A New Monster Movie!

If you're like me (and I assume you are if you're on here), you like monster movies.  Fair assessment?

Cool.  Now, I don't know about you, but I sure prefer a good, practical creature over some crazy computer generated monster.  The thing about practical effects is that they just look real (because, you know, they're actually there on camera).

Well, my friends over at Amalgamated Dynamics (the creature effects shop that did some of the Alien sequels and a ton of other films you know) are embarking on their own project.  They're going to write, direct, and do all of the all-practical creature effects on their own feature length film.  It's called Harbinger Down.  I can tell it's going to be pretty awesome.

Here's the link to the Kickstarter if you'd like to hear more or contribute: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1117671683/harbinger-down-a-practical-creature-fx-film

Seriously, check it out.

And, if you want to see some of the amazing work they've done on other films, check out their Youtube page: http://www.youtube.com/studioadi

Five Minute Flashback

When I was in 6th grade, my younger brother wanted to be Saruman from Lord of the Rings for Halloween, so I made a Halloween store crystal ball into a Palantir with the Eye of Sauron looking out at you.  It's a super simple effect done with window-sticker paints.  It uses the distortion of the sphere, coupled with the ol' "follow me eyes" trick.   Watch the video clip to see how it works.  Ooo....spooky!

'Tis Not the Season...

...but I figured it was time I took something off the to do list.

This one comes with a bit of a story.  Back in November, I was asked to make six Grinch makeups for a party of some sort, so I did a quick sculpt:

Did a test makeup with the help of the lead makeup artist for the party, who supplied the hair:

And then made up three actors for two days as Grinches:

It was all very, very rushed, and I was never pleased with any of it (though I did win a free airbrush as a result of the project...go figure!).  I saved a couple of castings before the mold went south.

So, finally, this weekend, I went about applying the makeup on myself (since the appliance was sculpted over my lifecast in the first place), trying to get a more realistic look, or at least a little more like Rick Baker & Co.'s design for the movie.

And I'm still not exactly happy with it, but I think it turned out much better.

Just A Little Trauma

Just a quick effect for a friend's short film last weekend.  A little scruff, a little bruising, and one whopper of a baseball bat wound to the forehead.

The blood runs to the side because he would be laying down for the shot:

The wound is a little appliance that I sculpted on a flat board, molded in silicone, and cast in gelatin.

The design is based on a picture of a real head injury, but I'll spare you that image.

A little paint, a little blood...

I'm rather satisfied with the apparent depth of this one, which is one of the things that bugged me about previous effects of this sort that I've done.  Of course the blood could stand to be less opaque, but I was trying out a new non-liquid blood technique, which I'll just have to finesse next time.