There’s a heady mix of subjects here: grand-scale creature FX, delicate likeness character makeups, an ill-fated superhero film, sci-fi aliens, war drama, and a social media sensation. Also: a celebration of KNB EFX Group, and useful info about airbrush compressors, digital manufacturing techniques, and sourcing vegan makeup FX products.
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COVER: Marti Matulis as an ex-Borg in Star Trek: Picard, Season 1 (CBS). Prosthetic makeup by VVDFX. Prosthetic Designer: Vincent Van Dyke, Department Head Prosthetics and Special Makeup Effects: James Mackinnon, Lead Creature Designer: Neville Page
Page 8. NEW ALIENS AND OLD: Vincent Van Dyke, James Mackinnon, and Neville Page on the design and delivery of the makeup FX for Star Trek: Picard including Romulans, the Borg and ex-Borg – former Borg drones also known as xBs – Mr. Vup (Dominic Burgess), Data (Brent Spiner) Telarite, Hirogen, Noiro, and a siicone face piece for Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine, whilst also clocking up the largest makeup and hair call for a single day during the shoot with over 100 artists, beating the previous record held by The Grinch!
Page 20. FROM VIRTUAL TO REALITY: Neill Gorton discusses the development and impact of combining digital and practical manufacturing techniques, examining the use of 3D modelling with digital sculpting software such as of ZBrush, ZBrushCore, and Forger, CNC milling, 3D scanning, and 3D printing, sharing examples of Millennium FX’s early work in this area for productions like Inkeart, Krypton, and Torchwood, as well as for rock band Iron Maiden’s giant mascot Eddie, and Madame Tussauds’ Kong: Skull Island experience
Page 28. KNB PROFILE – THE WIZARD OF WALKERS: KNB co-director Greg Nicotero talks about his career evolution from makeup effects designer to producer on productions such as From Dusk Till Dawn, Day of the Dead, Evil Dead 2, Land of the Dead, Predators, Dances with Wolves, Misery, Spawn, and of course the vastly successful post-apocalyptic horror series based on Robert Kirkman’s comics, The Walking Dead, plus his latest project, Creepshow
Page 38. KNB PROFILE – THE DREAM MASTER: KNB co-director Howard Berger looks back on a three-decade (and still going strong) career working on titles including Bride of Re-Animator; Hitchcock; Nightmare on Elm Street 4; DeepStar Six; Voyage of the Dawn Treader; Oz the Great and Powerful; Fright Night; The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; The Amazing Spider-Man 2; and The Orville
Page 54. THE B-SIDES: Film and TV prosthetics that didn’t make the screen with Joe Nazzaro. This issue’s subject: Steve Johnson’s extensive work on Tim Burton’s ill-fated Superman Lives, which was to be based on the comic book Death of Superman, revealing suit designs – including the rejuvenation suit – and the use of technology created for The Abyss using lightweight translucent film combined with fiber-optics
Page 66. FINDING NEVERLAND: Two-time Emmy-winner Jason Hamer recounts the creation of a huge, glowing sea creature called The Mother by his company Hamer FX, for a new telling of the Peter Pan legend in Fox Searchlight movie Wendy, directed by brother/sister team Benh and Eliza Zeitlin, who won critical acclaim for Beasts of the Southern Wild
Page 75. FX CRIBS SPECIAL, KNB EFX GROUP: We talk shop with the company’s co-directors, learn about its key staff, and take a trip through KNB’s Los Angeles homes over the years, concluding with its current shop in Chatsworth
Page 84. WHILE AT WAR: Goya-winner Nacho Díaz on resurrecting Spain’s historical characters for Alejandro Amenábar’s acclaimed Spanish Civil War drama, for which he handled the entire makeup and hair design for Karra Elejalde as Miguel de Unamuno, Santi Prego as General Francisco Franko, and Eduard Fernández as José Millán-Astray
Page 93. PUSHING THE ENVELOPE: Internet sensation Vanessa Davis, aka The Skulltress, discusses her journey from theatrical hair and makeup artist at the English National Opera, to full-time social media influencer with her breathtaking body and face art, often with a recurring skull theme
Page 6. WORDS OF WISDOM: Nacho Díaz, recent Goya Award-winner and director of ND Studio sets the scene for this issue
Page 48. IS THIS PRODUCT VEGAN?: A jargon buster to help navigate the complicated path of sourcing vegan makeup FX products
Page 58. AIRBRUSH 101 – A PRIMER, Part 2: Our transatlantic educators Stuart Bray and Todd Debreceni take us deep into the subjects of air and compressors, in preparation for painting in part 3
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