Even though they’re undead and prone to decay, zombies have got a helluva lot of staying power.
From George Romero’s dead-eyed masses to The Walking Dead and all of the spoofs and B-movies in between, zombies have managed to maintain a firm footing in the otherwise fickle pop culture arena.
Maybe it’s because of their roots in reality. Theoretically, we’re all one apocalyptic event from being, loving, or killing a zombie, and (because humans are fucked up) there’s something thrilling about that.
A zombie can be an ideal Halloween costume choice for someone who prefers repulsive over pretty – but it can be a difficult look to achieve.
I’ll admit it: I usually err on the side of pretty, largely because pretty is easy to execute. My favourite costume from the last decade was Arwen from The Lord of the Rings.
Becoming Arwen was simple: remove costume from package, apply elf ears, and done. I was ready to defend Rivendell and take on the Orcs. #geekalert
But despite my proclivity for easy costumes, I leapt at the invitation to slide into the makeup chair at New Image College so that a couple of expert makeup artists – alumna Megan Nicholson (a veteran of Vendetta, Dead Rising: Watchtower, and 2016’s Elektra Woman and Dyna Girl), and student Marc Jacquard-Sawa – could conjure my inner undead.
It was a staggering transformation (as you can see from this time-lapse video), and I learned a lot – namely, 1) that zombie looks aren’t impossible for ease-loving DIYers to achieve, and, 2) that zombies have more fun.
Here’s some wisdom I picked up during my transformation from columnist to zombie:
• Give yourself plenty of time to create and play. This isn’t the kind of look you throw together in half an hour. Even with two makeup artists, my transformation clocked in at 2.5 hours.
• Nicholson and Jacquard-Sawa used liquid latex, cotton, rubber mask grease paint, and skin illustrator to bring my inner zombie (my true self?) to the surface. These are some harsh products; latex in particular is egregious to the senses. I used a blow dryer to direct the fumes away from my face during and after the makeup wizards applied the product.
• If you don’t know whether or not you have a latex allergy, test the liquid latex on the inside of your arm before you begin. Wait half an hour, and if you’re not wheezing or battling hives, you’re probably good to go.
• The dynamic duo first used cotton to build out my brow ridge and cheekbones, then applied the liquid latex over the cotton; only once the latex was dry did they start painting with makeup. The effect was hideous, which is good when you’re talking about zombies.
• I really loved the brow ridge, but it was hard to convey this love because it also meant that I had a dramatic scowl.
• If you’re going to apply latex over your hair (ie. brows), run a water-soluble glue stick over that section so that the latex doesn’t adhere to the follicles (otherwise, the removal process can be painful).
• Nicholson and Jacquard-Sawa applied liquid latex all over my neck, cheeks, and chin, which are considered “highly movable areas” for a notorious talker like me. Nicholson advises powdering the latex before you move your face or neck, so that it doesn’t crack.
• If you make a mistake, don’t start over, advises Nicholson. You’re a zombie – a mutation not exactly known for polished looks and impeccable grooming – so work with the errors. You can never go wrong with fake blood, says Nicholson. And bonus: fake blood tastes like sugar.
• Nicholson is vehement about blending: any skin that shows should match the face. For yours truly, that meant applying makeup to my hands, ears, teeth, hairline, and the patches of skin visible through the rips in my shirt and jeans.
• You can use rubbing alcohol to remove the alcohol-activated makeup, and dry shaving cream to remove fake blood.
• It’s Halloween, and you’re suddenly undead with no place to go? Take your decaying self to the Parade of Lost Souls (location to be revealed on the event’s website on Oct. 31: dustyflowerpot.org), or check out Christopher Landon’s Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, which opens in theatres on Oct. 30.
More makeup movie magic
On the highest floor of a heritage building at the corner of Hastings and Richards, dozens of apprentices practice their magical craft under the tutelage of expert sorcerers.
Sure, there’s a modicum of poetic license in that sentence – but it’s hard not to believe in magic when you’re rubbing shoulders with hairy beasts, horned monsters, and other fantastical creatures in narrow corridors, while photos of similar creepy “experiments” look down from the walls.
Wizardry – of the special effects makeup and liquid latex variety – transpired in order to bring these wild visions to in-your-face reality.
Such is the business of Vancouver’s New Image College, where students are prepped for careers in makeup, acting, and esthetics.
The school – whose acting program alumni include Leo nominee Dakota Daulby (Black Fly), and cult horror directors The Soska Sisters (American Mary) – has become a go-to institution for special effects makeup instruction (think cadavers, burn victims, werewolves, oozing wounds, missing limbs, the undead, etc), largely because they don’t restrict learning to a classroom environment, says John Craig, co-owner of New Image College.
The journey begins in the classroom (where the instructors boast years of practical experience), and concludes on a bona-fide film set.
Through the school’s New Image Entertainment movie production division, makeup students put their classroom training to the test in practical film shoots.
“Most schools don’t combine makeup with acting and filmmaking,” says Craig. “We go in there and we teach them how to break a script down. They’ll work twelve or sixteen hours on set one day, and then go back the next day. They’ll see if this is the life for them.”
With a focus on makeup driven scripts, it’s little wonder that New Image students are mostly making horror films.
“It’s monsters. It’s deaths. It’s horror. It’s paranormal. It’s guys taking organs from people. It’s a creature coming up from the bottom of the sea,” says Craig. “Anything to do with practical effects, or where we can show the extreme of makeup.”
Directors for New Image Entertainment productions are often pulled from the local film and TV industry.
“When it comes to film time, we don’t use our teachers. We bring in directors from the outside industry, and they’ll bring in DOPs and first ADs,” says Craig.
These showbiz industry pros relish the opportunity to work on makeup and effects heavy scripts with up and coming makeup artists, says Craig, who serves as president of the entertainment division.
And it’s not just a question of creating films for education’s sake; New Image’s student-made films often find an audience beyond the school’s stakeholders, according to Craig.
“Everybody worldwide needs inventory. It’s not just North America anymore. The China market is emerging,” says Craig, noting New Image Entertainment’s contract with the largest media agent in China.
“What we’re trying to do is make sure we stay connected with people all over the world, keep up with demands, and make sure the students are working.”
For information about New Image College’s programs, visit NewImage.ca.
