John Stephenson was Creative Director of Jim Henson's Creature Shop for 15 years. He has vast experience with visual-effects, CG animation, creature-effects, animatronics and puppets.  This includes concept, character design, and the direction of both pre-production and post-production.

John has directed many commercials, including Lays Quavers and Checkers; Comfort spots for Ogilvy & Mather London; a successful Legoland campaign for DLKW and more recently the well loved Lemmies campaign for Lemsip out of Euro RSCG London and McDonalds for Leo Burnett London.

In 2003, John was awarded an OBE for services to the British Film Industry.

John's feature directing credits include 'Five Children And It' released across the UK in 2004. It featured the animatronic ‘It', with the voice by Eddie Izzard. John was also nominated for a number of awards for direction of the made for television drama Animal Farm. John was Action Unit Director on the Hollywood blockbuster 'Lost in Space' starring Matt Le Blanc and Gary Oldman.

John has recently completed work on ‘THE NUTCRACKER' a $100M feature-film version of the original Nutcracker fairy story.  It is due to be released Christmas 2009.  He is presently in development on another feature film project as well as directing commercials.