Killer Makeup, Wretched Planning
Bringing in a makeup artist was eye-opening. Sara Zmudzinski transformed the look of the characters in the film INDEFINITE. Our lack of planning with Sara in advance hindered the film’s true potential.
On set Sara crafted a fake scar for herself.
Bullet Holes in Character’s Flesh
The fast-paced production raced to wrap scenes before thinking about artistic choices. No time was left for Sara’s artistry to experiment. She hit the set on day one without a creative discussion from the co-directors. The bullet holes perfectly punctuated the scenes with gritty realism. If Sara had more prep time, the comic book vibe could be cranked up. Wilder, more exaggerated bullet holes would have enhanced the movie. They could have exploded and oozed with blood for maximum impact.
Amber’s bullet hole from Otto.
A surprise blast to the head of Nick.
Jessica’s bullet to the knee.
A Blade to the Jugular
One killer effect was a knife stabbing through the actor Kyle Berg’s neck. A plastic knife blade clung to Kyle’s neck from behind. A bladeless wooden handle was used to simulate the stab by another actor. Later, Dirk van Sloten amped up the attack by using a CGI blade penetrating the throat.
This scene was our biggest holdup. The night dripped with heat and humidity. The prop knife would not stay put. A blow dryer was used to speed up the spirit gum’s stickiness.
Kyle’s neck with the plastic knife blade.
Bruises and Bloody Faces
Subtle gashes and bruises were applied to the actor’s faces to depict brutal realism. In the quick cuts of the action the makeup works well.
We missed the mark to create a bigger impact. The dark comic book energy begged for deeper wounds, gnarlier bruises. Sara was not asked to crank up the makeup madness. We did not research source images to push the tone in any specific direction.
Adrian’s battered face.
Jonas’ face, smeared in blood, fell flat. Amber took Otto’s bullet straight to the skull. The gut-punching end of her life fizzled. We only shot Jonas cradling her lifeless body. His face was just streaked with red.
The shock did not land. Showing Amber taking a bullet was quite ordinary. A raw brain and blood splatter effect to Jonas’ face would have hit the mark. The audience would have had a visceral reaction.
Jonas’ blood splatter from Amber’s death shot.
Bloody Arm Wrap
Otto’s blood-soaked bandage was a cinch. The arm was rewrapped nightly—done deal.
The wound needed to be magnified. Double wrapped bandages with bloodied gauze needed to peek out. Only one lousy bandage roll was bought. A close-up of blood dripping during the chase would have punctuated Otto’s pain.
Otto’s bloody arm.
Piercing Through Flesh
Sara’s talent was on full display when she sculpted the bullet wound on the shoulder of “The Man in the Mask”. The wound was crafted with raw finesse.
Layer 1: Building the foundation.
Layer 2: Adding texture.
Layer 3: Darkening inside the wound.
Layer 4: Filling the wound with fake blood.
Sculpting Recycled Wounds
Creating the latex wound for actor Joseph Janswig’s shoulder was a challenge. As “The Man in the Mask,” he thrashed through action scenes, and the wound kept peeling off. We had to remake it over and over. This delayed production.
Sara was working at her job on some nights. Our project was a full volunteer cast and crew. A new permanent fix included making a complete piece of latex flesh. The wound was easily reapplied each production night.
The reusable latex wound was a poor echo of Sara’s original creation. A reference image from previous production days was not looked at. The new wounds lacked the torn-open texture and dark shadowy makeup. The blood we added covered the imperfections.
The continuity of different looking latex wounds did not interfere with the film. We skimped on close-ups. Regrettably, these were missed moments to highlight the grittiness of INDEFINITE.
Last Take On Makeup Effects
The shoot was a blur with no time to talk makeup. Co-director Christopher Kuiper and I were relentlessly driven to speed up each production night. It was important to respect everyone’s time.
Sara nailed it under pressure. On day one she was thrown into crafting each character’s makeup from scratch. We should have found reference images to discuss design concepts before rolling. Each character needed a unique look to match their story.
We should have carved out a day for makeup tests. Dirk van Sloten, our Director of Photography, would be a welcome asset to join too. Snapping reference shots for each actor would elevate the makeup artistry.
Sara’s makeup artistry was a killer addition. We needed to be more prepared to put her in a place to shine even brighter.