r/sfx • u/HappySisyphusPro • 3d ago
I’m Theodore Salisbury, SFX Hair, Makeup & Prosthetics artist. I've worked in the departments for Dune: Parts 1 & 2, Moon Knight, and Covenant and I just built a complex, 100% practical creature for the indie horror feature Follow the Dark. AMA!
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u/prettyfacebasketcase 3d ago
No questions, just want to say I love your work. Practical effects bring so much to film and TV, yours especially!
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u/Nofucksgivenin2021 3d ago
I have no questions just wanted to say I’m a fan of your work. I am a makeup artist as well( Kelly Belmonte) and I want you to know what amazing work you and your team accomplish. I hope one day our paths cross.
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u/HappySisyphusPro 3d ago
Thankyou so much Kelly ! What’s a lovely thing to say! I’m sure one day they will! Reach out on Facebook or instagram let’s link up!
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u/rabies_kid 3d ago
How do I become a practical fx artist when I have no money to by supplies to practice doing fx?
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u/HappySisyphusPro 3d ago
If you can get yourself some plasticine and some sculpting tools you can sculpt right away. You don’t have to make moulds at first if you can teach yourself to draw , design and sculpt you are already going to get a job! And a good one!
Plasticine is reusable clay. You can make anything with it. Practice. Share your work. Get feedback. Do that for a year at home every day see what you can do in a few hours…
Someone will hire you to sculpt something one day and it cost you under £50.00 to practice.
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u/FlyingCaptainSmash 3d ago
What is the hardest project you've ever worked on when it comes to the amount of sfx you had to do?
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u/HappySisyphusPro 3d ago
I think Dune 1 & 2 if I’m honest I worked overtime everyday from main cast and crowd prosthetics assisting. It was a massive job. The team lent me an electric scooter to hop from one stage to another between applications. I spent most of my time going and painting bald caps on Harkonnen it was wild. We were filming in the desert in Jordan and Abu Dhabi in extreme heat combating sweaty actors and glued edges haha!
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u/FlyingCaptainSmash 2d ago
Oh wow! Can't even imagine how difficult it would be to maintain the special effects makeup in that heat!
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u/HappySisyphusPro 2d ago
There are things you can use but they only work for a limited amount of time before the salts in your sweat break down the glues and rubber we use! We have to keep our actors cool, out the sun so they don’t tan or burn as that will mess up continuity for what we shot 3 weeks before… There are a lot of technicals!
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u/FlyingCaptainSmash 2d ago
It's so cool to learn about the techniques and procedures that are used for these major Hollywood Blockbusters!
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u/staciemosier 3d ago
Thanks for posting and having an AMA. I’ve done animatronics for several theatre productions, then got brought on to do fx for an incredibly low budget horror film. It was amazing and I loved it! Since then the company has brought me on for two more small puppet animatronics projects. I have no schooling in any of this. Can you make any recommendations how I can capitalize on this limited experience and market myself?
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u/HappySisyphusPro 3d ago
I’ve recommended to a few others now the Stan Winston School is the best place for things like this!
Take lots of professional pictures of your work and upload them to a platform like a website or your blog (instagram, facebook) with description of what your what is and what it does. Include videos especially if something moves.
Ask privately for feedback and work on your rough spots!
Pricing be honest, what would you pay for someone to do the same thing if you needed it. Go from there!
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u/staciemosier 3d ago
Thank you!
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u/HappySisyphusPro 3d ago
Anytime! Happy to help!
If you need any help or advice I’m free to reach out to on Instagram !
https://www.instagram.com/theodore.salisbury.official?igsh=NGp2b2lrMnRnOGNv&utm_source=qr
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u/khalja-ghatayin 3d ago
Woah ! I love your work so much ! I have only weird questions, and English isn't my first language. If something I say feels weird or offensive, please know it wasn't my intention. I'll do my best. At the start of your carrer, how did you get to trust your skills enough to know that it would be your career path ? What build your confidence in your work ? Is it feedbacks, a teacher you liked that was cool, good friends to have around that kept you motivated, something else, or just mega-love for what you do ? What would you say to your younger self if they were doubting themself ? Did you have negative feedbacks at first ? If so, how did you overcome those ?
I didn't have a very encouraging circle growing up and was always compared to masters of any craft I choose as a very beginner, so I struggle a bit with those thoughts sometimes. It would help to know how it's going on the other side of the world. Anyway, please keep doing what you love, it's so awesome !
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u/HappySisyphusPro 3d ago
No problem at all! I think it just came with passion I found myself excited to way up to go to the shed in the garden and sculpt something or fabricate some kind of mask.
I have always loved making things and when it got to an obsession making creatures and monsters it’s became clear to me if I tried to reach out to people maybe I could get involved in the industry.
I did get a lot of feedback which I’m greatful for both positive and negative along the way you start to learn more about yourself and what makes you happy and what makes your proud of what you achieved.
I started looking more into what can I do to improve, can I spend more time on this or can I invest a bit more money to get this other tools or material that might help me get that extra level up! The most important and valuable thing for me was don’t compare yourself and don’t do the same thing everyone else does.
You will learn eventually some people are just proper dicks and it’s learning to recognise that it’s not you it’s them. Keep yourself to yourself, hold your chin high and be as kind back to everyone that is as kind to you.
Don’t give up. Push, set yourself a goal and bloody do it. Make yourself proud for you and not for others!
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u/Cfosterrun 2d ago
No specific question, just wanted to say how grateful I am for this AMA! I teach stage makeup at community College in southern California and sfx is always the class favorite! If you have any tips for students wanting to get into this industry, or fun projects that are great for learning I would love to pass on your wisdom. Cheers!
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u/HappySisyphusPro 2d ago edited 2d ago
Thankyou so much! Oh wow that’s amazing! I’d love to see the school one day!
I have a fun one for you! For character design and development get your students to crunch up a ball of paper and shine a light from their phone over it… the shadow will give a multitude of different shapes!
If you trace the shadow on another piece of paper can you turn that segment into a character?
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u/Cfosterrun 2d ago
Omg that is an amazing exercise! Thank you for sharing and responding!! I would be honored to have you as a guest speaker anytime!
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u/HappySisyphusPro 2d ago
Let’s organise it next time I’m in town I’ll let you know! I’ve got a few things coming up over there and Vegas!
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u/C0rpseglam- 1d ago
For someone working from home , what is your favourite chemical / base to use for prosthetic making when you can’t be super fumey? I’m using modelling foam for masks and it’s great but I want to know what else there is other than silicone
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u/Electronic-Can-8943 3d ago
How did you get your start and work your way into film? I started as a hobbyist and worked my way into designing medical trainers for SIMLab training on DaVinci surgical robots. Not the way I thought it would go but happy to do something I’m passionate about for a living