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Tag: special effects

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

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.

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Do You Have Everything You Need In Your Make-Up Room?

I have to give credit to Steve Siegelbaum of GutRot Effects for this content. He responded quickly to my facebook question and so I reward him with a 3 part series explaining his make-up skills, being efficient in the make-up room, and the tools you need to be a quality special effects artist and actor. He has demonstrated his awesome skills in movies like Abracadaver, Prayer To A Vengeful God, The Lost Triangle, and Josh and Lucas. He has worked with haunted attractions as an actor and special effects artist and has been a guest on a few television morning shows. If you’re just starting out practicing your make-up techniques; you will still learn a lot from Steve. This is part 1 of my interview. Stay tuned for more or Subscribe to my FREE NEWSLETTER to get instant updates.

What is Gut Rot Effects and what is the vision behind your company?

GUTROT EFFECTS is a special effects company started in 2007  after many years of providing independent film and haunted attractions with the bloodiest and most realistic trauma fx I could come up within the most budget conscious ways ( basically with 0 budget). I just wanted to sling blood and freak people out. But I soon realized the possibilities as more people wanted my services. So I came up with GUTROT EFFECTS – Special FX design and application for Film, Television , and Haunted Attractions in a move to go from a hobbyist to a full time fx artist. Now I’m not some big time Hollywood FX artist but I get to do what I love and get paid for it . I get to work with the most wonderfully terrifying people in the industry today as well as up and coming directors for independent film. Creating everything from evisceration’s and severed limbs to fresh kill zombies lurking behind hidden walls waiting to jump out and take a bite of ya!
And I’m just at the beginning of my career. I have a lot of work to do in order to get my vision of GUTROT EFFECTS out there to the masses.
What is that vision? What comes to me foremost is the creation of GUTROT products and applications. To grow, stay current, and to give the highest detail and quality that everyone can afford. Challenging myself to do bigger and more frightening projects. Getting a great crew together and building the GUTROT family in the hopes of spreading the joy of terror to all those that love horror as much as i do. I want to be accessible to everyone from the the million dollar production to the horror enthusiast that just needs a cool zombie bite. I want to show that with persistence, passion, and pure determination- that GUTROT EFFECTS is here to stay and will only continue to grow to provide fun bloody entertainment for all to enjoy.

 

What are the essential tools to have as a special effects professional or in any make-up room? The gotta have tools!

To start with, most special effects artists have their own kit. This is a must when entering this industry! You need to be prepared for anything…as an fx artist you will find your self delving into your own kit that contains the tools that an artist uses on a regular basis and is comfortable with…I always do . You may have that color that’s just right for a gnarly bruise you’re doing that isn’t supplied or the place just ran out of . But if your just starting out- here is a good list to start with.

  • Many brushes in different sizes and shapes.
  • As many different colors of paint possible. The larger the collection of colors, the more shades, tones and color variances you can do. RMGs ( rubber mask grease) and AA paints ( alcohol activated / only 99 % works). 99% alcohol is a must, especially working with AA paints and RMG’s, it thins and activates the paints I use, as well as disinfected and helps prevent cross contamination. Cleanliness and safety are key when working on many different people in one night.
  • Morticians wax (or nose and scar wax) in flesh and bone tones.
  • A good set of metal and wood sculpting tools for contouring and shaping wax and other applications.
  • Cotton balls , makeup wedges and applicators , Pros-aid ( a medical adhesive used to apply any type of application u can think of)
  • Adhesive removers, like isaptopyl myristrate which removes pros-aid adhesive. I get comments on how good peoples skin feels and looks no matter how much makeup they wear in a season because I take care of their skin. Good skin care products like Vitamin E or lotion will help with skin irritations. It’s gonna happen, when you put a lot of stuff on your skin and you do not take care of your skin- you’re gonna get irritation.
  • Scissors, a sharp knife, lots of tubing for running blood gags, baby powder ( for setting layers of applied makeup), and a hair dryer.
  • Always have some pre-made wounds and applications just in case. Prosthetic masks and wounds as well as pros-aid  to apply them.
  • Baby wipes or latex gloves to keep your hands clean.  However, they can get stuck to your work so I prefer to use hand disinfectant between applications.
  • Large quantities of blood – which can be bought but gets expensive, or you can make your own. As a makeup fx business I can make and supply attractions with my own brand of blood.
  • Liquid latex and latex pigments to dye the latex for various shades and thicknesses of blood. Liquid latex is, and will be, one of the most used materials in a haunted attraction for a long time to come , because it is so easy to work with and it’s extremely versatile. (just remember 1% of people are allergic and you always need to test prior to application).
  • All sorts of latex paints to  mix with the liquid latex and create different colors and base tones for realism and versatility.  AA ( alcohol activated paints) which work with foam latex and silicone’s.

That’s just a fraction of what my kit has. As an fx artist you will find your kit just grows and grows. The more projects you work on- the more tricks and tools you will acquire as well. Now that’s just what the artist him/herself will bring with them. When meeting with attraction owners I go over the storyline of the attraction, types of costumes and makeups they want; as well as exactly how many actors will be requiring the makeup.

Finally,  I create a list of materials needed based on the ideas we come up with for the various costumes and makeups.  It’s up to the owners to supply all necessary materials pertaining to the haunts special effects makeup needs. Like large amounts of blood and liquid latex. You need to work closely with the owners and designers to come up with a clear plan of attack . Getting into an efficient nightly routine will not only help revenue and timing , but it will help artists fall into their groove in regards to their creativity and quality of the final makeups- which will only get better with every passing night…

…On another note: there are many things involved when getting the makeup area or room ready for show time. You need chairs , lighting , electric , and most of all- control of the environment- making sure the right applications are going on the right actor. All of this while applying makeup on one person while three others are drying and waiting for finishing….but we’ll answer that next time….

Find Steve:

Internet Movie Database

Facebook

Linked In

Twitter

 

Stay tuned for part 2 and part 3 from Gut Rot Effects where we’ll cover How To Be Efficient In The Make-Up Room and more special effects techniques and advice. Subscribe to the Newsletter so you don’t miss it!