When I first encountered the Creature Shop it was a place like no other, all cables and fun-fur and barely controlled chaos, as John Stephenson and his team seemed to be inventing the technology as they went along. Arriving at the front door at any time of day or night you might stumble into a huge and terrifying dragon's head, rearing up at you, from which would pop an artist with needle and thread; or find a group of boffins crowding around a half built creature struggling with controls as they coaxed it into a walk, like anxious parents witnessing a child's first steps. The technology is more powerful now and less unique, as computers dominate the world of film fantasy and the expectations of the audiences grow more critical. Glue, genius and bits of string are no longer enough.
- Anthony Minghella, 1997