Welcome to Cinema Makeup School's E-Newsletter, which is created to keep you informed of what's going on at Cinema Makeup School. It features news about our students, alumni and esteemed instructors.
Prosthetics and Special Effects students were given an incredible opportunity to visit one of the top four effects shops in Los Angeles, Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc. Sculpting Instructor, Davis Fandino has been with ADI for over five years, and toured students through an amazing display of award-winning work. Owners, Tom Woodruff, Jr. and Alec Gillis started ADI in 1988, and have accumulated almost forty film credits including Academy Award Nominations for “Starship Troopers”, “Alien 3”, and a win for “Death Becomes Her”. Some of ADI’s other film credits include: “Santa Clause” 2 and 3, “Spider Man” 1, 2, and 3, and “Alien vs. Predator” 1 and 2. ADI is a full-scale shop, with the capability to make everything from props and masks, to massive, groundbreaking animatronic creations. We are very grateful to everyone at ADI for allowing us to have this opportunity.
Cinema Makeup Students had the pleasure of attending the 2007 Motion Picture Academy’s Makeup Symposium on February 24th. Attendees were able to meet the 2006 Academy Award nominees in makeup, and even participate in a one-on-one question and answer session with them. This year’s nominees included David Marti and Montse Ribe for “Pan’s Labyrinth”, Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano for “Apocalypto”, and Kazuhiro Tsuji and Bill Corso for “Click”. It was very inspiring to see achievements of this caliber, and we are very thankful to the Academy for putting the event on.
Cinema Makeup School would also like to extend our sincerest thanks to Instructor Leonard Engelman, who arranged the generous donation of a prosthetic display head from the movie “Apocalypto”. Mr. Engelman is the Governor of the Makeup division of the Academy, and hosted the Symposium. The head was on exhibit at the event, and was completed by the “Apocalypto” makeup team.
In other news, Mr. Engelman has been working as personal Makeup Artist to Julie Andrews while she completes two different promotional tours. Ms. Andrews is celebrating the release of “Shrek 3”, as well as her new book, Thanks to you: Wisdom from Mother and Child.
Graduate Kayla Barry has been busy working on the horror film “Spike”, directed by Robert Beaucage. Kayla assists Key Makeup Artist Robert Wild, as well as the Effects team, headed by our very own Greg McDougall. More information about “Spike” can be seen in last months “Fangoria Magazine”. Kayla just finished assisting on yet another feature, “Mutant Vampire Zombies from the Hood”, and starts work on two more pictures coming up soon.2007 Graduate Morgan Muta is working on several projects, including Key Makeup on short film “Us the Damned”, written and directed by Chuck Michael (Credit’s include “Apocalypto” and “The Chronicles of Narnia”). She is also working on a series of “Webisodes” for TBS, directed by Ross Novie (“Arrested Development”, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), as well as Key Makeup on “The Monster Comedy Roast”series for Fuel TV.
2006 Graduate Andy Chavez was hired to create effects for a new werewolf feature, “Neowolf”. Just some of the many effects include: severed limbs, torn flesh, and large gunshot wounds. When asked what it was like to take on a project of that enormity, Andy says, “It’s stressful because you have a very short time frame to get everything together, but the payoff is so worth it because you know that your work has been immortalized on screen.”
Liz Mendoza is going to be working as Key Makeup Artist under Dept. Head Gage Hubbard on a new feature called “Bled”, by the executive producer of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. Both Liz and Gage are graduates of CMS, and will be creating a full creature suit for this effects-heavy horror flick. Look for the DVD release within the next year! You can check out more at www.bledthemovie.idolik.com
2006 graduate, Fabiana Mizukami recently teamed up with Photographer Robert Wilson for an amazing chance to make up some well-known faces. The photos are currently on display at the LACMA Gallery, and include actors such as Macaulay Culkin, John Baptiste, Salma Hayek, and Johnny Depp. Fabiana has worked on numerous projects since leaving school, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for her in the future.
Current students Ryan Stogner, Christina Jeet, and Elmine Gadimyan have already been making great industry contacts with the work they’ve done for “Fashion Meets Music”. Each month, new collections are featured from upcoming designers for a runway/live performance/after party event like no other. The theme is constantly changing, which has allowed the makeup artists to use their own creative spark for inspiration. For more information on upcoming events, visit www.myspace.com/fashionmeetsmusic.
Graduate Corinne Dutra with assistant Josh Segerman, recently finished up on a music video for the band “Maylene and the Sons of Disaster”. The video will be airing on MTV2, and Corinne had the challenge of creating the “deaths” of all six members with makeup that was able to withstand water, and without the use of a lot of gore. Corinne was able to use her knowledge of special effects and pair that with imaginative solutions for the constraints that she had. Corinne has also completed work on Asylum films’ “Transmorphers”, which will be released to Blockbuster on DVD this June, as well as a prosthetic gag for a Japanese reality show, in which a crane hook impaled a man in the face. “The challenge of reality TV is that it has to look real.” She says. But she was able to pull it off. Great job Corinne!
Cinema Makeup School welcomed M.A.C. Artist Relations Manager, Monique Boyer and Senior Artist John Stapleton for a demo and Q & A session with current students and graduates. John just returned from New York where he was introduced to M.A.C.’s new Fall Collection, and both were able to share a huge amount of cutting edge information. We had an amazing turnout, and thank them for coming.Victoria Uboh is a graduate of our Master Program, and will be starting production on the Sci-Fi action movie “Trenches” later this month in Virginia. Victoria is Key Makeup and Hairstylist on the film, and will be working with Director Shane Felux, who was hand chosen by George Lucas to receive a “Lucas Select Award”. Find out more about the film at www.xilepictures.com/index.html
Keith Faychak, who graduated from the CMS Master Program in 2003, is currently working as Special Effects Department Head on science fiction Television series “InZer0”, which was recently picked up for a feature. Keith has worked on over ten films while residing in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. “Keep an eye on Detroit.” He says, “The independent film community is growing!” Michigan is just one of the states to recently implement bills giving tax credits to filmmakers, which is a very groundbreaking step in the film industry as a whole. You can see more work from Keith at www.myspace.com/evildeadbob.
We are very excited to announce that Tim Turner has joined the team of instructors here at CMS. Tim has been a special effects makeup artist for over 24 years, and has worked on films such as “The Addams Family”, “Harry and the Hendersons”, “Gorillas in the Mist”, and “Army of Darkness” to name a few. In addition to his long running film career, Tim is also owner/creator of the world famous Ghoulish Gallery. Tim was the first person to bring the concept of the “Changing Portrait” to the consumers market, and has earned several national awards for quality and excellence including Haunted Media Magazine’s “Best New Product” Award for 2005. Tim’s artwork has been seen on “CSI: Las Vegas”, “The Tonight Show”, and is featured in the nation’s #1 Halloween event at Knotts Berry Farm. Just a few of Tim’s collectors include Brad Pitt, Dick Smith, Peter Jackson, Elvira, and Tom Savini.
Full Moon Productions presents “Decadent Evil 2”, the sequel to the cult-classic 2005 horror release. Special Effects Instructor Chris Bergschneider is currently in production as Special Effects Supervisor on the project, and recently stopped in to give lab students the chance to watch him perform a life cast on one of the film’s actors. The film is being produced by Charles Band, (who brought us favorites such as “Puppet Master” and “Ghoulies”), and is expected to be released on DVD in July.
Graduate Tara Lang finished production on short film “Bill”, produced by John Salcido (E! Channel, “Starting Over”). Tara was Key Makeup for Rachel Dratch, and had a great time working with the actress/comedian.
The work of graduate Kalyani Thiruchelvam was just featured in a three-page style editorial for the New York Post. Kalyani also worked with Photographer Michael Rowe for the April issue of Ebony Magazine. This feature highlighted single-mother entrepreneurs, and her work can be seen on the last page of the spread. In more exciting news, Kalyani recently received sponsorship from Napoleon Perdis Cosmetics, and is now finishing a package for a cable network pitch.
Graduate April Metcalf is currently studying as an intern under Makeup Artist Greg Aronowitz, at his effects lab. Greg’s work can be seen in “Memoirs of a Geisha”, “Artificial Intelligence”, and “Jurassic Park: The Lost World”. April is also working on a play for the Pasadena Play House, and after wrapping, will be flying off to Florida for the feature, “Above Your Dreams”, written by a New York Times best selling author.
2005 graduate Graham Schofield is now working under Mathew Mungle at WM Creations, where he is currently heading all of the silicone body fabrication and blood rigging for Clive Barker’s “Midnight Meat Train”. Graham also worked as Lead Sculptor on “Knocked Up”, Directed by Judd Apatow (Writer/Director “The 40 Year Old Virgin”), soon to be released in theaters.
Graduate Carlton Coleman recently finished work of the film “Demons of Cairo”, directed by popular Egyptian Director, Ahmed Atef. Carlton was flown to Egypt for a week, where he headed all of the special effects for the project. Carlton is currently working on “Midnight Meat Train”, with Graham Schofield, and was brought on to WM Creations after his graduation in May of 2005.
