Design/Create a Prosthetic Creature or Makeup to be used in a professional photo shoot or a film

by Terry O’Connor | Jun 16, 2015 | 40 things by 40 | 1 comment

I often think I have missed my calling in life.  I studied Ceramic Sculpture when I was at University, with a view to getting into Special Effects Makeup.

After University, I wrote to every TV company in the UK asking for free, volunteer and intern positions, but every avenue was closed.  I joined a group that provided workshops for the emergency services to practice emergency drills, but it was free volunteer work and in the end it tapered off.  I have done my own makeup for years as my friends can testify. It would be beyond all levels of cool to do something bigger and better beyond my own face and my head.  Monsters, demons, zombies, war victims, casualty bodies, anything…

I studied Art & Design for 5 years after school and eventually specialised in Ceramic Sculpture.  I learned all about mold casting, which would be a foundation of making masks and prosthetics within the industry and being in that messy yet creative environment, just makes my days fly by.  It ever rarely feels like a chore. Monotonous sometimes, but never a chore.

So when I ended up taking a prosthetic make course in Mexico on a whim, I was not too sure where it would go.  I did a weeks course in making full silicone head casts masks, followed up to displaying the work at a Zombiefest in Monterrey.  Shortly after finishing my course, I had to fly home, due to the passing of my dad. Whilst I was away from Mexico, I was invited to a follow-up course to create zombie prosthetics, followed by a weeks filming of a short movie called GUTS.

Obviously I said yes.

The Zombie Course:

For the first week of June, I was holed up is a fancy dress costume shop, sculpting away always first zombie prosthetic.  This is the part I love the most.  I have previously done a course with this company back at the end of February, where I cast a full silicone head mask.  It was a messy a frustrating process back then, but this time around everything seemed to come together a lot easier, and it certainly felt a little less chaotic, which then allowed me to focus a lot easier.  I was pleased with my zombie sculpt, and I was pleased with my colour scheme, which is a marked improvement on my last course effort where I was only really pleased with the sculpt,  and less with the following paint job. 

The only part that was really new to me on this course was directly painting onto the silicone, using silicon paints, rather than last time, where we were airbrushing our headpieces.  

I even got around to creating an air bladder prosthetic that would bleed blood on command, using your pump mechanism, in this case, an insecticide spray container.

Any reservations that I had about doing this course fell by the wayside, for a realising that moment where I am fully engaged and creative process, but I am at my most content and peaceful.

Makeup On Set:

Obviously I was not going to turn down the chance to assist the team of special effect make-up artists in painting and  creating a horde of zombies for the upcoming independent movie “guts”.  There were 12 make-up artists in total, myself included and it was a whole different experience being on set and working and that kind of situation.  Before all of my special effects make-up Applications have been done ever home, spare room or a bathroom.

There was make-up tips, brushes, latex, silicone, gel blood, old blood, running blood, aerosol glue, Cotton buds, Cotton pads, just chaos really.  12 people working in a confined space, Plus all of the extras that need to be picked zombies, Plus fresh new prosthetics being created and all of the problems that all of that entails in the same space.

Makeup was done in four different locations, of which I was in three of them, with the fourth thing a day off as only three zombies were needed and the most experienced artists were chosen.

The only downside to the whole thing was the call times, which tended to be a silly o’clock in the morning.  This was something I had been aware of as I have friends that work in the industry.  Please give me some thought as to whether this could be a career kitchen full time or whether it would be something that I would do to supplement income.

Another cool part of the experience was that I was actually filmed in the movie.  Okay so I had no words, and you can’t see my face, but I could provide a the body in the background that will be used in the footage in the final movie.  Next stop: Hollywood.

In summary, it has been a crazy two weeks.  Despite the tiredness, and hangovers I have thoroughly enjoyed it and a lot.  About the make-up process in a real life scenario and I have learned a lot about myself