Questions for Tom Woodruff re: Suit Performance

[Corporal Hicks]

We're going to be chatting to Tom Woodruff regarding suit performance in Alien 3/Resurrection/AvP and AvPR next week. So as always, I wanted to offer you all a chance to pose any questions you might have for Tom regarding the subject.

[Leggs.obj]

What's a good path for getting into suit performance as a career choice? Or creature effects in general?

What's the headspace like? How does one, 'get in the mindset' to play a xenomorph?

If given the chance to redesign any aspect of the Suits from Res/Avp/R which would they be?

What material were the xenomorph head Molds made from? What's the average weight of a head/suit? .

Have you ever considered designing a xenomorph suit around digitigrade stilts?

This isn't strictly suit related, but I've always thought this would be an interesting thought: Have ADI ever thought about directing an Alien/AvP Film of their own?

[Kailem]

As both a designer and a suit performer, when you're in the process of designing a creature that you know you'll be performing, is that performance something you take into consideration to help shape the design process? To the point of changing or designing certain aspects of the creature to aid in what you think you're going to want to do with it performance-wise specifically, more so than just to aid its functionality as a suit?

Also, other than just the demands on the script, what sort of ingredients go into creating a performance for you? Do you have a process you like to go through to help you "discover" the character, like certain animals you like to study the movements of for example? Or is it more a combination of the way the creature is written on the page plus the movements the suit will allow, or other factors?

Also, how's Alien: Salvation coming along?! When can we expect to hear it's entering production?!

[Voodoo Magic]

Also, how's Alien: Salvation coming along?! When can we expect to hear it's entering production?!

And Tom, I read you made a cocoon for David Fincher where he would climb into and get inspired, referred to as the "thinking shell". It's such a cool thing that I have it tattooed on my back. Fincher in his cocoon, right on my back! So can you tell us more about that, Tom?

[SiL]

How much of the creature performance in the final cut of each film would you say is yours vs stunt actors (or animatronic, in the case of AvP)?

How did each director approach working with you and the other suit performers to bring the characters to life? Whose approach did you feel helped you deliver the best performance?

If you could go back and refilm the scene of the Grid Alien splashing blood from its tail in AvP, what would you do differently with your hands?  (I just remember the shot bugging him in the commentary)