asked a bit about certain scenes and how the makeup varied, and Mike said there's natural variation in the application, given they're basically doing a whole painting every single day on top of a person.
There are a couple scars on the creature of significance. There's a mark on his upper right rib cage that's reminiscent of the painting "The Incredulity of St. Thomas" by Caravaggio. As well as a yellowed patch of skin over the left pectoral, above the heart. Both of these wounds frequently bleed, with Mike citing the perpetual trickle as a "bleeding heart of gold", I think he said.
Though certain scenes, specifically the ending with Victor and the creature, he said he really pushed Jacob to emote harder through his brow to fully convey the scene. It's a bit hard to get the emotions through the thick brow appliance, lol.
Mike and I were complaining about the randomly flipped scenes throughout the film. Done for "framing", but I felt upset on his behalf, given the hours of work disregarded. When you have a character that's inherently asymmetrical, you can't really flip shots willy-nilly.
As for design process, he said it only really took about a day to conceptualize a design on top of Jacob. He inspired him, apparently, with his lithe form and strange, spastic movements. He told me he needed the creature to fit the period, and he and Guillermo really wanted to emphasize the childlike nature of the beast, especially during the beginning phases of his life, hence the baldness and the larger contact lens. He based his scarring on broken stained glass windows, as well as the human muscle anatomy, trying to envision how Victor may have been working on key access points that would need to open.
Mike Hill is an incredible artist, I can't even describe it. I love this dude. He's a phenomenal multi-faceted gem with so many skills, its insane. He likes to do most of the work himself on a project, sculpting from scratch as well as life-casting, hair rooting, painting, all that stuff. This guy does it all. He's so humble, too. Too humble! He complains about his own work to me and I just want to cry because he's so phenomenal and I feel like sometimes he doesn't see it. I wish he'd take me as his apprentice and emotional support friend.
Oh but he also hates when you compare his work to other people's. He got after me for that once. And he messaged me worriedly to the lead-up of my first film viewing because he wanted me to like it so badly lmao. I would post a drawing of the creature and he'd go "You're making me nervous." Like dude YOU made the thing, you shouldn't care what I think. But he does. He and Doug Jones are so kind. Doug's real touchy, too, fixing hair and stuff absently as you talk to him. He was considered to play the creature a decade ago back when the film was to be made under the Dark Universe moniker, I think.