Anyone who loves horror or sci-fi films can undoubtedly appreciate the wild costumes in the movies. Even before the silver screen, costume design played a significant part in live performances. One part of costume design is creating prostheses.
These are pieces of material that can make a dramatic difference to the appearance of a person’s face or body. First, molds are made from the actors’ faces. Next, the designer uses this mold to create all the deformed or strange looks of different characters.
The process is especially useful for non-human characters. Movies use this method to bring zombies, elves, dinosaurs, and other monsters to life. Jack Pierce was responsible for many of Hollywood’s early monsters.
Today, he is best known for his Frankenstein. Later, John Chambers was celebrated for creating the monkey people in Planet of the Apes. These days, CGI is becoming more important in the world of movies. However, CGI is unlikely to completely replace prosthetic makeup. In recent years, the reality show Face Off has shown artists competing to design a themed character each week. Its 13 seasons provide a close look at the art of prosthetic makeup.
