The Burman Studio

Celebrating 50 years of special make-up effects

  • Explore the Work (Coming Soon)

    Take an early peek at the digital restoration of decades of Burman work. Soon you’ll browse high-resolution photos, test makeup reels, and step-by-step breakdowns of characters from Planet of the Apes to Grey’s Anatomy.

  • Watch the film

    Making Apes takes you on a journey showing how John Chambers, Tom Burman, and their crew turned actors into convincing primates and sparked the entire special make-up effects movement.

  • Own a piece of history

    This limited-edition Sloth maquette is cast from the original Goonies molds kept in the Burman archive, hand-painted for screen accuracy, and mounted on a numbered base. Join the waitlist to claim yours today!

Studio history

From the pioneering ape appliances of Planet of the Apes in 1968, through the unforgettable face of Sloth in The Goonies, to film-quality realism on television with Nip/Tuck, The Burman Studio has transformed more than actors…