What's in a Low-Budget or No-Budget Special Effects Make-up Case?
Posted by tjparsons on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 12:03am
Category: No budget Film Tools
TJPARSONS pulls out his personal supplies and comments on the effects of a "PC" Halloween on Independent Filmmakers.
Halloween is a fun time for everyone. Festivities include icky ooky scary things including skeletons, blood, body parts, hearts, spleens, brains, werewolves, vampires, ... wait or maybe they used to. I have to say I have been disappointed time after time this year (2011) while making ventures to local establishments to plan out what I like to call my post Halloween madness. That is to say the time in the weeks following Halloween that superstores and local establishments mark down all their fake blood, make-up, and other costume and special effect related paraphernalia.
Maybe this started about a year ago when I explored the local establishments in search of the "deals of the season" only to find that I realized that liquid latex has been missing from the staple of staple of Halloween supplies for quite some time. No big deal I thought, I will just order it online. I realize that Halloween stores that are specifically set up for the season have many things that are needed for an independent production, however, part of being an Independent is working on a limited budget. DIY is our battle cry, and given the choice I personally would like to spend 25$ for toolbox full of supplies, tools, and make-up than one mask from the mall that costs 50$ and holds with it restrictions (on film) as the likeness may belong to a licensed movie or the company that makes the mask. Not to mention the markup on Mall goods.
I was particularly disappointed after checking out the local Target's selection this year. Dare I say one quarter of the store was devoted to Halloween related goods. I saw stacks of candy as far as the eye could see, witnessed black cats and non threatening jack-o-lanterns. This is where I started to get worried. Metallic purple and pink jack-o-lanterns peering down at me. Benign ghosts that would make Casper look like a serial killing villain. When did these changes of Halloween take place? Turned another corner: Transformers, Barbie, mullets, tattoo sleeves, old men. Where was the make-up? The really scary spooky things? Or better yet the reason I stepped in that particular day: the cheap actually scary masks- or the staple of my personal kit – blood capsules. Eventually I ventured up to an associate and asked if they had any blood capsules just out of curiosity, but that search was dead ended by a perplexing look like I had just lost a contact in a tank at a sewage treatment plant.
As I hung my head low walked up to the checkout line snickers bar in hand (in attempt to lessen my distress)- with "Charlie Brown" sad music playing in my head – I couldn't help to ask the cashier "What happened to all the 'actual' Halloween' stuff. " I further explained "you know, the make-up and fake skin. The arms, the fake blood, the teeth, the 'scary stuff ', you know. " As he handed me the snickers bar he looked up and said "Yeah, it seems that Halloween has gotten incredibly 'PC ' ( politically correct ). It's a shame huh, those days are long gone."
I walked away with sadness in my heart but before I even stepped foot into my car I couldn't help but to ask myself. “What was so 'un-PC ' about Halloween to begin with?”.
So as a frugal shopper, and producer that knows how to stretch a budget I knew there were other ways around this problem. But still a small part of me has died. Excuse me …. passed on. I still know that there are some of us that wish to make slices, dices, bullet holes, Zombies (living impaired), or general masks and prosthesis. To hold this mess, tool boxes with compartments works really well. So without further explanation I present to you:
WHAT'S IN A LOW BUDGET OR NO BUDGET SPECIAL EFFECTS KIT? WHAT IS IN TJPARSON'S MAKE-UP KIT? What's in my special effects case? Where can I get it? What is it used for?
| WHAT | WHAT ITS USED FOR | WHERE | PRICE |
|
Small lids and meat packing trays |
Mixing make-up and other material |
around the house |
FREE |
|
Base, latex apps, stop shine |
anywhere |
1$ or less |
|
|
Make-up sponges |
Textures and applying make-up, blending |
Dollar Tree |
1$-2$ |
|
Applying powder and blood |
Lowes |
1$-2$ |
|
|
When mixed correctly can make prosthesis, scars, cuts, etc. |
anywhere |
1$-2$ |
|
|
Mixing, blending |
anywhere |
1$ | |
|
Creme Makeup |
Color skin tones – can be added to gelatin for color |
Walmart, Walgreens |
1$ / tube |
|
(blue, black, red/ pink) |
Emphasis under make-up, bone structure wrinkles veins etc. Also eye emphasis i.e sleeplessness or drug use |
Dollar Tree |
1$ / color |
|
Numerous uses: pinning cloth around actor's neck ( for drippage) pulling at latex, and drawing fine detail |
anywhere |
1$ or so | |
|
Mixing drawing fine detail |
anywhere |
Less than a dollar or (complimentary at a restaurant) |
|
|
Eye Shadow |
Used in general depending on scene, but blue can be used as bruises as well as red. Maroon for scrapes and combinations |
Dollar Tree |
1$-5$ depending on how many palletes |
|
Food Coloring |
Mixing blood , creating prosthesis or adding to latex |
Food Stores |
2$-8$ depending on size of bottle and how many |
|
For tasty blood |
Food Stores |
$2.00/ 1 oz color |
|
|
Aside from the obvious, the capsules can be split and melted with hot water for molding scabs and scars |
Locally? No clue how about here> |
1$-2$ |
|
|
temporary hair color |
Safe to spray on skin to emphasize bone structure or charring for burns |
Get after Halloween to save money |
2$ per can |
|
Small empty plastic bottles, i.e empty dish liquid with nozzle |
A nice cheap was to make blood splatter or hold premixed liquids before application |
Trash or Recycle bin- yay! go green |
FREE |
|
Because sometimes you have to do your own make up and you have to supervise actors doing the same |
anywhere |
1$-3$ |
|
|
Lighted Magnifying Mirror |
A magnifying mirror is awesome especially if you have to put in contacts, but especially to get good detail – with HD showing the slightest mistakes it helps |
Brand new at stores, or second hand at flea markets or |
5$-15$ |
|
dental picks |
Pulling at latex to simulate skin, pulling and scraping |
Most stores |
2$-3$ |
|
Make things glisten, if it shines it translates as slimy on camera, Vaseline not water soluble but KY jelly is water soluble |
Most stores |
1$-2$ for each |
|
|
Adding color that be be more subtle on a subject once diluted |
Hint: pick up around back to school time for just pennies |
.50- 1$ |
|
|
Aside from the obvious, use to make skin, aging abrasions |
Best deal is online here |
||
|
Making moulds |
Shop around cheaper the better |
2$-10$ |
|
|
Toilet paper, paper, cardboard |
Adding to face to add layers and depth and wrinkle to skin- paper and cardboard can be used to control the lines of airbrushing using your aerosol hair color spray |
Your bathroom or someone elses, look around any scraps will do |
FREE |
|
Old pieces of masks, textures |
Use textures from masks to press into clay to make moulds for appliances |
Flea markets, thrift stores, big stores, online, |
FREE up to 50$ |
|
Oatmeal |
Texture for zombies, scabs etc. |
Borrow from neighbor |
FREE |
and large grain sponges cut into small pieces
and skin tones
w/o glitter (blue, pink, brown etc)
– yellow, blue, green, and most important "red"
aerosol ( white, gray, black, or any color)
touch sensitive
– the hook kind that come in a pack of 2
and 
|
Foam Head |
For moulding prosthesis |
Thrift store |
2$-6$ |
|
Dries clear to add depth or help blend applications also helps make parts of a mask rigid if you cast your own |
Hint: best during back to school sales |
25 cents-1$ |
or dummy head
* all links to products are subject to change without my notice.
I'm sure I missed something. What do you have in your kits?
Thanks,
TJPARSONS
Profile
Tom Parsons
The founder of Uddershiet Films and film enthusiast, maintains a fun collection of movies that he regularly references for technical examples, discussions with colleagues, friends, students, and production staff. Although there are particular films, shorts, and videos that he prefers over others, seldom is there a movie that he doesn't like.