Makeup & Effects Artist with Special guest Mike Maloney

In today’s episode, we welcome special guest Mike Maloney, an award-winning makeup and effects artist. First, Mike will share his fascinating journey of how he went from growing up in the mid-west to film school in Vancouver and then, having enough of the cold weather, made his way to South Florida. Following, he’ll talk about how he got his start in makeup and effects working in the haunted industry doing not only cosmetic but practical effects, prop and set design and eventually leading a makeup department. After talking about how he ultimately got his start in filmmaking, Mike will share with our audience the preparation and work that goes into makeup and effects in a film. Starting with the day, he gets the script, meets and works with the talent, developing each character’s unique look and his innovative approach to makeup design using the natural geometry of one’s face. Next, we will shift from makeup to the craft of practical effects. Mike can do it all, from making blood splatter from a body being cut open with a chainsaw to creating a prop head and torso. Then, just to be bashed with a bat to adjust full body makeup, as a result, to have realistically look of how one would as their body decomposes. Eventually, we’ll go back in time and talk about how The Exorcist inspired Mike to pursue this as a craft and how influential The Exorcist was to the art of makeup and effects beyond the use of green pea soup for vomit. We will also touch on the more delicate topic of helping filmmakers understand the cost and value of a professional makeup artist, why there is a cost, what the price buys, and the importance of budgeting correctly for makeup and effects. Finally, we’ll conclude the episode with Mike shelling out some advice and resources for aspiring makeup and effects artists.