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How do Alien eggs seem like? According to the prosthetics designers who built them for Alien: Earth, they are heated and gooey. The Second Skin team collaborated with Wētā’s design team and the series producers to realize their concepts for various alien creatures to life. For the series’ famous Facehugger capsules, this involved slathering the shells with plant-based glycerin, giving them a slick, natural appearance.

Tor Sakthamcharoen and Sarinnaree “Honey” Khamaiumcharean designed numerous of the monstrous beings in the series, including giant ticks, face-melting flies, and the fan-favorite specimen t. ocellus, often referred to as “the eyeball alien” by the production team.

Inside the Workshop: Designing the Monsters

Which additional creatures did you create for the series? What was the design process involve?

Tor: In fact, the creatures listed, such as the tick, eye creatures, flies' nest, alien eggs, and embryo, were built in multiple versions than shown on screen — different sizes and forms for different shots. Additionally, we produced background props, such as a fake sheep for a collapse and death scene and a foam alien inside a container. We also produced synthetic models, a cat dummy with the Eye Midge, realistic fur, and prosthetics for the creature scene.

Honey: The our studio assisted the VFX department by creating a green alien prop. This helped on set to help the cast respond realistically and served as a reference element for the VFX team.

Upcoming Ideas: Frightening Developments for the Next Season

These tick creatures are especially scary in one episode, but we only glimpse some of their lifecycle. What are any ideas for how that could evolve if there’s a second season?

Tor: I’m not entirely sure — that would really depend on the director’s vision. But it’s clear: You still haven’t seen how they construct their homes.

Creating the Xenomorph Embryo

Explain further about designing the Xenomorph embryo. How did you decide what it would look like?

Tor: In fact, the original concept was provided by Wētā Workshop as a 2D sketch. We found it really cool, but since it had to be functional, we needed to adapt it, modeling a three-dimensional version and 3D-printing multiple scales for approval. Once the size was approved, we proceeded with creating molds it to appear as see-through gel, allowing the skeletal form of the Xeno embryo to be seen underwater.

Honey: Correct, the embryo design originated from Wētā. Our Second Skin team transformed their sketches and brought them into the physical realm, ensuring the design could work on set and integrate with digital effects.

Contrasting the Alien Eggs

From the first 1979 Alien film, the alien eggs have moisture that seems dripping upwards. The capsules in the series lack this element. Was there a reason leave it out?

Sakthamcharoen: This aspect we didn’t talk about with the director. But from what I understand, in the first Alien, Ridley Scott used a clever camera trick — inverting the camera — to make water droplets look like they were dripping upwards. The props were also coated with vegetable glycerin for a wet, organic look. In Alien: Earth, since the setting is on our planet, the decision may have been to keep the eggs more grounded in our gravity. But that’s just my guess.

Honey: We experimented with methods to echo the original 1979 Alien, but we also had to adapt some details to fit the world of the series. In some cases, we added new elements, and in different cases, we modified aspects to align with the narrative and style.

Nicknaming the “Eye Midge”

I’ve heard the creature is called “Species 64”. But rumors suggest you call it “Eye Midge”. How did that name originate?

Tor: Honestly, we don’t really know where the name first came from, as we didn’t inquire about its origin. The initial instance we encountered the term was from the VFX supervisor and the Wētā artists.

Khamaiumcharean: We’re not exactly sure where the nickname began. But I believe it evolved into a practical nickname so that our multinational crew could quickly grasp and discuss the appearance of the creature.

Major Hurdles in Creature Design

What was the largest obstacle you faced while designing the creatures for the series? How did you get past them?

Sakthamcharoen: I’d say the biggest challenge was certainly building the Xenomorph eggs and handling the examination scenes. It was a task we had never done before, so there was a lot of trial and error. We really have to thank our crew — they persevered with so much patience, ensuring success.

Honey: For me, the primary issue was designing and building the Xenomorph eggs. The our studio had to make multiple versions — flexible, rigid, ones that could open, including animatronic and manual versions. We additionally designed the internal layers of the eggs in a manner that audiences have never seen in any Alien film. On top of that, keeping the eggs intact in the tropical weather was a significant challenge.

Preferred Monsters

Which non-alien being is your top pick?

Tor: I particularly enjoy the fly. Its scale makes it kind of cute — large and bulky, almost like a giant beetle. It’s got a trunk like an pachyderm and vision like a spider, which makes it both strange and endearing.

Honey: Absolutely the eyeball creature. It’s one of the smartest beings in the series. Even though there was extensive effects involved, the practical version we created looked adorable and bizarre at the same time.

Unforgettable Moments

What monster moment from this season of Alien: Earth is your most liked?

Tor: My favorite has to be the Eye Midge with Shmuel scene. That sequence was so exciting, and from my side, it was a special blend of monster and effects design — something we’re extremely pleased with.

Khamaiumcharean: My top choice was the giant fly ejecting acid onto Issac. Since he is a artificial being built to be extremely strong, watching how it reacts to the acid really shows both the creature’s biology and its terrifying force.

Teamwork Approach

How was the development process like for designing new alien creatures in Alien: Earth with such a big, international team? Did you have a lot of communication with the producers?

Khamaiumcharean: From my side, the process was very collaborative. The initial creature concepts originated with the filmmaker and Wētā Workshop, but once they came to our team, it was our task to translate those concepts into practical builds that could function on set. That meant experimenting with supplies, building samples, and finding ways to merge practical effects with digital effects. There was a lot of back and forth with both the director and the VFX Supervisor — we would show tests, adjust based on feedback,