Creative Character Engineering
Creative Character Engineering, which constructed the pregnant abdomen for the “ER” episode featured on the DVD, has provided many prosthetics and animatronic figures to “ER” and other television shows and movies. One of its specialties is animatronic and non-animatronic silicon babies. Usually Creative Character rents these babies, but “ER” uses the babies frequently and so owns many of them. Another specialty is open chests for chest surgery, and “ER,” of course, uses many of these.
Creative Character provides graphic generator effects, concept art, unusual make-up effects, and props. Its has done work for many movies including “Meet the Fockers,” “The Matrix,” “Stuart Little,” and “The Princess Bride,” and many TV projects including “Hercules,” “Star Trek-Voyager,” “Xena,” and “Malcolm in the Middle.” The company was created in 1993, is located in Van Nuys, California, and has a web site at http://www.creativecharacter.com.
The owner, Andrew Clement, has always been interested in creature fabrication and, even before graduating from high school, took the train from his Connecticut home into New York to work in the effects business. While working toward his Visual Arts/Theatre Design degree at S.U.N.Y., he started doing make-up for a number of movies and TV programs including “Saturday Night Live.” In 1990 he came to Los Angeles and worked for Henson Associates on the TV show “Dinosaurs.” While working for Henson, he continued to receive requests for creature fabrication from clients he had worked with in New York, so he set up a small shop to accommodate these needs. As the requests climbed and the shop grew, he left Henson and went into business for himself, aided by his project manager, Kari Murillo.
Creative Character Engineering owner, Andrew Clement (center) talks with Journeys Below the Line Executive Producer Bruce Bilson (left) and Producer Michael Gallant.
Clement enjoys his association with the property masters of “ER.” He admires the series for “its longevity and the care they put into making everything medically correct.”
