Special Effects Make-Up [Paperback]

Janus Vinther (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 9, 2003

From bullet holes to severed fingers, from slashed throats to wounds and burns, Special Effects is a complete easy-to-use guide to creating horrifying make-up. As storylines become more sensational and technology more sophisticated, special effects have become an increasingly important element of both film and theater production. Janus Vinther provides fully illustrated, step-by-step instructions for creating grotesque and horrifying effects. There is also a chapter on specialized character make-up, covering familiar figures such as Dracula and the Terminator. Illustrated throughout in gory full color, Special Effects for Film and Theatre describes both techniques and materials. It will be an essential tool for those involved in film and theater make-up or design, and for anyone out to make Halloween a very special evening.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A severed hand reaches across the red cover of this paperback, and the images in Vinther's book get progressively more gruesome from there. A European special effects expert, Vinther clearly specializes in the fare of horror and science fiction films-his how-to book is devoted to explaining the tricks behind making life-like imitations of body parts, monsters and bloody wounds. For those readers who wonder how to portray a mangled face or a chopped-off finger, Vinther's is a work without peer-but they must be ready to stomach the book's more than 300 gory color images. The author certainly knows his business, running his private company SPFX, which handles these unique demands for film producers. Each sub-genre ("gouged eye," "blown-off limbs," etc.) requires a certain recipe of materials, which Vinther enthusiastically share. The latter third of the book branches off from generic wounds, and touches on the makeup required for classic monsters, including Dracula, Freddie Kruger and the Terminator. The illustrations are rather gruesome, but for the Halloween amateur or the Hollywood professional, this book is a veritable King James Bible of the macabre.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

...this book is a veritable King James Bible of the macabre.
–Publishers Weekly

Aspiring monster and mayhem makers have a new guide to look forward to.
–Fangoria

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (October 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087830178X
• ISBN-13: 978-0878301782
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #235,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Will prove essential to any working in theatre, January 12, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Special Effects Make-Up (Paperback)

From severed fingers to slashed throats and burns, Special Effects Makeup provides a complete guide to theatre and film make-up processes, covering a world of increasingly technical, sophisticated effects. These step-by-step coverages will prove essential to any working in theatre, surveying materials and their results.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent how-to book, but not for beginners, November 15, 2010

By 

Channel KDK12 "Channel KDK12 - Serious Horror" (New Orleans, LA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Special Effects Make-Up (Paperback)

This book primarily makes use of different types of modeling wax to create everything from small scars to bullet holes to disembowelments. I bought it for myself, but found it to be too advanced--I am more of a Halloween make-up sort of person. My co-owner, Cat, is an expert in theatrical makeup, and finds it an excellent guide, well worth poring over. So, if you're like me, keep looking; if you have a background in makeup and want to learn more about horror moulage, this is for you.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Special Effects Book, October 21, 2005

By 

David Meditz - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Special Effects Make-Up (Paperback)

Great book for the novice entering into the world of Special Effects Makeup. Some easy, cheap gags that will get you started without breaking your bank. Good starter book.