Archives: Past Courses

“The staff on the course were amazing!! They were all so friendly and so helpful. They let me try out new things and create whatever I wanted. Some challenges I found on the course were having to change plans when something went wrong, I overcame this challenge by having to think quickly and improvise and trying to be creative as possible. My favourite part was definitely watching the demonstrations, seeing how professional makeup artists do it and learning new tips and tricks.

“I’d just like to also add, the equipment and the utensils are the real deal and they’re what the people at the studios work with and I think it’s really cool how we got a chance to have a go with them and play around with it and see how they work. I learnt a lot at Gorton Studio’s summer course and I would honestly recommend it to everyone interested in SFX makeup.”

“I had an awesome week at Boot Camp. Neill is an absolute mine of information and very willing to share. All the staff were great fun too. Thank you!!”

“The workshop was very informative and I loved the hands on opportunity. I particularly liked the fact that it was a small group and the openness and genuine insight into the film industry. Loved every minute of it!”

“I would 100% recommend Don’s course, his passion and dedication are infectious! He is an amazing teacher and he provides amazing support from the first time you express your idea to making your final finishing touches! He finds the good in everyone’s sculpture no matter what ability and he pushes you to achieve more! I had an amazing week and it always feels like coming home whenever I do a Gorton course!”

“I could not stress enough how great Dave was as a teacher: a capacity to push students artistically forward alongside a sense of humour and a way of cajoling students along with their work was ideal for that situation. Not only that, he was prepared to let me have a go and didn’t say no to what I wanted to try in my final project. So in this regard I could learn what my capacity was as an artist and make my own mistakes. Dave made me an overall better artist and for this I owe him a debt of gratitude.

“The other thing I appreciated was meeting some of the artists and technicians that work for Millennium FX…these guys were great blokes and gave thoughtful advice and assistance with my project. It was also interesting to learn a bit about the way they got into the industry…thanks again for making me feel welcome!”

“I loved it! I liked creating the scars. The cool thing is that once you’ve done it a couple of times, you get the idea of it, the hang of it and then it’s just changing it and figuring out how you want to take on it.”

“The Neill Gorton course was my best decision yet, not knowing much going in, I came out with insight on the Industry and a whole new perspective on the job, I learnt so much from sculpting and moulding to casting and finishing off, and most of all I learnt about being a self employed SFX artist and what it takes to keep going and getting better.

“I highly recommend this course to get started, it certainly is a foot in the door. And I would like to personally thank my teacher during my course, Richard Martin, for really pushing me to my best during the 7-weeks.”

“Had the most INCREDIBLE time at Prosthetics Boot Camp – learnt an insane amount, and feel confident to go away and start making my own prosthetics. Was great working in such a nice studio, and with such a great team of people around me, and Neill’s teaching couldn’t really be much better! Thanks so much Gorton Studio!!!”

“I have to tell you all that “Boot Camp” was, is, and will always be, one of the high points in my makeup career! What a privilege to watch a master at work at his craft…simply phenomenal! Commencing the 5 days course with a full-head silicon life cast, casting out positive face casts, and demonstrating flat-plate prosthetics (which we would be doing ourselves) by sculpting his 3rd eye makeup … and that was just the 1st day!!

“Over the next 4 days Neill, sculpted a witch face, broke down and floated the sculpt, made snaps of forehead, nose and chin in plaster and polyurethane, transferred the floated facial features to the appropriate snaps and flat-plate for cheeks, made the molds for all five appliances in silicon, plaster, polyurethane, and epoxy, cast the appliances in Super Baldiez encapsuated silicon gel, and finally, applied the makeup he’d created…phew, it was a whirlwind of information…and an exhilarating ride!

“That doesn’t even include the time, we as students, spent sculpting, moulding, casting, and applying our own flat-plate prosthetics, with Neill guiding us each step of the way and providing encouragement and helpful critique…invaluable!! For me, I was most interested in learning more about the various kinds of molds and mold-making, I was not disappointed! Neill knows his materials forward, backward, and sideways…and the techniques and tips he provided…fantastic! I now feel armed to buy the materials I saw demonstrated and give them a go, confident I’ll have some measure of success.

“My enthusiasm was matched by all the other Boot Camp participants, as each day we would gather excited about what we would learn, not only in class, but at breakfast, lunch and dinner together. Boot Camp is an appropriate term for the course because like soldiers the shared experiences have bonded us together!

“I cannot recommend Boot Camp too highly! It is impossible to put a value on what I got from the course. It was worth every minute and penny. It was not a cost, it was an investment, one I am glad I took advantage of and would again, in a second! To Neill and all his fabulous people in Falmouth, my sincerest and deepest gratitude.”