The Oscar Makeup and hair “bakeoffs” were Saturday, January 19, as the members of the Academy’s Makeup Branch viewed 10-minute excerpts from each of the seven shortlisted films.
The bakeoff determines by vote which three teams will be nominated for an 80th Academy Award.
The seven films are:
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” Benoît Lestang .... special makeup effects artist and Myriam Hottois - Key Makeup Artist.
“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” - Amanda Knight - makeup designer and Colin Jamison - hair designer
“La Vie en Rose” Didier Lavergne - key makeup artist and Jan Archibald - key hair stylist
“Norbit” Rick Baker - special makeup effects artist and Kazuhiro Tsuji - prosthetic makeup supervisor
“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” Ve Neill - makeup department head (also special makeup effects creator) - hair designer Martin Samuels
“Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” Peter Owen - makeup artist and Ivana Primorac - key makeup and hair artist
“300” Shaun Smith - creature & special makeup effects supervisor and Scott Wheeler - makeup department head
The three teams winnowed from the seven selected films will be announced on Tuesday, January 22.at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.
M.A.C. Cosmetics and M.A.C. Artist Relations Manager Monique Boyer were joined by the company's key creative executives to host the after-party held at the Paley Center for Media (formerly The Museum of Television & Radio) in Beverly Hills.
Leonard Engelman addresses attendees
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced 10 winners of Scientific and Technical Academy Awards, which will be presented at The Beverly Wilshire on Saturday, February 9, 2008.
Unlike other Academy Awards, achievements receiving Scientific and Technical Awards need not have been developed and introduced during 2007. Rather, the achievements must demonstrate a proven career record of contributing significant value to the process of making motion pictures.
Christien Tinsley
Academy Governor Leonard Engelman announced that the recipient from I.A.T.S.E. Local MAHS 706 selected for an Academy Award for scientific and technical achievements was makeup artist Christien Tinsley, for the creation of the transfer techniques for creating and applying 2D and 3D makeup known as “Tinsley Transfers.”
Engelman noted, "These techniques allow quick and precisely repeatable application of 2D makeup such as tattoos, bruises and birthmarks, as well as 3D prosthetic appliances ranging in size from small wounds to entire torsos.
They utilize self-adhesive material that features an unprecedented combination of tissue-thin edges, resilience, flexibility and water resistance, while requiring no dangerous solvents."
Benoît Lestang (L) and Leonard Engelman (R)
Mr. Engelman addressed the invitees and clarified the criteria for team selection, and then introduced the attending artists and hairstylists from films selected.
Featured clips from each nominated team were screened.
Mr. Engelman was joined by Local 706 president Susan Cabral-Ebert and many of the top makeup artists and hair stylists in the cinematic world. Seen at the event were many notable peers including Oscar nominated (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl ) hair stylist Martin Samuels, who shared with me that he was en route to Vancouver to work with Jennifer Aniston; Kim Santantonio who wrapped “Frost/Nixon” as hair department head, and Alicia Tripi, a hair stylist on “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” and the television series “Shark” among her many credits
Kazuhiro Tsuji (C)
The Oscar winning makeup artists there included Michael Westmore (Mask), Bill Corso (Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events) and three-time Oscar winner Ve Neill, who was nominated again for her continued work in the “Pirates” franchise. (Ve did the makeup for Johnny Depp for “Sweeney Todd”, another film selected by the academy for the bakeoff.)
Oscar nominated artist (with Bill Corso for “Click”) Kazuhiro Tsuji also was there representing his nominated Rick Baker team from “Norbit.” Joining him at the after-event was Benoît Lestang of the nominated “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.”
Reporter Jack Egan (L) and "300" artist Shaun Smith (R)
The team from “300” that included first-time award nominee Shaun Smith, and Emmy winner and Oscar nominated makeup department head, Scott Wheeler were also at the event.
Along with many television and film artists, hairstylists Robert Wilson and Mary Kate Welsh from “The Young and the Restless” were also in attendance.
On Saturday, February 23, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, the makeup and hair Symposium will feature the three teams selected by academy members, all on panel and moderated by Mr. Engelman.
In Oscar Week’s culminating public event, the nominees for this year’s Makeup award will discuss their creative process and present film clips, photographs and models of their work.
Barring any complications from the WGA strike, the 80th Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2007 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2008, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network beginning at 5 p.m. PT.
The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
