Danny Wagner: Incredible Special Effects
The journey of special effects artist Danny Wagner
Special Effects Artist Danny Wagner
By J. Jekyll
November 2009
Goremaster.com
Mr. Wagner is a multi-talented artist who has worked in makeup special effects, puppetering, creature design, miniature model making, and sculpting. His career spans over 20 years with film credits such as, Starship Troopers (1997), Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), The Mummy Returns (2001), Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), and all three Pirates of the Caribbean films. Mr. Wagner worked at ILM for 20 years and is now at Kern Optical. |
|---|
GM: When did you make your decision to enter the field?
DW: When I was about 9, it was a very strong passion
GM: What or who inspired you to start? Who was your influence?
DW: Ray Harryhausen at first, then Rick Baker, Dick Smith and Rob Bottin’s makeup effects. And after Star Wars it’s the ILM people.
GM: Favorite early special effects memory – movie scene – book – TV show?
DW: Sci Fi - When I saw “the spinner” from Blade Runner for the first time pass cross the movie screen in a trailer. It was like heaven.
Creature from the Black Lagoon… loved the suit and The Wolfman… loved the makeups. I grew up in the 80’s so I loved Werewolf transformations from The Howling and American Werewolf (in London).
And The Thing effects (Rob Bottin)
Danny experimenting with latex at age 14, Freddy Krueger makeup
GM: What are your top five special effects movies?
DW: Blade Runner
Star Wars – Empire
American Werewolf in London
The Thing
The Howling
GM: What is your favorite specialty… whether it be makeup, sculpting, painting etc?
DW: Special Makeup effects – Sculptural Creature Design
Zombie Demo
GM: Who is your favorite special effects person?
DW: I don’t have one…
Makeup Effects - Dick Smith, Rick Baker and Rob Bottin
Stop Motion Animation- Ray Harryhausen
Miniatures and Model making - ILM pioneers
Creature Designers –Carlos Huante, Aaron Simms, Jordu Schell, Miles Teves
GM: How did you get started working in the Special Effects industry?
DW: Got hired as a creature maker at ILM in 1988
GM: Whose current work do you admire?
DW: Too many out there. I would say the same answer from number 6
GM: How have you gotten work in the industry?
DW: Been at ILM for 20 years. Now at Kerner Optical
Making up George Lucas as Baron Papa Noida
GM: What was your toughest job?
DW: The ones that have no time to finish.
GM: What was your favorite job?
DW: Sculpting maquettes for creature design on the Mummy movies, Van Helsing, Signs, Star Wars Prequels. And doing prosthetic makeups for the Star Wars prequels.
Danny's Incredible Melting Man personal recreation project. (Rick Baker original design)
GM:How do you pick out materials to use for a project? Do you make your own? Are there any brands that you recommend?
DW: Chavanette clay is great. Platcel Gel 10 is a great silicone for puppets and prosthetic makeups. What ever works the best and is the most practical for the effect.
Usually don’t make my own unless I can do it cheaper like making blood.
GM: Are there any new breakthroughs or ideas in the industry that excite you?
DW: The constant new materials for makeup effects.
Terminator 3: Rise of Machines earthquake miniature set
GM: What is a current project you are working on? Or what project are you excited about?
DW: I finished a model for a Disney Museum which is coming out this year.
And now I’m working on a TV show called Trauma for NBC, it looks like it's going to be an exciting show.
GM: Do you have advice for a beginner or someone just getting started in the business?
DW: If you have the passion for it, keep going. Learn as much as possible and be willing to pay your dues. With no complaints.
GM: What was the best advice/training you ever received?
DW: Dick Smith Advanced makeup course.
GM: How do you envision the future of makeup SFX? (do you think CGI is hurting the industry?)
DW: I think cg is not taking over the effects industry 100%. I was around when Jurassic Park was being made. I worked on the Mosquito in Amber trailer for the film at ILM. We all were worried that the cg effects would make us extinct. Everyone was saying… WOW and Is that CG?!
But now things have balanced out and directors and producers are leaning towards marring the two types of effects together. Which I think works the best.
See more of Danny Wagner's work at:
| Copyright © 2009 by GoreMaster.com.(tm) All Rights Reserved. GoreMaster.com http://www.goremaster.com is a site dedicated to special effects artists, creature creators, makeup gurus and the films, television shows, and theater productions they enhance and make fun! |