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?"