Brian Johnson (special effects artist)
Brian Johnson, born as Brian Johncock (* September 1939 in Surrey, England ) is a British special effects artists. He received 1980 Alien - The mysterious beings from another world the Oscar for Best Visual Effects in 1981 for The Empire Strikes Back the Academy Award for Special Achievement Award.
Life
His first job was with the Cement and Concrete Research Association in Wexham Springs. In 1957 he took a job at the special effects company Anglo Scottish Pictures Shepperton, offered him the special effects artist Les Bowie. After that, he did his military service in the Royal Air Force, where he worked on instrument landing systems. After the end of his military service he met Les Bowie again and worked for him as a special effects technician on the feature films The Day the Earth caught fire and Mystery eerie mask.
He then moved to AP Films, where he was involved in the British television series such as Supercar and Thunderbirds. After that, he was in 2001: A Space Odyssey for the models of the lunar base responsible. Then he went back to Gerry Anderson's film company AP Films to on films such as The Day After Tomorrow - to work Into Infinity and the television series Moonbase Alpha 1. During the filming of the television series Moonbase Alpha 1 got Brian Johnson visit of George Lucas. He was very impressed by Brian Johnson's work and wanted to recruit him for Star Wars. Because of its contractual obligations with Gerry Anderson came but only with The Empire Strikes Back to collaborate with George Lucas.
In 1979 he was involved in the science fiction movie Alien - involved the sinister creature from another world, for in 1980 he received an Academy Award in the area of best visual effects. The following year he got his second Oscar for The Empire Strikes Back in the category Special Achievement Award. In 1982 he was nominated a third time for the Oscar for The Dragonslayer, but was not awarded the prize this year. In the following years he worked on many other well-known films like The Neverending Story, Aliens - The Return and Dragonheart.