
Brian Johnson
Personal Info
Known for
Crew
Gender
Male
Birthday
1939-06-29 (86 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
Acting
The Eagle Obsession
as Self
(2024)
2001: Creating Kubrick’s Space Odyssey
as Himself
(2018)
Family Vanished
as Det. Flynn
(2018)
Century 21 Slough
as Himself
(2014)
Filmed in Supermarionation
as Self
(2003)
(2001)
2001: The Making of a Myth
as Self
(1999)
The Alien Legacy
as Self
Crew
(2025)
Thunderbirds 60th Anniversary Double Bill - Trapped in the Sky / Terror in New York City
Special Effects Assistant
(2025)
Prisoners in Space
Special Effects
(1996)
Space Truckers
Special Effects, Visual Effects Supervisor
(1994)
Highlander III: The Sorcerer
Visual Effects Supervisor
(1991)
Their Finest Hour
Writer
(1990)
Caged Fury
Stunts
(1989)
Slipstream
Special Effects, Visual Effects Supervisor
(1986)
Aliens
Special Effects
(1985)
Spies Like Us
Special Effects
(1984)
The NeverEnding Story
Special Effects
(1982)
Journey Through the Black Sun
Special Effects
(1982)
Countdown to Disaster
Special Effects
(1980)
The Empire Strikes Back
Special Effects
(1980)
Alien Attack
Special Effects
(1979)
Alien
Special Effects, Special Effects Supervisor
(1978)
Revenge of the Pink Panther
Special Effects
(1977)
The Glitterball
Special Effects
(1975)
Into Infinity
Special Effects
(1970)
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth
Special Effects
(1970)
Taste the Blood of Dracula
Special Effects
(1969)
Moon Zero Two
Special Effects
(1968)
2001: A Space Odyssey
Special Effects
(1967)
Quatermass and the Pit
Special Effects Assistant
(1962)
Captain Clegg
Special Effects Assistant
(1961)
The Day the Earth Caught Fire
Special Effects Assistant
(1958)
The Crawling Eye
Special Effects Assistant
(1957)
Quatermass 2
Special Effects Assistant