What Stephen King’s It Movies Look Like Without Special Effects

As a gamer, I can’t help but notice when films rely too heavily on computer-generated imagery (CGI) in scenes that could have been made more authentic with practical effects. However, before I criticize a movie for its poor CGI, I always make sure to verify that what I’m seeing truly is CGI and not some other visual effect.

Both spectators and critics have pointed out the inconsistent application of Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) in the two films adapted from Stephen King’s novel “It”. However, contrary to what one might think, there are instances where less CGI is employed than expected. From the shuffling leper to the copious amounts of artificial blood, the “It” series boasts a multitude of practical effects. Furthermore, CGI was also used to augment and elevate existing elements. While the “It” films might employ slightly more or less computer-generated wizardry than other horror movies without special effects, you’ll find that some of the most memorable scenes from the “It” series may not appear drastically different if devoid of CGI.

Bill Skarsgård can do Pennywise’s lazy eye in real life

If you’re curious about how Bill Skarsgård became Pennywise in the movie, it was mainly due to extensive time spent in the makeup studio. Most of what appears on screen is just Skarsgård with prosthetic makeup. Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is used only when Pennywise undergoes a transformation or performs actions that a human mouth shouldn’t be able to do. Additionally, motion capture technology was employed when his body appeared as a giant spider-monster.

One distinctive feature of Pennywise that didn’t necessitate makeup or CGI is the uncanny way his eyes appear to be pointing in two directions. Director Andy Muschietti initially intended to use VFX to achieve this effect, but it was discovered that Bill Skarsgård could naturally move his eyes in such a manner without any special effects.

Reflecting on the past, Muschietti was struck by the unlikely coincidence. He exclaimed to Digital Spy, “Wow, what are the odds? It’s like one in a million and he was already cast!” In Alyse Wax’s book “The World of It,” Muschietti reminisced, saying, “Nice work, buddy! You just saved me hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Pennywise’s fake teeth made the actor drool

While Pennywise’s menacing mouth is digitally created, the majority of its appearance is achieved through practical effects. Bill Skarsgård utilized different sets of artificial teeth for the role, including a pair with oversized incisors, which the team nicknamed “bunny teeth,” and another with several layers of tiny, sharp teeth.

Barbara Muschietti, producer and director’s sister, discussed an unexpected outcome of the false teeth used in the film. She mentioned in the documentary “The Summers of It — Chapter One: You’ll Float Too” that these teeth made Bill Skarsgård’s character drool excessively. This wasn’t planned, but the filmmakers found it suited Pennywise’s character well. The makeup team then started enhancing Skarsgård’s drool with a specific substance they nicknamed “Slime,” as more drool meant more fun.

During one particular scene in “It – Chapter One,” where Pennywise (played by Skarsgård) towers over Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), an excessive amount of drool from Skarsgård ended up on Grazer. According to Grazer, “He was drooling, and some of it landed on my lips. After the shot, I thought it was my own saliva, so I accidentally ingested it.” Fortunately, Grazer handled the situation with good humor.

Bill Skarsgård spent hours up to his neck in water

Following the completion of the initial scene in “It” featuring young Georgie (Jackson Robert Scott) descending into the basement with a torch, the filmmakers decided to immerse the set for the part where Bill (Jaeden Martell) encounters his deceased brother and Pennywise. To capture this sequence, Bill Skarsgård was required to descend into a water-filled trench to portray Pennywise partially submerged in water. Director Andy Muschietti later praised Skarsgård for his resilience during filming, as he endured being immersed in foul-smelling water for approximately four hours.

To make it seem like Pennywise suddenly emerged from the water, Skarsgård was drawn along by a wire that surfaced from the murky depths in one of the scenes. In an on-set video, you can hear someone yelling for a towel for Skarsgård. Given how cold the water looked, it’s not hard to imagine why he might have needed one!

The hair shooting out of the drain was filmed backward

In the chilling scene from “It” where it appears that the hair springs out of the drain and envelops Beverly (Sophia Lillis), I was actually the one struggling to escape the tangled mess. As I revealed to ScreenRant, it seems like the hair is rising, but in reality, it’s me trying to free myself from the entangled strands. This is evident in a behind-the-scenes video where you can see me with clumps of hair stuck to my face as a crew member pulls on the other end of the strands, causing them to fall back away from my face. This footage was later reversed and used in the final movie to create that eerie effect.

When Beverly is splashed with a forceful gush of fake blood from the drain, this is an example of a realistic effect. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lillis reminisced about the artificial blood being sweet and slick. “I slipped while sitting,” she explained, “which I can’t figure out how that even happened physically.” The force was so intense that the filmmakers had to substitute the actress with a stunt double for the collision scene.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Lillis originally was intended for that part, but they opted for a stunt double due to an impact similar to a strong hit with a baseball bat. After the initial splatter of blood, Lillis re-entered for the rest of the scene, and nobody caught on.

Skarsgård crawled through a projector screen

To achieve the scene where Pennywise seems to leap from a movie projector, some ingenious cinematic trickery was employed. As discussed in an interview with DGA Quarterly magazine, director Andy Muschietti initially filmed the children’s reactions to a giant cardboard cutout of Bill Skarsgård in a garage setting. Following this, they shot the same scene again on a green-screen set featuring Skarsgård himself. This smaller set was then manipulated digitally to make Pennywise appear massive compared to the children. Muschietti detailed the process, stating that every camera angle from the miniature set was recreated, and tiny sticks were used as eyeline references for each child during filming.

As soon as the camera began filming, Skarsgård moved on all fours through a wooden structure that was intended to replicate the projector screen (it wasn’t exactly cozy). He then followed the director’s instructions because the other actors weren’t around. Ultimately, both scenes were merged digitally, resulting in one of the “It” series’ most nerve-wracking jump scares.

Skarsgård didn’t twist himself into knots for the fridge scene

In the part of the movie where Pennywise contorts out of a refrigerator, Bill Skarsgård luckily didn’t have to physically do so. Instead, he stepped out of the fridge while wearing a harness, and the animators added the twisting effects during post-production. Yvon Jardel, the animation supervisor, explained to ACM SIGGRAPH that they kept Pennywise’s head unchanged but animated his body entirely. To help with Pennywise’s movements, the filmmakers employed a contortionist as a reference point.

In “It: Chapter Two,” the filmmakers employed a comparable method for a scene where characters discover Stanley (Wyatt Olef)’s body in a refrigerator. The actor actually stuck his head into the fridge through a rear opening, while the crumpled figure inside was a dummy. Later, when Stanley’s head detaches and grows spider legs, they utilized a realistic prop head that was further enhanced with computer-generated imagery (CGI).

Sean Sansom, the makeup designer, explained to Flickering Myth that they essentially mounted the prop on a stick and maneuvered it, creating an illusion of what it would look like if the spider-head had legs. In the second film, when you notice Bill Hader’s arms appearing strained, he was actually pushing against a genuine physical prop attached to his head with bungee cords.

The It crew built the cistern and extended it digitally

As a die-hard IT fan, I bet you’re curious about how much of Pennywise’s lair is just green screen. Surprisingly little, actually! The filmmakers constructed most of the set that appears in the final movie, from the grimy sewer tunnels to the menacing clown wagon. Even the sewer scene featured real water flowing through it (though I’m relieved it wasn’t graywater).

In the movie, the creators artificially increased the height of the mountain of toys from Pennywise’s victims by employing visual effects (VFX). To make them seem taller, they constructed a miniature replica of the towering pile and digitally combined it with the actual-sized pile on set.

Regarding the apparent corpses of drowned children, they were digitally generated images (CGI). Yvon Jardel, an animation supervisor, explained to ACM SIGGRAPH that they needed to create various poses of floating bodies, followed by adding random amputations. He found this task both enjoyable and unsettling.

A life-sized doll was used for Georgie’s corpse

One might expect a child to be deeply distressed following a role where their character is murdered by a transforming clown and later resurrects as a puppet made of flesh. However, this wasn’t the case for Robert Jackson Scott; instead, he took it all rather calmly.

In an exclusive backstage video from “The Summers of It — Chapter One: You’ll Float Too,” you can witness Scott embracing a lifelike figure resembling himself. The doll is strikingly similar, with one notable difference – it bears the decayed visage of a corpse. “Hello,” he says brightly to the camera. “Here I am alongside my deceased counterpart!” He mentioned his eagerness to share this with Bill Skarsgård, affectionately referred to as “Pennywise.” This young actor remains unfazed by the gruesome prop.

The second film de-aged the kids digitally

In the initial film, a majority of the actors playing the Losers’ Club were around 12 and 13 years old. However, when it came to shooting the sequel, most of these same kids had grown older, reaching ages 15 and 16. To ensure that viewers wouldn’t spot the change in age, a visual effects company called Lola VFX had to apply digital de-aging technology.

Lola VFX usually focuses on making adults appear younger, but they found it tough to apply this technique to children due to teenagers’ rapid growth rate – sometimes it progresses so swiftly that the de-aging team struggled to match the pace. To tackle this issue, Lola employed methods like softening the skin and reshaping features. Specifically, Jeremy Ray Taylor (the actor portraying Ben) had slimmed down since the initial film, necessitating the use of CGI to give his face a fuller appearance. On the other hand, Finn Wolfhard experienced a growth spurt, transforming him from one of the shortest Losers in the first movie into one of the tallest. Consequently, the effects team had to camouflage this change and also modify the shape of his jawline.

As the visual effects specialists crafted their spells, the performers had to keep in mind the ages of their characters. In the documentary “The Summers of It — Chapter Two: It Ends,” Andy Muschietti recollected, “I often had to remind them that they weren’t actually 15.

The leper spewed real liquid on James Ransone

In the movie, recall the instance when character Eddie (James Ransone) comes across a diseased individual who hurls up on him? Contrary to what some viewers complained about, those leper scenes didn’t rely heavily on computer-generated imagery (CGI). Instead, the effect was achieved primarily by actor Javier Botet, who donned a bodysuit and mask for both films.

In the scene where the character with leprosy expels what appears to be vomit, the visual effects team created a unique puke prop with a tube that runs through its entire body to dispense the substance. According to producer Barbara Muschietti in “The Summers of It – Chapter Two: It Ends,” director Andy Muschietti has a fascination with vomit and wanted to give it proper treatment. And he certainly did, as Ransone was required to stand in a stream of artificial vomit for an entire five seconds under the guidance of Andy Muschietti.

As reported by Ransone, he came close to fainting due to the overwhelming stench and sensation of what appeared to be artificial vomit on his face, which significantly impeded his ability to breathe. In essence, Ransone’s last day on set was characterized by enduring the putrid substance resembling a leper’s vomit. (For those curious about how actors convincingly simulate vomiting in films, we have an entire article dedicated to this fascinating topic.)

The old hag was actually a man in a rubber suit

One often misunderstood aspect that some viewers mistake for pure computer-generated imagery is the scene featuring an elderly woman without clothes. During filming, when Jessica Chastain portrayed Mrs. Kersh (Joan Gregson) transforming into a wild-eyed, witches’-like figure, she didn’t act opposite a CGI character that would be added later. On the contrary, this shocking moment was primarily achieved through practical effects, leaving minimal room for imagination.

Did you ever wonder who was behind the terrifying monster in that movie? Well, it turns out that Mrs. Kersh, the seemingly harmless old lady, was actually played by the talented Javier Botet, disguised in a rubber suit. Intriguingly, he also portrayed the leper in the same film! Backstage photos reveal Botet donning a full-body suit with two mouths attached to the neck of the old lady costume. Catching a glimpse of Botet in his costume, knitting or holding his mask like an astronaut helmet, will surely give you a new perspective on that movie scene.

In this scene, just minor adjustments were done with computer-generated imagery (CGI). Following the filming sessions with Mrs. Kersh, the visual effects (VFX) team transformed the actor’s mask into a digital model for animating her eyelids and lips. As explained by makeup designer Sean Sansom to Flickering Myth, VFX were primarily utilized for close-ups and instances where the creature needed speech.

For the final battle, Pennywise was motion-capture

In the thrilling finale of “It: Chapter Two,” Bill Skarsgård didn’t physically transform into a colossal spider-clown. Instead, he revealed that his performance was digitally captured for the scene. Speaking in “The Summers of It — Chapter Two: It Ends,” Skarsgård admitted, “The movie’s climax is the result of my motion-captured acting.” He further explained, “It can be nerve-wracking for an actor when everything depends on visual effects, as you never know how it will appear in the final product.

Bill Skarsgård filmed Spider-Pennywise’s actions in a separate setup, equipped with small poles to represent the other actors. This way, he could estimate how minuscule they would appear compared to Pennywise. Rather than applying full clown makeup, Skarsgård merely needed to put on numerous tiny dots on his face for the computer to capture his facial expressions accurately.

Fortunately, Skarsgård managed to be part of those scenes despite the situation. As other actors fled in fear from a large cardboard depiction of Pennywise’s face, Skarsgård stood near the monitors, delivering his lines live into a microphone from behind the scenes.

Jessica Chastain took a dunk in fake blood

In one of the most gruesome scenes ever filmed, “It: Chapter Two” portrays Beverly (played by Jessica Chastain) being trapped inside a bathroom stall that is filling with blood. The scene required an astounding 4,500 gallons of fake blood, making it crucial for the filmmakers to meticulously plan every detail. If they made even the slightest mistake, they would have had to empty all the blood and start the process over again.

Initially, Chastain wasn’t satisfied with the director’s initial concept for the scene, feeling that it wouldn’t be frightening enough if the blood only rose to her chest and stopped there. Muschietti initially thought Chastain might not be comfortable submerging in fake blood that went over her head, but he underestimated her dedication. However, when given the opportunity, Chastain urged him to go all out with the blood effects. In a conversation with Cinemablend, she exclaimed, “Let’s make ‘Carrie’ on steroids!

After being fully immersed in the blood during filming, Chastain started having doubts about her choice. She described it as something that would get into your eyes, nose, and ears, leaving you feeling covered head to toe. Following the shoot, she affectionately hugged the Muschiettis, making sure to cover them with fake blood as well. (The Summers of It — Chapter Two: It Ends)

The effects team stapled Pennywise’s head to the set

In “It: Chapter Two,” when Pennywise appears to shrink and crawl on the ground at the end, it isn’t truly Bill Skarsgård under the costume. Instead, filmmakers replaced him with a child actor dressed as Pennywise to make him appear smaller than the Losers’ Club members.

In “It – Chapter Two: It Ends,” director Andy Muschietti explains that Bill Skarsgård, or rather just Skarsgård’s head, reappears in Pennywise’s final resting place. The rest of the character is a dummy, allowing Mike (Isaiah Mustafa) to access its chest and retrieve its heart. The set was crafted so that Skarsgård could be buried within it, leaving only his head exposed. Muschietti further stated, “I pushed Bill to the brink. He was buried in a hole, with only his face visible.

Lastly, they attached the top of their “Pancake Head” Pennywise mask to the stage, aiming to create an illusion that Pennywise was dissolving into stone. Let’s hope that the sight of Pancake Head without any special effects might make this scene a bit less terrifying.

2025-03-13 21:32