Animatronics
Mechanical heads, necks and wings, designed, prototyped and built: the life-sized polar bear for Fortitude, the bears of Our Zoo and a mechanical puppet for Dune 2.
Creature FX for film, TV and stage
Animatronics, puppets and SFX in Melbourne
Twenty years of mechanical puppets, creatures and practical effects, from Dune 2 for Weta Workshop to new puppet characters for the ABC.
- Dune : Part 2
- Lord of the Rings
- Ghost in the Shell
- Sting
- Madagascar, The Musical
- The Hobbit
- Fortitude (publicity)
- Running Wild
- Beauty & the Beast
- The Phantom of the Opera
- Fantastic Mr Fox
- The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy
- Harry Potter 3 - The Prisoner of Azkaban
- Mulan
- 20 yearsof puppet and creature design and engineering
- Weta Workshopwith NZFX and DCFX, across almost two decades in Wellington
- Film, TV, stageDisney, the BBC, the National Theatre and the ABC
What he builds
Four crafts, one maker
Mechanisms that have to work on the day, for effects teams, productions and theatres.
Puppets
Puppet design and builds for stage and screen: the Penguins, Melman and Maurice for Madagascar, The Musical, every creature in Vulu 21 and new characters for the ABC's Knee-High Spies.
Special effects
Practical effects and VFX rigs, in the workshop and on set: the web for Sting, a mechanical horse rig for Disney's Mulan, stand-ins for The Rings of Power and SFX crews on Greyhound 2.
Stilts, props and illusions
Creature stilts, mechanical props and stage magic: CNC machined stilts for Beowulf & Grendel, a mechanical carousel for Assassins and illusions with Paul Kieve for Macbeth and The Phantom of the Opera.
How a job runs
From brief to set
Send the brief
A message on Instagram: what it has to do, the production, the dates and where it shoots or plays.
Talk it through
What has to move, how it is controlled and how long it has to perform.
Design, prototype, build
As his credits read: design, prototype and construction, on his own or inside your effects team.
On set or on stage
Maintenance, puppeteering and SFX on the day, as on Tales of the Riverbank and Time Bandits.
From the workshop
Mechanisms, up close
Builds from his own project pages: the arms, claws, stilts and electronics behind the creatures.
Swipe or scroll sideways for more
Credits
Every credit, newest first
From his portfolio and project pages, word for word: what he did on the left, the production and company on the right.
Since arriving in Australia
In the order he lists them on his home page; most are undated there.
| Role | Year | Production |
|---|---|---|
| Puppet team | Knee-High SpiesNew characters for the ABC's forthcoming children's series. | |
| Animatronic build | Dunkleosteus, Singapore OceanariumHelped construct the giant animatronic Dunkleosteus in the Ancient Waters Gallery. | |
| Research and development | Gabby's Dollhouse puppetsEarly research and development for the puppets, which set off on a US tour in September 2025. | |
| Build | 2024 | AFL Grand Final pre-showThe futuristic car Katy Perry rode in her pre-show performance at the 2024 AFL Grand Final at the MCG. |
| SFX crew | Greyhound 2SFX crew on the Tom Hanks WW2 epic, in Sydney. | |
| SFX crews | Play Dead, Mongoose and GraniteSFX crews on three productions in Victoria. |
2020 to 2023
| Role | Year | Production |
|---|---|---|
| Puppeteering & Puppet Design | 2023 | Madagascar, The MusicalPuppet designer and co-creator for the: Penguins, Melman and Maurice characters for the New Zealand tour of the Dreamworks' movie. |
| Special Effects Technician | 2022 | StingOverseeing 'stickies' elements for Clint Ingram's SFX team on the Kiah Turner-Roche's upcoming Australian spider horror feature. |
| Special Effects Technician | 2022 | Time BanditsOn-set SFX technician for the Paramount / Apple TV series from Taika Waititi, based on Terry Gilliam's 1981 movie. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2022 | Dune : Part 2Design, prototype and construction of mechanical puppet for the forthcoming DUNE sequel. |
| Special Effects Technician | 2020 | Lord of the RingsDesign and construction of VFX and stunt stand-ins for the SFX dept. on season 1 premiere episodes of the Amazon TV series. |
| Puppeteering & Puppet Design | 2020 | Vulu 21Puppet designer and creator for all creature elements of The Conch's 2022 NZ International Arts Festival production. |
2010 to 2018
| Role | Year | Production |
|---|---|---|
| Special Effects Technician | 2018 | MulanDevelopment and build of mechanical horse VFX rig and collapsing Phoenix shrine animatronic for Disney's live action remake. |
| Special Effects Technician | 2016 | The CommuterOn set SFX Technician (dailies). |
| Special Effects Technician | 2015 | Ghost in the ShellPre-production workshop development/build, and on set SFX technician for the live action remake of the 1995 cult Japanese anime. |
| Prop Making | 2015 | Mickey and the MagicianDesign and construction of a number of illusions for the Disneyland Paris stage show. |
| Puppeteering & Puppet Design | 2015 | Zip and Zap and the Captain's IslandAdditional onset RC puppeteering for animatronic gorilla (with Brian Herring) for the Spanish language children's movie. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2015 | Call The Midwife - S5Animatronic new born baby with thalidomide birth defects. |
| Prop Making | 2015 | Wonder.LandTransformation of a golf buggy into a bus befitting the world of Lewis Carroll for MIF 2016, designed by Rae Smith. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2015 | Running WildDesign, prototype and construction of animatronic elements for the full sized elephant and tiger characters used in the summer 2015 Chichester Festival production (restaged at The Open Air Theatre Regents Park, May/June 2016). |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2015 | Beauty & the BeastAnimatronic creature development and R&D for "The Beast" on Disney's live-action remake. |
| Prop Making | 2014 | Mission Impossible 5Part of the team realising the mechanical construction of an underwater safe sequence. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2014 | Fortitude (publicity)Mechanical head/neck elements for the full sized polar bear used to promote the new Sky Atlantic TV series on locations around London and Berlin. |
| Prop Making | 2014 | AssassinsDesign and construction of a mechanical Carousel in Jamie Lloyd's Menier Chocolate Factory stage production of the Sondheim/Weidman musical. Designed by Soutra Gilmore. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2014 | Yonderland - series 2Mechanical design/construction and additional puppeteering for the second season of the TV series. |
| Puppeteering & Puppet Design | 2014 | Yonderland - Series 2Additional onset and 'behind the scenes' puppeteering for the second season of the TV series. |
| Special Effects Technician | 2014 | Into The Woods - additional photographyOn set SFX technician (trainee) for additional photography on the Disney movie adaptation of the Sondheim stage musical. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2014 | Our ZooMechanical head/neck for the brown bear "Adam/Eve" characters as well as on set dressing and maintenance for the BBC TV series based on true life story of the founding of Chester Zoo. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2014 | Monsters vs AliensMechanical wing design/construction for the Eelix (dragon) character introduced in season 3 of the CBBC TV series. |
| Prop Making | 2014 | Fatal AttractionWorking alongside illusionist Paul Kieve to realise and construct the magic effects for the infamous "bunny" scene for the stage adaptation of the movie - directed by Sir Trevor Nunn. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2013 | Lexus "Steps" CampaignPart of the mechanical design/construction team for the two large bunraku-style human characters used in the international advertising campaign for car manufacturer. |
| Prop Making | 2013 | MacbethWorking alongside illusionist Paul Kieve to realise and construct the magic effects for the infamous "dagger speech" scene for MIF'13. Subsequently seen on screen as part of the NT-Live series and in New York at BAM in summer 2014. |
| Costume Effects | 2013 | Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryDesign and construction of the mechanical aspects of the (squirrel) creature costumes for the stage production of Roald Dahl's children's novel, directed by Sam Mendes. |
| Prop Making | 2012 | The Phantom of the OperaWorking alongside illusionist Paul Kieve to realise and construct the magic effects for the finale of the re-staged 25th anniversary UK/US tour. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2011 | Argos AliensAdditional mechanical design and construction for 4 puppet characters used in the Argos advertising campaign. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2011 | Netflix DioramaDesign and build of a number of the puppet creatures featuring in their international advertising launch. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2011 | The HobbitSenior Animatronics Model Designer for the featured dying goblin character and Radagast's Hedgehog (not featured) in "An Unexpected Journey". |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2010 | Two Animatronics Projects - details to be announcedFully mechanised animatronic heads and additional R&D for two, as yet unannounced film productions. |
2001 to 2009
| Role | Year | Production |
|---|---|---|
| Programming and electrics | 2009 | CEB - Articulated and Breathing Test HeadformProgramming and electrical design for a breathing, speaking robotic test head, installed at the French research facility CEB, south of Paris. |
| Motion Control Engineer | 2009 | Fantastic Mr FoxTemporary on-set cover for MoCo Rigs on the stop motion feature film. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2008 | We Are Mongrels - Pilot, Series 1Mechanical eye blinks, ear mechanisms and animatronic wings for hero puppet characters. |
| Motion Control Engineer | 2007 | The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince CaspianModification of Motion Control rigs, on-set maintenance and assistance with the miniatures shoot on the feature in Wellington, New Zealand. |
| Prototyping and rehearsals | 2007 | War HorseEarly prototyping and rehearsal support for the first National Theatre production: puppet strengthening and fittings for the gun carriage, plough, cart and saddlery. |
| Mechanical puppets | 2007 | Dr DolittleMechanical and rigid elements for the puppet animals of the 2007/8 UK tour starring Tommy Steele, including a hand puppet duck and a seal. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2006 | Tales of the RiverbankConstruction of jointed limbs for hero characters and animatronic claws for additional eagle puppet. On-set maintenance and additional puppeteering. |
| Puppeteering & Puppet Design | 2006 | Tales of the RiverbankAdditional puppeteering and on-set maintenance for animatronic puppets and mechanical rigs. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2006 | Harry Potter 5 - The Order of the PhoenixAdditional design, construction and on-set performance of VFX stand-in rig for the giant character, 'Grawp'. |
| On-set maintenance | 2005 | In The Night GardenOn-set maintenance crew and location animatronics set-up for the BBC series, in Stratford upon Avon. |
| Costume Effects | 2005 | Lord of the RingsCo-design and fabrication of magic effects featured in workshop productions of the stage musical at the Shaw Theatre in London for the illusionist Paul Kieve. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2005 | Prehistoric ParkDesign and construction of thrashing legs for Ornithomimus dinosaur animatronic. |
| Power and charging | 2005 | 3 Celebrities and a BabyA revised power supply and charging station for the Russian version of the reality show. |
| Prop Making | 2005 | The President of An Empty Room & AristocratsDesign and construction of additional props for the RNT stage productions. |
| Costume Effects | 2005 | Theatre of BloodCo-design and fabrication of magic and costume effects featured in the Improbable Theatre stage production featuring Jim Broadbent at the Lyttelton Theatre. |
| Prop Making | 2005 | Two mechanical props for Paul KieveCo-design and construction of two mechanical props conceived by Paul Kieve, used to create magical effects in the stage production. |
| Puppet electrics | 2004 | His Dark MaterialsMaintenance and reworking of the electrics in the dæmon puppets, including head lamps and mechanical dragonflies, plus stage management cover for the run. |
| Puppeteering & Puppet Design | 2004 | Good Morning Raoul!Puppet wrangler for Conchita character principally puppeteered by Rebecca Nagan. Also on-set mechanical repair responsibilities. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2004 | WHSmith Worm CampaignCo-design and construction of stills photography mechanical puppets for WHSmith Christmas 2004 promotion. Additional construction on animatronic puppets used in TV advertising. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2004 | Beowulf & GrendelModification of stilts (designed by Joe Scott) including CAD manipulation and construction for two central characters in the movie. |
| Electronics and puppeteering | 2004 | Harry Potter 4 - The Goblet of FireWiring and PCB work for the underwater dummies of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, on-set puppeteering at Leavesden Studios and stilt coaching for Madame Maxime. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2003 | The Hitchhikers' Guide to the GalaxyDesign and construction of all Vogan arm mechanisms; both rodded and animatronic, as well as mechanical construction for additional 'Viltvodle' alien characters. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2002 | Harry Potter 3 - The Prisoner of AzkabanCo-construction of stilts used for Professor Lupin's Werewolf character. On-set performance training with suit actors. |
| Puppeteering & Puppet Design | 2002 | Harry Potter 3 - The Prisoner of AzkabanPuppeteering of singing cane toad animatronic puppet characters for "Double Trouble" song performed by the Hogwarts choir in the Great Hall. |
| Remote control rig | 2002 | AOL TV CommercialA remote control rig that dropped a CD-ROM coaster from a mug, for an AOL UK TV spot. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2002 | The FimblesAdditional construction of mechanical heads for principal character suits and puppets. |
| Animatronics Mechanic | 2001 | Harry Potter 2 - The Chamber of SecretsTrainee mechanic position. Co-construction of components for Aragog, Basilisk and Fawkes the Phoenix animatronic characters. |
1998 to 1999
| Role | Year | Production |
|---|---|---|
| Puppets and masks | 1999 | The Lion KingStrengthening and rewiring electrical connections in the puppets and masks department over previews and press night of the original London production. |
| BEng research project | 1998 | University of BristolA BEng Avionics Systems research project interfacing a 727-100 cockpit rig with flight simulation software. |
Also on his pages
Credits named in his bio and gallery captions, without dates.
| Role | Year | Production |
|---|---|---|
| Wellington teams | Alien: EarthNamed in his bio among his projects with Weta Workshop, NZFX and DCFX. | |
| Mechanical rig | The CounselorCollapsing mechanical rig for Westray's decapitation on a London street in Ridley Scott's movie The Counselor. | |
| Mechanical build | The Imitation GameDesign & constructed of the mechanical elements of 'The Bombe' decoding machine with DB Props for the Alan Turing biopic "The Imitation Game". | |
| Animatronics | Wind in the WillowsAnimatronic 'Mole" head for Ray Grigg's production of "Wind in the Willows" currently in development. | |
| His own series | Flightless MammalsHis own Antipodean inspired puppet television series, a personal project for over 15 years. |
About
Engineer by training, puppet maker by trade
Martin Jago is an animatronics mechanic, puppet maker and special effects technician, now based in Melbourne. His site sums it up as 20 years of puppet and creature design and engineering, with SFX work on large Hollywood features.
He has worked in London with Jim Henson's Creature Shop, Millennium FX and the National Theatre, spent almost two decades in Wellington with Weta Workshop, NZFX and DCFX, and studied at the University of Bristol, where his BEng Avionics Systems research project linked a 727-100 cockpit rig to flight simulation software.
Teams on his credits
- Weta Workshop
- NZFX
- DCFX
- SharpFX
- Creature Technology Company
- Millennium FX
- Jim Henson's Creature Shop
- Asylum Models
- DB Props
- IFX
- National Theatre
- Walt Disney Pictures
In his words
Latest Update: April 2026
Now based in Melbourne after almost 2 decades in Wellington, NZ working on a number of: practical special effects, creature and puppet projects for the teams at Weta Workshop, NZFX and DCFX including: Dune 2, Alien: Earth, The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey, Ghost in the Shell, Disney's live-action Mulan & Amazon TV’s The Rings of Power.
Since arriving in Australia I have been part of the puppet team creating new characters for the ABC's forthcoming children's series 'Knee-High Spies' with SharpFX, after helping to construct the giant animatronic Dunkleosteus in the Ancient Waters Gallery of the recently opened Singapore Oceanarium for the Creature Technology Company. In between those came a few exciting creations with A Blanc Canvas: early research & development for the Gabby's Dollshouse puppets that embarked on a US tour in September 2025, and the futuristic car that Katie Perry rode, as part of her pre-show performance in the 2024 AFL Grand Final at the MCG. Most recently I've worked on the SFX crews for the Tom Hanks WW2 epic, Greyhound 2, in Syndey, and Play Dead, Mongoose and Granite in Victoria. Prior to all of this I helped to create the web elements on Kiah Roache-Turner’s spider-horror movie Sting, within Clint Ingram’s SFX team in Sydney.
In 2023 I independently co-designed & built puppet characters for the ongoing Australia / NZ tour of Madagascar, The Musical whilst continuing to develop my own writing on the Antipodean inspired puppet television series, Flightless Mammals - a personal project since arriving in the region over 15 years ago. More content, characters and news about that in 2026!
After over a decade as New Zealand permanent resident I finally became a dual NZ /UK citizen in March 2023.
Hiring
Martin vs a creature studio vs a props crew
Three ways to get a creature or an effect made. Here is what changes between them.
| What matters | Martin Jago | A full creature studio | A general props crew |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanism design | Designs, prototypes and builds it himself | A design department | Not usually their speciality |
| On set | Maintenance, puppeteering and SFX, as on Tales of the Riverbank and Time Bandits | Usually sends its own crew | Varies |
| Track record | Dune 2, Mulan, The Rings of Power, the National Theatre | Varies by studio | Varies |
| Team size | One specialist, or part of a bigger team | Whole departments for big builds | Varies |
| How you start | One message on Instagram | A quote through the studio | Through your production |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What does Martin Jago do?
Martin designs, prototypes and builds mechanical puppets, animatronic creatures and practical effects rigs, and works on set as an SFX technician and puppeteer. His credits cover film, TV, theatre and advertising, from Dune 2 to the ABC's Knee-High Spies.
Where is Martin based?
Melbourne, Victoria. He moved there after almost two decades in Wellington, New Zealand, working with Weta Workshop, NZFX and DCFX, and has since worked on SFX crews in Sydney and Victoria.
Which films and shows has he worked on?
Recent credits include Dune 2 for Weta Workshop, Disney's live-action Mulan and Ghost in the Shell with NZFX, The Rings of Power with DCFX, Sting and Greyhound 2. The credits list on this page goes back to The Lion King in London in 1999.
Does Martin design as well as build?
Yes. His Dune 2 credit reads design, prototype and construction of a mechanical puppet, and on Madagascar, The Musical he was puppet designer and co-creator for the Penguins, Melman and Maurice.
Does he work on set?
Yes. He has been an on-set SFX technician on Time Bandits and Ghost in the Shell, a puppeteer on Yonderland and Tales of the Riverbank, and on the on-set maintenance crew for In The Night Garden.
Does he work in theatre and live shows?
Yes. Stage credits include Running Wild at Chichester Festival Theatre, Madagascar, The Musical, illusions for the Disneyland Paris show Mickey and the Magician, and magic effects with illusionist Paul Kieve for Macbeth and The Phantom of the Opera.
Which effects teams has he worked with?
Weta Workshop, NZFX and DCFX in Wellington, SharpFX and Creature Technology Company since arriving in Australia, and Millennium FX, Jim Henson's Creature Shop and Asylum Models in the UK, among others on his credits list.
How much does an animatronic or puppet build cost?
It depends on what has to move, how it is controlled and how long it has to perform, so there is no set price. Send Martin the brief and your dates on Instagram and talk it through.
How do I contact Martin?
Send him a message on Instagram, where he is @ukpuppetboy. Say what the creature or effect has to do, and give your dates and location. His YouTube channel has clips of his work.
What is Flightless Mammals?
Flightless Mammals is Martin's own Antipodean inspired puppet television series, which he is writing and developing. It has been a personal project since he arrived in the region over 15 years ago.
Contact
Message Martin on Instagram
@ukpuppetboy
Instagram is the one channel Martin publishes. Send a message with:
- What the creature, puppet or effect has to do
- The production and your role on it
- Your dates, and where it shoots or plays
YouTube
Clips of his work
His channel has clips featuring his work from film, theatre and television.
Where his credits come from
- MelbourneBased here now
- WellingtonAlmost two decades with Weta Workshop, NZFX and DCFX
- LondonFilm, TV and National Theatre credits
- SydneySting and Greyhound 2
- VictoriaPlay Dead, Mongoose and Granite
- SingaporeThe Dunkleosteus at the Oceanarium
Got a creature that has to move?
Send Martin the brief on Instagram: what it has to do, when, and where it shoots or plays.