Maybe They’re Born With It…Maybe It’s Special Effects!
Catching up with
DV’s chief special effects make-up artist,
Alan Ostrander!
Whenever we watch our favorite actors and actresses on the big screen, especially when it comes to sci-fi and fantasy, we tend to look at their makeup and any additional special effects. We never take into consideration, however, just how much time and thought went into creating those looks to help bring these characters to life before our very eyes.
During this week’s #TwitchTuesday, Ken and Mark headed into the makeup department (virtually, of course) to speak with Alan Ostrander about his role in DEATH’S VISAGE and how to newcomers can get into the industry.
When it came to the film project, Alan reminisced on how creating parts of the other realm within the film with makeup was a fun challenge, especially while having to incorporate the two-dimensional world of fine arts and painting into the exterior designs of the actors. For the makeup artists, himself, there were a lot of fun artistic challenges along the way! When asked about the most difficult prosthetic to put on the actors while filming (especially in the Florida heat), Alan mentioned that worrying about the makeup melting wasn’t the problem, but actually making it look as if it actually was melting was the hard part! He will certainly demonstrate how people are not as they seem with his different gags and makeups in the film, all of which might shock the audience a bit— you know…because as he mentioned, “it’s all a fun comedy family show!”
For the new artists on the block, Alan strongly recommends to “practice as much as you can. Keep painting and painting.” Also, if you are looking for a good source, check out Youtube; however, keep in mind that there might be some information on there that won’t exactly help you out, so it’s very important to use common sense, especially when applying these techniques to someone’s face! Above all, though, it is most important to learn as much as you can about many different things, grab the work wherever you can get it, and practice, practice, practice. (Here are a few hints if you feel stuck: theme parks are a great place to look into for experience, and look into finding other artists you align with to help out.) No one really pays attention to the degree you have; it’s all about your credit list and what you’ve done, so take pictures!
During the stream, Mark mentioned a few things about one of the up and coming makeup artists in the industry, Nicole Bermudez, who wore many hats during the production. While she operated as Alan’s assistant, she also applied her talents in special effects and beauty makeup, wardrobe design, and even assisted the director among many other things! Although she was unable to come onto the stream, Mark spoke on her behalf regarding her time spent behind the scenes. Her first special effects experience was on Mark’s other production, BLACK WOODS (available on YouTube), where she did demon makeup and a blood gash on a neck. Talk about a wild first experience, though; Nicole completed the gash in less than 20 minutes…in the dark…with a flashlight on her forehead…and she doesn’t even like horror! Since then, she has been committed to developing her skills, and with a special congratulations to her, her determination and consistency paid off! She recently received news that she will be starting a shadow position at Universal—you go, girl!
To connect with the makeup crew on social media, you can reach Alan Ostrander at AEO Studios on the popular platforms, or check out their website at https://www.aeostudios.com. If you want to connect with Nicole, you can reach her on facebook at Nico Marie.
If you also want to know about which makeup brands Alan recommends, his best creation, and a few stories involving his fastest and longest turnaround time, check out the livestream available on YouTube next week!
