Displays & Creature Suits - General Information

Our studio is able to provide a large verity of displays, props, and creature suits either in the form of natural creatures or fantasy ones. These may be small or large creatures. For large pieces, due to the size and complexity of these pieces several factors must be considered carefully by potential buyers. Simply put, these pieces are high value specialty items and will require careful consideration and communication. We highly urge clients to avoid placing orders if they are unsure of the commitment. All terms and conditions of regular line items will apply to these specialty products. Most of these items will require longer than our average production time to make.

Design
this service will be able to provide a relatively large number of options, however, these will naturally be some limiting factors. The total size of the order and what we’re able to reasonably ship/ courier will impact whether we can take on an order. some large orders may require some post production assembly and may be shipped in multiple parts. Smaller creatures are naturally less of an issue. I urge clients to come forth with their design and allow us to assess what the studio can offer.

Life size displays

We are much more inclined towards taking of none wearable orders. Displays, props, mounts, etc. are all pieces that are made for the sole purpose of being exhibited. These items are not and cannot be wearable. Be they head only, partials of full body pieces, their construction is significantly different from wearable pieces. They will usually be less expensive than their wearable counterparts; however, if a piece is required to have some level of articulation, this will impact the overall cost.
depending on the specific order, what creature it is and of what size and proportions, a stand may either come with the piece or the client may be required to purchase a stand separately. This will be discussed with the client on a case by case basis based on their order request.

Wearables
We accept a very very limited number of wearable pieces annually and are more selective about what project we take on due to sizing and fitting complexities. These projects will not be accepted as rushed orders unless a client is willing to accept the risks associated with fitting.
Wearables come in 2 categories in different price ranges. This is determined by the order and what the design can reasonably accommodate. creature suits with minimal range of motion will be less expensive than those expected to have full range of motion. some designs simply can’t accommodate a large range of motion.

For creatures that require fitted stilts, clients will be responsible for ordering the stilts to their location first to confirm they fit and then ship them to our studio for production. Stilts must be outsourced; we do not provide leg stilts. For front/ arm stilts, we will consider providing them after assessing the design.

At this moment in time, our studio does not accommodate articulate jaws, 2 person suits (animals that require an actor in the front and an actor at the back) or alternating bipedal/ quadrupedal creatures (creatures that can switch between walking on 2 limbs and 4 limbs), latex or leathery creatures. At this moment in time, we do not offer creatures that require rigged skeletons. An example of this would be a creature whose arms are longer than human arms and need to be functional in the wrists and fingers or have shoulders that don’t align with human shoulders. We will create these creatures but their movement would be limited by the lack of a rig. If you’re inquiring on behalf of a studio and already have a creature rig, we’re happy to provide the body work. We will require the rig shipped to our studio.

We also do not offer fur suits for the furry fandom. Our wearable products are specifically aimed at production and film as stand-ins for short takes. These suits have limited visibility, can get very hot and are difficult to breath in and can get quite heavy depending on the creature. They are not appropriate, safe or practical to be worn for a long duration. They ought not be ordered wishfully.

Shipping
Shipping large items is naturally also an expensive endeavor. Although we ship internationally, keep in mind, large parcels will need to be couriered and will have a significant shipping cost associated with the order. Shipping costs are usually determined once pieces are completed and the final weight and size is known; therefore, clients committing to large orders need to be appropriately prepared for the shipping cost of pieces once the order is completed.

Price
Pricing is difficult to list in general terms as each order must be assessed on its own with its various details. The studio can produce everything from little mice to medium and large canines and felines to grizzly bears so naturally we need to discuss orders with clients prior to stating a price. an animal might be Larger but simple, in which case it would cost less and one may be smaller but more complex and would cost more. Communication will be the only way to give an accurate estimate for a specific project.

As a rough figure, The bear featured would be $8000 USD (+7% conversion fee) not including its display stand which will be required for this model. If only the bust of the creature (head, shoulders, just above the chest) were to be ordered as a display piece, we’d be looking at $6000 (+ 7%) notwithstanding the stand.
This bear is a partial body display piece. It features the front upper half of a life size grizzly bear. Meaning this piece does not include the hips and legs of the animal and although it has a full 360 degree head, it does not have the back structure on the body. It is for the purpose of being placed on display close up against a wall. Adding a back would add girth to the piece and mean it would require more display space. Naturally it will be up t the client to choose whether they would like the back constructed as well. A back could be added in 2 ways. It could just feature fur coverage with no anatomical details, or it could be made similar to the front, with appropriate anatomical muscle structure. adding just fur the back would cost $100 while adding a full back with muscle structure would add $1000 (+7%)
The head measures 20” nose to back of the head, the total height of the piece (not including the stand) is approximately 5 feet. we display him at 7 feet height with the stand, however, he could be displayed higher or lower based on your display preferences. A full body bear would stand just under 9 feet.
He features brown acrylic eyes and resin claws, partial teeth (front lower incisors and canines) and a neutral face. This model does not include paw pads. Details like scars, a mild snarl, open mouth, paw pads, etc, can be added and would be charged accordingly.
This specific piece uses an existing male mannequin as a stand. This allows for the piece to be hollow and significantly cheaper to produce and ship, however a client would need to order in a mannequin for their own use if they were to purchase this design. Mannequins would cost around $400 in North America. We would be able to suggest models for clients to order in. Alternatively, we could produce the piece such that a stand would not be required, but that would meant he item would cost more to produce and significantly more to ship.
The item could be ordered in an alternative position (arms up for example). In this case, again the cost would have to be calculated accordingly based on the position as well as how the client will be displaying the piece.
A full body display bear would be $15K (+7%). We recommend clients take their ceiling clearance into account if they wish to order a full 9 foot tall bear. Alternatively the bear can be produced at 7 feet tall and at 6 feet tall. at 6 feet we would use a smaller bear head. The cost would remain the same.
This specific piece can theoretically be put on a person but it has no visibility and very minimal arm movement. It is not constructed to accommodate as a suit and we would not recommend it to be wishfully ordered as a wearable.
The item can be produced as a wearable with all the limitations stated above. It will cost $15K (+7%) or a partial full upper body (including back structure). A full body wearable bear would cost $20K (+7%). it would measure 7 feet tall (not 9 feet as that would require significant platforms on an already tall actor) and would require an actor with a minimum height of 6 feet. The suit would be constructed and shipped in 3 pieces. The movement will be somewhat limited in the arms and neck. Arms will move 90 degrees and a bit higher but will not go above the head on the default design. This is due to the anatomy of the animal; its shoulders sit higher than human shoulders and would require a rig to move above the head. If the client wishes to order a bear with arms that move above the head, this can be done, but we would need to take some artistic liberty with the anatomical structure f the bear to achieve this.
In the case that a small actor is being used, a smaller head cast and body type can be constructed. The price would remain the same.

Other uses
we’re frequently asked if these items can be made into soft body displays, used as bedding, pillows, or comfort displays. We will offer soft products. for example, if a life size black bear in a lying down position were to be ordered, this piece would include a fully ridged head and depending of the specific size, may include a ridged core with a heavily cushioned covering before the body work is done. These pieces would be subject to the same care instructions as all our other products meaning they are not washable. These pieces are not toys however and are not meant to be handled frequently. They would not serve well as personal items or furniture of any sort. Soft bodied creatures will cost significantly more than ridged ones.
Wall mounts are also a common question we get. We do offer wall mounts, depending on the creature and design.
For other potential uses, please reach out. We’re always happy to discuss new ideas.

Payment

For high value goods (all goods over $5000 USD) we highly recommend clients consider opening and setting up a Wise account. We’ve found this to be the least complicated way of transferring funds. We will consider PayPal (case dependent) but will prefer to use Wise.