An Art Most Unappreciated

In an era where computer-generated imagery reigns supreme, it is ever more important to appreciate the special effects makeup artists that set the scene for anything from Guardians of the Galaxy to Knott’s Scary Farm.

Some of our favorite characters in movies and television wouldn’t be what they are today without the use of special effects (SFX). Recently, computer- generated imagery (CGI) has come to the forefront of SFX technologies, creating fantastic worlds and distorting ordinary features to the point of being unrecognizable. But long before computers, the film industry had been producing incredible movies solely using makeup. As an audience, the public tends to overlook the raw artistry of special effects makeup and how far it has come since the beginning of cinematic history.

Since the twentieth century, SFX makeup has transformed our favorite actors and actresses into monsters, supernatural entities and other surreal characters. However, prior to the 1930s, the lack of professional cinematic cosmetics left actors to do their own makeup. This gave Lon Chaney—known as “The Man with a Thousand Faces”—a unique advantage. Chaney, both a talented actor and makeup artist, used wax, greasepaint, wigs and false-teeth to portray famous characters in films like “The Phantom of the Opera” (1917) and “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1923).

Chaney’s eerie appearances were beloved by fans and critics alike, and the films’ popularity led Universal Studios to produce more serious horror movies. These frightening films were the start of a movement of movie monsters that would inspire many makeup artists, beginning with one Jack Pierce.

The former head of Universal’s Cosmetics Department, Pierce was an avid follower of Chaney’s art, and invented various methods himself. Though it wasn’t until the late 1930s that Hollywood popularized the easily applicable foam latex appliances, Pierce was using his arsenal of innovative techniques to bring now-classic movie monsters to life. His iconic design of Frankenstein’s monster took six hours to create, most of the time spent layering cotton and collodion (scarring liquid) to create the headpiece. And though the monster in “The Mummy” (1932) appeared for only a brief second, that unforgettable moment in cinematic horror was worth the eight  hours spent placing the bandages onto the actor.

However, SFX makeup innovations in film weren’t recognized in Hollywood until Rick Baker was awarded the first ever Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling through his work in “An American Werewolf in London” (1981). The famous werewolf movie features a grotesque scene that displays the excruciating transformation of man-to-werewolf. The scene shows every hair follicle, cracked vertebrae and unnaturally elongated bone, and the effect was done solely with makeup and animatronics.

Although modern movies today rely heavily on CGI, makeup remains critical in making actors look authentic to the world around them. Recently, movies and television series like “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Lord of the Rings” and “The Walking Dead” have used a combination of CGI and SFX makeup, allowing for more realistic imagery that immerses the audience. However, the extent of SFX makeup isn’t just limited to the screen. Six Flags’ Fright Fest, Knott’s Scary Farm and Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights transform their actors into spine-chilling characters, and even Disneyland’s Halloween Time recreates its movie villains with SFX makeup. Often, the makeup artists are given half an hour to complete an actor’s look, and despite the short time frame, the characters that roam the park still look frighteningly realistic.

Learning SFX makeup techniques has become easier than ever thanks to the Internet. With effects ranging from a gunshot wound to a decomposing face, SFX makeup can bring a basic Halloween costume to the next level of fright. So whether it’s for the screen, the scare or the special occasion, SFX makeup is the sure-fire way to bring art to life.