X

Author: Brian Foreman

Jennifer’s Story: Interview With A Haunt Artist

Meet Jennifer Burns. Prop maker. Full-time Scene Designer. Body Paint Model. Dark Artist. Mother of two boys who love Halloween just about as much as she does. Interested? Read on…

Were you excited about Halloween/Haunted Houses/Scary Movies as a child? What do you remember about those early years?

Yes. Extremely excited as a kid. Before the age of 10, I remember going to a huge Halloween party with my parents and my sister. We all had costumes and my Dad, dressed in a black robe, took one of our baby dolls and filled it with pea green something. LOL. When he squeezed her belly, it would fly out of her mouth….it was great.

I remember seeing the exorcist as a kid, it’s the only movie that really scared me…..and I still have a hard time watching it.

I never went to haunted houses as a kid, but I remember going to the “land of make believe” with the family.They had a building with just a black and orange pumpkin silhouette painted on the outside. On the inside it was pitch black….no actors. My sister seriously froze. My dad had to push her through until the end. I laughed the whole time.

 

How did you get interested in the art of make-up and building props?

I looked into doing props when my ex wanted to get his haunted hay ride started about 5 years ago. I did research online and at the library for about a year and a half before he opened. I still do a lot of research and I built my first official haunt props at his haunt with‘great-stuff’ skulls, a monster mud lady with my mom’s old wedding dress mourning on a big headstone, and Paper Mache tombstones. I love simple old school materials!

 

Where do you work now? Is Halloween your full-time career?

I am currently at the Dorney Park Haunt. It’s my 3rd season and I usually start in late January and work until November 1st. It’s my main job and I love it. The people I work with are absolutely wonderful and they have all taught me soooo much.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge in the Haunt Industry today?

This is a tough one. Other than the weather, which challenges everybody, I would say….fire codes. Which I believe (I know some people won’t like this) that it is better to be safe than sorry. No matter what- customer safety first.

 

How do you keep your creative inspiration alive?

Movies, music, the news and history- anything about the past or present. The news and history are the most horrifying but I love realism.

 

Do your children enjoy Halloween and Haunting?

Yes and yes!!! Both of them have acted at my ex’s haunted hayride last year, which they were incredibly awesome and scary. I am proud to say that my little guy (9) would sit outside in front of a port-a-potty and act like he was crying and lost his dad. When concerned guests would try to come to his aid, my older son (14) was hiding inside and would kick the door open! While running and yelling as loud as he could! Worked every time. They did very well together as a team. Porta- Potties are gross but they are boys…they do stuff like that.

We all get into character to go to the local parades…even though we aren’t in the parades. We just sit on the sidewalk -havin’ fun and gettin’ the candy!!! The down part is…it’s my busy time doing the make up on the weekends that doesn’t let us enjoy hayrides or haunts as much as I would like to….sacrifices.

 

What has been the most challenging work in your career as a Dark Artist?

It would have to be, without a doubt, the interactive haunt I participated in with Mike Krausert of Nightmare New England and his wonderful crew at Transworld 2011. It was a 6 room haunt in 4 days on the show floor. I flew out there, checked into my room, changed my clothes, and then right to work. We started by painting all the walls black and worked until about 1a.m. I thought that was crazy, but it got crazier. One of the best times in my life. It was so worth every minute, and I can’t wait to see if we can do it again !!!

 

What was it like being a Body Paint model?

I have done that twice now. Once about 20 years ago….and at the Midwest Haunters Convention 2011. It’s funny how you can’t see gravity, until you look in the mirror. It was still fun and I met some great people and awesome artists. Matthew Seel is a great artist and I would love to work with him again, even though airbrushing can be extremely cold to the skin.

 

What does the future hold for Jennifer Burns?

Hopefully a lot. Mainly I have been wanting to do some scene work for horror photography…I have a few twisted ideas in my mind.

 

Name 3 of your favorite horror or haunt websites/books/shows?

Hauntspace: first website I found. I learned all the basics there and then some. A great group of creative and talented people hang out there and I have met quite a few of them at some of the conventions.

Stephen King Books: I grew up on those books…

The Walking Dead: they brought us the revolution of the zombie…how can you not love that ??? You never see zombies climbing fences in older movies.

 

Please give the readers some words of inspiration on becoming a leader in the Haunt Industry?

Start learning, keep learning , and then learn some more….live it, love it, and never stop.

Contact Jennifer on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jenniferxburns

Where To Find Cheap Materials For Your Haunt

It’s July and you’ve already started building props, designed your floor plan, and recruited your actors. But you’re in the need for some building materials to finish that bloody butcher shop or the crazy ward. If you do not want to spend lots of money to get your materials or just find it more enjoyable to do some spelunking for that next wall section; here are a few tips I’ve learned over the years.

    • Pallets are free. Go drive around your town and search the back of stores for pallets and free materials. Warehouses are also a gold mine! Pallets are easy to stand up especially when screwed together. Add some 1×2’s for attaching flame retardant plastic or thin plywood and you can easily build a room or a maze. Most businesses give these materials away!

 

    • Make friends with contractors. Builders have access to old & new lumber, rusty hardware, and pillars. Plumbers can get you PVC pipe and sections of old pipe. When a house needs to be demolished, many materials can be salvaged! I’ve gotten truck loads of 6×6’s, 4×4’s, plywood, and doors by using this method. Also, talk to lumber yards. They usually have a ‘defect’ pile that consists of rough-cut lumber or warped stuff. I can usually buy a truck load of lumber for $40.

 

    • Tear down an old barn. Go for a drive in rural America and look for those old barns that are getting ready to fall over. Some people buy old barn lumber but it usually has to be in really good condition. You’re just looking for backdrops and rustic panels, so most farmers are usually searching for someone to clean up the mess. Build a solid wall and use the old barn panels for a nice effect. If you have a trailer and plenty of help; you can cut the barn in 8′ section and keep them as portable wall panels. Please use every safety measure when deconstructing any type of structure or building.

 

    • Garage sales, flea markets, and auctions. An old jar that has just the right feeling, a box of tools for $10, or a 100′ roll of cheese cloth…..

 

    • Online auctions, local Craigslist, and even the newspaper classifieds. You can either spend all day searching for materials or create an advertisement of what you are looking for. Most sites such as Craigslist and your local newspaper have a “Wanted” section. Be specific about what you need and how far you are willing to travel to get it.

 

    • Telephone companies and Railroad Stations. Telephone companies usually replace telephone poles when they need repairs or have been around awhile. You can usually pick the old one’s up for free. Railroads have used railroad ties. Great for landscaping!

 

    • Hospitals, schools, and warehouses. Most of these places have auctions for all their old stuff, but you can beat many people to the best items by knowing someone who works there or by calling them before the auction. Even if there isn’t an auction coming up; many of these places have old stuff that no one else wants-except for haunters.

 

    • Sponsor with a lumber yard. Our first year we sponsored with a local lumber yard and we had all the black plastic and lumber we needed. Or if you need different types of services-be a little creative. Sponsors do well by providing services instead of money.

 

    • Go clean out someone’s attic. My mom’s a bit of a hoarder. Her house is like an endless supply of haunt inspiration. Old clothes, old picture frames, and just odd things. Think about others you know who want someone to help them clean their house. You’ll be amazed at the things they want to throw away!

 

  • Fall/Spring Clean-up. Around these parts we call that “Trashing”. Twice a year the city allows the town to throw anything we want to the curb. Old lumber, old refrigerators, and anything we can’t normally. Everyone cleans house. Last year my treasure was 150′ of privacy fence made of thin wood. Easy to carry and stack.

 

Sit down and make a list of everyone you know who works somewhere that would be cool place to raid. Treasure hunt your local retailers and contractors. And don’t be afraid to go “Trashing” in your 2010 Town & Country. With a little creativity you’ll be able to find all the materials you need for this year and maybe next year too.

Photo donated by http://ward-enterprises.com/.

Where do you find your materials? Please leave your comment below.

5 Places To Find Free Special Effects Information (and still live to tell about it)

On my quest to find useful special effects resources for haunTopic and this blog, I uncovered a few websites and YouTube channels that you must check out if you’re looking for the latest in techniques, materials, or guidance. These sites offer a little bit of everything in the special effects area.

BITY Mold Supply: Not only are these guys suppliers of awesome molding supplies and special effects materials; they provide some informative videos to help you with your next molding or special effects project.

Backyard FX: An indy film website that focuses on low-budget effects but also has some Halloween related episodes that us Haunters can apply to our haunts. Click on this link to watch a video on building a corpse out of cheap materials and search their database for ‘Halloween’ and you’ll see what I mean.

StiltBeast Studios: I just added this guy to haunTopic because his videos are straight-to-the-point and very useful. His latest video is “How To Make A Human Pelt”…..out of a trash bag….

FX Warehouse: Another online supplier of special effects materials; but this link takes you directly to their FREE online tutorials. Applying latex appliances, lifecasting, making fake burns, and much more…

Smooth-On: A industry leader in rubber and silicone products, they also have a huge resource page for special effects and molding professionals. You’ll be here for hours!

If you enjoy articles like this, please comment on my posts and let me know what you are really interested in me writing about. Interviews with Haunt Professionals, useful links to help with your haunt, or some good ideas to get your creative juices flowing? I will still be writing here but I have also divided my attention with haunTopic. Both sites will work in unison to supply you with all the information you need. I will try to maintain my once a week schedule because I enjoy helping you succeed in all your Scary ventures. Until next time…

 

Special Effects Secrets From Steve Siegelbaum

“People want more today than just some black eyes and white face … The masses have become desensitized and are screaming for something different..more realistic gore , trauma , blood and high tech fx…”-Steve Siegelbaum

This is part 3 of my interview with Steve Siegelbaum from Gut Rot Effects. If you have enjoyed this content, please leave your comments and feedback down below. I’ve been on vacation for a few days so I’m sorry this is a bit late. And if you have time after you read this -please go check out our new site dedicated to the Haunt Industry at http://hauntopic.com.

 

Any good brands you suggest? Make-up, appliances, etc.

There are tons of products out there from many different manufacturers and retailers. You definitely wanna shop around before purchasing from the first place you find what you need. A little research will show you that prices can vary from place to place and that many of these places can be a one stop shop for everything you need for the task at hand.

The top places I purchase my materials from and have built good business relationships with are places like:

Bity Mold Supply –  I have been ordering from these guys for a years and have never had any type of shipping or ordering issues with them. I always receive my orders on time and intact. They are one of the best supply company’s out there  for a multitude of my FX needs. I get all my molding and casting materials here and they are always expanding by carrying more products every year. They are moving into AA skin illustrators, shop supplies, expanding foams, and silicone’s like gel-10 and gel-00. A great place to start looking!

FXwarehouse– A great place for all things FX. A one stop shop with just about every FX related material under the sun.

The Monster Makers–  This is a great place to find some alternatives or really expensive products like slim or latex. They even offer kits that can supply your large shop with everything you need or smaller kits for beginners. They even break them down into kits just for masks, prosthetics, and even props.

The internet is a wealth of knowledge and places to get what you need. With the rise in popularity of special effects from TV and the growth of the haunted attraction industry; I am sure there will be newer products and materials popping up all over. So do your research and find what’s best for you.

 

What is the most complicated work you’ve ever done in special effects?

Some of the most complicated things can often be what most would think as easy…

I was on the set of Dan Eberles THE LOCAL for 20 days doing fight makeup and scars. You would think applying bruises would be easy right?

Wrong.

We had to show progression of time with the wounds and scars being sure that the placement is exactly the same every day. And that the age of the wounds progressed with the passing of time in the film. There were no pre-made prosthetics and it was all done on scene with photos from the shots prior by hand. It’s incredibly difficult to create consistency and realism and show the progression of age with makeup like that. It’s easy to make a dead person. Do that same makeup every day for 20 days while making it age and having it the same every time without the benefit of a prosthetic application isn’t easy. We call it continuity – the consistency of the characteristics of plot, objects, and effects within a production.

On the other side of the coin I worked a film called ABRACADAVER. The scene was to have a woman’s throat slashed-then cut the left arm off and then eviscerate a man tied to a wall above the dying woman. Having all his guts and intestines fall down on top of the dying woman’s head and face covering her in his gooey death. Ha.Ha.ha…

I guess you can call this one a staffing issue. When running a crew there are all sorts of logistical issues you’ll run into and hopefully you figure them out first. The issues I ran into were not only trying to run a crew for the first time but keeping a handle on each person. I made a big mistake in my hiring decisions and all it takes is one lazy or disrespectful crew member to hurt your reputation. That person was let go on set…

I learned a valuable lesson: that a big part of the FX makeup industry is working with people you can rely on. Not much in this Field is done alone. You need a good crew you can call on.

As you get more work, more and more of your time on set is at meetings with directors and getting the big picture of the scene needing the effect. Then delegating what is needed to be done to those that can effectively do that particular task while working together to create the best possible effect.

Even with one person down the effects themselves worked out well. With the remaining crew we applied all the blood tubing, a full recreation of the actor’s chest, stuffed it with guts and let ‘em bleed. We happily went through 11 gallons of blood that day.

So sometimes the most complicated work for effects isn’t the effects – it’s learning to work out logistical issues with the crew themselves.

 

Your tag says you’ve done work for film. Which one’s?

Man I’ve done all kinds:

 

  • JOSH AND LUCAS – a student film (student films are a great way to hone your skills) where I had to make-up a trained dog to look like it was  injured and dying.
  • THE LOST TRIANGLE – a lot of war wounds and torture FX
  • ABRACADAVER – an award winning film with slit throats and evicerations.
  • THE LOCAL – feature action drama from director Dan Eberle’s out now on DVD.
  • A PRAYER TO A VENGEFULL GOD – another award winning film out now on DVD , Netflix , and on demand.

Plus many Haunted Attractions, live TV shots, and even building sets for George Romero and Elvira as well. I even applied the makeup for their live TV spots. You can watch them on my YouTube Channel.

I have done many cool projects and am proud to have been a part of each and every one. I hope to continue doing bigger, bloodier, and more challenging projects in the future.

 

Any other advice for make-up artists and special effects beginners?

Yes. Stick with it. Don’t give up! Yes, there will be hard times and many challenges that you may feel you cannot overcome. But if I (an untrained, unschooled, self-taught, makeup artist) can be part of some great and successful projects and continue to work in this industry I love so very much.

Than anyone can.

There is and always will be a need for practical FX and someone will always be filming a movie or putting on a haunted production. You just need to get out there and soak up as much information about the materials you want to work with. Ask yourself how do they apply and how does this work with that? Experimentation is the key.

If you can’t afford schooling, there are seminars and classes you can take to learn techniques like mine.

( GUTROTS TRAUMA 101- basic techniques on creating realistic trauma FX)

There are all sorts of books and how-to videos out there. The internet is a huge source of information, tips, tricks, recipies, and more..

Do your research. Practice your craft. And always remember this is an industry where it takes a certain dedication to fine-tune your craft. Extremely long hours on and off the set. Days and weeks away from family and friends. You need to have passion no matter what you do in life. It’s that passion that I try to spread to all I meet and teach. You have to be willing to do what it takes, be persistent, and ask questions to those in the field. Be prepared to work hard for little or no pay just to get your work seen.

And when you feel you have learned everything you need to know; your next lesson is that you don’t. Special effects is a constantly evolving field. With new techniques and materials being used and discovered almost daily. You will always be learning new things and if you’re not learning you’ll be left in the dust for others to sweep out of their way. It’s a tough industry and I feel lucky every day to be where I am in it.

 

Name 3 websites/podcasts/channels you go to for special effects information?

There is a wealth of knowledge out there and you need to know where to find it. So here are some places you can check out with all sorts of how-to info from creating great and cheap FX to making your own haunted attraction and everything in between.

Scary Visions. You get how- to’s, convention and trade show info, haunt forums, vendors, and all sorts of links to find everything haunted under the dark moonlight sky! You could be here for days!!!

Haunt project. A forum where how-to’s are a way of life. From creating dummy bodies to skinning a complete skeleton. Or even making animatronic monsters. They have it all!

Haunt Universe. An open forum for haunters and FX artists to trade info and knowledge.

So get out there search the web for anything in the Haunted Attraction, Film ,and Special Effects Makeup industries. There are chat rooms just for haunters or FX artists and websites dedicated to home haunting and professionals. All you need to do is look. These sites I’ve mentioned will open many doors of knowledge and suck you into a realm of wonderful people that I am proud to call my coworkers and friends.

There sure is a lot of information out there and you can soak up all you want but at the end of the day it’s what you do with it that counts.

So get out there! Freak out your parents, scare your teachers, and get on your way to doing what you love. How do you know you’re good at it unless you try? “The only bad chance out there is the one not taken”

 

 

How To Create More Special FX In Less Time!


This is Part 2 of 3 with my interview with Steve Siegelbaum of GutRot Effects. He has worked on sets with George Romero and he even did make-up for Elvira. Here we discuss simple ways to help develop your make-up techniques more efficiently and some tips for bringing your Special FX artists team together while saving loads of time with your actors too! If you haven’t read Part 1 then read it first. Click Here!

When setting up an assembly-type process in the make-up room, what are the stages for the actors and the artists?

This all comes down to planning. The how, what and why of what you and the owners want to accomplish..

Room Set-up

• Having a space to set everything up. The bigger the better! No matter what size the space is you need to create a safe, clean, and accessible environment.

• Then actor placement, what part are they playing and what makeup and costume are they getting.

• Labeling before and after photos of each actor in and out of makeup is a great way to stay organized, as well as numbering all the costumes and assigning each actor the according number for their costume.

My last gig was at the Number 1 rated FOREST OF FEAR in Tuxedo, NY which was designed by the great Chris De Troy and his team from Loki’s work shop. In my opinion, one of the best crews in the industry. So I’ll use our makeup room as an example…

We had three FX artists for 40+ makeups each night and each artist had their own work area with a tall chair (preferably one that spins). Each work area also needs..

• A mirror.

• All the necessary paints- pigments , brushes , adhesives , blood , guts ,and applications within easy reach as not to waste valuable time in searching for the next color or brush need for the next step in your application. This means shelving to hold your applications and needed materials. A brightly lit room is very important so the artists can see what they are doing.

• Being that airbrushing is not only an amazing time saver but holds up very well limiting the need for constant touch ups, we each had our own airline or compressor for airbrushing. Plus, all the necessary airbrush paints, cleaners, and hoses. When it comes to airbrushing, a compressor with a four way splitter that can allow for the use of more than one airbrush at a time is extremely valuable. Picking up another airbrush already attached to its own hose with its own dedicated color and ready to go; rather than stopping, cleaning the airbrush, then switching out the color which is a major pain and time killer.

 

Actor Set-up

Special effects application takes time. I believe expressing that to the owners as well as the actors themselves is really important. I make it a point to constantly remind people to come early for makeup. This is one frustration that comes with the territory. This is why I break down the FX into categories. Each actor category has its own time slot when the makeups are applied.

• Costumed actors. These are the actors with mask-based costumes and do not get makeup or at the very least need black around the eyes. This is something they can do themselves and head right to their spots.

• Placed actors. These are the folks that scare within the attraction. They are assigned specific areas that become their domain and have durable prosthetics and makeup applied for the characters they play. These folks should be started as early as you can, depending upon the amount of makeup needed. Now yes you want to be as detailed as possible but also be time conscious and understand the use of lighting in the haunt. The patrons just aren’t gonna see a lot of that detail you just spent a bunch of time on, so knowing when and where to spend your time with a lot of detail is a very needed skill.

• Walkers or roamers. My favorite position when I play in a haunt! This is when your most seasoned actors get up close and personal and interact with the patrons entertaining them with the highest detail of the costumes and makeups. This is where the most detail and time will be placed. Once finished they head out to terrify the masses..

• Last call effects. These are the managers , late actors , and the artists themselves to dive into their own costumes and make ourselves up so we can go and spread some nightmarish joy.
I do believe in assigning times for touch-ups, usually at a bathroom break. Many haunts have breakers that go around to all the scares and give actors a small break. This is a great time to instruct them to pass by the makeup room and see about any need fixes or touch-ups to the applications or makeups. Yes, there will be an artist in the makeup room at all times. With multiple artists you can rotate an hourly schedule where there is always someone there for a makeup emergency. Allowing for the artists to go and play while another takes their turn in the makeup room touching up applications. Happy artists, great make-up , and happy actors = great scares , repeat customers and added revenue.

 

Artist Set-Up

Just as in performing a great scare; timing is very important for an FX artist.

Knowing and understanding the types of materials you put on people, safely applying them in a timely manner, and the cure times in between layers of the application process are all part of the job.While waiting for one application to dry up for the next layer or step; the artist should call in the next person waiting and start their application process. I always have a few extra chairs set in a line alongside my station to keep things moving along smoothly. Each person in each different chair is in a various step in the application process. When I finish with one I call the next and everyone slides down one chair. A ‘train of pain’ that goes until all the makeups are finished.

An FX artist can expect to be applying makeup and applications for more than one person at a time until all are finished and the show is open and running. But the job is not over… long after the actors are gone; the artists are cleaning and prepping for the next nights shenanigans.

 

Artist’s Tip: Everything that touches someone’s skin must be sanitized! This means all brushes must go in a sanitizing solution like 99% alcohol in between each application and at the end of each night to prevent the spread of bacteria such as a staff infection. This is no joke folks! Before you consider continually dipping an applicator or brush into those paints keep in mind those little containers are like petri dishes capable of growing bacteria at an amazing rate. So scooping a little of what you’re using with a designated spatula or even a Popsicle stick and putting it on a pallet is very important and sanitary. No double dipping!!

What is your favorite technique for applying make-up?

That’s a tough one. As different applications call for different methods of execution, and I enjoy them all. In a place that calls for people to have makeup and prosthetics applied and worn for long periods of time while jumping, running, crawling and screaming with as few touch ups as possible is very challenging.

Consider placement of a large wound. To keep it where you need it- you need a very good adhesive like pros-aid. You have to keep in mind to place that wound in a visually stimulating area that isn’t harmful like on an eye without proper precautions (like covering the eye first) or in a high motion area like the elbow; where constant bending of the skin will pull the seams and it will fall off. But that’s the magic of special effects makeup: Getting to those issues and solving them with a little imagination.That’s what love!!

You don’t just slap a wound on and that’s it. You perfect it, expand on it, and create a complete costume from a head wound to bloody fingernails. I will take that application and show it who’s boss! Slap that puppy on and stipple on some layers of latex. Roll, pull and tear some holes in it, expand on it bringing in some veins, and bruising and blood to add the illusion of trauma or infection. This allows you to carry this single effect to other areas and bring it from just an application to a larger and more intricate focal point that flows with the costume and completes it!

I have always been a more hands on kinda guy. I also enjoy working right on the spot. Creating the needed effect right there on a scene or ‘soft sculpting’ as it’s called. Take a material like Gel-10 or morticians wax in addition to some sculpting tools or even again Popsicle sticks. Then applying those materials directly onto your actor. I love mixing up this technique and adding pre made applications to create some really grotesque and wild effects on the spot that encompass what that character is. It also allows you to change things up and perfect the makeup from the previous season or the night before.

Remember, the key is to make a complete costume. It bothers me to see great effects on an actor’s head but nothing carrying that makeup down to the arms or even legs. So don’t forget that! Even the addition of just some dirt and blood to the arms or hands and anywhere skin shows through will help to complete any costume.

..stay tuned for more next time! In Part 3 we will discuss where Steve gets his inspiration and some lasting tips for special effects and make-up artists.

If you want to receive some secret member stuff…sign up for the FREE Newsletter here!!