|
1) Give us a little background on yourself, when
did you decide that filmmaking was what you wanted to do?
In 1974, I left home at the age of 14. I worked in a
Houston diner where, one early Sunday morning during a “double swing
shift,” a very gay, very drunk man came in and sat in my station. He kept
saying “Have you ever thought of being a model?” “Yeah, yeah, yeah” I
thought. Then, a couple of hours later and more sober, he dropped his
business card on the counter and said, “When you get tired of slinging
hash, call me.” (Did I mention I was 14? I passed for 19 years for five
years!) After my night manager threatened to turn me in for lying about my
age if I didn’t “put out,” I quit. The next morning I’m like “Oh CRAP!
What will I do now?!?” I saw Dale Blanc’s card on the kitchen counter from
the night before and decided to call. He said he remembered me and asked
me to come into his office - which was about 40 miles on the other side of
Houston. I’m like, “How many bus transfers is that?” When he said
he’d “send a car” I thought it’d be something like someone giving me a
ride. It was my first ride in a town car limo. Any way, the agency signed
me that day and before the week was up I was in classes for voice and
diction (to get rid of my prominent Texas drawl), runway, makeup and
acting. (All taught to me by gay men.) It was the last of the “studio
agencies” where they take you in, invest in you, and mold you into a
marketable product.
Within a month I was asked to “help out” on a
little no-budget film. The director was so difficult to work with that
half the crew quit! So, I started with stand in work, moved to include
Special Effects Makeup, and became the ENTIRE SFX Department!!! When I was
done, though, I knew... this was always going to be in my
blood.
2) Who inspired you
to become an effects artist?
Hmmm...I’d
say Lon Chaney off the bat. Then the artists on the Hammer films. When I
needed a crash course in blood work, though, it was my hero, Tom Savini’s,
work that got me through.
3) Tell us about
your latest projects.
Just finished
“Zombie Hunter” where I was, again, the entire SFX department.... and
props, and costumes, etc. Shot on location in Boron, California, it was
brutal but we had a BLAST. My husband, Reggie Bannister, and I just did a
cameo in a music video for “Twiztid” as kind of
“Twelve Monkeys”
scientists. That was neat. It was our first on camera scene
together.
4) Any future
projects in the works?
We’re currently
writing a stage musical for our community called “Coyote Tales” about
Native American stories acted out on stage. Still awaiting the green light
on the next Phantasm film.
5) What exactly is
"Organic" special effect gags? what are the benefits, are they safer than
alternatives sources?
Organic SFX are
hands-on effects, often with prosthetics, and without CGI. CGI should
always be used for the “enhancement” of special effects and not the end
all of the gags in a film. One rule of thumb I have about my gags, and the
products I use is, “If it burns me, it will burn my actors.” and there’s
no way in hell I’ll use something on someone else that I wouldn’t use on
myself. I’m seeing a disturbing growth in the number of faces burned by
up-and-coming SFX people. Additionally, I use gelatins in varying degrees
of thickness for my blood. Putting some nasty-tasting stage blood into an
actors mouth is going to detract from their performance. I’d rather use
something that they can tolerate like “minty blood.” It’s not about “me”
the SFX artist... it IS about getting the best performance from the actor
under (often) brutal physical and environmental conditions.
A SFX artist must always be on a learning curve
to keep pace with the film/SFX industry. With the advent of HD24 (High
Definition 24 frames per second) video, I’ve had to rethink some of my
gags and actually use rudimentary techniques in order to give the
prosthetics a more authentic/interesting look in camera. Where a severed
arm on 16mm or 35mm film looks “cool” with just gel blood, HD24 enhances
every detail and can flatten in some aspects. Adding a product I use
(called Gelastic developed by Richard Miranda), and then “gooping” the
bloody stump with chocolate syrup, the darker liquid makes the red liquid
“pop” more on screen. Basically, utilizing primitive 3D techniques to
achieve a more realistic look.
6) Tell us about
your experience as both cast and crew of Bubba Ho-tep. Was it good to work
with Don Coscarelli again? Did your experience differ any from your
previous work on Phantasm IV?
Coming
onto the set for BHT was like a family reunion. Much of the crew had
worked together on Phantasm IV: OblIVion in 1998/99 and we all kind of
fell into place like putting on an old shoe. Like Reggie, Bruce Campbell
is a total professional on the set. Once he was transformed into “Elvis”
he stayed “Elvis” the entire time until the prosthetics were removed. Reg
and I
loved working with Ossie Davis. I had much less to do on BHT
than P4, which had its pros and cons. I like being busy and in the thick
of things. On P4, my screen credit was “Special Effects Makeup
Coordinator” but I worked in 14 positions at one time or another,
including 1st Assistance Director one night. Plus, Reggie and I brought a
lot of “product” to the project, like, the CGI artist who did the “sphere
swarm” in the opening scene, the Civil War Re-enactment unit for the Tall
Man’s Civil War flashback, and we got KNB FX to come onboard. On BHT, I
cast and wrangled the extras for a crowd scene, was Reggie’s personal
assistant for his scenes as the Rest Home Administrator, and I was
“trailer trash” for the scene where Elvis blows up my trailer. But, that’s
it.
|
“Have you ever thought of being a
model?”
Scene from A Bleeding Heart, Makeup by
Gigi
100% Natural, Special FX with No Added
Chemicals!
Car Wreck Scene From Zombie
Hunter
|
|
Phantasm OblIVion movie
Poster
Gigi Applying Makeup
Gigi Posing With Car Wreck
Victim
Gigi's Got Guts!
|
7) Which project has been your favorite and why?
Hmmm... I’d have to say P4 because I
contributed so much and, best of all, Reggie and I worked together every
day. We’re kind of like Siamese twins in that way. When one of us is alone
on a project it’s like we’re missing the other arm.
8) What do you think
are the biggest problems in Hollywood Today?
In a word, SAG (screen actors guild). It’s the
biggest lie in Hollywood. It does all it can to make it tough on the
productions, directors and the actors. Further, SAG does everything it can
to keep the actor out, then, when they finally get in they’re “on their
own” to get work. Join any other union, and there’s a union hall to go to
for work. The biggest kept secret in Hollywood is “financial core” which
SAG does everything they can to bully their members from taking. Under the
Federal Taft Hardy Act, no organization can prevent its members from
obtaining work in their chosen field. Under Financial Core, SAG (and other
unions) cannot prevent you from working, deny you residuals, or deny
health care. The only thing you cannot do is vote in the Union or hold
office. Big whoop. For a union, where only 3% of its membership works at
any given time, to deny its members the ability to work - and to LIE about
it or deny them the constitutionally guarantee of “the pursuit of
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” is unconscionable. As a
talent manager, I know seasoned actors today who are working “day jobs”
and starving because they’re afraid of the stigma of “financial core.” In
beginning actors classes, I teach that an actor must decide to be a “star”
or a working actor. Most, would choose the latter and SAG knows it.
9) Any advice to beginners?
Don’t talk... DO. Don’t say “I’ve got this idea for
a script,” WRITE it. Don’t worry about format - they’ve got software for
that. Write the story idea at the least. If you’re an actor - don’t
surround yourself with your drinking buddies... place yourself into
situations where you will meet OTHER actors, writers, or directors. Get
involved in community theatre at the very least! Take on non-union and
student film roles. If you’re dying (so to speak) of being a special
effects artist - DO it... practice on your friends, your relatives, your
enemies. (Kidding.) If you want to be a Director or DP... grab a camera
AND SHOOT. Life is too short for coulda, shoulda, woulda.
10) What's the
funniest thing that has ever happened to you on set?
Usually an equipment failure at “just the right
time” or a wardrobe malfunction when I did my horror hostess (Vampi the
Vegetarian Vampire™) cable show. I think the fall down, laugh until you
have to pee, moment was on my show Nightmarez Café™. We never rehearsed on
our show in order to keep it fresh. On night, I had Daniel Roebuck, Chuck
Williams, and Bob Burns on the same show... at the same time (huge
mistake!) ... promoting “Halloween, the Happy Haunting of America.” We
have a great comedic chemistry when we’re all together, keeping each other
in stitches. Chuckie ends the show with, “...And, you know what I like
best about Vampi’s show? You get such terrific stuff to take home with
you!” And they ALL proceed to leave the set with my props that were on the
table! It was priceless. I miss that show. I’ve been thinking about doing
“Fat Horror Hostess,” but I don’t know anyone who’ll pick it up!
Here's where we give
you a word or phrase and you give us the first thoughts that pop into your
mind.
Hollywood - Tragic.
Biggest
regret - Not going to network with Nightmarez Café™ and promoting
everyone else over my own career.
Biggest
prick- A tie
between William Campbell (Star Trek) and George Bush (the shrub).
Toxic Shock TV (shameless plug)- Best damned show ever.
Your biggest "break-thru" moment - When
I realized that there IS life beyond size 9.
You can only watch
3 movies for the rest of your life, which 3- Phantasm IV, Metropolis,
and Nasferatu.
You can only listen to 3 songs for the rest of
your life, which 3- All are Reggie’s “All I’m looking for (is this moment),”
“Mother’s Love,” and “Last Dance.” They made me fall in love with him.
Please Visit Production Magic,
Inc. |
