prosthetic makeup

Prosthetic makeup also called special make-up effects and FX prosthesis) is the process of using prosthetic sculpting, molding and casting techniques to create advanced cosmetic effects. Prosthetic makeup goes back to the beginning of film making with Le Voyage dans La Lune, a 1902 French adventure short film directed by Georges Méliès where the man on the moon effect was accomplished using a combination of makeup and a prosthetic type mask with added pastes. The makeup artist Jack Pierce was another early Hollywood make-up artist, best remembered for creating the iconic makeup worn by Boris Karloff in Frankenstein, his makeup for the Wolfman, and more. Modern prosthetic makeup was revolutionized by John Chambers, whose work can be seen in Planet of the Apes as well as Dick Smith's work in Little Big Man, Stan Winston in the Terminator series, and Rob Bottin in The Thing. Many of the techniques developed during that period are still regularly used in the field today. Additionally, many of these artists taught and inspired the next generation of Special Effects makeup artists, who in turn developed more advanced techniques for effects makeup, including developing different materials, animatronics and incorporating added computer elements.