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Brian Johnson

Born June 29, 1939 in Surrey, England, UKDied June 15, 202658 films

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.

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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).

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The Empire Strikes Back posterFirst watchThe Empire Strikes Back19808.4The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda.View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach
Alien poster8.2Alien19792001: A Space Odyssey poster8.02001: A Space Odyssey1968Aliens poster8.0Aliens1986The NeverEnding Story poster7.2The NeverEnding Story1984Spies Like Us poster6.2Spies Like Us1985Revenge of the Pink Panther poster6.4Revenge of the Pink Panther1978Krull poster6.1Krull1983Dragonslayer poster6.6Dragonslayer1981

Filmography

58 films
  1. 2026Space: 1999 4K Double Bill - Breakaway and The MetamorphSpecial Effects
  2. 2025Thunderbirds 60th Anniversary Double Bill - Trapped in the Sky / Terror in New York CitySpecial Effects Assistant
  3. 2025Prisoners in SpaceSpecial Effects
  4. 2014This Is SupermarionationSpecial Effects
  5. 1996Space TruckersSpecial Effects
  6. 1990Caged FuryStunts
  7. 1989SlipstreamSpecial Effects
  8. 1986AliensSpecial Effects
  9. 1985Spies Like UsSpecial Effects
  10. 1984The NeverEnding StorySpecial Effects
  11. 1983KrullSpecial Effects
  12. 1982Journey Through the Black SunSpecial Effects
  13. 1982Countdown to DisasterSpecial Effects
  14. 1981DragonslayerSpecial Effects
  15. 1980Alien AttackSpecial Effects
  16. 1980The Empire Strikes BackSpecial Effects
  17. 1979AlienSpecial Effects
  18. 1978Revenge of the Pink PantherSpecial Effects
  19. 1977The GlitterballSpecial Effects
  20. 1975The Day After Tomorrow: Into InfinitySpecial Effects
  21. 1970When Dinosaurs Ruled the EarthSpecial Effects
  22. 1970Taste the Blood of DraculaSpecial Effects
  23. 1969Moon Zero TwoSpecial Effects
  24. 19682001: A Space OdysseySpecial Effects
  25. 1967Quatermass and the PitSpecial Effects Assistant
  26. 1966Thunderbirds: Security HazardSpecial Effects
  27. 1966Thunderbirds: The Cham-ChamSpecial Effects
  28. 1966Thunderbirds: Martian InvasionSpecial Effects
  29. 1966Thunderbirds: Attack of the Alligators!Special Effects
  30. 1966Thunderbirds: Brink of DisasterSpecial Effects
  31. 1966Thunderbirds: The Duchess AssignmentSpecial Effects
  32. 1966Thunderbirds: Move - And You're DeadSpecial Effects
  33. 1966Thunderbirds: Danger at Ocean DeepSpecial Effects
  34. 1966Thunderbirds: Cry WolfSpecial Effects
  35. 1966Thunderbirds: The Man from MI.5Special Effects
  36. 1966Thunderbirds: The ImpostersSpecial Effects
  37. 1966Thunderbirds: City of FireSpecial Effects
  38. 1965Thunderbirds: The Mighty AtomSpecial Effects
  39. 1965Thunderbirds: Vault of DeathSpecial Effects
  40. 1965Thunderbirds: Operation Crash-DiveSpecial Effects
  41. 1965Thunderbirds: Sun ProbeSpecial Effects
  42. 1965Thunderbirds: The UninvitedSpecial Effects
  43. 1965Thunderbirds: End of The RoadSpecial Effects
  44. 1965Thunderbirds: Desperate IntruderSpecial Effects
  45. 1965Thunderbirds: 30 Minutes After NoonSpecial Effects
  46. 1965Thunderbirds: Day of DisasterSpecial Effects
  47. 1965Thunderbirds: Edge of ImpactSpecial Effects
  48. 1965Thunderbirds: Terror In New York CitySpecial Effects
  49. 1965Thunderbirds: The Perils of PenelopeSpecial Effects
  50. 1965Thunderbirds: Pit of PerilSpecial Effects
  51. 1965Thunderbirds: Trapped in the SkySpecial Effects
  52. 1964First Men in the MoonSpecial Effects Assistant
  53. 1963The Kiss of the VampireSpecial Effects Assistant
  54. 1962The Phantom of the OperaSpecial Effects
  55. 1962Captain CleggSpecial Effects Assistant
  56. 1961The Day the Earth Caught FireSpecial Effects Assistant
  57. 1958The Crawling EyeSpecial Effects Assistant
  58. 1957Quatermass 2Special Effects Assistant