Comic-Con Scholarship Winner Jake Webber Visits CMS to Share His Inspirational Story

Jake poses with CMS grad Wayne Anderson and Wayne's booth demo "Draxian."

Comic-Con’s “International Masquerade contest, presented by HBO, is one of the annual convention’s most-attended events. This year, Cinema Makeup School joined the masquerade tradition, presenting a $1,000 scholarship for tuition to the costume entry that demonstrated the best use of makeup.

High School student, Jake Weber, was chosen as the winner for his wolf-bat costume. Jake visited Cinema Makeup School recently to tour the facilities and meet with CMS instructors and directors to learn about the school firsthand.

Jake’s curiosity for makeup began at an early age. Jake says that his first exposure to special effects makeup came by way of his late Father.

“My dad used to do a lot of creature special effects makeup and he did some on me and for Comic-Con. He has made me Davey Jones, Ghost Rider, Bumble Bee, Avatar, and Spawn. He also did low budget B movie stuff. I was always around that. I would see him pumping fake blood on the patio and I was always curious and asked what he was doing.”

Jake credits legendary effects artists Patrick Tatopoulos and Rick Baker as his biggest influences and is a true fan of the artists and their work.

“I’ve met Rick [Baker] four or five times now. He’s the coolest guy. Every time it just gets cooler and cooler. When he won the Oscar for Wolfman, they had the beauty [makeup] going on and then there was Wolfman. When they announced him as the winner, my dad and I went wild! An actual creature won an Oscar. It’s been awhile.”

Jake remains very humble and says he was shocked when he was announced the winner.

“When they were going to present the award to me, they don’t tell you what you win but just tell you that you won something. And when they announced the award, I was practically crying. I thought this was awesome!”

Jake says his main passions are special effects artistry and acting. He hopes to one day work in both industries, and enjoys performing in his own makeup.

Since Jake’s father passed away, doing makeup has taken on even more meaning. This past Halloween, he used his dad’s old makeup kit to turn himself into a zombie. For Comic Con, Jake took on the entire masquerade project by himself for the first time. Jake says it was important to him to keep up the tradition of creating makeup for Comic Con to honor his father’s memory.

With the big win, Jake’s ambitions will get a boost in the form of a world-class makeup education. Jake plans on using the scholarship money to take CMS’s Creature Maquette Sculpture course in the near future to help develop his design skills and learn sculpting techniques for future projects.

Korean Artist Exhibition by Artist Ji-Heui Kim Coming to CMS Gallery next week!

July 8-12

IN A STARRY NIGHT

by Ji-Heui Kim

Professor, Department of Fashion and Communication Design

A visiting designer from Daegu Haany University in Korea shares beautiful nail artwork.

Open to the public from 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

Korean Artist Exhibition by Artist Kyung Hai Min Coming to CMS Gallery next week!

July 1-4

PATTERN & UNIFORM

by Kyung-Hae Min

Professor, Department of Fashion and Communication Design

A visiting designer from Daegu Haany University in Korea shares his fashion talents with the world.

Open to the public from 8:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.

And the Winner is...

Angie Davis, winner of the 2013 Ve Neill Scholarship

Cinema Makeup School, Hollywood’s professional makeup school is once again partnering with three-time Oscar-winning makeup artist Ve Neill and Fangoria magazine to award its $10,000 Legends of Makeup Scholarship. After a lengthy submission process and review by top makeup artists include Ve herself, we’re proud to announce that this year’s award goes to Angie Davis of Advance, NC.

Angie wowed a scholarship panel that included Leonard Engelman, Governor of the Makeup and Hair Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; CMS Director of Admissions, Lee Joyner; CMS Chief Academic Officer, Michael Spatola; and esteemed representatives from the CMS faculty to become a finalist. Davis’s portfolio, which showcased her highly developed painting skills and showed potential for growth into other areas of makeup then caught Ve Neill’s discerning eye. Ve chose her entry from a strong pool of finalists, praising Angie’s painting and potential.

“I chose [Angie] for her basic painting skills and I know [she’ll] excel at CMS,” said Ve.

[Some of Angie's work:]

 

As in years past, four other finalists whose work stood out to the committee will be awarded $1,000 scholarships. The four runners up are Chrissy Bautista of Commerce, California, who submitted a dazzling fine art sculpture portfolio; Benjamin Ploughman, who has a great deal of set experience from working in all departments on indie films in his native Austin, Texas; Elia Cattanese of Malibu, California, who overcame a troubled upbringing on the East Coast to become a creative young artist with a much more stable home life out west; and Anthony Latony of St. Cloud, Florida whose submissions showed a great deal of potential as a creature designer. All four have been invited to attend classes along with Angie at CMS’s Los Angeles campus.

[Work from the runners-up:]

Ben Ploughman

Anthony Latony

Elia Cattanese

Chrissy Bautista

As excitement from the big announcement lingers in the halls here at CMS, all eyes turn to next year’s competition. Ve Neill will once again return to chair the scholarship committee, and hundreds of aspiring makeup artists will get to put their work on the line for the chance to win.

As for the staff and students here at CMS, we simply can’t wait to meet this year’s winner and finalists. If their portfolios and personal triumphs thus far are any indication of their collective talent and drive, we’re sure that all of them will be valuable additions to the CMS family!

For Angie, the journey can’t begin soon enough:

“As a self taught makeup artist I feel this scholarship will help me grow further than I ever could on my own. Cinema Makeup School produces incredible work and I know I will benefit immensely from their program. I am very grateful to Ve Neill, Fangoria Magazine and Cinema Makeup School for this opportunity. Makeup Artistry is my passion and I am extremely excited to learn from the best.”

To apply for the 2014 Scholarship go to: http://cinemamakeup.com/scholarship/scholarship-veneill.html

2013 Ve Neill Scholarship Panel Meet, Choose Finalists

Panelists (L-R) Kato DeStefan, Lee Joyner, Michael Spatola,
Leonard Engelman, and Wendy Ann Rosen reviewed
hundreds of submissions.

A panel of top makeup talent converged on the Cinema Makeup School campus Wednesday to review submissions for the second annual Ve Neill Legends of Makeup Scholarship. The $10,000 scholarship is presented by CMS and Fangoria magazine and awards one deserving young artist with the chance to study the makeup arts at the highest level.

The panel—composed of instructors Kevin Brennan, Kato DeStefan and Wendy Ann Rosen; Chief Academic Officer, Michael Spatola; Director of Admissions, Lee Joyner; and Leonard Engelman, Governor of the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—was charged with the tough task of combing through hundreds of applicants to select a pool of finalists.  The members of the panel took the time to discuss each submission in depth, considering not only raw talent, but also drive, ambition, and passion for the art of makeup.

The group will meet once more with the addition of the scholarship’s namesake, three-time Academy Award® winner and Face Off judge, Ve Neill (Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Hunger Games), to select the winner of the scholarship. Until then, the buzz in the CMS hallways will continue building, as students, faculty and staff wait for the official announcement.

Who will it be? Check back here and be among the first to find out! 

Wendy Ann Rosen, Kevin Brennan, and Leonard Engelman 
(foreground, L-R) carefully consider an applicant’s work.

CMS Shines at L.A. Fashion Week

The CMS team (L-R): Mo Meinhart, Golden Shyne, KC Mussman,
Mirelle Bertrand, Tara Daniels, Curtis Foreman, and Sherita Garcia

L.A Fashion Week Fall kicked off March 8th, with the LAFC (Los Angeles Fashion Council) presentations, hosted by founder Kelsi Smith.

Cinema Makeup School beauty makeup instructor (and resident fashionista) Mireille Bertrand brought a team of CMS graduates backstage last Thursday and Friday to provide hair and makeup looks for LA’s hottestup-and-coming designers.

Two days of runway, six designers, a couple dozen models and seven makeup artists all set up on one over-taxed table. The pace was fast and demanding but the CMS team of artists was ready for the heat. Collaboration and flexibility were key as the makeup artists had to work together in an array of different styles tailored to each designer’s line.

In the heart of the Fashion District, bloggers, buyers and press crowded in to see the first day’s showcases:

“ISM Mode” was all about organic flow and shapes. The makeup requested by designer Inka Sherman was elegant with sultry eye shadows and dark pulp lips.

“Sarine Marie” by Sarine Berberian featured ladylike silhouettes, combining elegant looks with edgy, feminine elements. Hot red lips and soft natural shadows really brought out the chic sophistication in every ensemble.

Day two brought a trio of brilliant designers that inspired and challenged the CMS artists.

Camilla Wright from “SOLDAT” designed an impressive pattern storm of edgy eco suits and separates. The collection required makeup that put the “fun” in corporate—a tough task, indeed!

 “Be daring, be free, be true to you” was the motto driving “8000 Nerves,” a line designed by four fun-loving girls. They asked for a modern, joyous look that incorporated a sense of contemporary sophistication. The makeup team found that sophistication in dark dramatic smoky eyes and a nude lip that complimented the fresh designs.

Finally, “ODYLYN” challenged our makeup artists to think future to create a glowing, celestial look to equal the collection’s galactic gowns.  Shimmering dewy skin and pearly lips turned this show’s models into alien princesses.

At the end of the day, the teams packed up and headed home, exhausted, but very content .

CMS grad Curtis Foreman summed up the experience neatly: “It was a great day, great vibes and a great team to work with.”

CMS Hosts Theater Students from Arizona

Students touring the CMS campus

There was high drama at Cinema Makeup School on Thursday as a group of theater students from Scottsdale, Arizona descended on the campus for an introduction to special effects makeup.

After touring the school and seeing  CMS classes in action, the students settled into a large classroom to watch a live make up demo by CMS’s CAO and lead instructor Mike Spatola (Iron Man 3, Terminator 2: Judgment Day).

“The students were very enthusiastic,” said Mike. “They were very into it. They knew about [SyFy network’s makeup reality show] Faceoff, asked many questions and were eager to volunteer.” 

Mike applied his demonstration on intern Nestor Castaneda, using generic silicone zombie wound pieces. “[The pieces] looked to me like they would be perfect for a ‘Joker’ makeup. The way the wounds curled up, they looked like the scars.”

The makeup was done with grease paints to give the Joker a gritty look and then completed with alcohol colors to bring out the fleshy scars. Throughout the application, the students were encouraged to ask questions.

Said Mike, “They had many good questions to ask. Some were interested in my experiences with actors and some very curious to the materials of the trade, like what products where used and if the appliances were heavy or comfortable. It was a fun group demo. I got to disappear and get caught up in it.”

Afterwards, the students got a chance to take photos with Mike and the new CMS Joker before they called it a day.

"Eve'ning comisssshioner!"
Nestor Castaneda in Joker makeup
with CAO/Chief Instructor Mike Spatola

"Why so serious?"

CMS Hangs With Hollywood at the Oscar Makeup and Hair Symposium

CMS Director Emeritus Leonard Engelman hosts a panel
of the 2013 Oscar nominees for Hair and Makeup.

Oscar® season came to an end last weekend with Les Miserables taking home the award for best makeup, but for the movie makeup fanatics at Cinema Makeup School, the excitement has yet to die down.

On Saturday, before the Oscar ceremony, nominees for “outstanding achievement in makeup and hairstyling” for the 85^th academy awards gathered at the Samuel Goldwyn theatre for the Academy’s Hair and Makeup Symposium. Tickets for the event sold out quickly, but many CMS-ers were in attendance alongside top industry professionals like Bill Corso, Steve LaPorte, Michele Burke, Yolanda Toussieng, Michael Westmore, Greg Cannom, Deborah LaMia Denaver and Trefor Proud.

After a slideshow of the nominated films, Leonard Engelman, Director Emeritus at CMS and Governor of the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists branch of the Academy, hosted a panel discussion with the nominated artists.

Said Leonard, ‘This is a wonderful time for these eight nominees to bask in their accomplishments and recognition.…Today is a celebration of winners. Every nominee who steps onstage is a winner.”

Nominees Hitchcock, Les Miserables and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey set a high bar for outstanding makeup transformations this year. At the symposium, the artists behind those transformations got the chance to share the stories behind their acclaimed work.

Howard Berger, Peter Montagna, and Martin Samuel of Hitchcock
at the panel discussion.

Howard Berger, Peter Montagna and Martin Samuel of KNB Effects wowed viewers by transforming the familiar face of actor Anthony Hopkins into the spitting image of legendary auteur Alfred Hitchcock. Using silicone appliances for the translucency and weight quality of the material, they went through six versions before they found the perfect look.

For Hitchcock, finding the right look was not as simple as creating a perfect likeness; the crew recalled an early version of the makeup that looked exactly like Hitchcock, but made Anthony Hopkins completely unrecognizable. To make the film work, the artists needed to find a middle ground between the face of a well-known character and the face of a well-known actor.

Hitchcock director Sacha Gevrasi explained, “We weren't really doing an impersonation; we were trying to do Tony's version of Hitch."

Leonard Engelman with a likeness of the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock.
Leonard worked with the real Hitchcock on 1969's Topaz.

For The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, makeup artists Swords King, Rick Findlater and Tami Lane had their work cut out for them: turning 6-foot-tall, slim actors into convincing dwarves.

"We had to squash them and widen them," said Swords King "What we tried to do with the make-up was lose their necks. We tried to widen them with hair."

"We had to accentuate some of the features to create this illusion," continued Lane. "We enlarged their heads and widened their ear spans, broadened their foreheads and enlarged their noses to create this squat-ish look."

To achieve the look, the Hobbit team used silicone and foam prosthetic pieces and applied hair and lace pieces to the actors’ faces, hands and feet.

Leonard Engelmen with the soon-to-be-Oscar-winning artists behind
Les Miserables, Julie Dartnell and Lisa Westcott.

Lisa Westcott, who has been nominated twice before, and Julie Dartnell took home the Oscar on Sunday for their phenomenal work on Les Miserables. In the film, Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) undergoes many transformations, all cleverly designed; from a weathered prisoner to the clean respectable mayor and finally an old man on his deathbed.

To make the normally strapping Jackman look the part of a ragged convict, Wescott and Darnel created special dentures and contact lenses that gave the appearance of rotted teeth and bloodshot eyes and gave the actor’s a roughly sheared haircut and simulated scarring on the scalp.

Anne Hathaway went through her own transformation for the blockbuster musical, having her beautiful hair chopped off as she becomes a shadow of herself. The seamless hair and makeup work certainly paid off for Hathaway, who won the Oscar for Best Actress. During her celebrated performance of “I Dreamed a Dream,” viewers with a keen eye for makeup will notice that her skin has been spattered to look sickly and the tooth palette treatment on her teeth where some were to appear yanked out.

The event concluded with a reception featuring a display of items from each movie, where the nominees signed programs for fans and supporters.

"It's just great seeing all these people that are really into the art of make-up," said Peter Montagna. "You don't realize that there are so many fans out there who love it. I know when I was starting out. I'd give anything to be at an event like this. To be on the other end of it is really exciting.”

-CMS

"Rick Baker: A Star is Honored" from Artisan magazine

Article by Susan Cabral Ebert, originally printed in Artisan magazine

Check out the full issue here!

CMS's Wayne Anderson Joins a TV "Treasure Hunt"

CMS's "lab C" turned into a TV studio briefly on Monday. The producers of Treasure Hunters, a new reality series on CNBC from the company behind Big Brother, contacted CMS looking for an expert to help the titular treasure hunters solve a mask-related mystery with some silicone casting skills. Wayne Anderson, CMS grad and current Face Off contestant, was happy to oblige!

We can't tell you too much about the episode, but we can say that Wayne and the rest of the CMS team had a great time filming it and the treasure hunters team seemed happy with the result.

We'll let you know when the show airs. If you need a Wayne fix in the meantime, watch Face Off on SyFy network at 9p/8p central, or come visit CMS to say "hi" in person!