And speaking of...
N Is For Ve Neill
Ve Neill is a giant in the make up effects arena, a seven time Oscar nominee with three Academy Awards to her credit. She has received four Saturn Awards as well, working with such legends as Stan Winston (Batman Returns) and Rick Baker (Interview With A Vampire). Among her most notable works are Beetlejuice, Mrs. Doubtfire, Ed Wood, the Pirates of the Caribbean films, Sweeney Todd, Austin Powers in Goldmember, The Hunger Games and The Amazing Spider-man.
She got her start in the late 70's serving as a makeup artist on films like Kingdom of the Spiders, The Dark and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Ve is currently a judge on the popular Sy Fy series Face/Off, which young make up artists compete for prizes and the means to establish themselves in the next level of their careers. She also has a scholarship named after her at the Cinema Makeup School.
O Is For Jeannine Oppewall
Jeannine is another intriguing woman behind the scenes in Hollywood. She is an art director, a four time Academy Award nominee for her work on the films L.A. Confidential, Pleasantville, Seabiscuit and The Good Shepherd. She came to the film industry in an unusual way. While studying medieval history at Bryn Mawr College, she discovered the work of Charles and Ray Eames, furniture designers and filmmakers. While on a visit to the office of Charles Eames, she got a job answering phones. Eames was impressed with her enthusiasm and taught her everything he could.
Her career began as a set designer on Brian De Palma's 1981 thriller Blow Out. She scouted locations, built sets and designed interiors. She is known for her tough attitude and her impulsive thought process. Many consider her work absolutely brilliant. Actor Jeff Bridges was so impressed with her replica of Charles Howard's (owner of Seabiscuit) ranch house made from fir planks, that he attempted to buy it and have it shipped to his Montana property.
She also is big into education and has served as artist in residence at the prestigious Mount Holyoke College.
I would love to see a good make-up artists at work. They really are artists and some of the transformations they are capable of are amazing.
ReplyDeleteStarted by answering phones - that is definitely going from the bottom up.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the show Face Off. Ve Neill is picky but very fair in her judgement.
Ohh, ViNell got to work alot with Johnny Depp.
ReplyDeleteI love makeup and costume designers who work on film, that's always my fave category at the Oscars.
ReplyDeleteMakeup artists can produce some truly amazing work.
ReplyDeletewww.modernworld4.blogspot.com
I'm learning so much about Hollywood! I love dropping by and catching up. Great job, Mel :)
ReplyDeleteWOW! Like KC, above me, "I'm learning so much about Hollywood."
ReplyDeleteAnd... the amazingly talented array of women that helped keep it going, from all direction no less.
Without a doubt, your posts get the Best Theme Award from me - seriously - this is some great information.
Thank you for sharing it with us all. :) :)
Jenny @ PEARSON REPORT
Congratulations on catching up. Whoosh. I'm exhausted just hopping around to all of these great posts. You're more than halfway there! (I took the easy way out by not participating this year.) It's great to see you give credit to behind-the-scenes folks. They work too hard for too little credit. Thanks for always educating me on people I otherwise never would've known about.
ReplyDeleteBig hugs to you, dear friend.
xoRobyn
I do love Ve Neill on FaceOff. She's the sweetest judge on there.
ReplyDeleteHa ha! Another match up - Ve Neill was my V post! I'm finally back in the saddle, mostly healed from my sprained ankle and catching up on commenting at long last!
ReplyDeleteVe Neill = AMAZING. Her first five years were filled with genre movies I love and now own!
I was not familiar with Jeannine Oppewall - but you can't go wrong with a resume like hers! Art directors, by the way - are often found to have a tough attitude and impulsive thought processes - men and women. It seems to come with the job.
Finally going back through posts! I did watch Face Off, guilty as charged, and Ve Beill was pretty much a bamf. Can't wait to see what she comes up with in the second Hunger Games! Genius.
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