Sergio Guerra designs zombies for his first feature film

Melissa Rentería – Conexión

His work has been seen in dozens of locally produced indie films and has adorned Halloween revelers across the country.

Sergio Guerra, the creator of makeup special effects, now tackles a more personal project with “Zombie Movie,” his first feature film.

 “Zombie Movie” was shot in San Antonio and Floresville earlier this year. Guerra directed, co-wrote and edited the film. And, of course, he created its zombie looks.

“This is fun. It’s like playing. All I really do is have fun with it,” Guerra said during a recent photo shoot that required him to turn four local actors into scary creatures of the undead.

The 29-year-old’s “playing around” with special-effects makeup started when he was 4 years old and tried to recreate the looks of make-believe monsters formed in his imagination. The child’s play eventually turned into a career.

Guerra started working in the Halloween industry 10 years ago, creating the scary looks for monsters, zombies and other gory creatures for local haunted houses and shows.

He founded his special effects and makeup company The Darkness four years ago out of his South Side home.

“I wanted to go out on my own,” says Guerra, a native of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico who has worked at SeaWorld San Antonio and Ripley’s Believe It or Not!.

He and his five-person crew have created the special-effects makeup for local independent films, including “Echo” and “The House of the Demon.” His work has taken Guerra and his crew to California and Pennsylvania for various projects.

Local filmmakers praise Guerra’s work and his willingness to negotiate affordable prices.

More Zombie fun at GoreMaster.com