Nick Dudman, Make-up Effects Artist
In your own words, briefly describe your job.
''I am a make-up effects artist, which includes anything from sticking ears on someone to building rubber monsters to puppets.''
What type of films/programmes/projects do you work on?
''99% is feature work and occasionally I'll be asked to do TV. There's quite a network of make-up artists who I will do things for where I don't take credit and just have fun, like ageing make-up, a bizarre injury or someone's leg is blown off. Especially if I've just done a large scale movie where I haven't been very hands on and it's nice for me to do something myself.''
How did you get into the industry?
''I pestered a make-up artist called Stuart Freebourne who did the Star Wars movies. Eventually, managed to see him and showed him my portfolio.''
What training and/or education have you found most useful in progressing your career?
''I went to art college and did a film and TV production course. But that didn't contribute to getting the actual work. I fell into make-up and make-up effects which I'd done at college but it wasn't part of the curriculum. So it was just chance really.''
How do you find out about available work?
''I have an agent. She sources things and if people contact me I put them through to her and she deals with it.''
What are your career plans for the future?
''I don't have any particular goals that I'm aiming for because I fell into this. Although when I was younger, I wanted to be the make-up effects chief on movies and I've achieved that. But now, I tend to look at specific challenges within any movie that's offered.''
When did you realise that you wanted to work in the industry?
''When I was 9 or 10, I knew that I wanted to be in the business before I knew what I wanted to do in it. Up to that point it never occurred to me that you could do real jobs that real people did. Even when I was at college it didn't occur to me that I could do make-up and build up monsters for a living.''
How do you deal with contract matters?
''I handle everything. On most movies I would handle the hiring and firing of the people, the negotiating their salaries, the day-to-day running of the dept, the budgeting of everything, and the scheduling of it.''
What do you wish you had known then, that you know now?
''I wished I'd taken more notice of studying science. I have very much of an art-based background. Nowadays a science background is equally valid. I go off to computer evening courses and things like that. Never stop learning''
What has been the best piece of luck for you?
''I've had enormous strokes of luck where out of the blue I've been offered a movie that trampolined me in another direction. You can't predict any of these things. Being offered Batman to do Jack Nicholson was a huge stroke and it was a chance thing, but it was an amazing opportunity. In this game if something gains you publicity and gains you respect you are going to do well by it. But you can't tell where those things are or where they're going to come from or when. It's just luck and I've been incredibly lucky.''
How has the industry changed since you first entered it?
''A lot of things that would've been built physically in the past will now be computer generated. In many instances much for the better because the computer can do it better than we can, not tied by the laws of gravity and momentum, that we are trapped with. The work now very much ties in with the computer graphic people.''
Is there a skill you need or want to learn?
''I had to learn a fair amount about what computer graphic and digital companies do and how they do it. What I do may involve a creature that has an amalgamation of both, which can have practical or financial ramifications further down the line in post-production. So it's very important that I know enough about what they do and they know enough about what I do so we can both function as economically and practically as possible.''
Has anyone or anything particularly inspired you?
''My very earliest inspiration was Jack Pierce who did the original Universal Dracula and werewolf movies back in the 30s. He worked with nothing, no facilities and no materials, and produced make-up that's still considered as icons and classics now.''
Are there any other points / reality checks you'd like to make?
''Have the broadest span of skills you can possibly have and make sure half of them work in the outside world. We don't control the freelance market, so if you're too specialised and the market dries up, you'll have nothing. Have something to fall back on for the bad days, even if it's beauty make-up, hairdressing, sculpt 3D and make things that galleries buy, if you're a qualified plumber or anything. It's all about survival.''
