Every monster has a story. And your monster should too. Yes, it helps to have a brilliant foam latex prosthetic to wear and a gorgeous custom made costume.
But to really experience Halloween on the next level , you’re going to have to create a character.
What makes an actor great? The prep work that’s been has done to create his or her character. Why should you be any different in creating your monster? A haunted event or even just dressing up for a party deserves a attention to detail!
Create a backstory so you can have your character be fully YOURS not a copy of someone else’s. The more detail the better. The more original the better.
Why should this matter, you ask? ( Geez, it’s just makeup. ) We have been in the makeup and haunted event biz for decades; Suffice it to say, that we have seen it all when it comes to scare-acting…the brilliant, the good and the just plain “Why are you here? Go home to your video games and let the pros work this crowd!”
We know what makes a good scare actor better– Detail. Don’t overlook the small things–in your makeup design, your costume and your character choices. Really, anyone can hide, jump out and shake a noise can. Even if that is all that is expected of you; make a commitment to do more. Think outside the box. In fact, blow up the friggin’ box.
Write some ideas down. Stay away from cliches and things others have done. This will make your whole experience all the richer. Then you can rejoice in the simple fact that you have helped make your audience’s Halloween all that much richer, too.
http://www.screamteam.com ]]>Folks ask us all the time: What products do you use (besides our own foam latex appliances and makeup kit )?
Well, we do use and adore a bunch of products that suit our monster-loving needs. But one company love is Premiere Products Inc.
1. PPI's Skin Illustrator is a go to product for us. Developed by makeup artist, Kenny Meyers and created by Premiere Products Inc, it's an alcohol based, deeply pigmented make-up for use on appliances. Their palettes are amazing and varied (something for everyone). Scott Ramp uses them every time he does a creation. In fact, PPI has developed a Skin Illustrator palette exclusively for The Scream Team! A mini palette with must have colors.
2. They also have Telesis 7 a silicone based adhesive. It's an industry standard. Super adhesive. Not for newbies, as once this sticks, it's stuck. It's amazing like that.
3. Green Marble Sealer / Blue Marble Sealer Great for sealing colors and setting makeup so you can apply in layers. We love all of PPI's products! Would you Scream Teamers be interested if we carried a few of these in our store?
Let us know what you think. Also what products do you love?
]]>When taking off their foam latex appliances, most folks really want it off in a hurry. That is, dare we say-mistake number one! Take your time and take the appliance off with care, and read our directions thoroughly first (and before your night of mayhem and possible inebriation!) Be gentle with the process so ultimately you can re-use your piece again. It’s worth it.
After the proper removal of the appliance and the adhesive residue, take some hand towels or washcloths and wet them and put them in the microwave for a 20 – 30 seconds or so (depending on the wattage of your microwave). Get them hot, but not scalding. Use them as you would on an airplane in first class. Lay them on your face and let it sit for a few minutes. Enjoy it. Take a deep breath, and remember your much heralded makeup and revel in your gothic laurels.
Then, gently wipe your face and wash it with a gentle facial soap. Now comes the important ending of your day:
Put some Aquaphor on your face. Yep, we are recommending a specific product: Aquaphor by Eucerin. The stuff is like magic! It has the consistency of Vaseline so a little goes a long way. But after a night of wearing an appliance its the perfect “night cap” for your skin. Great for tattoos, too. We are considering carrying this in our Scream Team Makeup kit for next season.
https://www.screamteam.com ]]>So here is our list of common first-timer mistakes:
Check in on you later.. Email us at thescreamteam@gmail.com with ideas about what you may want to read about here. We are open to almost all suggestions…;)
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]]>Transforming one’s face as an actor is as old as Thespis who acted out a hymn to honor Dionysus. Acting and makeup are both arts of transformation.
We have always said that Acting schools should offer a class called, “Acting in Prosthetics”, because some actors just don’t get the concept. (And yet there are those who are brilliant at it.) Your eyes become very important in makeup. The movement of your eyes and the intent behind them is an important part of prosthetic acting.
Your face is an intimate part of you. Some say, the most intimate. Changing your face in a dramatic way, such as with a foam latex appliance is an emotional journey for some. And for others, it becomes an act of freedom! At last, they are NOT themselves they are truly someone else! (We of course, love those actors!)
You can tell when an performer does not like, or is not experienced in prosthetics wearing as the first thing that goes is the ability to move their mouth. If the makeup artist has done their job; moving your face in a prosthetic is not a hard thing. It’s actually quite simple. Though some actors fear they are going to “mess up the makeup” and just are not instructed to just relax and “go for it”.
Maybe more makeup artists should studying acting and more actors should study makeup! It certainly has worked well for us at The Scream Team.
So our advice to you, professional actor or a Halloween enthusiast? Relax and go for it!
Now ----we are about to release TWO brand new foam latex NOSE SETS! Many Scream Team customers keep their appliances in good shape, so they can use them again. We've be asked over the years, to offer replacement clown noses for our Clown Appliance. We did that one better...
A set of THREE CLOWN NOSES:
one standard (like the one found sold with our clown appliance)
one larger version of the standard
and
one upturned, ball-like, Pennywise-inspired nose for something completely different!
Here's a sneak peak at the sculpts:
]]>We, at The Scream Team love animals. In fact, we sometimes make a decision on a stranger’s character solely based on what Henry, (The Scream Team Basset Hound) thinks of them. (Luckily, Henry’s opinions of others usually rests completely on the person’s willingness to rub his belly. Go figure. )
Henry likes to be in the mix of things around the shop. His nickname is “speed bump”, because of unique proclivity to lay exactly in your walking path. It’s his non verbal way of telling us to, “Slow down! take it easy.”
latex got tipped over and a bit of it landed on sweet ole Henry’s posterior. And it was not noticed until late in the day when we worried he might have been hurt. “Is that BLOOD?? Is Henry BLEEDING??” Nope. Liquid Latex…DRIED. into. the. dog fur. We combed, brushed and even super-solved the area. And decided that since it didn’t hurt Henry, we should leave his poor hindquarters alone. In fact, it became his Halloween makeup effects badge of honor!
We have not trained King Henry to run foam yet, due to his annoying lack of opposable thumbs. Yet his zen-like ability to nap in the make-up chaos keeps us all centered during the busy Halloween rush.
The creation of foam latex appliances can be difficult, tedious and requires much dedication to produce the quality of products we have become known for. It’s nice to look down and see that Henry approves of all of our hard work. https://www.screamteam.com Our Wicked Site |