Interview with Brian Sipe - Emmy Award winning Make-up Effects Artist

*PLEASE BE PATIENT WHILE HIGH-RES IMAGES LOAD*

By Geoff Bough

My fanaticism with zombies was born of my love for classic monster and b-movies. My parents are old hippies so I was raised on a healthy dose of the classics and being a child of the very early 80's, the resurgence of horror and slasher films furthered my fascination.

I recall reading Tony Timpone's book 'Men,Make-up & Monsters' at about 13 and then engulfed myself in studying how these monsters are born and who the men behind them really are. I begged my parents to buy me a latex mask making kit which they obliged and I was instantly hooked. I bought every book ion special effects make-up under the sun and attended trade shows in L.A. with my Dad where I was able to meet Dick Smith and Rick Baker.

I spent a lot of time in the basement sculpting latex wounds and making gelatin bullet hits and worms. Later on my studies got me some gigs on indie productions and to this day I still remain fascinated by the craft and the world of special make-up and efects.

I was thrilled when Emmy Award winning effects artist Brian Sipe dropped me a line and I knew I just had to pick his brain about his profession. Here's the goods...

Rev: You’ve been working in the special effects field for a while now; can you tell us how you got started?

Brian: I decided I wanted to pursue Makeup Effects after seeing the remake of The Thing...from John Carpenter. I remember seeing it and thinking .... "Whoa!!! I wanna do that. I must have been 16 at the time. Soon after that...my father picked up the issue of Cinemafantastique with Rob Bottin on the cover...with the Spider Head from the Thing. I was then completely hooked.

Rev: Did you study make-up in school?

Brian: Not right away. Like I said....I was 16 and hooked on this. I had already grown up watching all kinds of monster movies...and had an interest in magic. I guess MUFX is kind of an extension of that...making things and making people believe it is really. Sell the illusion. Most of my early learning came from reading any magazine I could get my hands on. Cinemafantastique, Cinemagic and Fangoria. Then...lo and behold...one day, there is an ad in the latest issue of Fango touting Tom Savini's Book - Grande Illusions. I read that thing cover to cover....weekly. It was from the hands on nature of this book that I started doing things on my own...at home.

I took classes at local community college in painting, or sculpture, and theatre makeup. But realized that if I really wanted to do MUFX...I had to go to where the action was. So, I packed up my car and moved to Los Angeles, when I was 19. That particular makeup school is not around anymore. It was a 5 month course. I learned a minimal amount of the basics there.....but it got me to move to LA.

I have become very disillusioned by many of the current makeup schools out there. I feel that it has become purely a money making business for them, instead of teaching an art.....or a career. I don't think that the students are being pushed to be the best they can be. Or if they aren't good......TELL THEM. Make them correct themselves...push themselves. This business is way to competitive. I have seen more wanna be portfolios from makeup school graduates....that I would have a hard time hiring.

Rev: What’s the process for being promoted from special effects technician to a special effects supervisor?

Brian: That can be a tough one to answer.... but pretty much...you have to have passion. I started out in the business at a time when you got paid a daily wage....and you worked from 10 to 16 hours a day. Maybe more. But a lot of us at that time did it because we had the passion for job. You also need to work hard...and I mean really hard. For some of us...it was sort of like the military. We woke up and went to work...we did MUFX....we went to lunch...talked about MUFX...we worked long days...weekends...and when we went home....we went into our garage shops and did more MUFX. We all fully immersed ourselves into this world. I don't see that a lot these days.

So...how do you get promoted...you kick ass...work hard....and learn everything. You have to have a good base knowledge of all departments...and you have to pay attention.

Rev: What does the special effects supervisor do exactly?

Brian: Well...some of this was just answered above....but...more clearly, the Supervisor for a MUFX Shop will be the one that can see the big picture. The was a time...probably the busiest have I ever been, during the build for Passion of the Christ, VanHelsing, and the first Pirates of the Caribbean. All three shows happening at once....with over a hundred employees.

Now..as the Supervisor...I scheduled the daily tasks of each person, for each show. With that...you have to know each persons capabilities and skill set, and know at what kind of work pace you will get out of them. On top of that..I would have to keep track of how each persons tasks would affect other peoples tasks....and schedule accordingly.

Things got tightly scheduled...and if someone got sick...or even came back from lunch late....it could throw the whole day out of wack. But then, as a supervisor, you need to know how to correct it...and make sure that not a beat gets missed. As a supervisor as well...I would oversee the quality of the work, and oversee the techniques or materials used. So a Supervisor is not just someone...sitting behind a desk...drinking coffee and pointing his finger. I was often at work an hour or two before anyone...and left after most people. At the end of the day....you will be the one responsible if something goes wrong.

Rev: You’re credentials in the industry are quite impressive, having worked on some very notable films. Is there a production in particular that you had the most fun working on?

Brian: I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on a lot of great projects. They are all fun in their own way. Each one can present a new challenge that is fun to work out...and make work. On "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", we really pushed the use of materials and techniques to produce some great old age makeups.

And then there are some shows that are fun cuz you get to travel to great place....and live on someone elses dime.

I am currently working on a film where the MUFX department are all a great bunch of guys. We are all from those old days that I discussed earlier. We all know what we need to do...and each have the work ethic to just do it. Also....these guys were all talented...and it made me push myself to make sure my makeups were as good as they could be. These can be a great friendly rivalry in this business amongst friends that keep us on our game.....flexing and stretching our muscles

Rev: Is there any director or crew member that you really enjoyed working with?

Brian: Again...a semi unfair question. Only because there are so many. The one that most comes to mind is David Fincher... for " Ben Button ". He really knows what he wants to see...and will push you till he gets it. He has also been around long enough to know everyone's business...so he knows what he is talking about.

And as for crew member.......always.....Craft Service. Keep me in those Red Vines man.....

Rev: How about a production where you were able to learn and grew as an artist?

Brian: "Black. White".

Rev: You’ve recently moved your studio to Seattle, WA. How has that been for you?

Brian: Moving back up to Seattle has been great. It has been interesting...being so far away from the action of Hollywood. Not being able to hear the grumblings of who has what show...and what is coming down the pike. But....we moved up to Seattle to get closer to relatives...and to create a better life for my family. LA is just not the best place to raise kids.

Rev: Will you be working on more local productions or will you be traveling more often?

Brian: I recently worked on a local film called "The Taken", which is almost finished, which was a lot of fun...and a good group of people to work with.

I hope to work on as many local productions as I can. Its tough though...local productions might have
high Hollywood ideals....but they may not have the Hollywood budget. So for me...it becomes more of a challenge to pull something off...with the quality that I need to produce at...at a lower budget. Challenging...but not undoable. Sometimes......

Rev: How has the introduction of CGI effects impacted special effects make-up?

Brian: Wow....question of the decade. CGI in some ways has really hurt the makeup effects world. There was a time that Davey Jones would have been a full blown prosthetic makeup with puppet tentacles being controlled by 10 puppeteers.

Not anymore.

But on the other hand....movies like The Lord of the Rings, or Narnia would have never been made before without advent of CG.....they would have been way to expensive to make.

So....we lose some...we win some. But definitley MUFX jobs are getting fewer. And what jobs do come out....so many shops tend to under bid just to keep their doors open and get the job. Over the last decade...there has definitly been a weeding out of Makeup Shops....and MUFX Artists.

Rev: How has the introduction of high definition impacted the special effects make-up artist’s job?

Brian: Our work has to be much cleaner now. Makeups that were done 10...even 5 years ago would probably look horrible on HD. We have to step up our skills.

Rev: You’ve worked with some of the make-up masters including Rob Bottin, is there anyone in particular that you were able to learn the most from?

Brian: I have had the great fortune to work with a lot of talented people. I don't think I could pinpoint any one as a great influence. I watched everyone. You have to. Its awesome to sit and watch some really good that their craft....and soak it up. That is key in this business.

Rev: You won an Emmy award for your work on the show ‘Black. White’ how was the experience for you?

Brian: The hardest thing I have had to work on. Besides Will Smith's ear in Ali.

Black White was especially hard due to the Reality TV slant on the show. We had to make these people not camera ready....but people ready. They had to interact with humans on a personal level....and these makeups had to sell. Luckily for us...we had producers that understood the value of the makeups in the show. And if it didn't work....the show didn't work.

We did R & D for over a year....designing...and redesigning...and redesigning the makeups until they were right. Sometimes it was very disheartening....we would finish a makeup test...be all proud of ourselves...and the producers would come down and go "....looks like makeup..." Fuck!!!! That would just suck. But then we would sit down and listen to the critiques and go back to the drawing board and start over. And come out with a better makeup on the other side. I also had a some great team mates on the show. Will Huff and I really worked together well on that show. We would bounce ideas off each other....give each other feedback...and egos never entered into it. We kept pushing each other...and kept each other honest in our craft. We also broke down traditional thoughts, materials and techniques....and bent them to what we wanted. It was a real "ReImagining" of makeup for us...Me. Keith Vanderlaan...was also a great team member who pushed us along.

Rev: What would you tell someone that is interested in getting into special effects make-up?

Brian: Learn CG. Really. But if you really want to do MUFX...you have to have crazy passion for it.

Rev: What is the future of special effects make-up? Is there room for it to grow?

Brian: Who knows what the future holds? Does anyone really know what time it is?
It seems like the jobs get smaller and smaller....but then there has been a great surge where a lot of MUFX and CG movies are being made. Both are great tools that work together well.

Rev: What are you currently working on and what can we expect to see from you in the future?

Brian: Currently...I am in Los Angeles...working on that great crew I mentioned earlier...doing makeup for Star Trek 2009. That's the working title...who knows what it will be called later.

I am also teaching MUFX classes at my studio in Lake Forest Park. Some of this goes back to my disallusionment of makeup schools. So I want to do it right. Let these kids get a taste of real world experience...and very hands on.

Anyone interested can check out my website at www.easysite.com/gamutstudios

Wow....how is that for a cheap segue into a shameless plug.

Also...I have a couple of scripts that I am hoping to get off the ground....and Seattle would be a great place to shoot them.

Thanks for your time Brian we look forward to your future works and wish you all the best!