10 aspiring creature creators will be given a chance to spotlight their work in the new unscripted series Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge (that title may change). Syfy has just greenlit an eight-episode season one in which contestants will compete for a $100,000 prize along with a job working at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.
According to the announcement by Syfy President of Original Content Mark Stern, the series will feature artists creating all sorts of creatures, including mechanical characters. Jim Henson’s son, Brian – Chairman of The Jim Henson Company and an award-winning writer, director and producer – will be the series’ lead judge. Designer Peter Brooke, animatronics master John Criswell, and fabrication & artistic specialist Julie Zobel will serve as mentors.
“As Face Off does with SFX makeup application, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge showcases the incredible imagination and artistry of lifelike creature construction,” stated Stern. “We are honored to partner with The Jim Henson Company and Brian Henson on this series. The Creature Shop has set the bar for a caliber of work that is unmatched in quality, design and sheer imagination.”
The series will debut in early 2014 and is executive produced by Brian Henson, Lisa Henson, Joseph Freed, and Rob Bagshaw.
Details on Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge:
The creative challenges in the series will showcase the fascinating process behind creature building, from conceptual design to sculpting, fabricating and mechanization. Each episode will end with on-set performances involving the elaborate and life-like creations. The creature creators will be tasked to create everything from hand puppets to large-scale theatrical creatures that can master the balance between realism and fantasy.
