Award-winning character effects company MASTERSFX unveiled its "dMFX" ("Digital MakeUp") Division in conjunction with Season Four of the hit Amblin Television/TNT series "Falling Skies," which premiered in late June. Todd Masters, President/Founder/Chief Monster Maker for the company made the announcement.
MASTERSFX, the show's producer of practical creature FX since the series launch in 2011, has continuously evolved the company's skill set for this series. For "Falling Skies," MASTERSFX has implemented a new digital enhancement process, dMFX – a process that mixes on-set special FX creature work with the company's proprietary digital tools, ultimately creating unique alien beings that is prominently featured in Season Four.
Starting with the Emmy-nominated pilot for "Falling Skies," MASTERSFX has continually created for the series armies of practical monsters, from small parasites, to the 12- foot tall spindly "Overlords" and car-sized "Skitters." "A lot of the fun of this show is the creative force behind the stories," says Masters. "Every week, when we receive the new scripts, we salivate – like the show's fans – because we are very excited to see what the writers have conjured up next. And we also enjoy challenging ourselves to see if we can fulfill those challenges."
As they perfected their practical creature FX work over the first three seasons of the series, MASTERSFX, working from studios based in both LA and Vancouver, was already developing techniques to better integrate their work along with modern digital Visual Effects. During Season Three of "Falling Skies," MASTERSFX began to add its unique digital process to the series with the company's creation of the "Volm" alien race.
During Season Four, MASTERSFX is expanding use of its dMFX process, to include other alien characters as well. Said Masters, "Even the most unruly critters were somehow engineered to believably arrive on set; the twelve foot tall alien 'Overlord' characters were created at actual-size and lensed in-situ, in motion, as portrayed by real actors on leg-extensions. Later, to depict the creature's demeanor, we integrated expressive alien eyes and emotive facial features by using our dMFX process during post production."
By incorporating the company's unique dMFX process, MASTERSFX can mix their decades of on-set know-how with the flexibility and control of several digital techniques. "We like to think of ourselves as representing the next era of monster-making," Masters states. "Our dMFX process allows us to integrate more traditional creature and character FX techniques with high-end tracking, photo-processing and performance transfer, to solve monster problems for our clients, in a highly efficient way. Achieving great characters for commercials or producing interesting new creatures for film and television is no longer just for big budgeted projects."
André Bustanoby, Visual Effects Supervisor within the dMFX Division of MASTERSFX, adds, "As artists, working in both make-up and visual effects, we prefer to embrace any tool or technique appropriate when helping our clients tell compelling stories. In 'Falling Skies' for example, the alien characters are an unique amalgam of techniques, built by our studio between our make-up and digital divisions, thus sharing the same artistic direction and goals. One mind, one monster. With too many cooks in the kitchen, the effective depiction of unique characters can get easily out of control or lose design cohesion. At the end of the day, helping create an organic, relatable character, in service to the story – is paramount."
"We have the ability to take advantage of all the artistry of the sculptors, lighters, cameraman, and actors on-set, and then extend their capabilities," says Johnathan Banta, Senior Visual Effects Supervisor within the dMFX Division at MASTERSFX.
"Falling Skies" most popular new alien character, "Cochise" was introduced to the series at the beginning of Season Three. "Cochise" is a warrior of the "Volm" alien race, portrayed by actor Doug Jones. Jones – known for his portrayal of "Hellboy's" Abe Sapien, and Silver Surfer in the "Fantastic Four" films, as well as the character Faun in Guillermo del Toro's multi-Oscar-winning fantasy/horror project "Pan's Labyrinth" – has also performed as several other members of the "Volm" species, even playing his own father in last season's finale.
By integrating the company's dMFX Process, MASTERSFX prides itself on helping to embellish Jones' performance – actually allowing him to drive the digital enhancements of his "Volm" characters. The dMFX system analyzes the actor's original performance – tracking the precise onset movements of Doug Jones – and then "super-sizes it" with proprietary methods. The MASTERSFX team then blends together the on-set prosthetics, Doug Jones' performance, and the digital enhancements crafted in post.
Regarding this Digital Makeup FX process, actor Doug Jones says, "The character of 'Cochise,' which I portray in 'Falling Skies,' is a combo platter of both practical and digital techniques, all under the MASTERSFX umbrella. I always prefer to wear prosthetic makeups on set when I'm playing other-worldly characters-this allows for normal interaction with the other actors in each scene, since they are able to talk with this alien character during a scene. Over the years, I've also noticed that wearing prosthetic makeups actually affects my posture and gestures, and makes me move and react differently."
MASTERSFX delivers Jones' character to the physical set in all of its "camera-ready alien glory," with fully detailed practical prosthetics – created 'fresh' every morning by the company's Vancouver team, led by Creature Art Director Werner Pretorius and onset Makeup Artists Felix Fox and Maiko Gomyo. Even though the practical version of "Cochise" is limited in movement, Doug Jones' character appears perfect on-set in every detail. This is done so that other actors can better relate to his characterizations, and so that he can be physically present in the scene. Jones, as "Cochise," can be directed and involved in his scenes, effortlessly interacting with other cast members, as well as with the sets and props. Historically, this approach has been very difficult, if not impossible, with traditional Visual Effects solutions. In this manner, Jones' "Cochise" character has the ability to perform as a believable and organic member of the show's ensemble cast.
Jones adds, "I love the practical side of FX. And now, by adding in the digital side, the MASTERSFX team is able to make my eyes blink and look around, my upper lip can move along with my dialogue, my eyebrows can express emotion, and the muscles in my face can move in concert with my speaking voice. MASTERSFX makes my performances seamless — they give life and breath to the prosthetic face by adding digital subtleties that don't make 'Cochise' feel like he's a character within a video game."
"Our goal with 'Falling Skies' is to subtly and appropriately embellish the live, on-set performances of actors who are representing alien creatures and wearing prosthetics," adds Banta. "It provides the benefits of an actor actually being on-set, lit, and performing along with the rest of the cast. Afterwards in post production, we are able to provide subtleties and an organic sense of reality to the performance of Doug Jones, bringing in the 'missing life' that was not captured, due to the limits of the prosthetics."
Banta continues, "Our finished product looks real – because IT IS REAL! We enhance what is there, instead of trying to paste on digitally created elements. A creature that is actually there on-set – in real-time – allows the other actors and the director to see the 'being' and collaborate with it directly. There are no tennis-ball markers for actors to try and act to, or for directors to 'guess direct' to. With dMFX, we can deliver 'Cochise' by blending the persuasiveness of practical reality with our in-house digital brew. Our process provides these creatures an actual physical presence of a fully realized monster, alien, creature – or anything imaginable."
Masters concludes, "For decades, our team has been seeking ways to perfect the practical and digital effects mix, working with live on-set actors and away from that CG look – which can often remove the viewer from a key emotional moment. For as long as we've been a company, we have been strong proponents for advancing monster-making and evolving Visual FX, to deliver better and more organic and believable characters. Everyone in our entire staff comes from a full-blown love of monsters. From our childhoods, we grew up with movie monsters, and are excited to continue to progress their art form. Our involvement with 'Falling Skies,' as well as other TV shows and feature films, has allowed us the perfect platform to evolve as a company, and has given us amazing creative challenges. We're excited to show-off our new work during Season Four of 'Falling Skies' to everyone this summer!"
About "FALLING SKIES"
Airing on TNT, "Falling Skies" is a science fiction, post-apocalyptic dramatic television series created by Robert Rodat and executive produced by Steven Spielberg. The series stars Noah Wyle as Tom Mason, a former Boston University history professor who becomes the second-in-command of the 2nd Massachusetts Militia Regiment, a group of civilians and fighters fleeing post-apocalyptic Boston following an alien invasion that devastated the planet six months before the start of Season One.
"Falling Skies" is produced by DreamWorks Television. The series premiered on June 19, 2011. Season 4 premiered on June 22, 2014.
About MASTERSFX
Founded in 1987 by Emmy Award winner Todd Masters, MASTERSFX is a multi-award winning character and special FX house with studios in Vancouver, British Colombia, and Los Angeles. MASTERSFX's creative teams produce a unique blend of practical and digital makeup and special FX, prosthetics and animatronics, through a process called dMFX, for hundreds of hit feature films, TV shows, and commercials.
Included among the TV projects to which MASTERSFX has contributed its work are "True Blood," "Falling Skies," "The Leftovers," "Almost Human," "Stargate: Atlantis," "Dexter," "Fringe" and "Eureka." Among the company's film credits are "RoboCop," "The Day the Earth Stood Still," "The Haunting in Connecticut," "Star Trek: First Contact," "Tales from the Crypt," "Nightmare on Elm Street 5," "The Horse Whisperer," "Slither," "Snakes on a Plane," "Predator," "Poltergeist II," "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Look Who's Talking," "Mortal Kombat," and many more.
Todd Masters won an Emmy Award in 2003 for the 2001/2002 Season of "Six Feet Under" in the category "Best Special Effects Makeup." MASTERSFX is also the winner of a 2006 "Saturn Award" for "Best MakeUp FX" for its work on the film "Slither." Please see www.mastersfx.com
