Designs and creates character effects such as cloth and fur simulations
* Develops generalized tools, used in Character FX, to help enhance the pipeline.
* Creates cloth simulation, animation and finaling animation for shot work in production.
*Creatively solve problems and achieve art direction for a shot.
* Troubleshoot and solve problems independently.
* Demonstrate artistic vision and appropriately expand upon the art direction given.
* Technical Animation for shots in production
*Cloth and Fur simulations
* Deformations, procedural modeling and animation
Requirements:
Strong knowledge of Maya. Exposure to rigging tools and surface modeling techniques preferred.
* Dynamic simulation background preferred.
* Scripting proficiency in Mel and Perl.
* Good problem-solving abilities.
* Strong communication skills.
* Production experience.
* Ability to handle and resolve recurring problems.
* Ability to establish priorities, work independently or within a group, and proceed with objectives without supervision.
Village Roadshow Pictures (VRP), a division of Village Roadshow Entertainment Group (VREG), announced that it completed the restructure of its film production facility on. Also 2 key executives are exiting. Dana Goldberg, the president of production, is leaving with a year still to go on her contract. And Jeffrey Lampert, the EVP of physical production, is going to transition to a consulting role.The restructure, led by Rabobank International and JP Morgan Chase, with current financial accommodation of $900 million and provision for additional capacity of $350 million, includes the permanent financing of the 2008 releases Get Smart, Nights in Rodanthe, Yes Man and Gran Torino which were produced in partnership with Warner Bros.
VREG Chairman, Graham Burke, and VREG CEO, Greg Basser, in announcing the restructure, said, “This restructure would not have been possible without the ongoing loyalty and commitment shown to us by our partners at Warner Bros. and Time Warner. We also pay tribute to our lead banks, Rabobank and JP Morgan Chase, who have steered complex negotiations to a successful conclusion in this unprecedented economic environment.”
“We are extremely pleased that Village Roadshow has achieved its financial goals,” said Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. “The company has been an excellent partner for over 30 years, and they are terrific people. We look forward to continuing our successful relationship and to many more years of making great movies together.”
VRP’s upcoming films for 2009 include the live-action adaptation of the classic children’s book Where The Wild Things Are from director Spike Jonze set for release on October 16. Also scheduled this year is Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law and directed by Guy Ritchie, which arrives in theaters on Christmas Day.
In its twelve-year history, Village Roadshow Pictures has become a leading independent coproducer and co-financier of major Hollywood motion pictures, having produced in excess of 60 films including, as co-productions with Warner Bros., The Matrix trilogy, the Ocean’s series, Happy Feet, Mystic River, Analyze This, Miss Congeniality, Two Weeks’ Notice, I Am Legend and Gran Torino.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has arranged a special evening celebrating the career of master makeup artist, Dick Smith on Wednesday June 17, 2009 at 7:30PM at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, 8949 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.
Artist and honoree Dick Smith will be joined by Master of Ceremonies Rick Baker and special speakers and top makeup artists Greg Cannom, Kazuhiro Tsuji, Kevin Haney and Mike Elizalde, along with other guests.
Academy Governor Leonard Engelman says that ”many of the applications and materials, common today, were introduced by Dick Smith. Always at the forefront of the art of makeup, Dick pioneered the artistry of special makeup effects; was one of the first to incorporate overlapping appliances for greater mobility and therefore greater believability; researched and brought to the forefront medical adhesives such as the original ’355 Adhesive’ and Pros Aide; and created the coloring and sealing material PAX which changed the look and longevity of appliances. You have these processes and materials today because Dick was generous and always ready to share with other makeup artists.”
If you are in Los Angeles and are a fellow local 706 makeup and hairstylist union member, IATSE craftsperson or just a film buff or aspiring makeup artist, go here www.Oscars.com to reserve a spot for “The Dick Smith Tribute”.
Enjoy this 20/20 Special on Rick Baker Dick Smith and Special Effects Make-Up and the Academy Awards
Once a pre-med student at Yale, Smith’s work included films as “The Godfather I & II”, “The Exorcist,” “Taxi Driver”, “The Stepford Wives” and “Scanners.” He won an Academy Award in 1984 for Makeup for his work on “Amadeus.” His professional career began in the late forties, on a film “Call Northside 777.”
Smith worked in smallscreen on the Kraft Television Theatre in the fifties, and later on Goth potboiler, “Dark Shadows,” in the sixties.
Smith revolutionized the manufacturing and usage of foam latex pieces for prosthetic makeup versus the standards of the time.
With a budget of 100 million dollars , Land of the Lost retells the story of a classic ‘70’s TV show. For those unfamiliar, here’s the storyline:
On his latest expedition, Dr. Rick Marshall (Will Ferrell) is sucked into a space-time vortex alongside his research assistant (Anna Friel) and a redneck survivalist (Danny McBride). In this alternate universe, the trio makes friends with a primate named Chaka (Jorma Taccone), their only ally in a world full of dinosaurs and other fantastic creatures. Can they all make it back to our world alive, and if so: Will Dr. Marshall can go from zero to hero with his discoveries?
Look for dinosaurs and the return of the Sleestaks in this adventure/sci-fi/comedy.
IMDB list these talented folks in the Makeup and Special Effects Departments:
Steve Artmont ( Contact ,Constantine , Step Brothers ) is the makeup department head
Roland Blancaflor (Total Recall ,300, Hook) is the prosthetic department supervisor/speciality costumes
Mike Elizalde (Men in Black, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, X-Men: The Last Stand) is the creature and makeup effects designer
Bart Mixon (Iron Man, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest , X-Men: The Last Stand) is the special makeup effects artist
Brian Walsh (Fantastic Four, Hellboy, Lady in the Water) is the makeup production supervisor: Spectral Motion, Inc
Michael Lantieri (Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest) is the special effects supervisor
Russell Lukich ( Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Jurassic Park III ) is the on set supervisor: Key Sculptor, Puppeteer: Spectral Motion
Brent Baker (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Spider-Man, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer) is the mold department and life-casting supervisor: Spectral Motion.
George Romero’s new zombie effort, which so far has the ambiguous title …Of the Dead. It was originally going to be a sequel to Diary of the Dead, but now it appears to be at best tangentially related. Regardless of whether or not you like a particular Romero film, you can always count on him to try something new and to explore the humanity within the characters. The story is about an island off the coast of North America, local residents simultaneously fight a zombie epidemic while hoping for a cure to return their un-dead relatives back to their human state..We’ll see how it turns out when …Of the Dead opens later this year.
GoreMaster George Romero is the producer/director.
The Special Effects Makeup team includes:
Goremaster Gregory Nicotero as the special makeup effects producer.
Colin Penman as the makeup department head.
Patrick Baxter and Sean Sansom are the special makeup effects artists with Iantha Goldberg assisting.
Barney Burman special effects makeup master and all around gore guru recently took a few moments to answer some GoreMaster questions. As the son of famed makeup artist Tom Burman, Barney has worked to create his own identity in the field. Burman is a founding member of The Proteus Make-up FX Team (formerly Proteus FX) studio. As the artistic director and lead make-up artist of Proteus FX, Burman has accumulated an impressive credits list that includes the TV series Alias, and such films as Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny (2006), Blades of Glory (2007), and Valkyrie (2008).
Read the full interview, and many others, at GoreMaster.com
GoreMaster News is eagerly awaiting a realese date for The Kentucky Fried Horror Show. With taglines like “Time to get greasy” and “Original Recipe – For Evil!” we know it has to be good.
With a true GoreMaster like Greg Cannom (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl , Titanic , The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ) as special effects supervisor, we know we won’t be disappointed. Also look for more astounding work from Harvey Lowry (Watchmen, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Apocalypto)who is director of operations for the makeup effects department.
We’ve learned it’s a story about a group of college students on spring break from school, go on a road trip across the country seeking fun and excitement. They find themselves being hunted one by one in the heart of the Appalachian mountains.
Mallika Sherawat stars as Nagin in this story based on the Far Eastern myth of the snake woman who is able to take on human form.
Taglines: “She’s sexy… venomous… and she’ll swallow you whole”…and “Vengeance has a sound”
Robert Kurtzman (Austin Powers: Goldmember , Army of Darkness , From Dusk Till Dawn ) of Precinct 13 Entertainment … does double duty creature makeup effects designer and visual effects producer.
Some other interesting facts: Filmed simultaneously in English and Hindi. Production in India was temporarily delayed due to a strike by the Federation of Western India Cine Employees that was staged by more than 100,000 Indian film industry workers in Mumbai protesting low wages, late payments and the employment of nonunion members in Bollywood.
