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Brian Johnson

Known For
Crew

Known Credits
10

Gender
Male

Birthday
June 29, 1939 (87 years old)

Place of Birth
Surrey, England, UK

Brian Johnson

Biography

Brian Johncock (born 29 June 1939) is a British designer and director of film and television special effects. He changed his surname to Johnson during the 1960s.

Joining the team of special effects artist Les Bowie, Johnson started his career behind the scenes for Bowie Films on productions such as On the Buses, and for Hammer Films. He is known for his special effects work on TV series including Thunderbirds (1965–66) and films including Alien (1979), for which he received the 1980 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects (shared with H. R. Giger, Carlo Rambaldi, Dennis Ayling and Nick Allder). Previously, he had built miniature spacecraft models for Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Johnson's work on Space: 1999 influenced the effects of the Star Wars films of the 1970s and 1980s. Impressed by his work, George Lucas visited Johnson during the production of the TV series to offer him the role of effects supervisor for the 1977 film. Having already been commissioned for the second series of Space: 1999, Johnson was unable to accept at the time. He worked on the sequel, The Empire Strikes Back (1980), whose special effects were recognised in the form of a 1981 Special Achievement Academy Award (which Johnson shared with Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren and Bruce Nicholson).

Known For

Crew

2025Thunderbirds 60th Anniversary Double Bill - Trapped in the Sky / Terror in New York City...Special Effects Assistant
2025Prisoners in Space...Special Effects
1996Space Truckers...Special Effects
1990Caged Fury...Stunts
1989Slipstream...Special Effects
1986Aliens...Special Effects
1985Spies Like Us...Special Effects
1984The NeverEnding Story...Special Effects
1983Krull...Special Effects
1982Journey Through the Black Sun...Special Effects
1982Countdown to Disaster...Special Effects
1981Dragonslayer...Special Effects
1980Alien Attack...Special Effects
1980The Empire Strikes Back...Special Effects
1979Alien...Special Effects
1978Revenge of the Pink Panther...Special Effects
1977The Glitterball...Special Effects
1975The Day After Tomorrow: Into Infinity...Special Effects
1970When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth...Special Effects
1970Taste the Blood of Dracula...Special Effects
1969Moon Zero Two...Special Effects
19682001: A Space Odyssey...Special Effects
1967Quatermass and the Pit...Special Effects Assistant
1965Thunderbirds...Special Effects
1964First Men in the Moon...Special Effects Assistant
1963The Kiss of the Vampire...Special Effects Assistant
1962The Phantom of the Opera...Special Effects
1962Captain Clegg...Special Effects Assistant
1961The Day the Earth Caught Fire...Special Effects Assistant
1958The Crawling Eye...Special Effects Assistant
1957Quatermass 2...Special Effects Assistant

Visual Effects

1996Space Truckers...Visual Effects Supervisor
1994Highlander III: The Sorcerer...Visual Effects Supervisor
1989Slipstream...Visual Effects Supervisor
1983The Pirates of Penzance...Special Effects Supervisor
1979Alien...Special Effects Supervisor
1978The Medusa Touch...Special Effects Supervisor
1975Space: 1999...Visual Effects Director

Writing

1991Their Finest Hour...Writer

Acting

2025The Eagle Obsessionas Self
20242001: Creating Kubrick’s Space Odysseyas Himself
2018Family Vanishedas Det. Flynn
2018Century 21 Sloughas Himself
2014Filmed in Supermarionationas Self
2003The Beast Within: Making Alienas Self
20012001: The Making of a Mythas Self
2000CSI: Crime Scene Investigationas Brad Malone
1999The Alien Legacyas Self
1980SP FX: The Empire Strikes Backas Self