Brian Johnson
- Known for
- Crew
- Born
- June 29, 1939
- Died
- June 15, 2026 (aged 86)
- Birthplace
- Surrey, England, UK
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
Filmography
Space: 1999 4K Double Bill - Breakaway and The Metamorph
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds 60th Anniversary Double Bill - Trapped in the Sky / Terror in New York City
Movie · Special Effects Assistant
Prisoners in Space
Movie · Special Effects
This Is Supermarionation
Movie · Special Effects
Space Truckers
Movie · Special Effects
Caged Fury
Movie · Stunts
Slipstream
Movie · Special Effects
Aliens
Movie · Special Effects
Spies Like Us
Movie · Special Effects
The NeverEnding Story
Movie · Special Effects
Krull
Movie · Special Effects
Journey Through the Black Sun
Movie · Special Effects
Countdown to Disaster
Movie · Special Effects
Dragonslayer
Movie · Special Effects
The Empire Strikes Back
Movie · Special Effects
Alien Attack
Movie · Special Effects
Alien
Movie · Special Effects
Revenge of the Pink Panther
Movie · Special Effects
The Glitterball
Movie · Special Effects
The Day After Tomorrow: Into Infinity
Movie · Special Effects
When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth
Movie · Special Effects
Taste the Blood of Dracula
Movie · Special Effects
Moon Zero Two
Movie · Special Effects
2001: A Space Odyssey
Movie · Special Effects
Quatermass and the Pit
Movie · Special Effects Assistant
Thunderbirds: Cry Wolf
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: Martian Invasion
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: City of Fire
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: The Man from MI.5
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: Move - And You're Dead
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: The Duchess Assignment
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: Brink of Disaster
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: Attack of the Alligators!
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: The Imposters
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: Danger at Ocean Deep
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: The Cham-Cham
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: Security Hazard
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: Vault of Death
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: Trapped in the Sky
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: Pit of Peril
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: The Perils of Penelope
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: Terror In New York City
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: Desperate Intruder
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: End of The Road
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: The Uninvited
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: Sun Probe
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: Operation Crash-Dive
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: The Mighty Atom
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: Edge of Impact
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: Day of Disaster
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds: 30 Minutes After Noon
Movie · Special Effects
Thunderbirds
TV · Special Effects · 26 eps
First Men in the Moon
Movie · Special Effects Assistant
The Kiss of the Vampire
Movie · Special Effects Assistant
Captain Clegg
Movie · Special Effects Assistant
The Phantom of the Opera
Movie · Special Effects
The Day the Earth Caught Fire
Movie · Special Effects Assistant
The Trollenberg Terror
Movie · Special Effects Assistant
Quatermass 2
Movie · Special Effects Assistant