Beat down but not out

Yep-it's been almost a year since I wrote on this blog. My goal was to update once a week-obviously it didn't happen. It has taken me getting very run down and ill to pick this back up again. The last year was "Glee" from January to May, "American Horror Story" pilot in May and June, "Touch" pilot June to July, two weeks off for a family vacation, then "American Horror Story" Season 1 from July till December. "American Horror Story" was amazing but incredibly stressful, including 6-day sometimes 90 hour work weeks and constant double units. All that with and incredible cast made for a great experience. I learned so much this year about trusting people-including myself, realizing what is truly important and that respirators are key to good health. I'm on the couch trying to recooperate because I have had both eustachian tubes inflamed for the past 6 weeks and my second kidney infection since November. I had to cancel working on a great commercial today because I am too pooped to lift a makeup brush. The point I'm making is that although I am beat down, I am guilt ridden about letting people down. I am from the school of take-every-job-because-it-might-be-your-last and here I am, 26 years later, having had maybe a few weeks off a year. Apparently if I don't say no, my body finally will. Just try and keep it in perspective and take time for yourself people. It's ok to say no once in awhile.

glee.mov

GLEE by Sephora by OPI

Bake-Offs and Eyeballs

I went to the Oscar Bake-Off last Saturday-it was the first time I've ever gone! It seems weird that I would never have attended, but I was glad to finally get to go. They did close the doors to the makeup and hair general public a few years back because a bunch of effects shop hooligans showed up and pilfered the bar and petit-fours in their foam and plaster covered fatigues and stinky work shirts! I know you guys have clean duds at home! It's too bad that it was closed because it was exciting and a real social event at the lovely Motion Picture Academy. My brother-in-law was in the Final Seven for Jonah Hex-we are all so proud of him! He seemed so calm describing the very uncomfortable understucture of the prostheticthat Josh Brolin wore for the duration of shooting-of course, its not his first foray into Oscar territory. He was nominated in 2005 for "Passion Of The Christ" and he won a technical achievement Oscar for his invention of prosthetic transfers-many copy them but there is nothing like the original(I've been using them since he started making them which was well before I met Husband,btw) and I've done my comparison shopping. Everyone who spoke was interesting and the questions were pointed with some surprising answers. It made for a great afternoon, especially since I was invited by the talented veteran hairstylist Janis Clark(department head on "Glee") and we have fun together. After the short clips were shown, we had a chance to mingle with old and new friends and congratulate the finalists on their incredible achievements. Janis has been a member of the Academy for more than 15 years. She cast her votes right there over the hummus and tea sandwiches-such pressure! She had a tough decision this year. We found out this past Tuesday that the nominees are;
Barney's Version-Adrien Morot
The Way Back- Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk, and Yolanda Toussieng
The Wolfman- Rick Baker and Dave Elsey
Adrien Morot highlights from Barney's Version were that he had only 6 weeks to prep it, 2 hours 15 minutes to apply each day and that included a handlaid beard on Paul Giamatti because the lace beards inhibited his acting. He used silicone on most actors but gelatin on Rosamund Pike which was a beautifully subtle age makeup. If you haven't seen it, sit through it just to see the makeups. Thumbs up, adrien! We hate you...;)
The Way Back seemed to be a tremendous undertaking physically for Ed Henriques, Greg Funk, and Yolanda Toussieng. They shot in all climates-extreme heat, freezing cold-mountains, flats, deserts, and absolutely tons of deterioration makeup and hair challenges starting with baldheads in the Siberian prison and Russian tattoos ending 1600 miles later in India with burns, bugbites, frostbite, exposure, and sunstroke. Incredible work! Breathtaking. A must see!
Rick Baker's and Dave Elsey's The Wolfman! The work was stupenous, eery, very well executed and fun to watch. Anything Rick touches is gold, of course. If you like classic monster films-don't miss it.
Can't wait to see who the winner is on February 27th, 2011!

Most recent question from a friend of mine-Who do I use for lens teching?
I had her contact Cristina Patterson Ceret at Professional Vision Care in Sherman Oaks. She has made contacts for all my projects and is very talented as well as a real team player. Also, Professional Vision Care has a great website for reference material. Check it out at provisioncare.com. Cristina has a bounty of talented lens technicians on hand to help with your production. Dr. Stacy Sumner, who is my actual eye doctor, is one of three doctors available for actors to have proper check-ups and fittings for your productions. Cristina can make you anything from subtle corneal contacts that simply change the color of the eye, to full scleral lenses that represent burned eyes, alien transformations, or piercing vampire eyeballs. Check them out.
EKM

What happened to the Makeup Awards show?

This morning, my friend Lou Eyrich, was nominated for a Costume Designer's Guild Award for her achievement on Glee. We are so proud of all the accolades that our teams have received from their hard work on this show. Well-deserved. But Lou brought up an old point that Janis Clark and myself were mulling over-what happened to the Makeup and Hairstylists Awards?

Most all of the other locals have awards ceremonies, and of course 706 used to(it was wrought with espionage and intrigue, apparently, and everyone had to have their way-as well as a very high price tag for the tickets). It was a very fun night, all in all, and although there were way to many categories(there are way to many categories for the Creative Awards as well-it's that "Generation Y" thing of "everyone needs a trophy") it was a great opportunity to get together with peers that you hadn't seen in a while and socialize.

Maybe someday someone will get it together again-more sponsorship, smaller pricetag, and something more akin to other locals awards shows-7 or so categories and continue partying, drinking and judging other's wardrobe choices. Nothing better.

Bake-Off!

Aren't we all so excited about the films that are in the final 7 for the Makeup Oscar? What a great body of work this year! There is so much diversity, everything is interesting and creative with different techniques used to achieve the visions for each film. Fantasy, realism. supernatural, old age, Western. It will be very cool to see what the results will be after January 22. I will be attending with Janis Clark, longtime Academy member and dedicated voter and she has invited me, and it is the first bake-off I have attended. Can't wait!
EKM

Potterites! This one is for you!

Just wanted to give a little summary of our trip to The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter. If you are are a fan YOU MUST GO! it' amazing and the attention to detail is very rewarding for big ol fans like myself. There has recently been a Miley Cyrus mock tv show skit on Saturday Night Live where all she says is "It's pretty cool!" This was Husband's response to everything in WWHP. Considering he isn't as big of a dork as me, it was highly complimentary.

Here is some advice-
1. Stay at the Universal Resort (three hotels-Hard Rock, Loews Royal Pacific, or Portifino). You get front-of-th-line passes for all rides in both parks except Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. You also get to go into the park an hour earlier than the general public. Definitely take advantage of this.

2. See the frog choir and the Tri-Wizard pep rally.

3. Eat the fish and chips, not the shepherd's pie at The Three Broomsticks. Also, non-frozen Butterbeer rules, and have the Hogshead Brew-it's an English type beer and very good. Wait for the Boar's head above the bar to move. Very cool.

4. Go to the Forbidden Journey ride first, then stand in line for Ollivander's-it also has a wait, but is connected to Dervish and Bang's and the Owl Post.

5. Be sure to hang out by the Hogwart's Express. The steam belching across the station house is stunning.

6. Since we got up super early the next day to go and do Forbidden Journey ride again, we stopped off in Suessville(also pretty cool) and had breakfast with the Whos, The Grinch, and Cat In The Cat, which was completely entertaining and great coffee for your $20 buffet type meal.

We had the best time-Let me know what YOU think!
EKM