ISYS100SPECIALFX- Zombie makeup tutorial

Jurassic Park (1993)

Okay so way back in the ancient times, that is exactly 20 years ago in 1993, the world witnessed for the first time a film that made us forget we were even watching one!

 

ROAR!

Jurassic Park

This sci-fi adventure film directed by one of the most iconic directors, Steven Spielberg, earned as of this May 2013, $400 MILLION in North America alone as well as worldwide total of $967 MILLION.

So in honour of the film's 20th Anniversary, we can go back and look at how this classic film became extremely successful.

The technology used in the 90s is much different then what it is today. Therefore the methods used to make this film were much more complex. If film directors TODAY wanted to create a dinosaur for a particular scene they could simply use computer-generated images and achieve a high-quality scene. However, back in the 90s, it was much more difficult to create a realistic-looking animated figures. 

Spielberg and his hard-working team had actually chose to create a FULL-SIZE T-Rex completely and exclusively for the film. The dinosaur you see above was actually sculpted in real life, a 9 000 pound (so about 4 082 kg) robotic machine.

MUST WATCH (only a minute!)

Cool right?

The film did have certain limitations. This horrific robotic creature was designed with numerous cable cords, wires etc that it actually limited the movement of the model. Therefore, on top of this full-size T-Rex, CG images that were utilised in the 90s still had to be used the create the full effect. 

 

We can clearly see the difference between today's technology and 90s. But Spielberg created quite an impressive despite the circumstances!

Denis Muren, who took part in the Visual Effects team, said

 "It takes years to learn this, just to learn the computer part of it."

“This is not science fiction; it’s science eventuality.” 

– Steven Spielberg

The Walking Dead (2010) (TV series)

The Walking Dead is a television series by AMC that aired on Halloween in 2010. Since it's inception, the series has been received by critics with tumultuous applause for it's special effects and make up artistry. The lead make up artist is Gregory Nicotero, who is also the co-executive producer and director on The Walking Dead. He has won a whole bunch of awards for his work on The Walking Dead alone, and co-wrote and directed the web series Torn Apart based on The Walking Dead franchise, which he also won awards for. What have you done?

Based on the comics of the same name, The Walking Dead revolves around Rick Grimes, a man who wakes up from a coma to discover that civilisation has fallen and that a plague of sorts has caused most of the world to turn into zombies. Neat. As Rick travels through cities looking for his family and trying to survive, he, alongside others he meets, has some close encounters with the undead and goes on to bash their brains out with whatever weapon he has at his disposal. 

To create realistic zombies, the creators brought on Gregory to do the make up. Here are some photos' of his work:

Jaw dropping stuff

Before and after of the zombie girl from the pilot episode (fun fact: they call the first episode a pilot because that will determine whether the show 'takes off')

Gregory commanding his army of zombies, as you do.

A current picture of my ex-girlfriend.

In an interview with Gregory Nicotero, he answered some questions regarding some of the details with the zombie make up. The process of 'zombifying' a person usually takes about an hour and requires gallons of fake blood, contact lenses, fake leathery skin and much to my surprise, VO5 conditioner.

But the makeup is only one half of The Walking Dead experience. Seeing these zombies is one thing, but killing them is another. While I'm sure they had a lot of extras dying to be on the show (hehe), it's still apparently considered 'not cool' to kill people on set, zombie or otherwise. This is where Stargate Studios was hired and they took care of all the special effects for the show (there's a lot of them).

From this

To this. Nice.

By combining the masterful work of Gregory Nicotero and the equally crafty computer generated special effects from Stargate Studios, The Walking Dead was brought brilliantly to the small screen and continues to immerse viewers through not only its visuals but its great storyline too (they're not paying me I swear).

 - Tony (ranga) Stark

Prometheus (2012)

Last year a film was released by Ridley Scott, he's probably one of the most famous film makers of all time, and is almost definitely loathed by many hsc students due to his other famous film, Blade Runner, I know I did. But last year, he released a film called Prometheus.

mmmm giant easter island head.

The film basically relates to the Alien series and has a plot which is set in the late 21st century and revolves around the crew of a spaceship Prometheus, as they follow a star map they found in old caves in Iceland or something. At which point they decide to search for the origin of humanity and end up on a planet with Aliens and stuff (who don't like the humans).

Another thing I should probably mention about this film is that it's cast is outrageously well known, and equally attractive. I love watching Charlize Theron doing anything. Even being a serial killer.

I just can't get over how different  they look!

Maybe I should have done a blog on the makeup in Monster.. an idea for next time. 

soooo prreeeetttyyyyy

Ridley Scott's films are very well known for their innovative nature such as the neo noir thing that everyone talked about in Blade Runner, and the really crisp cinematography in his 2010 film Robin Hood. And yes, I am aware that the protagonist of that film is Russel Crowe and yes I know that everyone hates him.. Which I still don't understand because he is a  really great actor !!!

Now in the film prometheus there are two areas of effects that are worth looking at;

1. The effects used on the creature, alien or whatever you'd like to call it

2. the visual effects used on the film in it's entirety

I guess the creature would have it's own category because it looks SO REAL!

Anyway here we go

Creature Effects. 

The Hammerpede

The films designers and visual architects strove to create a create that was biologically plausible.. Meaning that everything had to be somewhat realistic looking. They drew most of their inspiration from real life aquatic creatures. The snake like alien dubbed the "Hammerpede" was brought to life through a mixture of computer generation (CGI) and some practical effects. In the final edit the wires and controls used on the practical model of the hammerpede were digitally removed.

ew

(spoiler alert!!!!)

In the scene where the Hammerpede is decapitated, a model head was used as a replacement, and the spontaneous regeneration of the head was done through computer generation. The practical model of this was a remotely operated animatronic creation which was encased in a silicon skin.  The mutated Fifield effects were acheived mainly through the use of make up and prosthetics. Due to concerns that the practical effects would be unsatisfactory , the filmmakers completed an alternative version of the sequence in which Fifield was rendered as a digital character with elongated limbs and an engorged transluscent head, incorporating a semblance of Harris's face, other models were made but they were all deemed as too "inhuman" 

This was the alternate version, I'm glad they went with the original.

ew

Visual effects:

This film approximately contains 1300 digital effect shots. The creation of life from the disintegration of an engineer was created by WETA digtal. This scene was particularly difficult to produce because it had to convey the story of the engineers DNA breaking apart. The team focussed on making the DNA stages distinct to convey it's changing nature. Scott requested the audio to focus on the destruction occuring within the engineer. A light colour scheme was used for the Engineers DNA and decayed fish spines were used as an image reference for this. In order to depict the DNA destruction, the team carved vein like structures from silicon and pumped black ink and oils into them while filming the changes over an extended period of time.

:(

SO all in all the film prometheus contains highly sophisticated and laborious visual techniques which were up t standard with Ridley Scotts prior films.

Also

huehuehue

2012

2012 (Film)

2012 is a 2009 American science fiction disaster film directed and co-written by Roland Emmerich. It stars John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandie Newton, Danny Glover, and Woody Harrelson, among others. The special effects are so real that one will not even notice the two hour forty minute period that they have spend watching the movie.

Every sequence in the movie begins as a storyboard, or a rough, comic book-like version of the film's action. This particular sequence, which depicts Curtis Jackson (John Cusack) rescuing his family and driving them to the Santa Monica airport.

After the storyboards are done, the artists move to a stage called the pre-visualization. "I describe it as an early form of a CG version of a sequence, with video-game quality [visuals]. A crude version of the action, pre-visualization includes every part of the scene, up to camera angles and early sound effects

Director Roland Emmerich shoots the limo against a massive blue screen in Vancouver, Canada. The shot, called a live action plate, looks like this before any virtual elements are added.

Coming To America (1988)

James Earl Jones. The loins tremble just speaking the name. If Arnold Schwarzeneggers muscles could talk, they would sound like James Earl Jones' voice. To anyone unfamiliar with Mr. Earl Jones' work (because they've been in a coma and woke up to find the world had changed -hint: next blog post possibly?), perhaps an example or two will tickle your pickle. Mr. Earl Jones was the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (aka the greatest film saga in history) and also voiced Mufasa in The Lion King. He also reprised his role as Darth Vader in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. When such a talented actor played the father of Eddie Murphy (Delirious, Raw, Beverly Hills Cop, Norbit, Coming To America), Coming To America became an instant comedy classic.

In Coming To America, Eddie Murphy plays Prince Akeem, the son of the King to the land of Zamunda. Having lived a pampered life for twenty one years and being told to marry a woman who would obey his every command but have no opinion of her own, Akeem sets out to discover a woman who will "arouse my intellect as well as my loins". Having decided that the most fitting place to find a woman fit for a king would be Queens, New York, Akeem meets a myriad of Americans with his best friend Semi, all of whom, surprise surprise, are played by Akeem and Semi themselves!

 Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall underwent hours and hours of make up to portray multiple characters throughout various scenes in the movie. In one scene, Akeem and Semi walk into a barber shop where they are greeted by three barbers, two of which are played by Eddie and Arsenio, as well as another character in the barber shop also played by Eddie.

 Perhaps Eddie's greatest character in the movie, he plays an old, white Jewish man in the barber shop, alongside one of the barbers.

When asked to play the role of the old, white man, Eddie merely pointed to his face. This is where Rick Baker was brought in. Master make up artist Rick Baker, who has won numerous awards for his make up talents, did the make up for the movie with "close to no money". The barber shop scene had to be shot from certain angles and done with voice overs to hide the fact that Eddie and Arsenio were playing pretty much all the characters. Shit's crazy.

Eddie(right) and Arsenio(left) with their barber makeup on

Arsenio seducing Arsenio

 - Tony (Ranga) Stark

Zombieland (2009)

Like Horror AND Comedy?

Well if you put together actors like Emma Stone and Jesse Eisenberg in one gory Zombie film, there's bound to be some laughs! 

Right?

Zombieland directed by Ruben Fleischer and written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick was released in 2009 delivering a Zombie Comedy film about survivors of the zombie apocalypse road tripping around Southern states of America to find an ultimate sanctuary free from Zombies. Throughout the film the main character, Columbus, played by Jesse Eisenberg lists a set of guidelines on how to survive the 'Zombieland'. These rules present themselves as both ironic and straight-up hilarious!

What makes this film successful is, of course, its ability to create 'believable' Zombie characters with 'abit' of make-up and visual effects that give the audience a hit of fear along with some witty dialogue.

Here's Amber Heard getting Zombiefied for the film!

The director wanted to ground the film into reality by doing extensive research on real life plagues and diseases to create a viral plague of zombie characters. The application of prosthetics take about 1 to 1.5 hours. And then the real fun starts, taking up another hour creating vains, blood, tooth stains, contacts lenses and jaw-droppin' guts all over the body!

WARNING: It's a little bit gory haha