The Magic Behind His Dark Materials: Why Puppetry Still Matters in the Age of CGI

Exploring the Balance Between Practical Effects and Digital Innovation in Bringing Philip Pullman’s Epic to Life

In the world of His Dark Materials, where stunning CGI landscapes and fantastical creatures dominate the screen, there’s a critical, often unseen element that still plays a pivotal role in creating the magic: puppetry. Even with cutting-edge technology at their fingertips, the production team knew that to bring Philip Pullman’s epic to life authentically, they needed a blend of both physical artistry and digital wizardry. Puppetry—alongside CGI—became an essential tool in bringing both the larger-than-life creatures and intimate character moments to life.

Crafting Complex Worlds: The Art and Design Feats

Adapting His Dark Materials involved immense creative challenges, especially when depicting unique and immersive worlds. Yet, even within these visually complex environments, puppetry was crucial in creating tangible interactions. As production designer Joel Collins noted, the physical presence of sets and puppets helped actors engage with their surroundings in ways that CGI alone could not.

For example, when filming scenes involving the enormous Malefa trees or Lord Asriel’s futuristic stronghold, the creative team often used large-scale puppets and physical models to give actors something substantial to interact with. These tangible elements not only provided visual authenticity but also played a significant role in setting the mood for actors, making their performances feel grounded in a real-world context.

Watch Behind-the-Scenes: Creating the Worlds of Season 3 (BBC) to see the use of these impressive practical elements.

Overcoming Production Challenges: The Struggles Behind the Magic

As impressive as CGI is, one of the challenges of the His Dark Materials adaptation was striking a balance between the digital world and the physical world. While CGI brought the dæmons to life in breath-taking detail, it was the use of puppetry for physical interaction that allowed actors like Ruth Wilson (Mrs. Coulter) to stay emotionally connected to their characters. Wilson praised the use of physical props and puppets: "As an actor, when you have to imagine 50% of the characters, it’s really helpful to have something to hold onto."

This thoughtful integration of puppetry helped create immersive experiences for both actors and audiences. Whether interacting with an armoured bear or an invisible dæmon, the actors’ performances were greatly enhanced by the tangible presence of puppetry that made these extraordinary creatures seem real in the world of Lyra.

The puppetry team, led by William Todd-Jones, worked alongside VFX experts from Framestore to bring these creatures to life. Todd-Jones, a legendary puppeteer, crafted a variety of intricate puppets for the series, from the sculpted heads used in close-ups (such as Lyra’s daemon, Pan) to the larger, more complex rigs for the polar bears. For more dynamic interaction, the puppeteers also used “flappy” puppets to simulate creatures in flight or landing on an actor’s arm.

Watch Bringing Philip Pullman’s Epic to Life (HBO) for an in-depth look at how CGI and puppetry work together to create the magic of Lyra’s world.

Top Tips from the His Dark Materials Production Team

Here’s what we can take away from the team’s experience of blending puppetry with CGI:

• Balance Practical and CGI Elements: Physical props and puppets should always be prioritised when possible, as they help maintain the realism and immersion that CGI can’t always replicate.

• Embrace the Human Element: While CGI offers boundless creativity, puppetry still captures the human touch in creature design, adding layers of emotion and believability that digital effects alone cannot achieve.

• Use Puppetry as a Tool for Emotional Depth: Puppets aren’t just used for visual flair. They are an essential tool in ensuring actors can remain connected to their environment and characters, especially when their scenes involve fantastical or otherwise non-existent elements.

The creation of the polar bears involved unique challenges, including the use of complex rigs to capture their massive size and strength. There was even a "basher bear" used to ram into stunt people and actors, while Dafne Keen (Lyra) interacted with a "riding rig" to simulate her mounting the bear. And for scenes that required more intimate interactions, puppets made from materials like grey furry cushions (known as "bucks") allowed actors to physically engage with the creatures, simulating weight and texture.

Bringing His Dark Materials to Life: A Labour of Love

Ultimately, blending CGI and puppetry on His Dark Materials was about making sure that the story stayed grounded in its characters, regardless of the outlandish nature of the multiverse or fantastical creatures. James McAvoy (Lord Asriel) reflected on this perfectly: "There are feats of technical brilliance that I can’t even comprehend. But more than anything, I see a piece that has been loved onto the screen."

One thing is clear: puppetry will always have a place in filmmaking, even in a world where digital effects dominate. It serves as a reminder that, despite technological advances, there’s no replacement for the artistry and humanity that puppetry brings to the screen.

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