Alex Joseph sewing meat to create a sound for the movie "Hannibal."
Crafts prodigies:
Celebrating the next gen
By Todd Longwell
The Hollywood Reporter
August 6, 2007
Short of recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, it's hard for those working in the crafts departments to pinpoint exactly when they've "arrived." In the case of an actor, the moment is heralded by media coverage, autograph requests and deferential treatment from industry suits and maitre d's. But many of the industry's top below-the-line talents are virtually unknown outside their disciplines and the circle of artists with whom they collaborate, so even recognition from within the filmmaking community can come as a surprise.
"I'm shocked when people say, 'Oh, I've heard of you,' " says supervising sound editor Andrew DeCristofaro of Soundelux. "I think, 'Wow. You actually know who I am?' "
Although fame probably isn't the objective for those considering a career as a cinematographer, makeup artist, sound mixer, editor, production designer, visual effects supervisor or costume designer, they can become well-paid, in-demand artists, recognized for their signature talents by industry peers. Still, even highly skilled craftspeople who've spent years employed in these trades often have difficulty making the transition from anonymous worker bee toiling in the shadows to much sought-after artisan -- and there are as many paths to reaching that goal as there are fabric swatches in a costume designer's workshop.
DeCristofaro says the key to his success was starting small. Coming out of film school at USC, he planned on a career as a director. But even though he had an agent, no job offers were forthcoming, so he looked in the want ads and found an unpaid internship at a small sound postproduction house.
"It wasn't union or anything like that, so it allowed me to do everything," says DeCristofaro, whose credits include Universal's February release "Breach" and last year's "Borat," "Little Miss Sunshine" and "The Pink Panther." "I was cutting, mixing -- you name it. We were doing some ancillary work for a company called EFX at the time, and they saw what I was doing, they liked me and they hired me. So I went from an internship to a hired position and from there it just kept growing."
As with any other business, the ability to rise to the top of the below-the-line ladder is often dependent on who you know -- and sometimes who you're dating. In 1983, costume designer Rita Ryack made a name for herself in New York theater circles with her Tony-nominated costume designs for the Broadway hit "My One and Only." The following year, she received a phone call from producer Amy Robinson, whose sister Eve knew Ryack's boyfriend from his prep days at Princeton Day School in New Jersey. Robinson told her she was looking for a costume designer for 1985's "After Hours," a low-budget movie she was producing for director Martin Scorsese.
That led to a second film job with another "After Hours" producer, the late Robert F. Colesberry, on 1988's "The House on Carroll Street," which, in turn, led to two more gigs with its director, Peter Yates. She also went on to collaborate with Scorsese on 1991's "Cape Fear," 1995's "Casino" and 1999's "Bringing Out the Dead."
"That's how it works," says Ryack, who designed the over-the-top '60s fashions for New Line's current release "Hairspray." "It's a very small community."
Normally, one's first film job is not as a department head on a film helmed by a major director, but Ryack had a long list of theater credits as a costume designer and Scorsese needed someone who was relatively cheap. Editor Byron Smith found his shortcut to the top of the TV business due to a time crunch.
Smith was working as an assistant editor on the pilot for FX's "Nip/Tuck," assigned with the uncreative task of taking sound notes for the show's creator Ryan Murphy. But when the schedule got tight, Murphy wanted to speed up the process and take some pressure off the first editor, so he let Smith cut some footage. Murphy liked what he saw, and when "Nip/Tuck" was picked up as a series, he made Smith a full-fledged editor.
Smith went on to cut Murphy's big screen debut as a writer-director, 2006's "Running with Scissors," before joining the staff of the HBO series "Big Love" for its second season.
"I think (Murphy) saw that I was in line with him and his vision," observes the 30-year-old Smith, a member of THR's Crafts: The Next Generation class of 2006. "Everything he does is pretty highly stylized, and I knew the style that he wanted to harness and that's what helped cultivate our relationship. He would tell me things in the abstract and I would be able to grasp it."
Smith's ability to communicate gave him a leg up on many of today's emerging young talents in editorial, visual effects and animation -- most of whom acquired advanced technical skills by spending their teens working with sophisticated consumer software on their home computers. Although technically savvy, some of them never developed the ability to play well with others.
"It starts off sort of being about your skill in doing the work, but once you get to supervising level, it's a lot about people management, relationships and working on a team," says Industrial Light + Magic's Jeff White (class of 2006), who served as digital production supervisor on Paramount's "Transformers." "Some people get into it and realize they'd rather just do the work every day because they find that more interesting than the people part of it, but I've always found I like a balance of the two."
For many, the key to mastering both the technical and political sides of the business is finding the right mentor. Will Files found that person in his Skywalker Sound boss, Randy Thom, a two-time Oscar winner (2004's "The Incredibles" and 1983's "The Right Stuff") who serves as the facility's director of sound design.
"For me, it's about not being afraid to ask for favors and being open to anyone who's willing to get me a job," says Files (class of 2006), who served as an assistant sound designer under Thom on such films as 2005's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and Disney/Pixar's "Ratatouille" before moving up to full-fledged sound designer/supervising sound editor for Paramount/DreamWorks Animation's upcoming comedy "Bee Movie." "Randy's been instrumental in giving me a lot of opportunities to work on larger films than I would probably get on my own, and just recently (four-time Oscar winner) Gary Rydstrom, who doesn't work here anymore, suggested me when someone asked him for a young, up-and-coming sound designer for a Paramount movie."
Of course, the best mentor one can have is a blood relative, preferably a parent. As the son of the late, Emmy-winning cinematographer Lloyd Ahern, whose credits include the 1947 classic "Miracle on 34th Street," Lloyd Ahern II spent much of his youth on film sets, observing his father and the rest of the crew at work until, as he puts it, it became part of his DNA. He even got some time in front of the camera playing a young version of the title character in 1954's "Prince Valiant" under the not-so-gentle direction of the famously autocratic Henry Hathaway.
The education continued at home, where the younger Ahern would experiment with lighting, photography and film processing in the darkroom and studio his father had set up in the garage. He was able to move up through the ranks from a camera operator in the 1970s to a director of photography in the 1980s, with regular gigs on TV shows like "Magnum P.I." and movies of the week. But even with his strong skill set and ample connections, feature work remained elusive until an old acquaintance, director Walter Hill, tapped him to shoot his 1992 heist film, "Trespass."
On set, Ahern and Hill clicked, and the duo has since collaborated on three other features as well as the 2004 pilot for HBO's "Deadwood" and last year's acclaimed AMC miniseries, "Broken Trail."
Ahern says landing that breakthrough job that puts you on the map can be like capturing lightning in a bottle. It can happen early, if you're lucky enough to get on the right project, or it might take years. The important thing is to keep working at your craft whenever you have the opportunity, even if it's a weekend job on a small project.
"There's no substitute for experience because that's what puts you in the position when your time comes," Ahern says. "And a lot of people's time has come and they don't even know it because they weren't ready."
Film aficionados often speculate about who will be the next Spielberg or Scorsese or Kubrick. Without a doubt, such visionaries have created some unforgettable works of art -- but they certainly didn't do it alone. Countless other artisans -- including costume designers, cinematographers, production designers, editors and visual effects experts -- were key in bringing the directors' visions to life. So in addition to asking who will be the next Robert Altman or Woody Allen, we'd like to know: Who will be the next Thelma Schoonmaker, Colleen Atwood, Stan Winston, Rick Baker, Conrad Hall or John Lasseter?
Now in its fourth installment, The Hollywood Reporter's Crafts: The Next Generation issue attempts to answer that question by spotlighting the brightest and most talented 35-and-under artisans.
These finalists in eight categories were selected by a committee of editors and reporters who talked with numerous directors, producers, heads of production at major studios and networks, talent agents and craft guild representatives. Additionally, we conducted our own in-house research, soliciting input from the people these up-and-coming artisans work with on a daily basis. Culled from hundreds of nominees, the following are the most talented artisans working in the industry today -- and they will be crafting the classics of tomorrow.
This year's list includes the following eight industry categories: Animation, Cinematography, Costume Design, Editor, Hair & Makeup, Production Design, Sound, and Visual Effects.
Animation
ALESSANDRO CARLONI
PROFESSION: Animator
COMPANY: DreamWorks Animation
CREDITS: Supervising animator on DreamWorks' upcoming "Kung Fu Panda," starring Jack Black and Angelina Jolie; story artist/animator on 2006's "Over the Hedge"; animator on 2004's "Shark Tale"
BORN: Oct. 29, 1977. Bologna, Italy
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Art degree from Art Lyceum and Art College, Milan. Carloni also studied music composition, harmony and arrangement at the CPM Music Institute in Milan.
FIRST JOB IN HOLLYWOOD: Directing the animated portion of the Mariah Carey-Busta Rhymes music video for "I Know What You Want" in 2003
BIG BREAK: "My big break was to be born into my particular family. Because my father was an artist, I never had to fight or argue with anybody about the idea
of following what I love. That's why I think I find myself where I am now at a relatively young age. By 17, I was already more or less working in animation."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "Managing the balance between personal passion and commitment with professional detachment."
CAREER MILESTONE: "I'm still waiting for it."
INSPIRATION: Books and stories. "When I was really little, my mother told me we can only have so many experiences in one little lifetime, but you can make other people's experiences your own through books and through stories. That really blew me away. At that point, I realized how much one could shape their own life through stories, and I realized I wanted to be involved with (storytelling)."
LESSONS LEARNED: "The one thing that Hollywood is trying to make us all learn is 'trust the process.'"
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "With a gray beard that will make me irresistibly sophisticated, but hopefully still professional and passionate enough not to be jaded."
GABE HORDOS
PROFESSION: Animator
COMPANY: DreamWorks Animation
CREDITS: Supervising animator for DreamWorks' upcoming "Bee Movie"; animator on 2006's "Flushed Away," 2004's "Shark Tale," 2002's "Eight Crazy Nights" and 2001's "Osmosis Jones."
BORN: Oct. 2, 1976. Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Started out drawing flip books in his basement. At the age of 18, he and a friend co-founded their own studio, Digital Graphite Animation, specializing in 2-D and 3-D animation for educational videos and commercials.
BIG BREAK: Getting hired as an animator on DreamWorks' 2000 direct-to-video feature "Joseph: King of Dreams," produced in Vancouver, which launched his career with the company and introduced him to his fiancee, Line Andersen, also a supervising animator on "Bee Movie"
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: Dealing with the variety of styles and techniques DreamWorks employs, film to film, from the pseudo-stop motion of "Flushed Away" to Jerry Seinfeld's quirky comic style in "Bee Movie."
CAREER MILESTONE: Last year, when both he and his fiancee got nominated for Annie Awards for "Flushed Away," and he won. "Sitting there and hearing the nominations and then hearing your name called out is pretty surreal."
INSPIRATION: His co-workers. "When you see someone put that extra little something into their shot and it comes across and it's really special, it makes you want to do the same thing."
LESSONS LEARNED: "You can (come) from the middle of nowhere and fall in love with something and make it, just by working your butt off."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "I would love to think I'll keep animating, but to direct one day would be cool, too."
KRIS PEARN
PROFESSION: Story artist
COMPANY: Sony Pictures Animation
CREDITS: Storyboarded and helped design characters for Sony's "Surf's Up"; created numerous sequences for 2006's "Open Season," earning him an Annie Award nomination for best storyboarding in an animated feature production
BORN: June 5, 1975. London, Ontario, Canada
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Diploma in classical animation, Sheridan College, Oakville, Ontario
FIRST JOB IN HOLLYWOOD: Rough inbetweener on 1997's "Anastasia" at Fox Animation Studios in Phoenix
BIG BREAK: Getting a preproduction job in the character layout and design department at Fox in Phoenix. "That's where, as a creator, you learn your storytelling skills, because you're dealing with blue-sky ideas and design. The department I was in was really small, and by the end of (production on 2000's) 'Titan A.E.,' I was managing that department."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "When the 2-D boom busted (in 2000) and I ended back in Canada doing television work, getting back into features was really hard."
CAREER MILESTONE: Getting hired at Sony Pictures Animation in 2003 by executive vp Sandra Rabins and producer Penney Finkelman Cox. "(They) took a huge risk in hiring a snot-nosed kid from Canada to come down and join their fledgling studio."
INSPIRATION: His daughters Ari, 7, and Emma, 4. "There's a real honesty with the way my children interact with each other and with my wife (Aimee) and me that we're always searching for in our stories."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Don't be afraid of change, because it seems to be the only constant in the business."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "An author. I want to self-publish. I don't care if sell anything. I just want to be telling stories that are very pure."
Cinematography
SCOTT KEVAN
CREDITS: Shot Eli Roth's 2002 breakout film, "Cabin Fever"; Screen Gems' hip-hop dance movie "Stomp the Yard" for director Sylvain White; MGM's upcoming "Cleaner" for director Renny Harlin; and Dimension Films' upcoming "Hell Ride." Kevan is scheduled to begin filming the Universal remake of 1975's "Death Race 2000" for writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson this month.
BORN: Jan. 2, 1972. Detroit
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: B.A. in film studies, University of Texas, Austin; M.F.A., American Film Institute
FIRST JOB IN INDUSTRY: Camera assistant on the 1993 indie feature "Odile & Yvette at the Edge of the World." "It was sort of associated with one of the production teachers at the University of Texas, and they produced the film over the summer. They had mentors come in for each department. It was good training."
BIG BREAK: "Cabin Fever." "That was a point where I'd actually done a film that people had heard of. I started getting more scripts and more interviews."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: Finding the will to keep moving forward. "It can be such a brutal business, full of ups and downs. It seems like it's a game (of) endurance and luck."
CAREER MILESTONE: "It took me awhile to realize that it's not about the milestones, it's about the journey. I'm looking to enjoy whatever project I happen to be working on at the time."
INSPIRATION: "Visual things that have an emotional impact on me. It could be walking down an alley at a certain time of day or going through and seeing a Goya painting in person for the first time. It could be at a dinner party with a group of friends all breaking out in laughter."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Limitation breeds creativity. You're always learning more about how to cheat things and how much you can get away with in manipulating the audience."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "I really have no idea. I think I'm at an interesting point in my career right now, and it could go anywhere."
RAIN LI
CREDITS: Li has shot commercials and music videos for such noted directors as David LaChappelle and Jim Jarmusch. Since early 2005, she has collaborated on numerous projects with cinematographer-director Christopher Doyle. Li lensed the Doyle-directed segment of First Look's "Paris, je t'aime" and served as his co-director of photography on Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack" music video, as well as IFC Films' "Paranoid Park," directed by Gus Van Sant.
BORN: May 24, 1983. Beijing
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Began studying cinematography at the Bournemouth Film School in England at age 16
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: At age 17, Li trained as an electrician on commercials and music videos. By age 19, she was working as a camera operator for commercial DP Stephen Blackman.
BIG BREAK: Meeting her mentor, Doyle
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: "Challenging people's first impression of me," says the stunning Li. She admits that being young and beautiful in a profession dominated by men is often an obstacle at the beginning of a new project. Her advice? "Don't try to prove yourself to anybody. Just get on with it, and the work will speak for itself."
CAREER MILESTONE: Working on "Paranoid Park," which won the 60th Anniversary Prize at this year's Festival de Cannes
INSPIRATION: An interesting script. "I need to be emotionally engaged and have a strong feeling for the script. Then (my) inspiration and vision naturally comes from (my) heart."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Stay true to yourself. I've had so many rejections in my career so far, (and) the only thing that kept me going is that I believed in myself."
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "Busy working with people I love on great projects."
ANDRIJ PAREKH
CREDITS: Shot director Ryan Fleck's 2006 critical hit "Half Nelson," which earned star Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination for best actor. Also lensed the indie features "The Treatment" and "The Favor," both 2006. Parekh is currently working on Fleck's follow-up, "Sugar."
BORN: Sept. 20, 1971. Cambridge, Mass. Grew up in Minnesota
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: B.A. sociology and anthropology, Carleton College, Northfield, Minn.; M.F.A., directing and cinematography, Tisch School of Arts, New York University. "It was an incredible experience," says Parekh of his time at NYU, "because I ended up shooting everybody's movies."
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: 2003's "Nowhere to Go But Up." "I got fired because the lead actress got pinkeye from the producer, and so the first weeks we were five days behind. It was my fault," he says, sarcastically.
BIG BREAK: Working as an apprentice to director of photography Harris Savides on 2000's "The Yards." "That was an incredibly intense learning curve. It changed my attitude about the cinematographer and what cinematography was."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "Not knowing anyone in the business. I grew up in a place (that) had no connection to the business, and I don't live in Los Angeles. You get a lot of independents in New York, but not the studio side of the business."
CAREER MILESTONE: "Half Nelson." "Ryan Gosling was doing a lot of improvisation, which forced me to do a lot of improvisation."
INSPIRATION: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Before I start a movie, I'll walk around with the director and just watch what they respond to. It's become my kind of visual shorthand in terms of speaking about color palette, tone and mood."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Listen to the director."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "Forty-five. I'll be a little bit older and wiser ... hopefully."
Costume Design
ALIX FRIEDBERG
CREDITS: Designed costumes for 1999's "But I'm a Cheerleader," 2006's "Glory Road" and the pilot for NBC's "Friday Night Lights." Upcoming films include the Walt Disney Co.'s "Dan in Real Life," Miramax Films' "Gone, Baby, Gone" and the independent film "Sunshine Cleaning."
BORN: Born and raised in Los Angeles
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and Otis College of Art and Design
BIG BREAK: Working with producer Jerry Bruckheimer. "(He) gave me a chance on the first season of (CBS') 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.' I have done that for several of his shows, and then he gave me 'Glory Road,' a big period film."
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Costume production assistant on 1994's "The Stand"
GREATEST CHALLENGE TO OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: "Navigating through the opinions of your producers, actors, director and cinematographer in order to create a cohesive look for a character and still get your vision across."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Enjoy every day and try to find the joy in every project. Always fight for what you believe in, because it's your vision. You should never let something go on camera that you can't stand behind."
CAREER MILESTONE: Designing her first feature film at age 25
INSPIRATION: "People on the street, characters that live outside the box. A lot of my inspiration also comes from photography and painting from different eras."
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "Hopefully continuing down this same road ... making really great films and working with great directors."
MARY-KATE KILLILEA
CREDITS: Assistant costume designer on Fox's "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer." Costume designer on ABC's short-lived comedy "Sons & Daughters." Most recently, she created costumes for three television pilots: the CW's "Aliens in America," ABC's "Women's Murder Club" and NBC's "The IT Crowd," which she will be working on this fall.
BORN: Jan. 9, 1974. Boston
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Production assistant to costume designer Mary Vogt on 2002's "Men in Black II." Vogt became a mentor to Killilea on such projects as 2005's "Son of the Mask," 2006's "RV" and "Silver Surfer."
BIG BREAK: When ABC picked up "Sons & Daughters." "It was my first big-budget, major network show."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "Having faith that the next job will come and getting over not having a predictable, secure future."
CAREER MILESTONE: "Doing three network pilots this season and having all three get picked up."
INSPIRATION: "A great script with strong characters."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Never enter a project with preconceived ideas about what actors will wear before meeting and talking to actors themselves."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "Working on film and television projects, hopefully collaborating with many of the same people I have worked with in the past."
RACHEL SAGE
CREDITS: Assistant costume designer on 2003's "Stuck on You" and 2005's "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World." Wardrobe supervisor on 2005's "American Gun." Costume designer on Sony's "I Know Who Killed Me." Sage is currently working as costume supervisor on the buzzed-about CBS drama "Cane."
BORN: May 1, 1973. Berkeley, Calif. Moved to Malibu at age 7
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
BIG BREAK: Working for producer David Grace. "He took me under his wings and put me in the room with people who could hire me, and, to my good graces, they did!"
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Interned in Roger Corman's costume department
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "It was a process made up of baby steps. Each step -- whether it be interning, being a costumer, costume supervising or getting into the unions -- was a really grand challenge. My biggest challenge was really to make the contacts that I needed to be hired."
LESSONS LEARNED: The importance of tenacity, patience and confidence
CAREER MILESTONE: Working on the upcoming Lindsay Lohan thriller "I Know Who Killed Me." "Once somebody has hired you on something with a big actress, people are more willing to hire you in the future."
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "Plugging away, being a very successful designer and working with good, creative, decent people that I have established long-standing working relationships with."
Editor
CRAIG ALPERT
CREDITS: Worked as an additional editor on 2004's "Meet the Fockers" and 2005's "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." Co-edited 2006's "Borat" and Universal's "Knocked Up." Alpert is currently editing Sony's "The Pineapple Express," starring Seth Rogan and James Franco.
BORN: Aug. 16, 1973. Pasadena, Calif. Raised in Irvine, Calif.
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Academy of Art University in San Francisco. He also interned in the editorial department at Industrial Light + Magic and the postproduction department at Miramax.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Worked at Pixar as an assistant editor on 1999's "Toy Story 2" while still in college
BIG BREAK: Working on "Meet the Fockers" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." "They were the first movies where I transitioning out of assistant editing."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: "Because I was younger than most of my colleagues, I really had to prove myself."
CAREER MILESTONE: Co-editing "Knocked Up." "It was the first movie that I was hired to edit before the shooting began. I'm happy that it turned out to be an amazing film."
INSPIRATION: "Jon Poll has been an inspiration. He's an amazing editor -- intelligent, creative and always positive. My last few cutting rooms I modeled after the cutting rooms (in which) I assisted him."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Be positive -- no matter what the situation is!"
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "I'm very happy where I'm at now. I love editing. But possibly directing as well."
ELLIOT GRAHAM
CREDITS: Co-edited 2003's "X2: X-Men United" and 2006's "Superman Returns" for director Bryan Singer. Graham edited 2005's "The Greatest Game Ever Played" and will next edit Sony's upcoming drama "21," starring Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth.
BORN: June 8, 1976. Pasadena, Calif.
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: B.A. in history from New York University and a B.A. in film from the Tisch School of Arts at NYU
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: After interning for Merchant Ivory Prods. and Miramax, Graham worked as production assistant on 1999's "Brokedown Palace."
BIG BREAK: Co-editing Stephen Norrington's 2001 independent film, "The Last Minute." Editing took place at James Cameron's production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, where Graham actually lived for a month. "I slept on the couch and showered in the bathroom," he says. Norrington was impressed enough with Graham's work to promote him from assistant editor to editor and later recommended him to Singer.
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: "Persevering in between jobs."
CAREER MILESTONE: Co-editing "X2." "I read 'X-Men' comics as a kid and was a big fan of (Singer's 1995 film) 'The Usual Suspects,'" Graham says. "When Bryan bumped me up to editor with John Ottman, I couldn't sleep all night. It was a defining moment for me."
INSPIRATION: "It's those little moments when the film finally comes alive, when you put the pieces together -- the hundreds of hours of footage and angles and performances -- and know you created something that breathes life into a moment in the film."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Put the film first, always. If you have to fight for what you believe is right for the movie, do it -- and never give up. That sounds cheesy, but it's true."
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "Pushing myself creatively by editing all kinds of styles and all kinds of films."
PADRAIC MCKINLEY
CREDITS: 2002's "Igby Goes Down," 2004's "Alfie," ABC's "October Road" and ThinkFilm's upcoming "Bordertown." McKinley is currently co-editing Universal's upcoming period football drama "The Express" about the late Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis.
BORN: Aug. 15, 1974. San Francisco
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Studied music at the University of Oregon in Eugene before working as an assistant for his uncle, film editor William Anderson. In his early 20s, McKinley moved to Dublin, Ireland, where he "bullshitted my way into a job at a post facility" cutting music videos, documentaries, commercials and television shows.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Editorial production assistant on 1996's "Down Periscope"
BIG BREAK: Editing "Alfie" under director Charles Shyer. "The scrutiny that Charles put into the movie -- scene for scene, line for line and word for word at times -- is an ethic that stuck with me. Everything I do now is about breaking things down -- every performance, every angle, every line -- and being able to judge them individually and know how they work in a scene as a whole."
CAREER MILESTONE: Working on "The Express." "It's got drama and emotion and a lot of action. For an editor, that's where you can sort of show off."
INSPIRATION: "Music and film editing occupy the same part of your brain," says the lifelong musician. "So music sparks a lot of ideas."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Pick your battles!"
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "Getting to the top of the editing world and starting my directing career after I've learned about the craft (of directing) as much as possible from this side."
Makeup
GABRIEL DE CUNTO
CREDITS: Worked on all three installments of Buena Vista's "Pirates of the Caribbean." Served as key special makeup effects artist on Warner Bros. Pictures' "300," key makeup artist on MGM's upcoming "Lions for Lambs" and as makeup artist on Rogue Pictures' upcoming comedy "Balls of Fury." De Cunto is currently working as a special makeup effects artist for ABC's fall comedy "Cavemen."
BORN: June 7, 1973. Argentina. Moved to California at age 4
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: "I learned from books, magazines. I've always been into makeup."
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Working on the sci-fi series "Babylon 5." "They gave me a chance. ... Within three years, I was doing three principle characters on the show and had my name in the credits."
GREATEST CHALLENGE TO OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: "Trying to make filmmakers understand our craft. Often, the bottom line is just how much everything is going to cost, and the artwork is secondary. ... It's a real challenge to give them quality for the least amount of money, which is what they always want."
LESSONS LEARNED: The importance of good people skills. "Eighty-five% of it is about how you get along with people. Then, of course, you have to back it up with talent."
CAREER MILESTONE: Working for makeup guru Rick Baker on 2001's "Planet of the Apes." "We worked our butts off: 2 a.m. wake-up calls, 16- and 17-hour days -- it was crazy! That was really an accomplishment, and the makeup was pretty neat!"
INSPIRATION: Makeup artist Kazuhiro Tsuji, with whom he worked on 2000's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "Planet of the Apes" and 2002's "Men in Black II." "Everything he does is flawless. ... He inspires me to be better and to succeed at what we do."
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "Just what I'm doing now -- department heading features and big (television) shows."
Hair
MIIA KOVERO
CREDITS: Nominated for an Emmy in 2006 for her work on "Six Feet Under," Kovero also created coiffures for the television series "American Dreams" and such films as 2005's "Memoirs of Geisha"; 2006's "Factory Girl" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"; the "Kill Bill" films; and the second and third installments of "The Matrix" trilogy. She recently completed MGM's "Feast of Love."
BORN: March 7, 1974. Kuusankoski, Finland
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Greasepaint hair and makeup school in the U.K.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Key hairstylist under hair department head Judith Corey on 2003's "The Matrix Reloaded"
BIG BREAK: "'The Matrix,' which was how I got into the movies. Before that I had been working in San Francisco on opera and ballet productions."
GREATEST CHALLENGE TO OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: Dealing with people and their personalities. "I'm in a master's program for spiritual psychology at the University of Santa Monica, which has really helped me understand people."
CAREER MILESTONE: "As a learning experience, 'The Matrix' sequels. They were my first, and it was so long and involved and creative. As a creative experience, 'Memoirs of a Geisha,' (for which) I created beautiful period hairstyles."
INSPIRATION: "The freedom I have with my job. I can pick and choose my jobs. I can work four months and then take a month off to travel. How many other occupations can say that?"
LESSONS LEARNED: "Don't have to take things personally -- if someone is having a bad day, don't react or let their problems affect you."
IN 10 YEARS, YOU'll BE: Making use of the spiritual psychology degree. "I could become a life coach or psychologist, but those careers don't really interest me. Working as a hairstylist, I get a deeper understanding of the human mind and differing personalities."
Makeup
MELANIE MILLS
CREDITS: Has worked as a makeup artist on such television series as "That '70s Show" and such films as 2003's "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and 2004's "Anchorman." She served as a key makeup artist on NBC's "The Office" and was recently nominated for an Emmy for her work on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."
BORN: Feb. 16, 1974. Thousand Oaks, Calif.
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Mills studied art history and language in Italy and took courses at the Studio Makeup Academy at Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood, but says she mostly learned her craft on the job.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Worked for three months on the uncompleted independent film "Everything's George," where she met makeup artist/hairstylist Lori Ann Baker, who brought her on to such films as 1998's "The Dentist 2," 1999's "Wishmaster 2" and 2000's "The Stray."
BIG BREAK: "Dancing With the Stars." She started as an assistant makeup artist during the show's second season before being promoted to head of the makeup department in Season 3.
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "Not knowing where the next job is."
CAREER MILESTONE: "Dancing With the Stars" "The producers trust me and back my decisions 100%. I love this job, and I love this show. It's playtime for me!"
INSPIRATION: "My grandmother. She was a strong woman who took care of herself, got things done and looked fabulous all the while."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Stand out, be sure of yourself and have fun at the same time. And roll with the punches."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "I'll probably have a bed-and-breakfast, a couple of boats chartered out, my own makeup line and I hope to still do makeup jobs on the side."
Production Design
FRANCOIS AUDOUY
CREDITS: Art director on Paramount's "Transfomers" and MGM's upcoming "Lions for Lambs." Concept illustrator on Warner Bros. Pictures' forthcoming "I Am Legend" and Fox's upcoming "Avatar." Audouy is currently working as supervising art director on Warners' upcoming sci-fi thriller "Watchmen."
BORN: June 17, 1974. Toulouse, France
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Apprenticed under two of Hollywood's top production designers. He worked under Bo Welch on 1997's "Men in Black," 1998's "Primary Colors" and 1999's "Wild Wild West." Alex McDowell, with whom he's collaborating on "Watchmen," was a mentor on such films as 2002's "Minority Report," 2003's "The Cat in the Hat," 2004's "The Terminal" and 2005's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Working on 1995's "Batman Forever" with John Dykstra. "(It's) like working with a walking dictionary. He's a brilliant guy," Audouy says of the effects guru, with whom he has also worked on 2002's "Spider-Man."
BIG BREAK: Working as a production designer on Robert Redford's "Lions for Lambs." "For most of my career, I've been a member of a very talented creative team. It was my first opportunity to fly solo."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: Making the transition from a conceptualist to art director. "You have to cross a desert of management and fiscal responsibility to get there."
CAREER MILESTONE: Designing the iconic Golden Ticket and Wonka Bar for "Charlie." "Even though it's only 8 inches wide, it was a thrill to design something that will be imprinted in people's brains forever."
INSPIRATION: "I'm inspired every day by the people who work with me. The very best artists gravitate to film, and it's incredibly inspiring to work alongside them."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Know how to listen. It's a talent that's usually forgotten."
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "Closer to the center of the process and doing the things that I love with even more talented artists."
CECE DESTEFANO
CREDITS: Has worked as a production designer for two of television's hottest producers: J.J. Abrams (on "Alias") and Josh Schwartz (on "The O.C"), whom she's reteaming with on NBC's buzzed-about spy dramedy "Chuck."
BORN: March 10, 1972. Chicago
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: B.A. in art from Columbia College Chicago
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: With the help of her professor, art director Gary Baugh, she got work as a production assistant on the television drama "The Untouchables" while still in college.
BIG BREAK: Working on "Alias" with her mentor, production designer Scott Chambliss. "His work was so inspiring. He and J.J. brought that feature (film) look to TV -- which everyone is doing now -- and we won an Emmy for the pilot."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: The politics. "The design is easy to me; it's really about keeping the creators and executive producer happy and staying on budget and giving them what they want."
CAREER MILESTONE: Helping create the look for "Chuck." "The last two shows I inherited. This is, for the first time, my look and my vision."
INSPIRATION: "Everyday life and real-world locations"
LESSONS LEARNED: "Not to take the business too seriously"
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "This is just the beginning. I see myself blossoming as a designer."
NAAMAN MARSHALL
CREDITS: Assistant art director on 2006's "The Prestige" and "Mission: Impossible III"; art director on 2006's "Apocalypto"; senior model maker on Buena Vista's "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." Marshall is currently working as the art director on Warner Bros. Pictures' next installment of the Batman franchise, "The Dark Knight."
BORN: Feb. 8, 1978. Long Beach, Calif.
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Learned his craft by working as an assistant for his uncle, Oscar-nominated production designer Tom Sanders, on 2000's "Mission: Impossible II." "Starting off as a production assistant was the best thing I could have done. I knew I had to start at the bottom because Tom Sanders would have it no other way. He was hard on me -- in a good way."
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Model making on 2003's "Timeline," which he considers his first "legitimate" job
BIG BREAK: Working as a production assistant under supervising art director Daniel Dorrance on "M: I-2"
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "My age. It's pretty hard to be young and try to get what you want. You have to overcompensate to get your point across."
CAREER MILESTONE: Being nominated for an Art Directors Guild Award earlier this year for his work on "The Prestige." "I felt very humbled and honored sitting among the best people in the world."
INSPIRATION: "Working on a film that allows the art department creative freedom and flexibility."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Know when to speak and when to listen. Ears open, mouths shut."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "A well-known art director. Ultimately, I would like to be a production designer, but I approach my goals one step at a time. It takes time, and I am patient with that process."
Sound
ALEX JOSEPH
PROFESSION: Foley editor/sound designer
COMPANY: Soundelux London
CREDITS: Helped craft the soundscapes of such films as 2003's "Cold Mountain"; 2005's "Kingdom of Heaven," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"; 2006's "United 93" and "Casino Royale"; and, in 2007, Rogue Pictures' "Hot Fuzz" and the Weinstein Co.'s "1408."
BORN: May 20, 1976. Amersham, England
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Undergraduate degree in psychology and computing, Bournemouth University. "I did a thesis on the psychology of sound and how human beings perceive sound, both physically and emotionally. I'm often doing a lot of subliminal things in the way I cut sounds," like creating an emotional link between Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp) and his father (Christopher Lee) in "Charlie" by giving their rubber gloves a similar exaggerated snap.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: "The first major job I did was (1998's) 'Lost in Space.' I used to do a lot of sound design for computer games, so I was hired by my dad (veteran supervising sound editor Eddy Joseph) to do a load of spaceship sounds."
BIG BREAK: Working under the late foley artist Peter Holt on 2001's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." "He never learned the digital side of technology, which I had, so he would essentially shoot the foley and then rely on me to edit it and roughly mix it all."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: Convincing Americans that British foley artists can be talented sound designers
CAREER MILESTONE: Working on "Casino Royale." "For every British person within the sound industry, the dream is to work on a Bond film."
INSPIRATION: The psychology behind sound
LESSONS LEARNED: "You can't go and design sounds just because you think they're good sounds. You have to give the director what he wants for the film."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "A sound designer in the mold of someone like (two-time Oscar winner) Randy Thom."
CHRISTIAN MINKLER
PROFESSION: Sound rerecording mixer
COMPANY: Ascent Media
CREDITS: Sculpted the soundscapes for more than three dozen features, including last year's "Babel," "Scary Movie 4," "Final Destination 3" and "The Shaggy Dog," and Ben Affleck's upcoming directorial debut, Miramax Films' "Gone, Baby, Gone."
BORN: Dec. 20, 1971. Los Angeles. A fourth-generation film soundman, he is the son of three-time Oscar-winning mixer Mike Minkler.
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Worked in the machine room of Skywalker Sound's now-defunct Los Angeles studios from 1989 to 1991
BIG BREAK: Making his bow as a full-fledged sound rerecording mixer on director Oliver Stone's surreal serial killer saga "Natural Born Killers" (1994). "Visually, it was abstract. The idea was you have these unusual visuals, let's try to create something as different soundwise."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: Youth. "I started as a rerecording mixer when I was 20 (or) 21. I felt like I had the chops to do it, but I was working most of the time with people who were twice my age."
CAREER MILESTONE: Partnering with fellow sound rerecording mixer Jon Taylor. "I started with him in TV back in the days of doing (1990's) 'Northern Exposure,' and we became best friends, and we just started working together as a team again two years ago."
INSPIRATION: His family: wife, Nancy, and daughters Emma, 8, Gracen, 3, and Tallulah, 1
LESSONS LEARNED: "In general, people in the film business are really good people. Filmmakers have a reputation for being terrible to work with, but I've never really had a really terrible experience."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "Working with Jon, sitting at the console, mixing movies."
JUAN P. PERALTA
PROFESSION: Sound rerecording mixer/mix technician
COMPANY: Skywalker Sound
CREDITS: Rerecording mixer for George Lucas' highly anticipated animated TV series "Clone Wars," due out in 2008. Peralta managed and operated the digital consoles and audio workstations for the mixes of 2006's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and "Over the Hedge," 2005's "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" and 2004's "The Incredibles."
BORN: Dec. 26, 1972. New York. Moved to the Dominican Republic at the age 7
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Associate of arts degree in recording arts, Full Sail: School of Film, Art, Design, Music & Media Production, in Orlando, where classes were scheduled at all hours of the day and night, so everyone could get hands-on experience with the gear. "That experience comes in handy. (Recently), I was working until midnight every night on (writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson's upcoming Paramount Vantage feature) 'There Will Be Blood.'"
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Mix stage assistant on Stage A at EFX Systems in Burbank. "That's where I really learned a lot about postproduction, especially dealing with clients, fellow mixers and all that stuff."
BIG BREAK: Getting hired by Skywalker Sound in 1999
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "Making sure the client is happy and confident things are being done correctly."
CAREER MILESTONE: Being asked to serve as rerecording mixer on "Clone Wars."
INSPIRATION: Experiencing sound designer/rerecording mixer Gary Rydstrom's Oscar-winning work in 1993's "Jurassic Park." "When I saw that movie, I realized that audio postproduction is what I wanted to do."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Having the technical knowledge is important, but what's more important is having the people skills."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "A rerecording mixer. I'm practically there, but I still go back and forth doing mix tech on big shows, because there are certain mixers who would rather I do it."
Visual Effects
DOUG BLOOM
PROFESSION: Computer graphics special projects supervisor
EMPLOYER: Sony Pictures Imageworks
CREDITS: Effects lead (tornado and clouds for the Storm character and on the dogfight sequence) on 2003's "X2: X-Men United"; effects lead and artist (waterfall effects) on 2004's "The Chronicles of Riddick"; effects artist (fluid effects for flying wolf character) on 2005's "Elektra"; effects supervisor (Sandman character) in Sony's "Spider-Man 3"
BORN: July 6, 1979. Great Neck, N.Y.
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: B.F.A., School of Visual Arts, New York
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Interned at Manhattan Center Studios while still in high school
BIG BREAK: Working at Rhythm & Hues as a visual effects animator on 2002's "The Sum of All Fears." "It was a chance to break out of commercials and smaller productions and finally branch off into feature films, which is what really I wanted to do."
CAREER MILESTONE: "'Spider-Man 3' was a big project and a unique opportunity because it allowed me to get involved in lighting and character work, due to the nature of the Sandman character. The effects (for Sandman) were based on a character that was delivering a performance with an emotional story line."
INSPIRATION: His family. "I was always encouraged to pursue (a creative career). It was clear that that is what I loved."
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "A visual effects supervisor -- continuing to push the edge of technology as a means of creating beautiful imagery."
BEN GROSSMANN
PROFESSION: Visual effects supervisor
COMPANY: The Syndicate
CREDITS: Visual effects supervisor on 2006's direct-to-video "Hollow Man II"; sequence supervisor on 2005's "Sin City"; and compositing supervisor on 2004's "The Day After Tomorrow." Grossman won an Emmy for his work as a digital compositor on the 2005 miniseries "The Triangle."
BORN: June 23, 1977. Washington, D.C. Grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Grossmann left the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, in his senior year -- three credits short of a bachelor's degree in international politics -- to run a TV commercial production company he formed. In January 2001, he gave up the company and drove to Los Angeles.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Rotoscope and paint work on Disney Channel's 2001 telefilm "Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge." "I was going to get into the camera department or editing, but all those were union jobs that took years to get into. I got started in visual effects because it was nonunion."
BIG BREAK: Getting hired by co-writer/producer/visual effects supervisor Volker Engel to work on the effects-packed indie feature "Coronado" (2003). "It was my first real compositing job, but I worked my way up to becoming a compositing supervisor. I also ended up doing the title design and also helping with online edit and sound mix."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: Navigating the political minefield. "In Alaska, it was mostly one or two guys doing everything. Down here, there are thousands and thousands of people working on one thing."
CAREER MILESTONE: Dealing with the treacherous politics and then-cutting-edge effects work on "Day After Tomorrow"
INSPIRATION: "It's always been the people around me."
LESSONS LEARNED: "The answer can always be yes -- it's just a question of time and money."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "The exciting thing about doing this job is you don't know what you're going to be doing next week, much less in 10 years."
JASON SMITH
PROFESSION: Creature supervisor. He is also the creature technology team lead for Industrial Light + Magic.
COMPANY: ILM
CREDITS: Served as technical animator on 2005's "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"; creature technical director on 2005's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and 2006's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"; and creature supervisor on Paramount's "Transformers." Smith is currently working as the creature supervisor on Paramount's 2008 fantasy-adventure film "The Spiderwick Chronicles."
BORN: Feb. 7, 1976. Idaho City, Idaho
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Graduated from Brigham Young University's computer science program, with a minor in visual arts
BIG BREAK: "Getting in the door at ILM."
CAREER MILESTONE: Working on "Transformers." "We wrote the dynamic rigging system. It strengthened the pipeline and creature group in a totally different way. (The Transformers) had to turn from cars to robots, and Optimus Prime (for example) had 10,000 parts. We created a tool that allowed animators to select any part of the robot and animate it in a specific way. That allows us to do the complex transformations."
INSPIRATION: 1993's "Jurassic Park." "I realized I could use my computer science background to make creatures."
LESSONS LEARNED: "In 'Transformers,' the lesson learned is there is (always) a way to make it happen. When we started 'Transformers,' it was very daunting."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "The industry changes so fast. I've only been in the industry for five years. It's impossible to say. Hopefully, I'll be at ILM."
Celebrating the next gen
By Todd Longwell
The Hollywood Reporter
August 6, 2007
Short of recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, it's hard for those working in the crafts departments to pinpoint exactly when they've "arrived." In the case of an actor, the moment is heralded by media coverage, autograph requests and deferential treatment from industry suits and maitre d's. But many of the industry's top below-the-line talents are virtually unknown outside their disciplines and the circle of artists with whom they collaborate, so even recognition from within the filmmaking community can come as a surprise.
"I'm shocked when people say, 'Oh, I've heard of you,' " says supervising sound editor Andrew DeCristofaro of Soundelux. "I think, 'Wow. You actually know who I am?' "
Although fame probably isn't the objective for those considering a career as a cinematographer, makeup artist, sound mixer, editor, production designer, visual effects supervisor or costume designer, they can become well-paid, in-demand artists, recognized for their signature talents by industry peers. Still, even highly skilled craftspeople who've spent years employed in these trades often have difficulty making the transition from anonymous worker bee toiling in the shadows to much sought-after artisan -- and there are as many paths to reaching that goal as there are fabric swatches in a costume designer's workshop.
DeCristofaro says the key to his success was starting small. Coming out of film school at USC, he planned on a career as a director. But even though he had an agent, no job offers were forthcoming, so he looked in the want ads and found an unpaid internship at a small sound postproduction house.
"It wasn't union or anything like that, so it allowed me to do everything," says DeCristofaro, whose credits include Universal's February release "Breach" and last year's "Borat," "Little Miss Sunshine" and "The Pink Panther." "I was cutting, mixing -- you name it. We were doing some ancillary work for a company called EFX at the time, and they saw what I was doing, they liked me and they hired me. So I went from an internship to a hired position and from there it just kept growing."
As with any other business, the ability to rise to the top of the below-the-line ladder is often dependent on who you know -- and sometimes who you're dating. In 1983, costume designer Rita Ryack made a name for herself in New York theater circles with her Tony-nominated costume designs for the Broadway hit "My One and Only." The following year, she received a phone call from producer Amy Robinson, whose sister Eve knew Ryack's boyfriend from his prep days at Princeton Day School in New Jersey. Robinson told her she was looking for a costume designer for 1985's "After Hours," a low-budget movie she was producing for director Martin Scorsese.
That led to a second film job with another "After Hours" producer, the late Robert F. Colesberry, on 1988's "The House on Carroll Street," which, in turn, led to two more gigs with its director, Peter Yates. She also went on to collaborate with Scorsese on 1991's "Cape Fear," 1995's "Casino" and 1999's "Bringing Out the Dead."
"That's how it works," says Ryack, who designed the over-the-top '60s fashions for New Line's current release "Hairspray." "It's a very small community."
Normally, one's first film job is not as a department head on a film helmed by a major director, but Ryack had a long list of theater credits as a costume designer and Scorsese needed someone who was relatively cheap. Editor Byron Smith found his shortcut to the top of the TV business due to a time crunch.
Smith was working as an assistant editor on the pilot for FX's "Nip/Tuck," assigned with the uncreative task of taking sound notes for the show's creator Ryan Murphy. But when the schedule got tight, Murphy wanted to speed up the process and take some pressure off the first editor, so he let Smith cut some footage. Murphy liked what he saw, and when "Nip/Tuck" was picked up as a series, he made Smith a full-fledged editor.
Smith went on to cut Murphy's big screen debut as a writer-director, 2006's "Running with Scissors," before joining the staff of the HBO series "Big Love" for its second season.
"I think (Murphy) saw that I was in line with him and his vision," observes the 30-year-old Smith, a member of THR's Crafts: The Next Generation class of 2006. "Everything he does is pretty highly stylized, and I knew the style that he wanted to harness and that's what helped cultivate our relationship. He would tell me things in the abstract and I would be able to grasp it."
Smith's ability to communicate gave him a leg up on many of today's emerging young talents in editorial, visual effects and animation -- most of whom acquired advanced technical skills by spending their teens working with sophisticated consumer software on their home computers. Although technically savvy, some of them never developed the ability to play well with others.
"It starts off sort of being about your skill in doing the work, but once you get to supervising level, it's a lot about people management, relationships and working on a team," says Industrial Light + Magic's Jeff White (class of 2006), who served as digital production supervisor on Paramount's "Transformers." "Some people get into it and realize they'd rather just do the work every day because they find that more interesting than the people part of it, but I've always found I like a balance of the two."
For many, the key to mastering both the technical and political sides of the business is finding the right mentor. Will Files found that person in his Skywalker Sound boss, Randy Thom, a two-time Oscar winner (2004's "The Incredibles" and 1983's "The Right Stuff") who serves as the facility's director of sound design.
"For me, it's about not being afraid to ask for favors and being open to anyone who's willing to get me a job," says Files (class of 2006), who served as an assistant sound designer under Thom on such films as 2005's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and Disney/Pixar's "Ratatouille" before moving up to full-fledged sound designer/supervising sound editor for Paramount/DreamWorks Animation's upcoming comedy "Bee Movie." "Randy's been instrumental in giving me a lot of opportunities to work on larger films than I would probably get on my own, and just recently (four-time Oscar winner) Gary Rydstrom, who doesn't work here anymore, suggested me when someone asked him for a young, up-and-coming sound designer for a Paramount movie."
Of course, the best mentor one can have is a blood relative, preferably a parent. As the son of the late, Emmy-winning cinematographer Lloyd Ahern, whose credits include the 1947 classic "Miracle on 34th Street," Lloyd Ahern II spent much of his youth on film sets, observing his father and the rest of the crew at work until, as he puts it, it became part of his DNA. He even got some time in front of the camera playing a young version of the title character in 1954's "Prince Valiant" under the not-so-gentle direction of the famously autocratic Henry Hathaway.
The education continued at home, where the younger Ahern would experiment with lighting, photography and film processing in the darkroom and studio his father had set up in the garage. He was able to move up through the ranks from a camera operator in the 1970s to a director of photography in the 1980s, with regular gigs on TV shows like "Magnum P.I." and movies of the week. But even with his strong skill set and ample connections, feature work remained elusive until an old acquaintance, director Walter Hill, tapped him to shoot his 1992 heist film, "Trespass."
On set, Ahern and Hill clicked, and the duo has since collaborated on three other features as well as the 2004 pilot for HBO's "Deadwood" and last year's acclaimed AMC miniseries, "Broken Trail."
Ahern says landing that breakthrough job that puts you on the map can be like capturing lightning in a bottle. It can happen early, if you're lucky enough to get on the right project, or it might take years. The important thing is to keep working at your craft whenever you have the opportunity, even if it's a weekend job on a small project.
"There's no substitute for experience because that's what puts you in the position when your time comes," Ahern says. "And a lot of people's time has come and they don't even know it because they weren't ready."
Film aficionados often speculate about who will be the next Spielberg or Scorsese or Kubrick. Without a doubt, such visionaries have created some unforgettable works of art -- but they certainly didn't do it alone. Countless other artisans -- including costume designers, cinematographers, production designers, editors and visual effects experts -- were key in bringing the directors' visions to life. So in addition to asking who will be the next Robert Altman or Woody Allen, we'd like to know: Who will be the next Thelma Schoonmaker, Colleen Atwood, Stan Winston, Rick Baker, Conrad Hall or John Lasseter?
Now in its fourth installment, The Hollywood Reporter's Crafts: The Next Generation issue attempts to answer that question by spotlighting the brightest and most talented 35-and-under artisans.
These finalists in eight categories were selected by a committee of editors and reporters who talked with numerous directors, producers, heads of production at major studios and networks, talent agents and craft guild representatives. Additionally, we conducted our own in-house research, soliciting input from the people these up-and-coming artisans work with on a daily basis. Culled from hundreds of nominees, the following are the most talented artisans working in the industry today -- and they will be crafting the classics of tomorrow.
This year's list includes the following eight industry categories: Animation, Cinematography, Costume Design, Editor, Hair & Makeup, Production Design, Sound, and Visual Effects.
Animation
ALESSANDRO CARLONI
PROFESSION: Animator
COMPANY: DreamWorks Animation
CREDITS: Supervising animator on DreamWorks' upcoming "Kung Fu Panda," starring Jack Black and Angelina Jolie; story artist/animator on 2006's "Over the Hedge"; animator on 2004's "Shark Tale"
BORN: Oct. 29, 1977. Bologna, Italy
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Art degree from Art Lyceum and Art College, Milan. Carloni also studied music composition, harmony and arrangement at the CPM Music Institute in Milan.
FIRST JOB IN HOLLYWOOD: Directing the animated portion of the Mariah Carey-Busta Rhymes music video for "I Know What You Want" in 2003
BIG BREAK: "My big break was to be born into my particular family. Because my father was an artist, I never had to fight or argue with anybody about the idea
of following what I love. That's why I think I find myself where I am now at a relatively young age. By 17, I was already more or less working in animation."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "Managing the balance between personal passion and commitment with professional detachment."
CAREER MILESTONE: "I'm still waiting for it."
INSPIRATION: Books and stories. "When I was really little, my mother told me we can only have so many experiences in one little lifetime, but you can make other people's experiences your own through books and through stories. That really blew me away. At that point, I realized how much one could shape their own life through stories, and I realized I wanted to be involved with (storytelling)."
LESSONS LEARNED: "The one thing that Hollywood is trying to make us all learn is 'trust the process.'"
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "With a gray beard that will make me irresistibly sophisticated, but hopefully still professional and passionate enough not to be jaded."
GABE HORDOS
PROFESSION: Animator
COMPANY: DreamWorks Animation
CREDITS: Supervising animator for DreamWorks' upcoming "Bee Movie"; animator on 2006's "Flushed Away," 2004's "Shark Tale," 2002's "Eight Crazy Nights" and 2001's "Osmosis Jones."
BORN: Oct. 2, 1976. Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Started out drawing flip books in his basement. At the age of 18, he and a friend co-founded their own studio, Digital Graphite Animation, specializing in 2-D and 3-D animation for educational videos and commercials.
BIG BREAK: Getting hired as an animator on DreamWorks' 2000 direct-to-video feature "Joseph: King of Dreams," produced in Vancouver, which launched his career with the company and introduced him to his fiancee, Line Andersen, also a supervising animator on "Bee Movie"
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: Dealing with the variety of styles and techniques DreamWorks employs, film to film, from the pseudo-stop motion of "Flushed Away" to Jerry Seinfeld's quirky comic style in "Bee Movie."
CAREER MILESTONE: Last year, when both he and his fiancee got nominated for Annie Awards for "Flushed Away," and he won. "Sitting there and hearing the nominations and then hearing your name called out is pretty surreal."
INSPIRATION: His co-workers. "When you see someone put that extra little something into their shot and it comes across and it's really special, it makes you want to do the same thing."
LESSONS LEARNED: "You can (come) from the middle of nowhere and fall in love with something and make it, just by working your butt off."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "I would love to think I'll keep animating, but to direct one day would be cool, too."
KRIS PEARN
PROFESSION: Story artist
COMPANY: Sony Pictures Animation
CREDITS: Storyboarded and helped design characters for Sony's "Surf's Up"; created numerous sequences for 2006's "Open Season," earning him an Annie Award nomination for best storyboarding in an animated feature production
BORN: June 5, 1975. London, Ontario, Canada
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Diploma in classical animation, Sheridan College, Oakville, Ontario
FIRST JOB IN HOLLYWOOD: Rough inbetweener on 1997's "Anastasia" at Fox Animation Studios in Phoenix
BIG BREAK: Getting a preproduction job in the character layout and design department at Fox in Phoenix. "That's where, as a creator, you learn your storytelling skills, because you're dealing with blue-sky ideas and design. The department I was in was really small, and by the end of (production on 2000's) 'Titan A.E.,' I was managing that department."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "When the 2-D boom busted (in 2000) and I ended back in Canada doing television work, getting back into features was really hard."
CAREER MILESTONE: Getting hired at Sony Pictures Animation in 2003 by executive vp Sandra Rabins and producer Penney Finkelman Cox. "(They) took a huge risk in hiring a snot-nosed kid from Canada to come down and join their fledgling studio."
INSPIRATION: His daughters Ari, 7, and Emma, 4. "There's a real honesty with the way my children interact with each other and with my wife (Aimee) and me that we're always searching for in our stories."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Don't be afraid of change, because it seems to be the only constant in the business."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "An author. I want to self-publish. I don't care if sell anything. I just want to be telling stories that are very pure."
Cinematography
SCOTT KEVAN
CREDITS: Shot Eli Roth's 2002 breakout film, "Cabin Fever"; Screen Gems' hip-hop dance movie "Stomp the Yard" for director Sylvain White; MGM's upcoming "Cleaner" for director Renny Harlin; and Dimension Films' upcoming "Hell Ride." Kevan is scheduled to begin filming the Universal remake of 1975's "Death Race 2000" for writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson this month.
BORN: Jan. 2, 1972. Detroit
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: B.A. in film studies, University of Texas, Austin; M.F.A., American Film Institute
FIRST JOB IN INDUSTRY: Camera assistant on the 1993 indie feature "Odile & Yvette at the Edge of the World." "It was sort of associated with one of the production teachers at the University of Texas, and they produced the film over the summer. They had mentors come in for each department. It was good training."
BIG BREAK: "Cabin Fever." "That was a point where I'd actually done a film that people had heard of. I started getting more scripts and more interviews."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: Finding the will to keep moving forward. "It can be such a brutal business, full of ups and downs. It seems like it's a game (of) endurance and luck."
CAREER MILESTONE: "It took me awhile to realize that it's not about the milestones, it's about the journey. I'm looking to enjoy whatever project I happen to be working on at the time."
INSPIRATION: "Visual things that have an emotional impact on me. It could be walking down an alley at a certain time of day or going through and seeing a Goya painting in person for the first time. It could be at a dinner party with a group of friends all breaking out in laughter."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Limitation breeds creativity. You're always learning more about how to cheat things and how much you can get away with in manipulating the audience."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "I really have no idea. I think I'm at an interesting point in my career right now, and it could go anywhere."
RAIN LI
CREDITS: Li has shot commercials and music videos for such noted directors as David LaChappelle and Jim Jarmusch. Since early 2005, she has collaborated on numerous projects with cinematographer-director Christopher Doyle. Li lensed the Doyle-directed segment of First Look's "Paris, je t'aime" and served as his co-director of photography on Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack" music video, as well as IFC Films' "Paranoid Park," directed by Gus Van Sant.
BORN: May 24, 1983. Beijing
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Began studying cinematography at the Bournemouth Film School in England at age 16
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: At age 17, Li trained as an electrician on commercials and music videos. By age 19, she was working as a camera operator for commercial DP Stephen Blackman.
BIG BREAK: Meeting her mentor, Doyle
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: "Challenging people's first impression of me," says the stunning Li. She admits that being young and beautiful in a profession dominated by men is often an obstacle at the beginning of a new project. Her advice? "Don't try to prove yourself to anybody. Just get on with it, and the work will speak for itself."
CAREER MILESTONE: Working on "Paranoid Park," which won the 60th Anniversary Prize at this year's Festival de Cannes
INSPIRATION: An interesting script. "I need to be emotionally engaged and have a strong feeling for the script. Then (my) inspiration and vision naturally comes from (my) heart."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Stay true to yourself. I've had so many rejections in my career so far, (and) the only thing that kept me going is that I believed in myself."
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "Busy working with people I love on great projects."
ANDRIJ PAREKH
CREDITS: Shot director Ryan Fleck's 2006 critical hit "Half Nelson," which earned star Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination for best actor. Also lensed the indie features "The Treatment" and "The Favor," both 2006. Parekh is currently working on Fleck's follow-up, "Sugar."
BORN: Sept. 20, 1971. Cambridge, Mass. Grew up in Minnesota
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: B.A. sociology and anthropology, Carleton College, Northfield, Minn.; M.F.A., directing and cinematography, Tisch School of Arts, New York University. "It was an incredible experience," says Parekh of his time at NYU, "because I ended up shooting everybody's movies."
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: 2003's "Nowhere to Go But Up." "I got fired because the lead actress got pinkeye from the producer, and so the first weeks we were five days behind. It was my fault," he says, sarcastically.
BIG BREAK: Working as an apprentice to director of photography Harris Savides on 2000's "The Yards." "That was an incredibly intense learning curve. It changed my attitude about the cinematographer and what cinematography was."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "Not knowing anyone in the business. I grew up in a place (that) had no connection to the business, and I don't live in Los Angeles. You get a lot of independents in New York, but not the studio side of the business."
CAREER MILESTONE: "Half Nelson." "Ryan Gosling was doing a lot of improvisation, which forced me to do a lot of improvisation."
INSPIRATION: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Before I start a movie, I'll walk around with the director and just watch what they respond to. It's become my kind of visual shorthand in terms of speaking about color palette, tone and mood."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Listen to the director."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "Forty-five. I'll be a little bit older and wiser ... hopefully."
Costume Design
ALIX FRIEDBERG
CREDITS: Designed costumes for 1999's "But I'm a Cheerleader," 2006's "Glory Road" and the pilot for NBC's "Friday Night Lights." Upcoming films include the Walt Disney Co.'s "Dan in Real Life," Miramax Films' "Gone, Baby, Gone" and the independent film "Sunshine Cleaning."
BORN: Born and raised in Los Angeles
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and Otis College of Art and Design
BIG BREAK: Working with producer Jerry Bruckheimer. "(He) gave me a chance on the first season of (CBS') 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.' I have done that for several of his shows, and then he gave me 'Glory Road,' a big period film."
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Costume production assistant on 1994's "The Stand"
GREATEST CHALLENGE TO OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: "Navigating through the opinions of your producers, actors, director and cinematographer in order to create a cohesive look for a character and still get your vision across."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Enjoy every day and try to find the joy in every project. Always fight for what you believe in, because it's your vision. You should never let something go on camera that you can't stand behind."
CAREER MILESTONE: Designing her first feature film at age 25
INSPIRATION: "People on the street, characters that live outside the box. A lot of my inspiration also comes from photography and painting from different eras."
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "Hopefully continuing down this same road ... making really great films and working with great directors."
MARY-KATE KILLILEA
CREDITS: Assistant costume designer on Fox's "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer." Costume designer on ABC's short-lived comedy "Sons & Daughters." Most recently, she created costumes for three television pilots: the CW's "Aliens in America," ABC's "Women's Murder Club" and NBC's "The IT Crowd," which she will be working on this fall.
BORN: Jan. 9, 1974. Boston
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Production assistant to costume designer Mary Vogt on 2002's "Men in Black II." Vogt became a mentor to Killilea on such projects as 2005's "Son of the Mask," 2006's "RV" and "Silver Surfer."
BIG BREAK: When ABC picked up "Sons & Daughters." "It was my first big-budget, major network show."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "Having faith that the next job will come and getting over not having a predictable, secure future."
CAREER MILESTONE: "Doing three network pilots this season and having all three get picked up."
INSPIRATION: "A great script with strong characters."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Never enter a project with preconceived ideas about what actors will wear before meeting and talking to actors themselves."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "Working on film and television projects, hopefully collaborating with many of the same people I have worked with in the past."
RACHEL SAGE
CREDITS: Assistant costume designer on 2003's "Stuck on You" and 2005's "Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World." Wardrobe supervisor on 2005's "American Gun." Costume designer on Sony's "I Know Who Killed Me." Sage is currently working as costume supervisor on the buzzed-about CBS drama "Cane."
BORN: May 1, 1973. Berkeley, Calif. Moved to Malibu at age 7
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
BIG BREAK: Working for producer David Grace. "He took me under his wings and put me in the room with people who could hire me, and, to my good graces, they did!"
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Interned in Roger Corman's costume department
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "It was a process made up of baby steps. Each step -- whether it be interning, being a costumer, costume supervising or getting into the unions -- was a really grand challenge. My biggest challenge was really to make the contacts that I needed to be hired."
LESSONS LEARNED: The importance of tenacity, patience and confidence
CAREER MILESTONE: Working on the upcoming Lindsay Lohan thriller "I Know Who Killed Me." "Once somebody has hired you on something with a big actress, people are more willing to hire you in the future."
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "Plugging away, being a very successful designer and working with good, creative, decent people that I have established long-standing working relationships with."
Editor
CRAIG ALPERT
CREDITS: Worked as an additional editor on 2004's "Meet the Fockers" and 2005's "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." Co-edited 2006's "Borat" and Universal's "Knocked Up." Alpert is currently editing Sony's "The Pineapple Express," starring Seth Rogan and James Franco.
BORN: Aug. 16, 1973. Pasadena, Calif. Raised in Irvine, Calif.
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Academy of Art University in San Francisco. He also interned in the editorial department at Industrial Light + Magic and the postproduction department at Miramax.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Worked at Pixar as an assistant editor on 1999's "Toy Story 2" while still in college
BIG BREAK: Working on "Meet the Fockers" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin." "They were the first movies where I transitioning out of assistant editing."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: "Because I was younger than most of my colleagues, I really had to prove myself."
CAREER MILESTONE: Co-editing "Knocked Up." "It was the first movie that I was hired to edit before the shooting began. I'm happy that it turned out to be an amazing film."
INSPIRATION: "Jon Poll has been an inspiration. He's an amazing editor -- intelligent, creative and always positive. My last few cutting rooms I modeled after the cutting rooms (in which) I assisted him."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Be positive -- no matter what the situation is!"
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "I'm very happy where I'm at now. I love editing. But possibly directing as well."
ELLIOT GRAHAM
CREDITS: Co-edited 2003's "X2: X-Men United" and 2006's "Superman Returns" for director Bryan Singer. Graham edited 2005's "The Greatest Game Ever Played" and will next edit Sony's upcoming drama "21," starring Kevin Spacey and Kate Bosworth.
BORN: June 8, 1976. Pasadena, Calif.
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: B.A. in history from New York University and a B.A. in film from the Tisch School of Arts at NYU
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: After interning for Merchant Ivory Prods. and Miramax, Graham worked as production assistant on 1999's "Brokedown Palace."
BIG BREAK: Co-editing Stephen Norrington's 2001 independent film, "The Last Minute." Editing took place at James Cameron's production company, Lightstorm Entertainment, where Graham actually lived for a month. "I slept on the couch and showered in the bathroom," he says. Norrington was impressed enough with Graham's work to promote him from assistant editor to editor and later recommended him to Singer.
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: "Persevering in between jobs."
CAREER MILESTONE: Co-editing "X2." "I read 'X-Men' comics as a kid and was a big fan of (Singer's 1995 film) 'The Usual Suspects,'" Graham says. "When Bryan bumped me up to editor with John Ottman, I couldn't sleep all night. It was a defining moment for me."
INSPIRATION: "It's those little moments when the film finally comes alive, when you put the pieces together -- the hundreds of hours of footage and angles and performances -- and know you created something that breathes life into a moment in the film."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Put the film first, always. If you have to fight for what you believe is right for the movie, do it -- and never give up. That sounds cheesy, but it's true."
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "Pushing myself creatively by editing all kinds of styles and all kinds of films."
PADRAIC MCKINLEY
CREDITS: 2002's "Igby Goes Down," 2004's "Alfie," ABC's "October Road" and ThinkFilm's upcoming "Bordertown." McKinley is currently co-editing Universal's upcoming period football drama "The Express" about the late Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis.
BORN: Aug. 15, 1974. San Francisco
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Studied music at the University of Oregon in Eugene before working as an assistant for his uncle, film editor William Anderson. In his early 20s, McKinley moved to Dublin, Ireland, where he "bullshitted my way into a job at a post facility" cutting music videos, documentaries, commercials and television shows.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Editorial production assistant on 1996's "Down Periscope"
BIG BREAK: Editing "Alfie" under director Charles Shyer. "The scrutiny that Charles put into the movie -- scene for scene, line for line and word for word at times -- is an ethic that stuck with me. Everything I do now is about breaking things down -- every performance, every angle, every line -- and being able to judge them individually and know how they work in a scene as a whole."
CAREER MILESTONE: Working on "The Express." "It's got drama and emotion and a lot of action. For an editor, that's where you can sort of show off."
INSPIRATION: "Music and film editing occupy the same part of your brain," says the lifelong musician. "So music sparks a lot of ideas."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Pick your battles!"
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "Getting to the top of the editing world and starting my directing career after I've learned about the craft (of directing) as much as possible from this side."
Makeup
GABRIEL DE CUNTO
CREDITS: Worked on all three installments of Buena Vista's "Pirates of the Caribbean." Served as key special makeup effects artist on Warner Bros. Pictures' "300," key makeup artist on MGM's upcoming "Lions for Lambs" and as makeup artist on Rogue Pictures' upcoming comedy "Balls of Fury." De Cunto is currently working as a special makeup effects artist for ABC's fall comedy "Cavemen."
BORN: June 7, 1973. Argentina. Moved to California at age 4
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: "I learned from books, magazines. I've always been into makeup."
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Working on the sci-fi series "Babylon 5." "They gave me a chance. ... Within three years, I was doing three principle characters on the show and had my name in the credits."
GREATEST CHALLENGE TO OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: "Trying to make filmmakers understand our craft. Often, the bottom line is just how much everything is going to cost, and the artwork is secondary. ... It's a real challenge to give them quality for the least amount of money, which is what they always want."
LESSONS LEARNED: The importance of good people skills. "Eighty-five% of it is about how you get along with people. Then, of course, you have to back it up with talent."
CAREER MILESTONE: Working for makeup guru Rick Baker on 2001's "Planet of the Apes." "We worked our butts off: 2 a.m. wake-up calls, 16- and 17-hour days -- it was crazy! That was really an accomplishment, and the makeup was pretty neat!"
INSPIRATION: Makeup artist Kazuhiro Tsuji, with whom he worked on 2000's "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "Planet of the Apes" and 2002's "Men in Black II." "Everything he does is flawless. ... He inspires me to be better and to succeed at what we do."
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "Just what I'm doing now -- department heading features and big (television) shows."
Hair
MIIA KOVERO
CREDITS: Nominated for an Emmy in 2006 for her work on "Six Feet Under," Kovero also created coiffures for the television series "American Dreams" and such films as 2005's "Memoirs of Geisha"; 2006's "Factory Girl" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"; the "Kill Bill" films; and the second and third installments of "The Matrix" trilogy. She recently completed MGM's "Feast of Love."
BORN: March 7, 1974. Kuusankoski, Finland
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Greasepaint hair and makeup school in the U.K.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Key hairstylist under hair department head Judith Corey on 2003's "The Matrix Reloaded"
BIG BREAK: "'The Matrix,' which was how I got into the movies. Before that I had been working in San Francisco on opera and ballet productions."
GREATEST CHALLENGE TO OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: Dealing with people and their personalities. "I'm in a master's program for spiritual psychology at the University of Santa Monica, which has really helped me understand people."
CAREER MILESTONE: "As a learning experience, 'The Matrix' sequels. They were my first, and it was so long and involved and creative. As a creative experience, 'Memoirs of a Geisha,' (for which) I created beautiful period hairstyles."
INSPIRATION: "The freedom I have with my job. I can pick and choose my jobs. I can work four months and then take a month off to travel. How many other occupations can say that?"
LESSONS LEARNED: "Don't have to take things personally -- if someone is having a bad day, don't react or let their problems affect you."
IN 10 YEARS, YOU'll BE: Making use of the spiritual psychology degree. "I could become a life coach or psychologist, but those careers don't really interest me. Working as a hairstylist, I get a deeper understanding of the human mind and differing personalities."
Makeup
MELANIE MILLS
CREDITS: Has worked as a makeup artist on such television series as "That '70s Show" and such films as 2003's "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and 2004's "Anchorman." She served as a key makeup artist on NBC's "The Office" and was recently nominated for an Emmy for her work on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."
BORN: Feb. 16, 1974. Thousand Oaks, Calif.
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Mills studied art history and language in Italy and took courses at the Studio Makeup Academy at Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood, but says she mostly learned her craft on the job.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Worked for three months on the uncompleted independent film "Everything's George," where she met makeup artist/hairstylist Lori Ann Baker, who brought her on to such films as 1998's "The Dentist 2," 1999's "Wishmaster 2" and 2000's "The Stray."
BIG BREAK: "Dancing With the Stars." She started as an assistant makeup artist during the show's second season before being promoted to head of the makeup department in Season 3.
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "Not knowing where the next job is."
CAREER MILESTONE: "Dancing With the Stars" "The producers trust me and back my decisions 100%. I love this job, and I love this show. It's playtime for me!"
INSPIRATION: "My grandmother. She was a strong woman who took care of herself, got things done and looked fabulous all the while."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Stand out, be sure of yourself and have fun at the same time. And roll with the punches."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "I'll probably have a bed-and-breakfast, a couple of boats chartered out, my own makeup line and I hope to still do makeup jobs on the side."
Production Design
FRANCOIS AUDOUY
CREDITS: Art director on Paramount's "Transfomers" and MGM's upcoming "Lions for Lambs." Concept illustrator on Warner Bros. Pictures' forthcoming "I Am Legend" and Fox's upcoming "Avatar." Audouy is currently working as supervising art director on Warners' upcoming sci-fi thriller "Watchmen."
BORN: June 17, 1974. Toulouse, France
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Apprenticed under two of Hollywood's top production designers. He worked under Bo Welch on 1997's "Men in Black," 1998's "Primary Colors" and 1999's "Wild Wild West." Alex McDowell, with whom he's collaborating on "Watchmen," was a mentor on such films as 2002's "Minority Report," 2003's "The Cat in the Hat," 2004's "The Terminal" and 2005's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Working on 1995's "Batman Forever" with John Dykstra. "(It's) like working with a walking dictionary. He's a brilliant guy," Audouy says of the effects guru, with whom he has also worked on 2002's "Spider-Man."
BIG BREAK: Working as a production designer on Robert Redford's "Lions for Lambs." "For most of my career, I've been a member of a very talented creative team. It was my first opportunity to fly solo."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: Making the transition from a conceptualist to art director. "You have to cross a desert of management and fiscal responsibility to get there."
CAREER MILESTONE: Designing the iconic Golden Ticket and Wonka Bar for "Charlie." "Even though it's only 8 inches wide, it was a thrill to design something that will be imprinted in people's brains forever."
INSPIRATION: "I'm inspired every day by the people who work with me. The very best artists gravitate to film, and it's incredibly inspiring to work alongside them."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Know how to listen. It's a talent that's usually forgotten."
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "Closer to the center of the process and doing the things that I love with even more talented artists."
CECE DESTEFANO
CREDITS: Has worked as a production designer for two of television's hottest producers: J.J. Abrams (on "Alias") and Josh Schwartz (on "The O.C"), whom she's reteaming with on NBC's buzzed-about spy dramedy "Chuck."
BORN: March 10, 1972. Chicago
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: B.A. in art from Columbia College Chicago
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: With the help of her professor, art director Gary Baugh, she got work as a production assistant on the television drama "The Untouchables" while still in college.
BIG BREAK: Working on "Alias" with her mentor, production designer Scott Chambliss. "His work was so inspiring. He and J.J. brought that feature (film) look to TV -- which everyone is doing now -- and we won an Emmy for the pilot."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN THE BIZ: The politics. "The design is easy to me; it's really about keeping the creators and executive producer happy and staying on budget and giving them what they want."
CAREER MILESTONE: Helping create the look for "Chuck." "The last two shows I inherited. This is, for the first time, my look and my vision."
INSPIRATION: "Everyday life and real-world locations"
LESSONS LEARNED: "Not to take the business too seriously"
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "This is just the beginning. I see myself blossoming as a designer."
NAAMAN MARSHALL
CREDITS: Assistant art director on 2006's "The Prestige" and "Mission: Impossible III"; art director on 2006's "Apocalypto"; senior model maker on Buena Vista's "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End." Marshall is currently working as the art director on Warner Bros. Pictures' next installment of the Batman franchise, "The Dark Knight."
BORN: Feb. 8, 1978. Long Beach, Calif.
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Learned his craft by working as an assistant for his uncle, Oscar-nominated production designer Tom Sanders, on 2000's "Mission: Impossible II." "Starting off as a production assistant was the best thing I could have done. I knew I had to start at the bottom because Tom Sanders would have it no other way. He was hard on me -- in a good way."
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Model making on 2003's "Timeline," which he considers his first "legitimate" job
BIG BREAK: Working as a production assistant under supervising art director Daniel Dorrance on "M: I-2"
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "My age. It's pretty hard to be young and try to get what you want. You have to overcompensate to get your point across."
CAREER MILESTONE: Being nominated for an Art Directors Guild Award earlier this year for his work on "The Prestige." "I felt very humbled and honored sitting among the best people in the world."
INSPIRATION: "Working on a film that allows the art department creative freedom and flexibility."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Know when to speak and when to listen. Ears open, mouths shut."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "A well-known art director. Ultimately, I would like to be a production designer, but I approach my goals one step at a time. It takes time, and I am patient with that process."
Sound
ALEX JOSEPH
PROFESSION: Foley editor/sound designer
COMPANY: Soundelux London
CREDITS: Helped craft the soundscapes of such films as 2003's "Cold Mountain"; 2005's "Kingdom of Heaven," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"; 2006's "United 93" and "Casino Royale"; and, in 2007, Rogue Pictures' "Hot Fuzz" and the Weinstein Co.'s "1408."
BORN: May 20, 1976. Amersham, England
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Undergraduate degree in psychology and computing, Bournemouth University. "I did a thesis on the psychology of sound and how human beings perceive sound, both physically and emotionally. I'm often doing a lot of subliminal things in the way I cut sounds," like creating an emotional link between Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp) and his father (Christopher Lee) in "Charlie" by giving their rubber gloves a similar exaggerated snap.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: "The first major job I did was (1998's) 'Lost in Space.' I used to do a lot of sound design for computer games, so I was hired by my dad (veteran supervising sound editor Eddy Joseph) to do a load of spaceship sounds."
BIG BREAK: Working under the late foley artist Peter Holt on 2001's "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." "He never learned the digital side of technology, which I had, so he would essentially shoot the foley and then rely on me to edit it and roughly mix it all."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: Convincing Americans that British foley artists can be talented sound designers
CAREER MILESTONE: Working on "Casino Royale." "For every British person within the sound industry, the dream is to work on a Bond film."
INSPIRATION: The psychology behind sound
LESSONS LEARNED: "You can't go and design sounds just because you think they're good sounds. You have to give the director what he wants for the film."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "A sound designer in the mold of someone like (two-time Oscar winner) Randy Thom."
CHRISTIAN MINKLER
PROFESSION: Sound rerecording mixer
COMPANY: Ascent Media
CREDITS: Sculpted the soundscapes for more than three dozen features, including last year's "Babel," "Scary Movie 4," "Final Destination 3" and "The Shaggy Dog," and Ben Affleck's upcoming directorial debut, Miramax Films' "Gone, Baby, Gone."
BORN: Dec. 20, 1971. Los Angeles. A fourth-generation film soundman, he is the son of three-time Oscar-winning mixer Mike Minkler.
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Worked in the machine room of Skywalker Sound's now-defunct Los Angeles studios from 1989 to 1991
BIG BREAK: Making his bow as a full-fledged sound rerecording mixer on director Oliver Stone's surreal serial killer saga "Natural Born Killers" (1994). "Visually, it was abstract. The idea was you have these unusual visuals, let's try to create something as different soundwise."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: Youth. "I started as a rerecording mixer when I was 20 (or) 21. I felt like I had the chops to do it, but I was working most of the time with people who were twice my age."
CAREER MILESTONE: Partnering with fellow sound rerecording mixer Jon Taylor. "I started with him in TV back in the days of doing (1990's) 'Northern Exposure,' and we became best friends, and we just started working together as a team again two years ago."
INSPIRATION: His family: wife, Nancy, and daughters Emma, 8, Gracen, 3, and Tallulah, 1
LESSONS LEARNED: "In general, people in the film business are really good people. Filmmakers have a reputation for being terrible to work with, but I've never really had a really terrible experience."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "Working with Jon, sitting at the console, mixing movies."
JUAN P. PERALTA
PROFESSION: Sound rerecording mixer/mix technician
COMPANY: Skywalker Sound
CREDITS: Rerecording mixer for George Lucas' highly anticipated animated TV series "Clone Wars," due out in 2008. Peralta managed and operated the digital consoles and audio workstations for the mixes of 2006's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" and "Over the Hedge," 2005's "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" and 2004's "The Incredibles."
BORN: Dec. 26, 1972. New York. Moved to the Dominican Republic at the age 7
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Associate of arts degree in recording arts, Full Sail: School of Film, Art, Design, Music & Media Production, in Orlando, where classes were scheduled at all hours of the day and night, so everyone could get hands-on experience with the gear. "That experience comes in handy. (Recently), I was working until midnight every night on (writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson's upcoming Paramount Vantage feature) 'There Will Be Blood.'"
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Mix stage assistant on Stage A at EFX Systems in Burbank. "That's where I really learned a lot about postproduction, especially dealing with clients, fellow mixers and all that stuff."
BIG BREAK: Getting hired by Skywalker Sound in 1999
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: "Making sure the client is happy and confident things are being done correctly."
CAREER MILESTONE: Being asked to serve as rerecording mixer on "Clone Wars."
INSPIRATION: Experiencing sound designer/rerecording mixer Gary Rydstrom's Oscar-winning work in 1993's "Jurassic Park." "When I saw that movie, I realized that audio postproduction is what I wanted to do."
LESSONS LEARNED: "Having the technical knowledge is important, but what's more important is having the people skills."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "A rerecording mixer. I'm practically there, but I still go back and forth doing mix tech on big shows, because there are certain mixers who would rather I do it."
Visual Effects
DOUG BLOOM
PROFESSION: Computer graphics special projects supervisor
EMPLOYER: Sony Pictures Imageworks
CREDITS: Effects lead (tornado and clouds for the Storm character and on the dogfight sequence) on 2003's "X2: X-Men United"; effects lead and artist (waterfall effects) on 2004's "The Chronicles of Riddick"; effects artist (fluid effects for flying wolf character) on 2005's "Elektra"; effects supervisor (Sandman character) in Sony's "Spider-Man 3"
BORN: July 6, 1979. Great Neck, N.Y.
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: B.F.A., School of Visual Arts, New York
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Interned at Manhattan Center Studios while still in high school
BIG BREAK: Working at Rhythm & Hues as a visual effects animator on 2002's "The Sum of All Fears." "It was a chance to break out of commercials and smaller productions and finally branch off into feature films, which is what really I wanted to do."
CAREER MILESTONE: "'Spider-Man 3' was a big project and a unique opportunity because it allowed me to get involved in lighting and character work, due to the nature of the Sandman character. The effects (for Sandman) were based on a character that was delivering a performance with an emotional story line."
INSPIRATION: His family. "I was always encouraged to pursue (a creative career). It was clear that that is what I loved."
IN 10 YEARS, I'LL BE: "A visual effects supervisor -- continuing to push the edge of technology as a means of creating beautiful imagery."
BEN GROSSMANN
PROFESSION: Visual effects supervisor
COMPANY: The Syndicate
CREDITS: Visual effects supervisor on 2006's direct-to-video "Hollow Man II"; sequence supervisor on 2005's "Sin City"; and compositing supervisor on 2004's "The Day After Tomorrow." Grossman won an Emmy for his work as a digital compositor on the 2005 miniseries "The Triangle."
BORN: June 23, 1977. Washington, D.C. Grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Grossmann left the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, in his senior year -- three credits short of a bachelor's degree in international politics -- to run a TV commercial production company he formed. In January 2001, he gave up the company and drove to Los Angeles.
FIRST JOB IN THE INDUSTRY: Rotoscope and paint work on Disney Channel's 2001 telefilm "Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge." "I was going to get into the camera department or editing, but all those were union jobs that took years to get into. I got started in visual effects because it was nonunion."
BIG BREAK: Getting hired by co-writer/producer/visual effects supervisor Volker Engel to work on the effects-packed indie feature "Coronado" (2003). "It was my first real compositing job, but I worked my way up to becoming a compositing supervisor. I also ended up doing the title design and also helping with online edit and sound mix."
GREATEST CHALLENGE OVERCOME IN BIZ: Navigating the political minefield. "In Alaska, it was mostly one or two guys doing everything. Down here, there are thousands and thousands of people working on one thing."
CAREER MILESTONE: Dealing with the treacherous politics and then-cutting-edge effects work on "Day After Tomorrow"
INSPIRATION: "It's always been the people around me."
LESSONS LEARNED: "The answer can always be yes -- it's just a question of time and money."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "The exciting thing about doing this job is you don't know what you're going to be doing next week, much less in 10 years."
JASON SMITH
PROFESSION: Creature supervisor. He is also the creature technology team lead for Industrial Light + Magic.
COMPANY: ILM
CREDITS: Served as technical animator on 2005's "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"; creature technical director on 2005's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and 2006's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"; and creature supervisor on Paramount's "Transformers." Smith is currently working as the creature supervisor on Paramount's 2008 fantasy-adventure film "The Spiderwick Chronicles."
BORN: Feb. 7, 1976. Idaho City, Idaho
EDUCATION/APPRENTICESHIP: Graduated from Brigham Young University's computer science program, with a minor in visual arts
BIG BREAK: "Getting in the door at ILM."
CAREER MILESTONE: Working on "Transformers." "We wrote the dynamic rigging system. It strengthened the pipeline and creature group in a totally different way. (The Transformers) had to turn from cars to robots, and Optimus Prime (for example) had 10,000 parts. We created a tool that allowed animators to select any part of the robot and animate it in a specific way. That allows us to do the complex transformations."
INSPIRATION: 1993's "Jurassic Park." "I realized I could use my computer science background to make creatures."
LESSONS LEARNED: "In 'Transformers,' the lesson learned is there is (always) a way to make it happen. When we started 'Transformers,' it was very daunting."
IN 10 YEARS I'LL BE: "The industry changes so fast. I've only been in the industry for five years. It's impossible to say. Hopefully, I'll be at ILM."