Our conversation recently with Jake Garber at The Prosthetics Event in Coventry was, we think, a very important chat worth listening to for anyone who is trying, or thinking about trying to get a foot in the door into the (oftentimes) wonderful and exciting world of movie and television makeup. Even for peeps already working in the industry, Jake’s extensive level of expertise and experience in a special and makeup effects career has seen him in many roles from straight beauty makeup and workshop lab work, as well as supervising workshops and sets, key makeup artist as well as being a personal artist to talent such as Samuel L. Jackson.  His TV credits include over 100 episodes of The Walking Dead, The Orville and Westworld. Movies include Avengers: Endgame, Hateful Eight, Django Unchained, Inglorious Basterds, and Kill Bill 1&amp;2. That broad range of experience was wonderfully displayed at the Prosthetics Event to a packed education room. We asked him about his work and how he broke into the industry, and then focussed on the specific skills and areas of attention someone looking to get into the field should be aware of. It was a fantastic discussion, and Jake dropped gold nuggets everywhere with his revealing and incredibly useful talk. It’s important to learn to create small in the beginning; a realistic nose has no fanfare, no pazzazz, but if you know, you know. It’s not about calling attention to the work, it’s being able to fool the viewer into believing it’s real by not calling attention to it. ----------------- Many thanks as always for your time checking the stuff out. You can email us direct at  or  directly on the website. If you enjoy this podcast and got something out of it, would you do us a solid and tell just one more person about us? Send them a link and help us grow! -Stuart &amp; Todd

#79 - Jake Garber

In this episode, we talk with materials maestro Pete Tindall about all things making related, along with a dose of rantage. I moan a bit about ZBrush (although I love it) and the fact that despite the terrifying interface and the huge number of tools available in ZBrush, freedom comes from accepting that you likely need only a handful of them. Early on in ZBrush, you are can indeed happily ignore most of it with confidence. Pete is an adept materials man, knowing and using a broad range of materials. We first met on Batman Begins (2005) where Pete worked in the Bat-suit workshop and miniatures for the monorail sequence.  ------------------------------------------------ We also start the podcast as usual with a little FX chit-chat and this time we talk about creating the illusion of hard things in soft tissue such as horns protruding from foreheads, teeth showing from exposed gums and foreign bodies sticking out of the skin (knives or arrows for example). In the reality of filming, the scene may need to be repeated and used in intense action, so things that are really hard or sharp in real life could break off or cause real injury. As a result, often it is made up of either soft or semi-rigid material which looks solid but is safer. Sometimes the thing may be designed to break away, be replaceable if multiple takes are needed, be incredibly lightweight or even detachable so it can be removed when not needed.  ------------------------------------------------ Many thanks as always for your time checking the stuff out. You can email us direct at  or leave us a  directly on our site. &nbsp;you enjoy this podcast and got something out of it, would you do us a solid and tell just one person about us? Send them a link and help us grow! Stuart &amp; Todd

#84 - Pete Tindall

This podcast is the first joint blog post venture with Stuart Bray and Todd Debreceni, author of 'Special Makeup Effects For Stage And Screen', what many consider to be the modern makeup FX bible.

Stuart Bray is a working makeup FX artist with many years experienc.  Credits include 'Saving Private Ryan', 'Shaun of the Dead', 'Dr Who' and more recently 'Game of Thrones'. 

If you have any FX questions you would like to see made into a featured blog post, then get in touch: stuartandtodd@gmail.com

Sticky Situations: The Zen Of Prosthetic Adhesives & Removers

"Bill, there's a scene where The Blob attacks a woman who's in a 'phone booth and it covers the 'phone booth, it crushes the 'phone booth and here and then it goes on the sidewalk and goes into a gutter and disappears into this sewer."    I'm just looking at him and I go…"Okay."    And he says "Figure out how to do that scene!"    I was, like "Well, what IS The Blob?"    He goes "I don't know…you come up with something. Come up with 5 things and I'll pick one."    That was it. That was my first day  Bill who? Pardon our manners. We're talking about Emmy and Academy Award winner, Bill Corso, makeup designer extraordinaire, whose credit list is mind-boggling. We talk about respect and the future of our industry, which is mainly what this episode is about. There are full-on makeups being done digitally now, but they're being done by people who are not makeup artists. Bill's push is that more makeup people do get involved. Rarely is the makeup department consulted when digital modifications are employed which affect makeup so Bill has taken the step of formulating the Digital Makeup Group to address the absence of the makeup artist in the digital process. This is a great episode for those looking to get into the industry!  Many thanks as always for your time checking the stuff out. You can email us direct at  or leave us a  directly on our site. -Stuart & Todd

#85 - Bill Corso

Check out the blogpost on this subject too: http://www.learnmakeupeffects.com/lifecasting-tipstricks/

Lifecasting is an essential, basic skill used in makeup effects and prosthetics - whether to create a custom fit appliance or to make a lifelike prop without sculpting from scratch. 

In this podcast, Stuart & Todd share cool tips and tricks about this important yet varied subject.  

Got an FX question you want to see covered?  Email it to stuartandtodd@gmail.com

The Lifecasting Podcast - Tips & Tricks

In this episode, we look at a makeup I did nearly 30 years ago at college. Adrian Rigby sent me a remaining original piece from the mould, along with some photos (prints, no less, which I scanned). We talk about remembering what you knew then (the past) and how you thought it should be done. You can also advise your old self on how it could be done better using the knowledge you know now (the present) and things you would attain in the future. By seeing your errors written plain, having an actual artefact from the past, you can connect with both then and now.&nbsp;  We also answer a few listener questions about how to work out softnesses for appliances and what to include in a successful portfolio.  --------------------------------------------  Many thanks, as always, for your time checking the stuff out. You can email us at stuartandtodd@gmail.com or leave us a voice message direct on our site.     If you enjoy this podcast and got something out of it, would you do us a solid and tell just one more person about us? Send them a link and help us grow!   -Stuart &amp; Todd

#86 - More Noses, Fewer Horns

Frank Ippolito is something of a practical effects polymath. From starting out with makeup effects and putting in solid work in the lab, he has gradually expanded to running a company and crew with impressive credits and a high standard of work. Checking out , you’ll see a switch around 2016 as he started working on speciality costumes. This is a big overlap in the practical effects industry as creature and ‘hero’ suits become more sophisticated.&nbsp;  Frank started as a freelancer doing the thing; now, he runs a shop and has a well-trusted and reliable workforce at his shop, . Because of his heavy lifting, now a team of folks get work and get paid, and our chat was an amazing dive into how a workshop is set up and run. This is a great episode to listen to if you are serious about getting work in the industry and want to understand how workshops work.&nbsp;   We particularly appreciate Frank discussing budgets with actual numbers. Not often will folks spell out the costs of making stuff so clearly, but this is SO important. Often, a suitable budget is put together and whittled down until there is no profit or financial gain from an endeavour. It is particularly the case for creative freelancers who are often people pleasers and feel uncomfortable discussing money and defending their costs. (Hint: Just because they say they can't afford it doesn't mean you have to work for nothing and do the job! Saying no to something that takes your time and gives nothing in return is often the wisest move.) ------------------------------------  Many thanks, as always, for your time checking the stuff out. You can email us at stuartandtodd@gmail.com or leave us a voice message on our site.   If you enjoy this podcast and got something out of it, would you do us a solid and tell just one more person about us? Send them a link and help us grow!   -Stuart &amp; Todd

#87 - Frank Ippolito

Adam Dougherty and his company  are based in Colorado. An incredibly talented artist, he is an inspiring soul who makes things happen with determination and persistent hard work. Although he considers himself lazy, his output shows anything but. In particular, his style celebrates the warmth and unique character that Jim Henson created with puppets, and has himself produced some jaw-droppingly effective puppets for various projects such as the upcoming Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, directed by Andrew Bowser. Adam has a flair and a style for big, expressive characters and, as you will hear in the podcast, celebrates and works hard to put practical effects front and centre. He is a sculptor working both digitally and practically, so he understands both sides of the coin. He also has a clear vision of a good story and isn't happy to mindlessly follow the herd. We left inspired and impressed! We think you will be too. Check out his homepage, Instagram and YouTube account. It will be time well spent. In particular, this video from ADI (Amalgamated Dynamics) is an excellent account of Adam's journey and is a joy to watch:    -----------------------------------------   Many thanks, as always, for your time checking the stuff out. You can email us directly at stuartandtodd@gmail.com or leave us a voice message on our site.    If you enjoy this podcast and got something out of it, would you do us a solid and tell just one more person about us? Send them a link and help us grow!    -Stuart &amp; Todd

#88 - Adam 'KreatureKid' Dougherty

Maddie is a talented concept artist and teacher known mostly for her ZBrush work. Coming from a practical background, her skills come from familiar ground - Fangoria, a love of monsters and sculpting for fun!   She has taught classes for Gnomon since 2006 - we recommend the ‘’ video course. Todd and I both cite this as the breakthrough moment for both of us, making what previously had been indecipherable to us accessible and understandable. The way she comes across reminded us of Dick Smith, with a generous nature coupled with a thorough understanding of the subject.&nbsp;   Maddie graciously invited Stu and me into her museum-like flat in London, where we chatted for hours surrounded by an eclectic collection of curios and oddities; it is a little 'Ripley’s Believe It Or Not' and a little bit Smithsonian, with a dash of Natural History thrown carefully in. We talked about everything, concentrating on how digital sculpting has become a permanent part of the special makeup effects world.

#89 - Maddie Scott-Spencer

Joel Harlow is an academy award-winning artist who started out in animation before he moved on to makeup. Gradually building multi-faceted skills, confidence and workloads, he has evolved and expanded into the makeup effects heavyweight we know today with a hefty rollcall of credits. Check out his company, . It is always fascinating to go through the IMDb of an artist and see their credits creeping up the hierarchy over time. Evidence of trust earned as supervisors see a way to pass the responsibility on, and nothing breeds more work than showing up on time and doing more than the client bargained for, happily smiling through it all and happy to be doing it. This was certainly the impression Joel gave us in the chat too, and we think you’ll love it! Drop us a line @  or leave us a voice message on  --- Stuart &amp; Todd &nbsp;

#90 - Joel Harlow

&nbsp;  Makeup artists typically like makeup. It is a tactile medium, and they enjoy products, how they feel and smell and respond to brushes and pressure.&nbsp; &nbsp;  Making prosthetics similarly has its tactile qualities, and it is hard to separate these sensations from the very nature of the joy in the work. &nbsp;  It is little wonder then that this same group of people may not have developed an extensive love of digital versions of the same work. &nbsp;  Doing a digital makeup effect in Photoshop requires the makeup artist's mindset but somehow it is not the same thing, and I think this reluctance to do digital work can put the makeup community at a disadvantage.&nbsp;  The digital ship has definitely sailed, but the opportunity to join the crew is always open. This is our attempt at starting a wider conversation within the makeup industry regarding digital tools in the workshop.  Check out the  available on the blog post that corresponds with this episode. &nbsp;

#91 - Digital Tools In The Workshop

Our trip down to Falmouth Uni preceded The Prosthetics Event 2023. It was a great trip, and so nice to see the work being done by students there and talk shop.   As always, we have a rough idea about what we want to talk about, but it's always led by the feeling in the room at the time, questions that come up and current events within the group .   We spoke for so long in a packed room using a single recorder, so the sound is a little different from our usual close microphone stuff. It went on for nearly three hours, and fell into two distinct sections - the first half we present here. The second part we shall release soon, and was when Neill Gorton arrived after just having beaten Covid again. Present were lecturers and all-round good eggs Brad Greenwood and Duncan Cameron, plus a room crammed with the students from the Prosthetic Effects MA who we had come to see.   Thanks to Duncan Cameron for his awesome sketches which feature in the episode art of parts 1 and 2. Check his work out on Insta . Thanks for listening! Incidentally, the 'Hi, welcome to passes with bits of brother' bit comes from an automated transcript attempt in Word of the near 3 hour recording. Needless to say,I don't think we will be using that as a way to pull text from audio! More notes on the blog post found at

#92 - Falmouth Uni Part 1

In this second and final part of our trip to Falmouth Uni, Neill Gorton joins us as we discuss making mistakes and learning the hard way in the workshop.&nbsp; We also discuss how to approach workshops and folio critiques and why latex and plaster are such great materials when starting and budgets are tight.&nbsp; Latex and plaster are a big theme in this episode. Be sure to check out the blog post with the show notes and the , which is all about making latex pieces and plaster moulds from the UMAE 2024 makeups Stuart recently did.&nbsp;  This is a hefty episode, and the workbook is 26 pages full of step-by-step processes and techniques!    If you enjoy this podcast and got something out of it, would you do us a solid and tell people about it? Send them a link and help the show grow!

#93 - Falmouth Part 2

Colour theory is a crucial part of makeup, especially if you are in the business of trying make a portion of the face out of rubber and make it look like it belongs there and is the same as the real skin which surrounds it.

Prosthetics magazine #3

This podcast accompanies the article we wrote for Neill Gortons 'Prosthetics' magazine, jam packed with tutorials and great behind the scenes goodies for all things prosthetic!

This is especially true when mixing your skin tone into your appliance material in the case of silicone or gelatine appliances.

 

The materials are different, but the principles of colour theory and how to create skin tones remain the same. This colour is IN the pieces rather than ON them.

We have gone on a fair bit in the past about the importance of colour and colour theory in posts about using photoshop to match skin tones, and  7 tips for painting skin tones. The reason...?  Because it really matters and it's actually rather simple.

It's important to get the base tone of your appliances right, as you don't want to make things harder for yourself later by creating an appliance which fights you all the way because of poor base tinting.

It's very frustrating to have to use the makeup to 'correct' a badly or inappropriately coloured appliance when you can get the base tone to do most of the work for you.

Check out the blog post which has video and a podcast download for this episode right here...http://www.learnmakeupeffects.com/colour-theory-in-practice/

....and email your questions and feedback to us at stuartandtodd@gmail.com.

#5 -  Colour Theory In Practice

Hey folks, it’s just me today as Todd is pretty sick with a bad cold, so get well soon Todd. Hope you get fixed up and back on track soon.

We’ve got a great interview with someone who was the first person I ever got in touch with. Geoff Portass started Image Animation with business partner Bob Keen, and the company worked on some iconic genre movies and shows in the late 80’s and early 90’s. They also spawned the careers of some of the best known fx artists working today.

I still have my letters from 1990 when Geoff replied to my questions when I was 16!  I sent foam samples of foam latex I had made at home and asked about the makeup they used and replied every time. Check the blog post to see these

I also remember meeting Nick Dudman at my college in 1993, when I basically cornered him for half an hour and asked him all these questions that nobody else could answer – pre Goole etc.  I then went on to work for Nick on a few Harry Potter and Mummy movies.

Anyhow, I drove up to Geoff’s place and we chatted for a good few hours and I had to split this into two podcasts, as there was so much material and it seemed to fall into two logical topics – the film stuff and the teaching stuff. So, this is part 1 which looks at the film stuff and the next episode will be looking at the teaching stuff too.

Just a quick mention of some new workshops coming up at Pinewood studios in the next few months, keep an eye out for announcements and dates on the workshop page of the website:
http://www.learnmakeupeffects.com/workshops/

Also, just to remind you that we’d love to hear from you. Feedback is always welcome and as we normally look at solutions to problems (hence the podcast being called Battles with bits of Rubber).

Our email is stuartandtodd@gmail.com

Finally, if you like the podcast please consider leaving a review or sharing this. It's the best way you can help us out, after all if you enjoy it then hopefully kindred spirits will.

#6 - Geoff Portass Interview (pt1)

#9 - Symmetry, Schools & Fools
 
Symmetry in sculpting appliances

Whilst teaching a class recently, a student was hung up on getting the nose perfectly symmetrical. I explained as I often do that the human face isn't symmetrical, so going for complete mirror image reflection necessary.

Folio
Whilst at UMAE last week, I got to speaking with a lot of people starting out who wanted me to take a look at their folios. I like to talk people through what I see, and I know that when I was starting out that I really appreciated good advice from people that took the time to look through my stuff.


UMAE 2016
The UMAe stand for United Makeup Artists expo. It is a smaller UK trade show, but perfectly formed. I had a great time but it was exhausting. There were loads of demos going on all day, and this year I had my own stand, spoke to a lot of people, did a demo makeup and a presentation on the stage for blood rig effects.


Makeup School Observations
There are some things I noticed about work I saw from makeup schools, and I think it needs bringing up. Essentially, I saw work from someone who had travelled to LA from the UK to attend a makeup school for some months.

There were pictures of work in there which seemed both extensive in size but poor in quality. Now I know students are by definition learning, and there is going to be mixed ability but there seems to be an irresponsible approach when allowing large scale sculpting to take place when there are some fundamental areas which need addressing.

Makeup schools are a business so it's only right they charge for their service, but I have heard and seen many examples of people who travelled far and spent a lot and when you see what they have taken away from it then you wonder if it is a fair exchange.

As with any business, there are some sharp practitioners and some outstanding examples. I think it would be a good idea to run this checklist over when considering a makeup school.

1. Check who the tutors are
2. Look at previous students work
3. Speak to previous students
4. Is there a screening process or do they take anyone who can pay?

Faceoff
I've met a few of the contestants from the show, and to be honest they seem pretty cool - they need to have ability and character to get selected for sure. Hoever, the show is largely concerned with ratings (it's a TV show after all) and less concerned with processes which is what I care about. 

We riff a little about the effects of the show, and how annoying it is that people whose only exposure to the industry is watching a few episodes feel qualified to comment on what we may be doing wrong.  "It didn't look that hard on Faceoff..."!


Face casting disasters
We’ve all heard of the anecdotal face casts that went hideously wrong – the result of phenomenally terrible practice on the part of people doing it. Things like using bare plaster all over the face, bears and eyebrows becoming stuck or undercuts locking heads – it’s common sense mostly but that is not as common as you’d imagine.

Stay creative!
---
Stuart & Todd

#9 - Symmetry, Schools & Fool

*** Foam Latex - It's Smelly But Good! ***

Foam Latex was the main material appliances and pretty much anything skin-like was made of for long time. It is only relatively recently that silicone has taken it's place, and with good reason.

There are a lot of benefits to silicone as an appliance material, and because of these reasons it may be that if you're new to makeup effects, you may not have yet laid hands on foam pieces..

It may be that you'll never want or need to run foam latex yourself, but will apply a premade piece and we will look at that in another podcast, as this area deserves some thorough discussion. However, if you are keen to know more about foam latex then this podcast is for you.

Check out the accompanying blog post here: http://www.learnmakeupeffects.com/foam-latex-its-smelly-but-good/

#10 - Foam Latex - It's Smelly But Good!

It's something gets thrown around a lot in film, TV and theatre. There's bad blood, good blood, mudbloods, blood thicker than water and blood brothers. 

This episode we're talking about blood, and our guest this time is Rob Smith, blood master as well as an all-around effects bod. He also runs a lot of foam, and makes exquisite soft foam appliances which you really need to feel to appreciate.

He makes his own pieces but runs a lot of foam for other people, and you'll certainly have seen his work if you've been to the cinema in the last few years!

Battles With Bits Of Rubber

#15 - Rob Smith, Master Of Blood: Part 1

http://www.learnmakeupeffects.com/all-aboard-the-freit-train-part-1/

Rob Freitas is one of the best-known mould makers in the industry and has a phenomenal reputation.

Not only is he incredibly skilled at making moulds but he has a passion for the provenance of the techniques which he uses and cares deeply to help interested parties understand so they can be better too.

He also will redirect much of the attention he gets to his predecessors and those peers whom he feels deserve more attention. It’s a very generous attitude which I believe is born out of an unabashed passion for the subject and a desire to fan those flames in others.  It comes from a very pure place and it’s not often you meet someone with that much knowledge, skill and wisdom and who also is phenomenally approachable and easy to talk to. He’ll no doubt blush to read these words.

We hooked up at a pub near the Millennium FX in Aylesbury where he was teaching a class that week, and a few of us slunk off to the lobby of Rob’s hotel to talk bronze age axe heads, seamlines and technology.

***Videos***

We mention a couple of videos that are on YouTube which show skills at work – hand making globes from 1955 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RWcWSN4HhI) and a Disney video explaining the different types of rivet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDbTUt3OG9s).

This was something Disney did to help the war effort, when training many civilians to make military equipment like aircraft required detailed explanations of manufacturing processes such as these. How better to explain these intricate and involved processes than with an animation, condensing time and showing materials in cross section.

Look out for part 2 coming very soon, and subscribe to use on iTunes, Stitcher, iHeart Radio and Google Play Music to name but a few!

Thanks,
Stuart

#17 - All aboard the Freit Train part 1

Allen Hopps is the director of Dark Hour, a huge haunt attraction in Plano, Texas.

I wanted to take a tour and chat with Allen about what it takes to keep people scared and the business of running a haunt all year round.

When people think about creating makeup effects, masks and prosthetics, it's usually associated with film and TV shows. In the US, Halloween is pretty big and getting bigger every year.

I went for a tour of the huge show floor and got to see behind the scenes where all the in-house stuff gets made - from sets, costumes, masks, prosthetics and props. The level of the thought and detail that goes into setting up a new show (there are several original new shows a year) is incredible. The team work year round updating and thinking up new ways to keep the screams coming.

There are a few absolute wisdom bombs in this podcast episode which many makers would do well to listen to.

    If you've ever been guilty of having great ideas which seem to expand ever bigger, only to burst and fade away then this episode of the podcast is for you!

    If you've been trapped in a cycle of indecision, dithering and not wanting to grasp the nettle of your creative masterpieces then this episode is for you.

    If you think that movies are the ultimate end-game for creating creatures and masks and that if you can't make that coveted position then what's the point...? Then this episode is for you!

===================================

    Check out http://darkhourhauntedhouse.com/ to see what's on offer and I highly recommend Allen's YouTube channel, StiltbeastStudios.
- On Insta, check him on @allen_hopps.
- Dark Hour are on YouTube too: 
https://www.youtube.com/user/DarkHourPlano

#21 - Allen Hopps - Scaremaster

5 THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW (OR WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE KNOWN) WHEN LEARNING PROSTHETIC MAKEUP

I'm still learning every day. I still make mistakes and I am still worried that every job I am about to start will go wrong. That feeling has never gone away and I suspect it never will. The trick is to get used to the sensation, understand that it isn't abnormal and to get on with the job anyway.

There are many things which often get taught again and again at makeup school, but along the way there are also things I noticed which are vital and yet which never seem to get the same level of spotlight.

In this podcast, Todd and I discuss 5 of the big ones which deserve looking at in some depth. We gave this subject as a talk at IMATS LA 2017, but this is a recording done recently (Nov 2017) so we're up to date and happy to hear your thoughts. 

Our email is stuartandtodd@gmail.com.
---------------------------
1. It's hard to be subtle.

2. There Are Other Important Qualities To Recreating Skin Other Than Shape and Colour.

3. Believe in primary colours

Check out our posts on use of colour Colour Theory In Practice and 7 Tips For Painting Skin Tones.

4. 90% of what you do won't get noticed (Hopefully)

5. Failure: when things don't go to plan, it's easy to beat yourself up thinking you're no good.
--------------------------------------

#23 - 5 Things You'd like To Know When Learning Prosthetics

This podcast was a lot of fun to do!

I met up with the Mekashes (Eryn and Mike) at their hotel as they were over for The Prosthetics Event here in the UK. Eryn Krueger Mekash is the makeup head on many shows, notably most recently American Horror Story. Her bio on IMDb reads: 
Credits include TV shows Glee, Nip/Tuck & Movies such as Flags of our Fathers, Letters from Iwo Jima, My Sisters Keeper.

Eryn Krueger Mekash has 30 years of television and film industry experience as a makeup artist and is diversified in beauty, makeup effects and design. Her credits cover a wide range of productions. Eryn started her career in the special makeup effects field in Los Angeles.

Eryn has won 6 Emmys and 6 Artisan awards and well as 29 Emmy Nominations for outstanding makeup, prosthetic and non-prosthetic. She is the department head for FX's anthology, American Horror Story (2011), and can still make a nice mold in a pinch.
-----------------------
I was lucky enough to squeeze in a face to face interview and had a frankly wonderful time chatting with a couple of lovely people who also are amazing artists and FX nerds.

We talk about the great book Leading Ladies of Makeup Effects in which Eryn features, being a department head for FX heavy shows like American Horror Story, how much fun Halloween is at Rick Bakers place and recreating The Lost Boys thirty years on using pieces from the original moulds.

Todd was printing a head of himself to make 'Chocolate Todds' so that's the sound you can hear in the background. Todd discusses the finishing up of his third edition to the well-known FX bible Special Makeup Effects for Stage And Screen! Hear all about the goodies in store there in the podcast.

WINNER!
---------------
The winner of the Steve Wang Sculpting Tool Set is Darren Pastor -
well done fella. These will be on their way to you soon!

As ever, get in touch on our Facebook page, comment here or email us stuartandtodd@gmail.com.

My sincerest thanks for the Mekashes for giving up their time so generously and for all the beer and pudding!

Until next time!

---
Stuart & Todd

Battles With Bits of Rubber

#24 - Meet The Mekashes

I had the great privilege to be asked to teach some masters degree students at Theaterakademie August Everding in Munich, Germany recently.  I had a splendid time!

The three students I worked with all had ambitious, figurative projects which they had been working on for some weeks when I arrived for my five-day stint there.

* Daniel Riedl had made a full-size figure leaning out of a bath and was in the final sculpting stages preparing to make ready for moulding.

*Julian Hutcheson had just moulded his sculpt of a male torso, and in the week we mixed and cast out the silicone in the chosen flesh tone (Moldstar 20 from Smooth-On).

*Caterina Veronesi had sculpted a scale figure of herself which will be cast in silicone and was also in the final sculpting stages and preparing to make the mould.
--------------------------------------

We had a great group chat to discuss how things work there, the education system (It’s a free, the government paid education which requires an extensive interview process which is a completely different model to the business-style version most makeup education systems work to) and the expected quality of work such a system produces.

------------------------------------------
Dividing up large appliances
------------------------------------------

Michael Pennington got in touch through our email (stuartandtodd@gmail.com) with a question about how best to know where one should divide up appliance sculpts to break them down into smaller pieces. As Todd points out, much of this is a hangover from foam latex and the shrinkage which was inevitable with that material. Silicone however has none of these shrinkage issues, so we don’t always need to divide it in the same way.

That said, there are often good reasons to make a large appliance makeup into smaller, more manageable pieces. The most logical place to do this is where the sculpture is at it’s thinnest, and to try and keep edges in easier to hide areas where possible, such as where there is naturally a crease or shadow.

---------------------------------------------------------------
‘Cheap Cheap Cheap’ shouldn’t be ‘Shit Shit Shit’
---------------------------------------------------------------

Whenever we do a video tutorial, I can guarantee that someone will want to do it for less money.  This is, of course, an inevitable occurrence, as it is quite sensible to not spend money you don’t need to. However, there does come a point where substituting can become so obsessive that eventually, the end result can just look like a pile of crap.

Whilst it is true that skill will ‘work well with anything’, I can assure you top pro makeup kits do not have packs of cured meats and jam instead of makeup products to use on their screen talent. If mashed banana looks just right for fat, or pus or brains then fantastic.

Just don’t extend that to ‘I’ll never need to buy another makeup product again’.

Once you’ve seen outstanding makeup work done firsthand, then your priorities change. You decide instead of trying to do something as quick and cheap as possible, you would rather try and do something as good as possible. Like that trinity of choices above, pick two and decide which you would rather have in your portfolio.

Jam may be fine for a kids Halloween party, but it won’t do you any favours in a working portfolio.

Till next time.
---
Stuart & Todd

#28 - Munich

Chris and Fangs FX is who we call when we need teeth, but there is a lot more to Fangs FX than just …well…fangs!

This is the first of a series of interviews Todd and I did at Monsterpalooza 2018, a three day event in Los Angeles which was busting at the seams with visitors, demos and vendors. It was amazing, and Todd and I applied my Bela Lugosi makeup for the Rick Baker Tribute on the enourmous PPI Premiere Products Inc stand.

We grabbed Chris for a chat outside the venue as it was far quieter than inside, and talked teeth, drill bits in the mouth, loose teeth, missing teeth and how much hiding in plain sight takes place.

Making and fitting teeth requires the use of some pretty serious chemicals and hardware, and putting these things into performers mouths is a serious responsibility as you will hear.

Fangs FX was established in 1984, and has an outstanding list of credits. If you have never heard of Chris or his team, then you will certainly have seen their work. Check out their facebook page and Instagram @fangsfx.

#30 - Chris Lyons & Fangs FX

Michael Westmore has done battle with rubber for a few shows, it’s fair to say.

With a long career spanning every aspect of makeup, he comes from a several generation deep family which practically bleeds greasepaint. Many know of his work on Star Trek, but the breadth of his experience is quite something.

Awared the Academy Award in 1985 for Mask, a moving story of Roy L. “Rocky” Dennis who suffered from Craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, Michael is well placed to comment on extreme prosthetic makeovers to subtle, undetectable straight makeup corrections.

Michael has recently told his own story in ‘Makeup Man‘,  a memoir made up from a collection of stories charting his progression in the industry, and I would recommend it as a great read for anyone with an interest in makeup and how it works within the film industry!

It’s taken 14 years to assemble the stories, going from the 60’s to the 2000’s with loads of extra snippets. It really is a complete work covering the celebrities he worked with and doesn’t shy away from the warts and all experences of a working makeup artist who deals with celebrity skin. A complete reliving of a career!

Todd and I recently had the pleasure of sitting with the man himself at Monsterpalooza 2018, and chatting about:

    How practice is the key
    The increase of materials available
    How to get the best from time at makeup schools
    The importance of art and art schooling
    The new adhesives developed by Westmore Effects
    The amount of available talent now

#34 - Michael Westmore

We are back with more Don!

Even though I was there when we recorded, I still get a buzz hearing back what we spoke about. Simply put, Don will make you better and get you thinking about sculpting.

In part 2 we spoke to Don about:

- Ego
- Looking for the positives
- Music whilst sculpting
- Using the same tool to get many results
- Sculptures that want to come out
- Deadlines
- Chisel shape tipped rubber clay shapers

At the time of writing, Don had just finished his workshop in the week leading up to the Prosthetic Event 2018, which was fantastic. His stage spot was rammed, and it was great to see a live audience enraptured, although I shall always cherish this podcast opportunity where just the three of us got to share Don's space.

Incidentally, Don posts the latest upcoming workshop dates on his Don Lanning's D3 Studio page. If you can get the chance to go to a class, I'd urge you to do so.

https://www.facebook.com/donlanningschool/
=================================
Thanks again for listening, and if you would like to support us, as ever there is one thing you can do that helps more than anything - tell someone else about the podcast! Share this on social media and tell us how we are doing!

You can email us here direct at stuartandtodd@gmail.com

We appreciate your attention!

- Stuart & Todd

He really is very good at making you better! Those classes fill up fast so check on the latest dates.

#38 -The Mighty Don Lanning part 2

In this podcast we talk about art, what it means to be an artist, why we do it, and the challenges we face in trying to make a living doing this.

This was mostly brought about because of the fantastic conversation I had with my first ever boss when I started working in effects in 1994.

Pauline and business partner, Nik Williams run Animated Extras, an effects company specialising in prosthetics, animatronics, puppets, creature suits, fake bodies and many animals from elephants, bats, sharks...you name it. In their own words...

    "From singing sloths to the putrefying corpses of Hollywood A-listers, Animated Extras have been creating all kinds of weird and wonderful things for the Film, TV, and advertising industry since 1986."

Pauline was the first person I ever saw take a lump of clay and make it look like a real person when she made a fake head of Michael Gambon for the film 'Mary Reilly'.

It was to me complete and total magic, and it was an absolute delight and honour to sit with her and talk frankly about the task of sculpting. We recorded this interview at Animated Extras workshop in Shepperton Studios.

Battles With Bits Of Rubber - The Podcast About Making Prosthetics

#42 - Sculpting with Pauline Fowler

It’s been a while since Todd &amp; I have podcasted, so apologies for the slow return to form. It’s been a brutal few months, mainly as I have been on the new Netflix/BBC version of Dracula which has kept my hands red and my days long and busy.&nbsp; Naturally, NDA’s prevent me from divulging what’s what but rest assured, fans of the Hammer style will enjoy the perfect casting of Danish actor Claes Bang in the lead role. Dave and Lou Elsey ran the Prosthetics department, and the small crew we had was kept busy. Makeup dept head Marcus Whitney and his crew did some amazing work and as it has been penned by the Sherlock team of Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, you can be sure of some exciting storylines. Totally stoked to have been involved! &nbsp; --------------- In this podcast, we chatted outside in Todd’s back yard about our endeavours over the previous couple of days, making ears. We had used epoxy and as I have used so much polyester resin with fibreglass over the years, talk fell mainly to comparing the two materials and the pros and cons of each.  We covered:  Polyester resin v Epoxy. Block moulds v Shell moulds. Mould closure - Bolted v strap/weight. Discussing the position of a clamp (centre for small mould) or multiple if larger moulds. Designing moulds to have flat, parallel clamping faces or indentations to retain straps so they don’t slide off. Blocks also to keep strap pulling taught. Size of moulds, what determines the best mould material and type? Moulds built to withstand the forces of repeated opening, closing, clamping etc. Why ‘Derry Girls’ may be the best thing on TV. Laying fibreglass over harsh angles and air bubbles. Heat issues on mould halves getting hot, can damage plastiline sculpt as well as warp. Keeping a logbook/record of size of item moulded, amounts of resin/cat used, temp and humidity, how much was left over/waste. Polyester resin used in construction so old school plasterers would use the fibreglass and so would know the material and make moulds with it, but not necessarily from prosthetic sympathy. Collapsible cores v flared out cores and why you’d go there. Plaster Gypsum in US v UK resin/marine industry.  Below is a picture demonstrating one of the main issues I have with fibreglassing over keys. The raised bumps create a sharp angle which can cause air bubbles in certain moulding materials, such as epoxy an the glass matting that is often used. One lazy way I have started using nowadays is to fill the deepest recesses with a paste made up of a little of the laminating resin with either industrial talc or, Polyfibres/Urefil, a lightweight particulate which is used for just such a purpose.  Picture below or on blog page http://www.learnmakeupeffects.com/colorado2019/  Rest assured the next podcast is coming up soon. We have a few in the can and I am editing again this week! As soon as I can, I’ll upload the finished item. Keep at it! Stuart

#44 - Colorado 2019

In this episode, I got to chat with Matthew Mungle &amp; visit his jail cell! Matthew and his company, WM Creations have been responsible for makeup effects on scores of shows and racked up a lot of awards and nominations in the process - for a deep dive into that, check out Matthews IMDb profile.  The actual real-life holding cell in the studio, now decked out with suitably spooky decorations and effects! So much fun. Todd and I also wax lyrical about the joys of epoxy and plaster, silicones we like for flat moulds and release agents for Pros-Aide transfers. We both like a firmer silicone as there is naturally some pressure that goes on when pressing a scraper over the back of the mould - so a soft silicone mould will compress too much and underfill if you are not careful!  One of the sculpting areas in Matthews studio. Matthew talked at length about the process of taking a script, breaking it down and assigning it into a series of tasks - details which you don't often hear people talk about. He always wanted to do his own thing, and so he learned how to please a crew and producers before being a freelancer - getting the priorities right:  Learning how to delegate and let things go whilst still controlling quality. How a job gets from words on a page to a series of jobs, and then pieces of rubber on a set. How a TV show is like a train that leaves the station that doesn't stop until it gets to the end of the line. Deciding what will be practical or visual fx. Will an effect be suitable for the target audience to keep director, producer and network happy. Discussing the effect with the appropriate crew like DOP and what to prep for.   We are also on  Spotify,  iTunes, Soundcloud and YouTube ... basically, wherever you get podcasts! Subscribe to make sure you don't miss the latest episodes!   The video tutorial I mentioned on Freeform Sculpt and Freeform Air is here. (It was a squirrel - not a duck as I mentioned).  WM Creations have a range of FX materials such as Soft Sealer, Old Age Stipple and Alcohol Colours, and are available from good retailers such as  BITY in the US and The Makeup Armoury in the UK.   There are endless rows of lifecasts all over the studio - talk about reference material! Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider letting everyone know - tell a friend, share this episode on the socials and leave a comment or review on iTunes if you feel moved to do so! You can email us directly at stuartandtodd@gmail.com Till next time -Stuart &amp; Todd Click to visit the Blog Post Episode to go with this episode.

#49 - Matthew Mungle

Blog Post link:  Folio under your arm, at some point you may wish to appeal to those who could give you a job.   It's nervewracking to be judged, but your folio is maybe pages of your heart and soul now made visible for others to assess and rate.   The main way anyone gets work is simply by having a portfolio of good work and then show that to someone who pays for people like that to solve a problem they have. There isn't a single path or trick to game the system. You are not likely to be given a job you are wholly unsuited to - the work is too precious to those who are looking to hire, and there is a pretty robust system of hiring.   Here we discuss some main points to help you get your head straight. Think through what you could mean to them rather than what they can do for you. Listen to the podcast for the full monty, but the key points are listed below!  1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; How much to charge.    Know your worth&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Know how much it costs you to stand still for a day and do nothing.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; How much do people get paid? Check with trade union pay rates for your region to compare and see what is current.    2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The film industry isn't looking to take you on and train you. It doesn't need another mouth to feed.    The machine which is the film industry isn’t looking to take on someone, spend time training them only to have them up sticks and work for someone else. The ‘industry’ isn’t a single entity, so much a mass of small companies, individuals and private interests. For anyone to take a chance on someone unknown, share their contacts, processes and the inner circle is quite a thing to undertake. The risk is you could take that and use what you have learned to help a competitor, so it’s a peculiar situation to be in.    3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Waiting to be picked.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;    Someone waiting to be picked V an independent self-starter.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Evidence of motivated and talent.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Show evidence of your desire to do the work. A chef doesn’t require a fully fitted kitchen before making their first omelette – make what you can when you can to the best of your ability. Doing so will give you practice and display your journey to an interested party. The people you are trying to work for are like that and they know their own. &nbsp;If you want to do it for a living then you should be doing it whatever.    4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Awareness of the state of the industry.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;    Do you know about the industry? About current artists names, credits and back story?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We have taught at many places where students didn’t know the masters or even watch films to have an awareness of what went before. This is something your potential employers will notice as they DO know and care about it. How good are those currently working and do you measure up?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What can you do to improve?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What do people pay for? ... People pay to have their problems solved.    Whose problems do you solve?    Do you know the industry well enough to know that and how you can fit in to it?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What can you provide and where do you fit in the workflow?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;    5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Actual ability levels.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;    Are you an asset or a burden? Are you asking to help them or are you asking them to help you. Conisder their needs first, and how it will shape your approach.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Does your folio show examples of what problems the employer will need you to...

#54 - Approaching Workshops

Air bubbles of one kind or another are inevitable if you deal with materials which start out life as a liquid and then later solidify such as plaster, latex, silicone and resin. Let’s take a look at what can happen, why, and what to do about it. Blog post accompanying this post:

#58 - Air Bubbles

Tim Baggaley played the one-armed zombie in Shaun of the Dead. He's a damn nice fella, an actor, talented graphic designer and a fabulous dancer.   In this episode, we chat about his experience on set and his recollections of being among the undead.    As we chatted, he reminded me of a few other things we had worked on together and we get into the nitty-gritty of whether or not we should see the genitals of monsters. Sounds like a fun tangent, but it is a serious consideration when making creature suits.    After all, their absence may be as strange as whatever freakishly upsetting creature-junk one may wish to design in their place. Who wants to write that back story? ---------------------- Many thanks as always for your time checking the stuff out. You can email us direct at  or leave us a  directly on our site. If you enjoy this podcast and got something out of it, would you do us a solid and tell just one more person about us? Send them a link and help us grow to the right people! –Stuart &amp; Todd

#60 - Tim Baggaley

Cutting edges are the point at which a core meets the mould, and is crucial in creating a fine edge for many appliances.   In flat moulds, there can be something similar even though a core isn’t involved, as it establishes where the appliance actually stops and the skin begins.   A cutting edge and overflow are critical in foam appliances, especially where a mould has foam latex added and a core is pushed into it. A gap between the core and the mould face would ensure the excess foam could escape, and the contact point where the mould meets the core would be decided carefully and precisely. Go to our  to get the free booklet supporting this episode, .  This principle has carried on with silicone, although usually excess waste is minimised owing to the fact silicone isn't mostly made of air, as is the case with foam latex. Wherever the core meets or touches the mould - be it keys, the cutting edge or an unintentional, is known as a touchdown. Getting great edges is important in making pieces which will blend into the skin and appear as part of it, rather than exhibiting a clear boundary where the fake stops and the real begins.  Many thanks as always for your time checking the stuff out. You can email us direct at  or leave us a  directly on our site.   If you enjoy this podcast and got something out of it, would you do us a solid and tell just one more person about us?  Send them a link and help us grow!  -Stuart &amp; Todd

#61 - Cutting Edges

Closing moulds correctly is vital to get good casts out of them. There seems little point in making a good mould and then getting bad casts out of it. In this episode we chat about things to consider when looking at ‘mould closure’. Essentially, a mould other than a flat or open mould will usually need to be attached or fitted to another component to produce a cast. This could be another part of the mould if a ‘multi-piece’ mould is made and/or a core which will be placed into the mould to create the interior. These pieces need to remain securely in position, and may be required to exert a lot of force if the cast piece needs to have thin seams which are more easily repaired. That has cost implications - think about having to repair bad seams of fifty casts out of a mould which wasn’t closed correctly! Small block moulds are often clamped together for speed and convenience, but what happens if the mould is huge, such as a full body or a dinosaur? This episode has another hefty set of notes to help make sense of it all. It is picture heavy and goes deeper into what to look out for.&nbsp;  or the .&nbsp;  ----------------------------------------  &nbsp;  &nbsp;    Many thanks as always for your time checking the stuff out. You can email us direct at  or leave us a  directly on our site.   If you enjoy this podcast and got something out of it, would you do us a solid and tell just one more person about us? Send them a link and help us grow!   -Stuart &amp; Todd

#62 - Mould Closure

Making prosthetics and makeup effects for TV and film is fun, but it also means you are constantly working outside your comfort zone.  

That being the case, there are lots of things which try to trip you up and take your attention.  These podcasts will address either specific areas of interest for fellow FX nuts, or they will be real commentary on the things that come along and mess with the programme.  

I also have a habit of writing about this stuff too:
http://www.learnmakeupeffects.com/blog/

Stuart Bray

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