In Behind IT: Welcome to Derry – Episode 01, Digital Domain reveals how the Skeleton Man was designed and animated—setting the tone for the series through performance-driven creature work and atmospheric visual effects.
The first installment of Behind IT: Welcome to Derry takes viewers inside the creation of the Skeleton Man, one of the most unsettling creatures introduced in IT: Welcome to Derry.
Led by VFX Supervisor Mitch Drain and Animation Supervisor Ellen Hoffman, the Digital Domain team focused on grounding the creature in performance and anatomy. Every aspect of its movement—posture, timing, and weight—was carefully refined to create a presence that feels both physically plausible and deeply disturbing.
Rather than relying on overt visual spectacle, the Skeleton Man’s impact comes from subtlety and restraint. Seamlessly integrated into live-action environments, the visual effects support the atmosphere and tension of the episode while establishing a strong visual language for the episodes that follow in Behind IT: Welcome to Derry.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Digital Domain: Dedicated page about IT: Welcome to Derry on Digital Domain website.
Mitchell Drain & Nikos Kalaitzidis with Bob White, Ellen Hoffmann and Nelson Sousa: Here’s my interview of Mitchell Drain & Nikos Kalaitzidis (VFX Supervisors) with Bob White (Head of CG), Ellen Hoffmann (Animation Supervisor) and Nelson Sousa (Asset Supervisor) – Digital Domain
Daryl Sawchuk: Here’s my interview of Daryl Sawchuk – Production VFX Supervisor.
© Vincent Frei – The Art of VFX – 2026
