Dancing Stallions," before going to work at Cinnebar, a set construction
and special effects house in Los Angeles. Starting out in construction, he
moved into the electronics show, staying with the company for eight
years. Having only a class 3 card for pyrotechnics, Hutchins hired
Viskocil to help him on jobs
requiring a higher classifica-
tion. In turn, Viskocil hired
him to work on Terminator 2:
Judgment Day and other
productions.
Hutchins left Cinnebar in
1993 and picked up freelance
work, creating effects for com-
mercials, designing programs
for computer games, staging fireworks displays at Magic Mountain, and
working as a pyrotechnician on feature films that included Apollo 13 and
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home. His first special effects coordinating job
was on the straight to video production Mercenary, the result of a recom-
mendation from a friend he had worked with at Cinnebar. Hutchins also
coordinated Virus, and moved up to special effects supervisor on Pavilion
of Women. When not involved with a feature, he continued working on
commercials and staging fireworks displays.
The relationship with Viskocil also continued. Hutchins was hired to
work with him on True Lies, Independence Day, Alien: Resurrection, Dante's
Peak, and Godzilla.
Job Overview
When a cosmetic effect is required for a motion picture, television
program, or print ad, that goes beyond what the straight makeup artist
would do cosmetically, a special makeup effects artist is called in.
"Whether it is the addition of a prosthetic or the reproduction of an actor
in the form of a puppet or mechanical monster, it falls under the category
of special makeup effects," say makeup effects artist Gabe Bartalos, who
specializes in the design, sculpture, fabrication, and application of anima-
tronics and prosthetics makeup effects.
"Generally, a job begins with meeting the director to discuss his vision
and special effects needs. I'll get a copy of the script, read it through and
JOB TITLE: SPECIAL MAKEUP EFFECTS ARTIST
OR EFFECTS MAKEUP ARTIST
Be willing to
go "the extra mile to
make an effect look
as good as possible."
--Robert Hutchins
CAREER TIPS
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