Don’t miss your last chance to get up close and personal with the installation that the Los Angeles Times says “peels away the layers to reveal the inner workings of some of the screen’s fantasy stars.”

Creatures as diverse as Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Mr. Tinkles from Cats & Dogs, Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors and Aughra from The Dark Crystal all inhabit the Academy’s Fourth Floor Gallery, showcasing a world in which animals, plants, monsters and imaginary creatures can come to life. Assorted dinosaurs, werewolves, gremlins, aliens, robots, gorillas and dogs are also on view, many with their internal mechanisms and operating systems exposed, showing the viewer the complex technology utilized in this specialized craft from the field of visual effects.

The Grand Lobby Gallery features over 100 photographs, mechanical drawings and character design sketches that demonstrate the concept, design, building and on-set operation of animatronic characters like King Kong, Yoda, Babe and Herbie the Love Bug.

Unlike their computer-generated counterparts, animatronic characters are able to interact with actors in real time. The exhibition includes excerpts from the films in which these characters appear as well as video interviews with leading animatronics practitioners from the last four decades.