Mabli’s ‘amazing experience’ working on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Former Coleg Menai student Mabli Non Jones said it was “surreal” working with Tim Burton on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Mabli, from Gerlan near Bethesda, creates moulds for film and television - helping to make monsters, prosthetic body parts and more.

The 24-year-old previously worked on Star Wars shows The Acolyte and Andor, and her creations have recently been seen in one of the biggest films of 2024.

“Working on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was amazing, unlike any experience I've had before,” said Mabli, who studied the Art Foundation course at Coleg Menai in Bangor from 2018-19.

“I had the opportunity to help with a variety of things, mainly mould-making. These include (spoilers!) the guts that explode out of Beetlejuice, Baby Beetlejuice, the sandworm, Monica Bellucci's prosthetic stitches, the ‘circular saw in face’ prosthetic (all the prosthetics had mad names!), parts of the mummy, mannequin doubles for Winona Ryder, and more.”

Mabli’s job is to create the moulds for the prosthetics, usually out of fibreglass, silicone or plaster. The moulds are then passed on to others who add detail such as paint or hair, before being handed to the animatronics department.

Mabli said her department got to work closely with Tim Burton throughout the designing, creating and filming process for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

“It’s rare to have that close a relationship with the director, but with Burton being a character designer and artist himself, it meant we could work with him to bring the characters to life in the way he was happy with,” she said.

“We would have discussions with him and he would present us with ideas, and then we’d begin the process and share the developments with him, meaning he and ourselves could change the idea or take it a slightly different route to achieve the best look and outcome.

“Getting to see the whole process from the character/creature design to seeing it fully developed as working prosthetics and creatures was so cool. It was great as I was allowed to be on set to help with the creatures during the filming, so I really enjoyed being able to do that as well as being in the workshop.

“It feels really cool to be able to tell people that I have worked on Beetlejuice 2, especially as I’m a big Tim Burton fan myself. It’s a bit surreal as I never would have imagined doing it, but it was such a cool experience.”

Mabli’s work also involved creating ‘lifecasts’ - three-dimensional copies of a living human body - with actors Winona Ryder and Willem Dafoe regularly having fittings.

She has been fascinated with making creatures since the age of about seven, saying: “My mum recalls me doing a fake radio interview with my brother who asked me what I wanted to do when I was older, and my answer was ‘making aliens for Doctor Who!’

“I’ve always been surrounded by sci-fi, having three brothers and a father who was massively into Star Wars. So my pretty life-long enthusiasm for creating creatures in the industry, as well as exposure to those sorts of films growing up, made the experience of working on Star Wars incredible - especially helping bring some of those iconic characters back to life and seeing BB8 roll around the workshop!”

Mabli graduated two years ago with a degree in 3D effects from the University of the Arts London. She currently works at a London film studio in a props and special effects workshop which also creates prosthetics for training purposes for organisations such as the NHS, the emergency services and others.

She said the Art Foundation course at Coleg Menai was the most formative influence on her career to date.

“I definitely would not have got into the industry I am in now if it wasn't for the course,” Mabli said. “I started it still a bit unsure what I wanted to do, but by the time it was nearing the end I had a pretty strong idea of which path I wanted to take, and I think that is down to having the space and freedom to test all my slightly crazy ideas.

“This was probably my most valued time in education in terms of the confidence it gave me and the artistic freedom it allowed me to have. I developed most during this time personally and professionally. I loved it, and having the guidance of experienced artists who could offer new and exciting ideas and perspectives pushed me even further.

“My favourite times were the initial period of testing out all media, especially the life drawing and sculpture, as well as the final weeks leading up to the exhibition with the excitement of seeing it all come together.

“Having a nice big blank space as a studio also helped a lot, as it felt like we could develop anything we wanted to and not feel restricted - which is why I decided to create a 12-foot chandelier of limbs!

“I think having a fascination with anatomy as well as slightly spooky things like Stanley Kubrik films gave me the idea to create that sort of thing. Since I was a little girl I’ve always enjoyed scaring people in that sense, like creating weird-looking special-effects makeup on myself or my friends to see other people's reactions.

“I wanted to do a degree that specialised in that field, and I was lucky to get onto the only one that had exactly what I wanted to do, from sculpting to mould-making to animatronic design and fabrication.

“But I think having the freedom of the art foundation course really let me become comfortable with pursuing that idea, and it helped that everyone was supportive of my desires and kind of let me do my own thing, with their guidance of course.

“I also made lifelong friends as a result of the course, and nothing beats pals that think the same!”

Mabli is hoping for more film work in the future, saying: “I do enjoy the fast-paced environments and genuinely feel the magic that goes into film-making from the prop-making/creature-making point of view.

“I am also open to any other opportunities, whether that’s in theatre or any sort of visual art spaces. As long as I can use my hands I'll be happy! Who knows, maybe another Star Wars would be nice, or a David Lynch film would be the cherry on top for me, but I still have time for that!”

Do you want a career as a professional artist or designer? The Art Foundation course is specifically designed to prepare you for Higher Education and future employment within the discipline of Art and Design. Click here to find out more.