In 1986, a 20-year-old Bartalos and his dog relocated to Los Angeles
with "a list of three or four effects shops." Within his first week, he
landed a job at MMI studio, working on effects for a film called The Dolls.
A month later he was on a plane to Italy with a crew of two others,
assigned to supervise the film's effects.
Upon returning to the States, he took a job as a sculptor and mold
maker with Reel Effects, then crewing up for Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason
Lives. The company later sent him to Houston, to work on The Lamp.
While there, he received a telephone call from Tom Savini, who was in
Austin working on Texas Chain Massacre Part II, inviting him to join his
crew when The Lamp finished. "Working with Tom was a real thrill. It was
his work on Friday the 13th that began my fascination with horror in films
and the execution of executions."
Once back home in Los Angeles, Baralos continued to see the value of
working for studios, constantly refining his craft, but began to also look
for projects he could do on his own. One that came his way was Brain
Damage, shot in New York. Directed by Frank Hennelotter, Brain Damage
quickly became a horror favorite
and began a collaboration
between Bartalos and
Hennenlotter that spanned
many years and genre classics
such as Frankenhooker, Basket
Case 2, and Basket Case 3.
Soon afterward, he received
a call from idol Rick Baker,
who was crewing up for
Gorillas in the Mist. "I was so
happy and honored to join that
team. I spent a couple of
months working on what he
was hoping would be--and I
think he accomplished--the ultimate gorilla suits that could cut in with
footage of live gorillas--a really hard thing to do. It was amazing: idoliz-
ing him in the past and then working closely with him. I realized he was
a real gentleman and fantastically talented. Though he had a large crew
supporting him, he was the driving force behind everyone."
Bartalos later worked with Baker on a number of projects, including The
Beauty & the Beast television series, Coming to America, Gremlins 2: The New
Batch, Something Is Out There, and Michael Jackson's "Moonwalker" video.
Having gained a reputation for creativity, dedication, and dependabil-
ity, effects shops began to call on Bartalos when they had tight deadlines
"Take every art
class you can, from
drawing to crafts and
sculpting. Rent movies
and study the special
effects and try to recreate some of what you
see on the screen. Be constantly working on
the design of something. Each time you build
a mask or monster, whether life-size or a
model, even if it doesn't work, you learn
something."--Gabe Bartalos
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