KNB Effects Group co-founder Howard Berger shares his journey
Special Makeup Effects Artist Howard Berger
By J. Jekyll
October 2009
Goremaster.com
Mr. Berger is an award winning special makeup effects artist, creature designer and co-founder of the KNB Effects Group special effects studio. During his career he has worked on many amazing films and television shows including Predator (1987), Army of Darkness (1992), Land of the Dead (2005), The Hills Have Eyes (2006), "Deadwood" (TV series), "Masters of Horror"(TV Series) and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) for which he won the "Best Achievement in Makeup" Academy Award in 2006. He shares his experiences with some terrific humor and advice! |
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1. GM: When did you make your decision to enter the field?
HB: I grew up loving movies and monsters. Hell what else is there in life? My dad was also into them and he would wake me up in the middle of the night and we would sneak down stairs and watch Night of the Living Dead or Dr. Phibes, which all scared the hell out of me at 5 years old.
2. GM: What or who inspired you to start? Who was your influence?
HB: My dad and mom. My dad was a post production sound editor and he loved film. My mom was an artist and she would draw me monsters all the time. I had this bad ass creature from the black lagoon full size drawing she did for me when I was about 4 or 5 hanging on my bedroom door. She rocked!
3. GM: Favorite early special effects memory (it can be from a movie scene – a book – a TV show)?
HB: THE 2 HEADED TRANSPLANT (from The Thing with Two Heads (1972)). Rick baker did this 2-headed gorilla, it was so cool. As a matter of fact I was thinking about it this evening as I was in Hollywood for dinner and drove past the store they shot that scene in. It’s still really cool to me.
4. GM: What are your top five special effects movies?
HB: JOHN CARPENTER’S THE THING, THE HOWLING, AMERICAN WEREWOLF, CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON and MIGHTY JOE YOUNG
5. GM: What is your favorite makeup special effects scene from a movie? (it doesn’t have to be from one of your movies)
HB: The Norris transformation in THE THING. It is so fucking awesome and I still wonder how the great Rob Bottin did some of that stuff. Bloody genius
6. GM: Who is your favorite special effects person?
HB: That’s tough. I would say Ray Harryhausen, Rick Baker, Stan Winston and Rob Bottin. They are still my favs!!!!
7. GM: How did you get started working in the Special Effects industry?
HB: I was a male stripper and……wait that is not true, I loved monsters and I was going to do it no matter what. I taught myself all I could from what little info was out there. I would save all my money mowing lawns as a kid so I could go over to Sig Frends Beauty Supplies in North Hollywood to buy makeup supplies from Naimie and he would give me tips and pointers and really helped me out.
8. GM: Whose current work do you admire?
HB: KNB EFX GROUP of course, always loved Steve Johnson’s work, he is brilliant, big fan of Neill Gorton out of London, amazing artist.
9. GM: How have you gotten work in the industry?
HB: When we bid a show we send the producer a stripper.
10. GM: What was your toughest job?
HB: Every job is tough, nothing is easy ever. I dislike when someone says “it’s just a” or “it’s only” that’s bullshit as it is all a huge pain in the ass from a giant mechanical creature to a rubber nose, everything has its challenges.
11. GM: What was your favorite job?
HB: THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE was my fav film ever. I had such a great crew at KNB and on set and it was just magical through and through. Unless you were on set it is hard to understand as I have been critized for saying this, but it is true, I love those films so much
12. GM: How do you pick out materials to use for a project? Do you make your own? Are there any brands that you recommend?
HB: There are many different materials we use and Greg (Nicotero) and I decide what is best be it foam rubber, gelatin, silicone, 3D transfers, it all varies.
13. GM: What do you do to prepare for a new project when you are developing creatures/characters? What steps are involved for creature creation on a new project?
HB: Well we read the script first, then start brain storming with our designers, work up some maquette study sculptures and Photoshop art and take it to the table with the director and see what he thinks. We have a great design team and they always deliver for us, plus Greg (Nicotero) and I have good gut reactions to things that make it all come together.
14. GM: Are there any new breakthroughs or ideas in the industry that excite you?
HB: I love these 3D transfers we do and Greg Cannom is using a mix of them with silicone prosthetics for age makeups and I am very excited about trying that.
15. GM: How do you envision the future of makeup special effects – do you think that CGI is hurting the industry?
HB: CGI is not hurting our business, the fact that the schools are churning out people that are not that great are the problem. There is no future generation right now. I have not seen the future Rick Baker, or Stan Winston or Rob Bottin, there seems to be a lack of enthusiasm for this from so many people that spend the money to go to these schools and party their time away instead of busting hump and becoming all consumed and brilliant. That is what we all did. We worked our asses off to be the best. Now this just does not exist for the most part and it is sad. I hope some people read this and decide to kick into hyper drive and pump out some awesome monster and makeup shit in the near future!!!!
16. GM: What is a current project you are working on? Or what project are you excited about?
HB: We just wrapped the PIRAHNA remake; starting to shoot the 3rd Narnia, have PUPLIC ENIMIES coming out along with SURROGATES, SPLICE, SHORTS and a few others heading our way.
17. GM: Do you have advice for a beginner or someone just getting started in the business? Are there any specific books or courses you would recommend?
HB: read question 15, it says it all!!!!!
18. GM: What was the best advice/training you ever received?
HB: Stan Winston told me to crawl before I walked, meaning don’t jump into making a huge monster first out of the gate, do something small and real and if you can pull that off then you can do anything. Also he always told me to be on time. He would say “not 8:01, not 8:02, 8:00!!!! I am here so you should be here!!!!!” I always arrived an hour early to work when I worked with Stan.
19. GM: Many of our international readers have asked us if they should move to the U.S. (Hollywood) to get started in Special Makeup Effects, what would you recommend?
HB: Its tough and the reality is that there are fewer shops, few films, but a lot of great old school artists out there. They would need to compete with the best of the best. (You need to) out sculpt great artists and bash out great molds, etc… It’s very competitive in the US, especially LA, so be ready to fight and be the best (because) if you do not have something special about you and your art, it will be tough to compete. Again this is the reality of the situation sadly, but on the flip side, if you truly believe in this and you want it more then anything, well you can make it happen, it’s just not easy, (because) if it were everyone would be doing it.
Take a look at the KNB Effects Group website:
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