ABSTRACT
The more things change, the more they remain the same. These words, attributed to French journalist and novelist Alphonse Karr, from the magazine Les Guêpes in 1849, could hardly be more accurate in describing the business of special makeup effects. The world has changed, folks! In motion pictures and television, a significant amount of work is being done by digitally compositing elements of computer generated imagery (CGI) with live-action footage. The Jack Crabb character makeup on Dustin Hoffman was created out of foam latex and comprised 14 separate pieces, including hands and eyelids. Smith's process of multiple overlapping appliance pieces is still the industry standard for applying complex makeup, whether in foam latex, gelatin, or silicone. The category for Hair & Makeup wasn't officially added to the Academy Awards until 1981; Rick Baker won the Best Makeup Oscar for his groundbreaking work An American Werewolf in London that year.
