Distinguished People in the Realm of Makeup, Hair, Special Makeup Effects, Crature and Prosthetic Design, Special and Visual Effects for Films and TV
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Georges Méliès was a French illusionist and film director famous for leading many technical and narrative developments in the earliest days of cinema.
Méliès was an especially prolific innovator in the use of special effects, popularizing such techniques as substitution splices, multiple exposures, time-lapse photography, dissolves, and hand-painted color.
His films include A Trip to the Moon (1902) and An Impossible Voyage (1904), both involving strange, surreal journeys somewhat in the style of Jules Verne, and are considered among the most important early science fiction films.
Méliès died of cancer on 21 January 1938 at the age of 76.
In 2016, a Méliès film long thought lost, A Wager Between Two Magicians, or, Jealous of Myself (1904), was discovered in a Czechoslovak film archive.Le voyage dans la lune, Les cartes vivantes, Le voyage à travers l'impossible
/Special effects/- Visual Effects
- Producer
- Animation Department
When it comes to motion-picture special effects, there is only one name that personifies movie magic: Ray Harryhausen. From his debut films with George Pal to his final film, Harryhausen imbued magic and visual strength to motion-picture special effects as no other technician has, before or since.
Born in Los Angeles, the signature event in Harryhausen's life was when he saw King Kong (1933). So awed was the 13-year-old Harryhausen that he began researching the film's effects work, ultimately learning all he could about Willis H. O'Brien and stop-motion photography--he even contacted O'Brien and showed an allosaur short he made, which caused O'Brien to quip to his wife, "You realize you're encouraging my competition, don't you?" Harryhausen tried to make a stop-motion epic titled "Evolution," but the time required to make it resulted in it being cut short. The footage he completed--of a lumbering apatosaurus attacked by a belligerent allosaurus--made excellent use as a demo reel, and as a result, Harryhausen's first film job came with George Pal, working on the Puppetoon shorts for Paramount. A stint in the army utilized Harryhausen's animation skills for training films.
After World War II, Harryhausen acquired over 1,000 feet of unused military film and made a series of Puppetoon-flavored fairy tale shorts, which helped him land a job with Willis H. O'Brien and Marcel Delgado on Mighty Joe Young (1949). Although O'Brien received credit for it, 85% of the actual animation was done by Harryhausen. His real breakthrough, however, came when he was hired to do the special effects for The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953). The film's $200,000 budget meant that Harryhausen was forced to improvise to get the kinds of quality effects he wanted, and to that end, he learned a technique called split-screen (rear projection on overlapping miniature screens) to insert dinosaurs and other fantastic beasts into real-world backgrounds. The result was eventually picked up for release by Warner Bros. and was one of the most influential sci-fi films of the 1950s.
From there, Harryhausen went over to Columbia and teamed with producer Charles H. Schneer, which became synonymous among sci-fi and fantasy film aficionados with top-notch special-effects work during the remainder of their respective careers. After three sci-fi monster films and work with Willis O'Brien on an Irwin Allen documentary, Harryhausen did the effects work for The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), his first split-screen film shot entirely in color, which was highlighted by Harryhausen's mythological monsters interacting with Kathryn Grant, Torin Thatcher's flavorful performance as the villain, and the rousing score of Bernard Herrmann.
Because Harryhausen worked alone on his stop-motion animation sequences, the filming of these could often take as long as two years, the most famous example of the kind of patience required being the exciting skeleton sword fight sequence in Jason and the Argonauts (1963) (his most popular film), in which Harryhausen often shot no more than 13 frames of film (just over one-half second of elapsed time) per day.
The 1960s were Harryhausen's best years, among the highlights being his reunions with dinosaurs in Hammer Films' One Million Years B.C. (1966) and The Valley of Gwangi (1969). His pace slowed in the 1970s, but he produced three of his masterworks during that period: The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973); Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977); and Clash of the Titans (1981). It was not until 1992 that Harryhausen finally achieved film immortality with an honorary Oscar, a long-overdue tribute to the one name that personifies visual magic.Clash of the Titans, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts...
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Stan Winston was born on 7 April 1946 in Richmond, Virginia, USA. He is known for Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Jurassic Park (1993) and Aliens (1986). He was married to Karen Winston. He died on 15 June 2008 in Malibu, California, USA.The Thing, Edward Scissorhands, Artificial Intelligence: AI ...
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- Director
Dennis Muren is the Senior Visual Effects Supervisor and Creative Director of Industrial Light & Magic. A recipient of nine Oscars for Best Achievement in Visual Effects and a Technical Achievement Academy Award®, Muren is actively involved in the evolution of the company, as well as the design and development of new techniques and equipment. In June 1999, Muren became the first visual effects artist to be honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In February 2007, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Visual Effects Society. Muren is currently working on a book focusing on "observation" for digital artists.
As Creative Director of Industrial Light & Magic, Muren is a key member of the company's leadership team and collaborates with all of ILM's supervisors on each of the films that the company contributes to.Jurassic Park, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Terminator 2 ...
/Visual Effects/- Visual Effects
- Producer
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Phil Tippett is the founder and namesake of Tippett Studio. His varied career in visual effects has spanned more than 30 years and includes two Academy Awards; and six nominations, one BAFTA award and four nominations, two Emmys and the advent of modern digital effects in motion pictures.
As a child of seven, Phil was profoundly inspired by Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion classic, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and Willis O'Brien's classic character King Kong. His subsequent devotion to the creation of the fantastic creatures in film has become his raison d'etre. As a kid, and then as a student always drawing, sculpting and making animations, he developed his skills in a broader context first with a Fine Arts degree from University of California at Irvine, then as an animator at the commercial house, Cascade Pictures in Los Angeles. As a young adult Phil sought out teachers and mentors establishing connections and friendships with Ray Harryhausen and Ray Bradbury.
A huge turning point came in 1975 when George Lucas hired Phil and Jon Berg to create a stop motion miniature chess scene for Star Wars: A New Hope. Phil also had a hand in many other aspects of the Star Wars films, including modeling and casting alien heads and limbs for the busy Cantina scene in the first film. By 1978 Phil lead the animation team at Industrial Light and Magic that would launch his career bringing life to the sinister Imperial Walkers and the alien hybrid Tauntaun for The Empire Strikes Back.
In 1982, building upon insights from 'Empire', the same ILM team developed a stop-motion process that they comically christened as 'Go Motion' that produced a startlingly realistic beast for Dragonslayer and won Phil an Academy Award; nomination. And in 1983, as head of the ILM creature shop, he began work on Return of the Jedi, designing Jabba The Hut and the Rancor Pit Monster as well as animating the two legged Walker and later winning the Oscar; for Best Visual Effects.
In 1984 Phil left ILM to create a 10-minute short film, Prehistoric Beast. The newly formed Tippett Studio, then operating out of Phil's garage, drew upon Phil's wealth of experience with stop motion and his expertise in anatomical modeling and rigging. He and Tippett Studio went on to create top-notch stop motion animations for various television and film projects including Dinosaur!, Willow, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and the Robocop trilogy.
In 1991, Steven Spielberg, learning of Phil's expertise in dinosaur movement and behavior, selected him to supervise the dinosaur animation for Jurassic Park. When Phil learned of the choice to go with the computer generated dinosaurs, instead of stop motion, his initial reaction was, "I think I'm extinct!" It was this project that was responsible for Tippett Studio's transition from stop-motion to computer generated animation and for which Phil was awarded his second Oscar®.
Phil's next major challenge came in 1995 when Paul Verhoeven, again with producer Jon Davison, asked Tippett Studio to create the swarms of deadly arachnids for the sci-fi extravaganza, Starship Troopers. Leading a team of 150 computer artists and technicians, earned Phil a sixth Academy Award; nomination in 1997. Starship Troopers firmly planted Tippett Studio (and Phil) into the digital age of filmmaking.
In the following years Phil has been a guide and mentor for the Tippett Studio VFX supervisors and crew as they create monsters, aliens and appealing creatures for the numerous films that wind their way through the Tippett pipeline.
Partnering with associate, writer Ed Neumeier (Starship Troopers and Robocop scribe), the two created the story for Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation, which Phil went on to direct in 2004 for Screengems.
Recently, Phil oversaw the design and creation of the wolf pack in Summit Entertainment's New Moon and Eclipse, the second and third film installments based on the Twilight series of novels by Stephanie Meyer.
Phil's roots in stop motion, modeling and practical effects and his ability to use this foundation in conjunction with developing technologies has made him one of a handful of artists whose careers have spanned the transition of visual effects from largely practical to digital. In this way he is a great teacher and mentor to the crew passing on the tradition of mentorship given to him in the early part of his career.Star Wars, RoboCop, Willow
/Visual Effects/- Make-Up Department
- Location Management
- Special Effects
Greg Cannom was born in 1951 in the USA. He is known for Vice (2018), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).Bram Stoker's Dracula, Titanic, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl...
/Make Up/- Visual Effects
- Music Department
Joe Letteri's pioneering work in visual effects has earned him four Academy® Awards for Best Visual Effects - for Avatar, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and King Kong. He has a long-standing interest in creating compelling, realistic creatures - from Jurassic Park's dinosaurs, to Gollum, the Na'vi in Avatar, and Caesar from the Planet of the Apes franchise. He has developed many techniques that have become industry standards for creating photorealistic digital effects. This includes co-developing the subsurface scattering technique that brought Gollum to life (winning an Academy® Technical Achievement Award), and pushing the development of large-scale virtual production.
Under creative Joe's leadership, Weta Digital has continued to expand and improve these techniques through films like The Hobbit trilogy, The Adventures of Tintin, and The BFG. Joe is currently working with James Cameron on the Avatar sequels.Lord of The Rings, Avatar, X-Men: The Last Stand...
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- Make-Up Department
- Visual Effects
Carlo Rambaldi was born on 15 September 1925 in Vigarano Mainarda, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. He is known for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), King Kong (1976) and Alien (1979). He was married to Bruna Basso. He died on 10 August 2012 in Lamezia Terme, Calabria, Italy.Alien, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Dune...
/Special effects/- Visual Effects
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- Producer
Scott Squires was born on 7 November 1956 in San Rafael, California, USA. He is a director and producer, known for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), DragonHeart (1996) and The Mask (1994).Blade Runner, The Mask, Star Trek: The Motion Picture...
/Visual effects/- Visual Effects
- Producer
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Richard Edlund was born on 6 December 1940 in Fargo, North Dakota, USA. He is a producer, known for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) and Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980).Raiders of the Lost Ark, Ghost Busters, Die Hard ...
/Visual Effects/- Make-Up Department
- Additional Crew
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Stuart Freeborn was born on 5 September 1914 in Leytonstone, London, England, UK. He is known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) and Superman (1978). He was married to Kay Freeborn. He died on 5 February 2013 in London, England, UK.2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, Superman ...
/Make Up /- Visual Effects
- Producer
- Special Effects
John Dykstra was born on 3 June 1947 in Long Beach, California, USA. He is a producer, known for Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man (2002) and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).Spider-Man, Godzilla(2014), Django Unchained...
/Visual Effects/- Special Effects
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Visual Effects
Nick Allder was born on 23 February 1943 in Eton, Buckinghamshire, England, UK. He is known for The Fifth Element (1997), Alien (1979) and The Ritual (2017).Braveheart, Léon, The Fifth Element ...
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Richard Taylor is known for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), King Kong (2005) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).King Kong(2005), The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit...
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- Actor
- Visual Effects
Roger Dicken was born in 1939 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Alien (1979), The Hunger (1983) and When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970). He was married to Lesley Clack. He died on 18 February 2024 in North Wales, Wales, UK.2001: A Space Odyssey, The Hunger, Alien...
/Special Effects/- Special Effects
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- Stunts
Richard Stutsman is known for The Hurt Locker (2008), Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and A River Runs Through It (1992).The Aviator, Jaws, Barton Fink ...
/Special effects/- Make-Up Department
- Special Effects
- Additional Crew
Nick Dudman and his team created the make-up effects and the magical animatronic creatures ( and the CG scanning models ) in all of the Harry Potter films, garnering Bafta nominations for the first four in the series, and also for the seventh.
The last Potter movie brought an Oscar Nomination,another Bafta Nomination and another Saturn Nomination. He won the Critics Choice award for Best Makeup for the final in the series, as well.
He won the Bafta for Best Visual Effects for "The Fifth Element", and in 2006 he was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2007 he was presented with the Canadian Genie Award for Special Achievement in Make-Up for Beowulf and Grendel.
Having completed all three series of "Penny Dreadful" as Make-up Effects Designer, he was awarded a Bafta Craft Award for the first series, receiving an Emmy Nomination for all three seasons, three years in a row.
He is also developing a major TV Series, "The Saga of The Exiles", based on the best-selling series of "Pliocene Exile" science fiction / fantasy novels by Julian May.
In 2012 Nick Dudman was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the University of the Arts Bournemouth.
His latest project is as Makeup Effects and Creatures Designer on the Amazon / Legendary series "Carnival Row".- Actor
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Although his parents were deaf, Leonidas Chaney became an actor and also owner of a theatre company (together with his brother John). He made his debut at the movies in 1912, and his filmography is vast. Lon Chaney was especially famous for his horror parts in movies like e.g. Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923). Due to his special make-up effects he carried the characterization to be "the man with the thousand faces." He only filmed one movie with sound: The remake of one of his earlier films The Unholy Three (1930). His son, Lon Chaney Jr., became a famous actor of the horror genre.- Make-Up Department
- Actor
- Additional Crew
As we look back on the cinematic pioneers of the 20th century, no individual is more significant in his field than genius makeup artist Jack Pierce, the legendary monster-maker who worked in the 1930s and 1940s at Universal Studios during its classic horror period. Pierce's story is equal parts triumph and tragedy. After emigrating to the US from Greece at the turn of the century, he attempted to play baseball, unsuccessfully trying out for a semi-professional team in California after achieving some notoriety as a shortstop in Chicago. He next worked in the fledgling motion picture industry in the 1910s and 1920s, trying his hand at a variety of jobs from nickelodeon manager to stuntman to assistant cameraman. At this time Universal was a nascent little studio in the San Fernando Valley, referred to as "Universal City" in 1915, after only three years in business. The brainchild of former haberdasher Carl Laemmle, Universal was the home to many silent shorts in the 1910s, several of which featured the talents of an unknown actor named Lon Chaney, who got work by creating his own unique makeups, transforming his entire face and body in the process.
Pierce eventually drifted into acting, then makeup, working at Vitagraph and the original Fox Studios in the 1920s. By 1928, after Chaney had left to freelance stardom, Universal made Pierce head of the makeup department, where he worked on the last of the silent films made at the studio. His fortune was cemented when Carl Laemmle made his son, Carl Laemmle Jr., head of production as a 21st-birthday present. Called "Junior" by his peers and colleagues, Laemmle Jr. decided to produce film versions of classic horror novels, encouraged by Chaney's huge successes with The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Phantom of the Opera (1925) at Universal in the mid-'20s. Laemmle's personal tastes couldn't have been any more fortuitous for Pierce: from 1930-1947 Pierce created some of cinema history's most distinguishable screen characters.
In 1930 Dracula (1931) was first produced, and though Bela Lugosi refused to let Pierce apply his makeup (the actor had come from the stage where he always did his own work), Pierce came up with the styling for the vampire character and his many female victims. Immediately following the success of "Dracula", Junior wanted a follow-up, which led to the production of Frankenstein (1931) in 1931. Though many have argued as to whether director James Whale, actor Boris Karloff or Junior himself contributed to the makeup, the driving force behind the look of the character unquestionably belonged to Jack Pierce. Every morning Karloff sat for four uncomfortable hours, suffering the makeup's high levels of toxicity, as Pierce and his assistants applied the head, facial buildup and layers of padding and costume modifications that would make him into the movies' most memorable monster. For the 43-year-old Karloff and 42-year-old Pierce it was a remarkable achievement--their legend would have been guaranteed even if they had stopped their unique artist-performer collaboration right then and there. Furthering their reputation, though, Pierce and Karloff teamed the following year to create The Mummy (1932). Though the actual creature is only seen for a matter of seconds, it was another unforgettable achievement in cinema horror when "In-Ho-Tep" came alive and paraded across an unearthed Egyptian tomb. Karloff spent most of the picture as "Ardath Bey", another Pierce incarnation, the doomed prince looking for his lost bride.
The Laemmles also tried to get new cinematic treatments of "Phantom of the Opera" and "Hunchback" off the ground at this time. Lon Chaney had died in 1930, but many of their efforts stalled. A version of "The Wolf Man" with Karloff was even planned, but this, too, would be derailed due to production problems. If you can't initiate wholly original projects, why not try a sequel? Universal did just that, starting a trend that would result in numerous Dracula, Frankenstein and Mummy spin-offs, which became its trademark.
First on the boards was what would be the final horror film in the Laemmle period, Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Revamping his first version of the monster, Pierce also created the famous makeup and designed the electric hairstyle for Elsa Lanchester's bride. Once again, Pierce created an iconic movie character who only appeared on screen very briefly at the end of the film. Then, in an instance of commerce overwhelming art, the Laemmles sold the studio in 1937, ushering in a series of revolving studio heads at Universal for the next 10 years.
In the many comings and goings of Universal executives in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Pierce did manage to retain his level of high-quality character makeups in several cranked-out sequels and B-movies. For Lugosi, with whom Pierce had locked horns several years earlier on "Dracula", Pierce created "Ygor" in 1939's Son of Frankenstein (1939). Conceived as a man who couldn't be hanged, the bearded, gnarled-toothed wretch became Lugosi's most original character in years and put him back on the map. Two years later Pierce pulled out all the stops for The Wolf Man (1941) with Lon Chaney Jr. in the title role. Though the two reportedly did not get along--Chaney did not like wearing the makeup or undergoing the lengthy application and removal period--Pierce excelled again with his werewolf concept, utilizing a design he had created for Karloff a decade earlier. Originally intended as a B-movie, The Wolf Man (1941) was a true horror classic, and Pierce's version of the character has been the model for the numerous werewolves that have since come to the screen.
The final, original Pierce makeup arrived in 1943 with Phantom of the Opera (1943). Starring Claude Rains (it would be the only Jack Pierce monster movie shot in color). Though his treatment of Claude Rains' makeup--revealed only at the end of the film--was cut down at the request of the producers (Pierce's original concept was considered too hideous!), it stands as another horror movie landmark.
Jack Pierce's reign at Universal ended shortly after WWII when the studio merged with International Pictures and replaced many of its department heads. He had been a makeup supervisor for 19 years and worked at the studio for 30 years, but Pierce ended his career working in low-budget independent films and television projects during the final 20 years of his life. His last project was working as makeup department head for the TV show Mister Ed (1961) from 1961-1964. Unthinkably, he died in virtual obscurity in 1968. However, today's artists still view Pierce's work as a relevant force in the annals of cinema crafts, and Pierce has been honored with a tribute DVD, a lifetime achievement award by the makeup union, and a proposed forthcoming star on Hollywood Boulevard.- Make-Up Department
- Special Effects
- Visual Effects
Ken Diaz is known for Black Panther (2018), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) and Training Day (2001).- Make-Up Department
- Special Effects
- Writer
Academy Award-winner JOEL HARLOW is one of the most innovative makeup and special makeup artists and designers in American motion pictures. He has proven himself to be one of a very few number of artists who is able to span the world of makeup effects design and creation to the world of on set makeup application. Re-establishing the old studio system of an "in house" makeup and prosthetics department, Harlow and his team have successfully accommodated last minute needs and changes on a variety of major productions.
In 1986, Harlow left his home town of Grand Forks, ND for the faster paced lifestyle of New York. Attending the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan afforded him the opportunity to develop his craft, initially as an animation major. It was makeup and prosthetics that were his true passion however, and he eventually found work on an array of low budget genre pictures, creating characters on shoestring budgets. It was the idea of creating characters that was his focus (be that as an animator or makeup artist), the characters were what was important.
Los Angeles was the next logical destination for a makeup effects artist in the late 80s, early 90s, and Harlow soon found himself there. After a decade long career working for the various makeup effects studios in the San Fernando Valley, he eventually joined the union. This now allowed him the opportunity to, not only create and build makeups but also apply them on set. taking a character full circle from design to completion would prove his specialty.
Anxious to now apply his skills on set, Harlow began working steadily on such high profile films as "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "A.I. Artificial Intelligence," "Planet of the Apes," "Constantine" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," creating a long-standing relationship with Johnny Depp, director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Harlow would be the key makeup artist, makeup effects supervisor, and prosthetic makeup designer on "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest", and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," again directed by Verbinski. Being well versed in the aesthetic of the "Pirate" films, he would go on to be makeup designer and department head on "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," directed by Rob Marshall. Finally having his hand in all five Pirate films as Department Head of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) additional photography.
In 2009 Harlow had ventured from the crusty old world of Captain Jack to the futuristic polished world of Captain Kirk, where he was tasked with creating looks for the Romulans and reintroducing the Vulcans for JJ Abrams' "Star Trek", ultimately winning an Academy Award for his work in 2010. Previously, Harlow had already won a Critic's Choice award for his work on "Alice in Wonderland," as well as Primetime Emmy Awards for the television miniseries versions of Stephen King's "The Stand" and "The Shining," and receiving nominations for "Mad Men," "Carnivale" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
For the past 8 years Harlow has worked as Johnny Depp's makeup artist on "Alice in Wonderland", "Alice Through the Looking Glass", "The Tourist", "Transcendence", "Mortdecai", "Tusk" and "Into The Woods", as well as makeup designer on "The Rum Diary," "Dark Shadows", "Black Mass" and "The Lone Ranger", for which he was nominated for a second Academy Award. In addition Harlow was key makeup artist on Ron Howard's "Angels & Demons," key prosthetic makeup artist for Christopher Nolan's "Inception", key prosthetic makeup artist on "Green Lantern" and makeup department head on "Battle: Los Angeles."
Anxious for the opportunities that Justin Lin's "Star Trek Beyond" offered in the world of character creation, Harlow enlisted some of the industries best artists to help bring a staggering 56 different alien races to the screen. Never before had there been so many different and elaborate practical makeup creations offered up in a single film, a fact that Harlow and crew take immense pride in.
Currently, Harlow's company, Morphology FX Inc. continues to create a full range of state-of-the- art makeup, special makeup effects and prosthetics. Seeing characters through, from lab to set, continues to be the artistic passion of everyone on the team.- Make-Up Department
- Actress
- Special Effects
Ve Neill was born on 12 May 1951 in Riverside, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Mrs. Doubtfire (1993).- Martin Samuel is known for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006). He has been married to Mary Samuel since 10 March 1970. They have two children.
- Make-Up Department
Martial Corneville is known for 101 Dalmatians (1996), Hillbilly Elegy (2020) and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007).- Additional Crew
- Art Department
- Production Designer
Artist, writer, film conceptual designer, and cartoonist Ron Cobb was born in 1937 in Los Angeles, California. Cobb began his career in the mid-1950's as an inbetweener/breakdown artist on the classic Walt Disney animated feature "Sleeping Beauty." Ron was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1960 and served in the Signal Corps during the Vietnam war in 1963. Following his tour of duty Cobb became a political cartoonist for the L.A. Free Press, which lasted from 1965 to 1970. He designed the cover for the Jefferson Airplane album "After Bathing at Baxter's." In 1969 Ron designed the international symbol for Ecology. In 1972 he moved to Sydney, Australia. Cobb's first film assignment was designing the spaceship exterior for John Carpenter's science fiction cult comedy "Dark Star." Ron was the production designer on the movies "Conan the Barbarian" (Cobb also has an uncredited bit part in this particular picture), "The Last Starfighter," and "Leviathan." Among the films Cobb made conceptual contributions to are "Star Wars," "Alien," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Special Edition," "Back to the Future," "Real Genius," "Aliens," "The Abyss," "Total Recall," "True Lies," "Space Truckers," "The Sixth Day," "Titan A.E.," and "Southland Tales."
Moreover, Ron designed the opening credits sequence for the anthology TV series "Amazing Stories" and wrote the "Shelter Skelter" episode of the mid-1980's revival of "The Twilight Zone." In addition, Cobb originated the story for "Night Skies," a darker earlier version of "E.T." which alas never got made. He directed the comedy "Garbo" in 1990. Outside of his film and television work, Ron did designs and wrote scenarios for several video games. His illustrations were published in the books "RCD-25," "Mah Fellow Americans," "Raw Sewage," "The Cobb Book," "Cobb Again," and "Colorvision." Cobb lived in Sydney, Australia with his wife Robin Love and son Nicky. He died at age 83 from lewy body dementia on September 21, 2020.- Make-Up Department
- Actress
- Producer
Heba Thorisdottir, the Iceland-born, Los Angeles-based make-up artist has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood over the course of her career. From the red carpet, to the big screen, to high-fashion editorials, to commercial advertising, Heba's approach is visionary and versatile, and her execution skills make her an asset to any creative collaboration. Heba began her career in music videos, working with REM, Bruce Springsteen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Sting. She quickly nabbed a position as additional make-up artist on the T.V. series Twin Peaks, where she was director David Lynch' inspiration for the character of "Heba Thorsdottir" in the first season of the show. Heba has been a frequent collaborator of Quentin Tarantino and designed the make-up for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds and Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 as well as being a personal make-up artist to actresses Cate Blanchett, Scarlett Johansson, Brie Larson, Lucy Liu and Kristen Wiig. Heba's presence is also widely sought in the editorial and advertising realm. She has done make-up for the covers of L'Uomo Vogue, Mademoiselle, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Vibe and Shape, as well as major marketing campaigns for Levi's, Redken, J.Crew, Emporio Armani, Nike, The GAP and Ray-Ban. Heba has been married to E. Shepherd Stevenson since 2007 and she has two grown sons from a previous marriage: Adam Bjorn Fienberg and Thorir Fienberg.- Art Department
- Costume Designer
- Additional Crew
Born in Winchester in 1947, Brian Froud graduated with Honours from Maidstone College of Art in 1971 with a degree in Graphic Design. Soon afterwards, Froud began working in London on various projects ranging from book jackets, magazine covers to advertising as well as illustrating several children books.
A couple of years later Brian Froud moved to Devon and stayed with fellow artist Alan Lee and Lee's family. Froud continued to illustrate children books as well as find time to create and publish his own artwork (such images can be found in The Land of Froud and Once Upon a Time).
In 1978 Brian Froud and Alan Lee put together an ensemble of drawings and paintings in which the world adored: Faeries was a great success, hitting the number four spot on the New York Times Best Seller List. Brian Froud's artistic techniques and wisdom of folklore caught the eyes of many, including Jim Henson (creator of the Muppets). In 1978 Jim Henson hired Froud to help create a unique otherworld, better known as The World Of The Dark Crystal. The film "The Dark Crystal" was a monumental collaberation of ideas, techniques, and creativity. On the set of "The Dark Crystal"- released in 1982, Brian Froud met Wendy Midener, a puppet designer (creator of the "Gelflings" and Star Wars' "Yoda"). Their son Toby starred in the Henson film, "Labyrinth"- 1986, in which Brian Froud was once again hired as the Conceptual Designer. Froud continued working with Henson on television programs such as "Jim Henson's Storyteller," as well as working on designs for other film/media projects.
Froud also began to collaborate with the screenwriter of "Labyrinth," Terry Jones. They created several books including one of Froud's most popular, titled Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book.
Brian Froud has recently published the sequel to Froud/Lee's best selling Faeries book. This book, titled Good Faeries/Bad Faeries, has been highly acclaimed and warmly received by his many fans.
Throughout the years, Brian Froud has created some of the most respected and highly acknowledged folklore/mythic artwork of out time. He has won numerous awards, including the ASFA Best Interior Illustration and the Hugo award for Best Original Artwork in 1995. Through Froud's unique style (by utilizing acrylics, colored pencil, pastels and ink), he has created some of the most well known fantasy images of the Twenty-first Century. Froud continues to create visual, spiritual and poetic tales that will last many years to come.- Producer
- Director
- Visual Effects
Legendary filmmaker and visual effects pioneer, Douglas Trumbull, was one of the Special Photographic Effects Supervisors for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). He went on to become the Visual Effects Supervisor for such classics as Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), and Blade Runner (1982), each of which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects.
Mr. Trumbull directed Silent Running (1972), Brainstorm (1983), Back to the Future... The Ride (1991) and numerous other special format films.
He is the recipient of an Academy Award in the area of Scientific and Technical Achievement, as well as the International Monitor Award and American Society of Cinematographers' Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions in the field of filmmaking. Douglas is currently involved in the evolution of visual effects using virtual digital sets and electronic cinematography.- Visual Effects
- Additional Crew
Michael Lynch is known for Starship Troopers (1997), Star Trek: Generations (1994) and The Island (2005).- Visual Effects
- Special Effects
- Actor
Jon Berg is known for The Fly (1986), Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).- Visual Effects
- Animation Department
- Special Effects
Doug Beswick is known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), The Terminator (1984) and Aliens (1986).- Make-Up Department
- Special Effects
- Actor
Rick Baker was born on 8 December 1950 in Binghamton, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for Planet of the Apes (2001), Men in Black (1997) and The Wolfman (2010). He has been married to Silvia Abascal since 8 November 1987. They have two children. He was previously married to Elaine Alexander.- Make-Up Department
- Additional Crew
- Special Effects
Dick Smith was born on 26 June 1922 in Larchmont, New York, USA. He is known for The Exorcist (1973), Altered States (1980) and Scanners (1981). He was married to Jocelyn DeRosa. He died on 30 July 2014 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Make-Up Department
- Special Effects
- Visual Effects
Kazu Hiro was born on 25 May 1969 in Kyoto, Japan. He is known for Darkest Hour (2017), Bombshell (2019) and Mindhunter (2017).- Make-Up Department
- Additional Crew
He's a Canadian, British and naturalized American citizen. He started in amateur theatre and operatic societies as well as community cable television while still in high school. First film was as an assistant makeup artist on "Joshua Then and Now" and continued working as assistant makeup on numerous projects including "Anne of Green Gables" 'The Fly" "The Believers" and "Frontier" While just in his twenties he was makeup department head on "Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future" winning a daytime Emmy nomination in 1988 and continued to department head several network miniseries and movies of the week. He works extensively with out of kit techniques in casualty effects. His stellar credits as a department head and personal make up artist in all aspects of feature film and television make up from period, corrective, casualty, beauty and straight make up as well as tattoo cover has been seen in countless feature films and projects for television. He worked extensively with Mark Wahlberg for many years as well as with Eminem. In recent years Donald has been working with Daniel Craig and continues to work as both a department head(The Fighter,8 Mile, Taking Lives,Repo Men, Prisoners, Everything Will Be Fine) and personal artist(Skyfall, Cowboys and Aliens) In 2012 Mr.Mowat received Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee Medal. Donald has also worked on numerous editorial/print projects with many actors and performers. Focused primarily on feature films from 1992 onwards his stellar career, commitment to the craft and industry as well as active involvement in many charitable causes has earned him an international reputation.- Make-Up Department
- Special Effects
- Art Department
Love Larson was born on 11 June 1978 in Umeå, Västerbottens län, Sweden. He is known for Dune (2021), Dune: Part Two (2024) and Moon Knight (2022).- Make-Up Department
- Actress
- Special Effects
Eva Von Bahr was born on 17 December 1968 in Malmö, Sweden. She is an actress, known for Dune (2021), A Man Called Ove (2015) and The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (2013). She has been married to Love Larson since 2015. They have one child. She was previously married to Magnus Evertsson.- Visual Effects
- Visual Effects
- Visual Effects
Brian Connor is a Production VFX Supervisor with over 22 years of experience in high-end feature film and episodic visual effects. He recently wrapped post on 'Devotion' for director J.D. Dillard as the overall Production VFX Supervisor. He recently won a VES, BAFTA and OSCAR for the visual effects work he supervised on Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune'.
Previously, Brian supervised George Clooney's World War II drama 'Catch 22' for Hulu. His work on the series earned him an Emmy Nomination at the 2019 Emmy Awards for 'Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role'. Brian also served as VFX Supervisor on 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' (2019) which was nominated for a 'Saturn' Award.
Brian is a member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and the Visual Effects Society (VES).
Brian has extensive experience of bringing the physical reality of practical, in-camera elements together with state-of-the-art digital material to create seamless, photo-realistic results.....all in service to the story. He is experienced in both practical aerial cinematography and its Virtual Production use as a background in an LED Volume with motion-base buck.
Brian has solid knowledge of on-set work gained through films such as 'The Host', 'Chaos Walking', 'Star Trek Beyond', 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' and 'Dune', where he served as on-set Supervisor. He is versatile and resourceful, and always looks for the most appropriate, cost-effective, practical vs digital methodologies at every stage of the process.
Originally from Chicago, Brian Brian co-authored a book called 'The Encyclopedia of Visual Effects' and was a contributor to Ron Brinkmann's 2nd edition of 'The Art & Science of Digital Compositing'.- Special Effects
- Additional Crew
- Stunts
Gerd Nefzer was born on 5 July 1965 in Schwäbisch Hall, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He is known for Dune (2021), Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023).- Special Effects
- Director
- Visual Effects
Brian Johnson is a award winning special and visual effects designer and director who for over 40 years provided his services to a multitude of film and television productions.
Johnson's career began in 1957 when he joined Anglo Scottish Pictures after meeting veteran effects artist and skilled matte painter Les Bowie moving on to become a clapper loader and filming effects plates for Dunkirk (1958). After becoming a Hammer films effects assistant in 1958 Johnson's national service in the RAF followed before moving on to film the 1961 apocalyptic classic The Day the Earth Caught Fire during which he was an effects assistant at Bowie Films.
In 1961 Johnson joined AP Films (later Century 21) under the talented Derek Meddings, firstly as a model builder and flyer on Gerry Anderson classics such as Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray and later a second unit director on the groundbreaking television series Thunderbirds. By 1966 Johnson left Century 21, taking with him a wealth of knowledge and found himself working on a Stanley Kubrick picture called 2001: A Space Odyssey on special effects shots which took over two years to complete. 2001 of course went on to become a huge success and to this day remains one of the most influential and highly regarded pictures of the science fiction genre.
After 2001 film, Johnson went on to work on various film and television productions including Moon Zero Two, On the Buses, Z Cars, and the Hammer production When Dinosaurs Ruled the World with renowned stop motion animator Jim Danforth who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. By 1974 Johnson was once again working for Gerry Anderson on his latest television series Space: 1999 producing high quality effects which are still highly regarded today, he was also responsible for designing the now iconic Eagle Transporter and various other craft of the series. It was during the production of 1999 at Bray Studios Johnson was first approached by two filmmakers to work on a big American space picture turning them down as he had signed for the second series of Space: 1999.
Johnson's next big production was to be Ridley Scott's Alien where he once again worked with friend and Space: 1999 collaborator Nick Allder on the various model miniature effects sequences out of Bray Studios as special effects supervisor. Meanwhile the American Space picture became Star Wars, the highest grossing film of all time, an Academy Award winner and a cult worldwide phenomenon, the two aforementioned filmmakers were George Lucas and Gary Kurtz. Fortunately for Johnson he was invited to work on the sequel The Empire Strikes Back where he supervised special and visual effects at the now world renowned Industrial Light and Magic.
In early 1980 Johnson's work on Alien was recognized when he was bestowed the 1979 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects along with H.R. Giger, Carlo Rambaldi, Nick Allder and Dennis Ayling. Just after this The Empire Strikes Back was released to worldwide acclaim and the 1980 Special Achievement Academy Award was presented to Brian Jonhson, Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren and Bruce Nicholson in recognition of their achievements in the field of visual effects.
Johnson went on to work on Dragonslayer, at the request of Lucas and Spielberg and was nominated for another Academy Award, this time losing out to Raiders of the Lost Ark, this proved to be his final Lucasfilm production after which he worked on The NeverEnding Story and James Cameron's Aliens for which he was awarded a BAFTA for his contribution to visual effects.- Visual Effects
- Art Director
As former Chief Matte Artist at Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic, and Chief Matte Artist at Matte World Digital Chris Evans brought his artistic eye and talent as a painter to many feature films and television productions. He received both an Emmy(TM)Award and an Oscar(TM)nomination for his cinematic illusionism and has worked with the industry's foremost directors including George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, James Cameron, and David Fincher.
Evans was born in 1954 in Bremerton, Washington, and grew up in Bay Shore, New York. He began oil painting as a child, and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from UCLA. He first learned the techniques of traditional matte painting from Disney Matte Department veteran Alan Maley who had worked under Peter Ellenshaw. It was while working at ILM's experimental Pixar division with Dennis Muren and John Lassiter on Young Sherlock Holmes, that Chris did the motion picture industry's first digital matte shot. Throughout his career he has collaborated with veteran cameraman, Visual Effects Supervisor, and VFX Historian Craig Barron.
Evans has contributed to the "invisible art" an unmatched eye for realistic detail and natural lighting, and the proven skills of a master matte painter. In 2012 Chris became a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.- Visual Effects
- Executive
- Producer
John Gaeta was born in 1965. He is known for The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and The Matrix Revolutions (2003).- Cinematographer
- Visual Effects
- Camera and Electrical Department
Nikolay Lazarov was born on January 25, 1950 in Gabrovo, Bulgaria. In 1969 he graduated Mechanical School in Gabrovo. The same year he won silver and bronze medal at the "5th National Festival of amateur cinema". In 1974 he graduated State Cinema Institute in Moscow with a degree "cinematographer". In 1998 he protected academic title Associate Professor, and in 2001 - the degree Doctor of Science. In 2006 he won the contest in National Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Sofia, Bulgaria for a full-time professor, film studies. His cinema debut was in 1976 with the feature film "Rush", directed by Ognyan Surdalov. Since 1993 he has operated as a freelancer. Since 1996 to 2002 he was the Technical Chief of Audiovisual Orpheus Studios. Since 2002 to 01.12.2011 he was Executive Producer of Audiovisual Orpheus Studios. He has directed 29 feature films, 40 documentaries and prestigious advertising. Prizes of his film: Special prize of the festival in Krakow 81 for Memory of a man, directed by Nikolay Lazarov; Award Europe in Strasbourg (1989) and Award in Tokio for the movie Without Anesthesia, directed by Yuliya Kancheva; Silver Dragon in Krakow (1989) for the film Life is Before Us, directed by Yuliya Kancheva; FIPRESCI prize and Best Greek Film Award for "Slaughtering of the rooster", directed by Andreas Pantzis at 37 International Film Festival, Thessaloniki, 1996; Jury Award at International Film Festival "Love is folly" in Varna and special prize "for contribution to the development of film language" for 'Slaughtering of the rooster", directed by Andreas Pantzis (1996). In 1997 "Slaughter of the rooster" represented Greece in the "Oscar" for best foreign language film. The film "Slaughtering of the rooster" won Best Picture Award in Barcelona (1997) and First Prize in Rome for "Artistic expression" (1997). FIPRESCI prize and Bronze medal for Best Picture for the film "It Tama" at 42 International Film Festival, Thessaloniki, 2001; First Prize at the International Film Festival in Cairo for the film It Tama (2002). Golden Rhyton at Bulgarian Documentary and Animation Festival, Plovdiv and Jameson Award at Sofia International Film Fest for the film "Three Sisters and Andrey" (2009).Since 2007to 2011 Lazarov led national projects for digital restoration, subtitling 5 European languages edition of Blue Ray DVD and widespread classic Bulgarian feature films under contracts with National Film Center.