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Check This Out: Cloverfield Monster's Design Progression

by Alex Billington
May 13, 2009

This is purely for my Cloverfield loving friends - since I know the movie really split audiences in the end. And it came out such a long time ago, there's almost no need to post this anymore. Anyway, found on personal website of lead character designer Neville Page (via our friends at io9) is an impressive collection of some of his early sketches and early models for Cloverfield. Neville has quite an amazing resume - he designed the Cloverfield monster, he was the lead creature and character design on J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, and he was the lead creature and character designer on James Cameron's Avatar. Read on for the designs.

I love seeing this for so many reasons. First off, because it reminds me of the days way back when when fans were guessing what the monster looked like and every day there would be a new "fan art" drawing that didn't look like the monster. Secondly, it reminds me of the great article that J.J. Abrams wrote for Wired magazine about mystery and how that plays into the cinematic experience - which was the most important part of Cloverfield. Anyway, for those of you who did love that movie, I hope you enjoy checking out these sketches. We all saw his monster in Star Trek, but I can't wait to see Neville Page's work in Avatar next.

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Adam

The CGI red monster in star trek looked like crap.
http://myspace.com/erikthecoolkid erik

i like this,so thanks for posting iT!
Nick S.

this is pretty cool. i wasnt a HUGE fan of the final product (aka monster design) but didn't loath quite like some others seemed to have. number one looks intriguing being as how im and old school Gojira fan and am all for a bulkier, meaner design on these guys.
LSP

The red monster looked like the Cloverfield one almost. Not enough difference to call it original and what resume? You mentioned two movies that are out and one that may or may not exist but apparently it's great... Some fan art was better than the actual.
dom

Yup mr Neville has really has some amazing jobs! That said he is worth it!!
perry

the top picture looks like an evangelion monster, ripoff?
Ripper

I loved Cloverfield and I'm glad you posted this. I was involved here with the Cloverfield chase and I have to say it made seeing the Movie on Opening day that much Better. I loved there Monster and it is nice to see the Progression they made to using that one specifically.
Kaiser

#4 How many times has JJ Abrams asked you to design a monster for one of his movies? That is resume enough for me, and I for one loved Cloverfield and thought the monster(s) were spot on. Thanks for posting this, it is good to see the creative process.
Martin

I loved Cloverfield, everything about it, the whole mystery to it and the weeks before it was released was really exciting. Thanks for this! awesome!
Cat

I didn't have any problems with the cgi in star trek. This guy is good.
Luis M

Hmm... I bet you could do all of those designs on the Spore game
zeldaprimed

Sweeeeeeeeeeeet. Hope for a Second Cloverfield movie sometime in the Future.
http://www.theaterhopper.com Tom Brazelton

Didn't page admit to designing the monster in Star Trek to look like a puckering asshole?
hoohah

No wonder the monster from Star Trek looked familiar...
Cornilingus

That whale fan art monster that I saw for cloverfield still seems a lot better than this one or the one in Star Trek.
Fisherr

I loved the movie and i can't wait how the sequel take the story from the end of the first movie.
Tim "Cloverfield"

Thank you!
BATMAN

it looks like Ben10
Matty

I loved the monster, did anyone else think the head resembles the Chimera from Resistance on PS3?????
avoidz

An "amazing résumé" would be something like Stan Winston has, not this lamer.
JimD

Thanks for posting I liked Cloverfield. I know one thing Slusho is the Universal drink in Abrams land.
martin

They should have used the monster from the first sketch