Credit: courtesy of The Butcher Shop

Six-year-old Carlos Henriques mixes cranberry juice and chocolate syrup to make blood that will appear in a short horror skit he often performs in front of his family.Now working as a professional special effects artist in Hamilton, Ontario, Carlos Henriques’ talent has improved with time. Henriques is co-owner of The Butcher Shop, a special effects studio that specializes in designing and creating makeup effects, creatures, prosthetics, puppets, fake weapons and specialty props. Henriques’ work has become popular in the movie and television industry as well as for collectors.

 

“I remember watching George Romero’s Creepshow as a child and it changed my life. Shortly after I watched Michael Jackson’s Thriller and that was it, I was going to make monsters for a living,” he said in an interview.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Henriques has worked on multiple projects such as Hunters Moon (2015), Death Race (2009), and Devil’s Night (2006), where he worked with his favourite scream queen, Danielle Harris who is seen in the Halloween film series.

 

Special effects artists put their own blood, sweat and tears into each project in order to create a realistic and horrifying image, unlike many characters in movies and TV that are created through computer-generated imagery (CGI.) Special effects are described as an illusion made with prosthetic makeup that is most often used in film and television. Creatures can be created through molding, sculpting and casting latex, silicone or gelatin.

 

Special effects have been an artistry that Jessica Mann from Brampton, Ontario has been practicing on herself since the early age of 15. With proper training and guidance from cosmetic techniques and special effects programs, she was then able to apply prosthetics to clients with professional expertise in 2013. Mann works with clients every year around Halloween to recreate their spooky visions. The artist states that special effects includes extensive research on real images of what you are trying to recreate, such as bruising, wounds or black eyes.

 

“It requires an attention to detail when creating imperfections and incorporating realistic textures and colours that mimic the human skin’s reaction to such trauma you are replicating,” Mann says.

 

According to filmmakeriq.com, Special effects were first introduced in the late 1920s by Lon Chaney Senior in Phantom of the Opera (1925) and Jack Pierce in Frankenstein (1931.) Prosthetic make-up is now popular in many television shows and movies, such as The Walking Dead, where Greg Nicotero creates each walker from scratch.

 

Mann says The Walking Dead has taken special effects makeup to a different level with the undeniable accuracy of what people believe zombies would look like, “Nicotero creates these stunningly beautiful, or some may say disgusting, looking creatures and essentially brings them to life.”

 

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Special effects artists have a passion for fear and gore that many artists do not have. Mann says she finds pleasure in constantly feeling at the edge of her seat.

 

“I can’t describe how much I love the rush I get when I feel afraid. Fear is a product of the thoughts we create. It is not real. You choose fear, and even knowing this, we are still afraid. That amazes me,” says Mann.

 

An 18-year-old special effects artist from Burbank, California, Kyrsta Morehouse enjoys the endless possibilities that lie within the horror industry. Morehouse stumbled into the art of special effects in 2012.

 

“I started when I found an old box of Halloween blood and wanted to scare my family. I gave my nieces black eyes and busted lips. Turns out I wasn't too bad at it,” Morehouse says. Her passion then spiraled out of control. “Horror is the strongest medium to evoke emotion since fear is such a strong feeling,” Morehouse says.

 

If fear is a natural response to threat, you may ask why any human would enjoy feeling scared. Science has proven that thrill-seekers do not only enjoy the natural high they get from feeling threatened, but that they also have different brain chemistry. Dopamine is the main hormone that is released when the body feels threatened. The human brain reacts more positive to the dopamine boost for some than it does for others. These people enjoy being scared.

 

Click here to watch a tutorial on how to use special effects makeup to look like Harvey Dent "Two-Face" in the Batman movie: