Dave Elsey (born 9 February 1967) is a make-up artist known for special make-up effects, creature effects and

animatronics Animatronics refers to mechatronic puppets. They are a modern variant of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films and in theme park attractions. It is a multidisciplinary field integrating puppetry, anatomy ...

in films such as '' X-Men: First Class'', ''

Ghost Rider Ghost Rider is the name of multiple antiheroes and superheroes appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider. The first s ...

'', ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...

'', ''

Hellraiser ''Hellraiser'' is a 1987 British supernatural horror film written and directed by Clive Barker, and produced by Christopher Figg, based on Barker's 1986 novella ''The Hellbound Heart''. The film marked Barker's directorial debut. Its plot invol ...

'', ''

Alien 3 ''Alien 3'' (stylized as ''A''LIEN³) is a 1992 American science fiction horror film directed by David Fincher and written by David Giler, Walter Hill, and Larry Ferguson, from a story by Vincent Ward. It stars Sigourney Weaver, reprising her ...

'', and ''

Indiana Jones ''Indiana Jones'' is an American media franchise based on the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., a fictional professor of archaeology, that began in 1981 with the film '' Raiders of the Lost Ark''. In 1984, a prequel, '' Th ...

'' . He was born on February 2, 1967 in ''

London, England London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major se ...

'' to Marie and Derek Elsey. From 1999 to 2011, Elsey lived in ''

Sydney, Australia Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...

'' with his wife Lou while working on the TV science fiction series ''

Farscape ''Farscape'' is an Australian-American science fiction television series, produced originally for the Nine Network. It premiered in the US on Sci-Fi Channel's SciFi Friday, 19 March 1999, at 8:00 pm EST as their anchor series. The series was ...

''. He currently resides in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

Career

Gallery

To view some of the classic and memorable characters created by Elsey, visit Dave's IGOR Studio webpage gallery at http://igorstudios.com/gallery/

Recent Achievements

Star Wars: Episode III

Elsey, a huge Star Wars fan as a child, was elated to be given the opportunity in 2005 to work on the '' Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith'' movie. The work resulted in an Oscar nomination for the creature effects / make-up effects department: a first for that department on a Star Wars film.

The Wolfman

In 2010, Elsey and his long admired icon Rick Baker partnered up for the film "'' The Wolfman''," winning an Academy Award.

The Early Years

Mentors and Developing Technique

Elsey's early childhood was filled with fascination and love for movies and special effects. When he was about ten or eleven, Elsey met ''

Chris Tucker Christopher Tucker (born August 31, 1971) is an American actor and comedian. Tucker made his debut in 1992 as a stand-up performer on the HBO comedy series ''Def Comedy Jam'', where he frequently appeared on the show during the 1990s. He appe ...

'', a talented Make-up Artist who contributed significant work to films like '' Star Wars Episode IV'', '' Quest For Fire'', '' Phantom of the Opera'', and ''

Elephant Man Joseph Carey Merrick (5 August 1862 – 11 April 1890), often erroneously called John Merrick, was an English man known for having severe deformities. He was first exhibited at a freak show under the stage name "the Elephant Man" and then wen ...

''. Tucker mentored Elsey, showing him how to make various things like casting a face or sculpting prosthetics. Tucker shared with Elsey that when he was starting out, he used to make rubber noses for the makeup shop Charles H Fox, and they would sometimes pay him with makeup. Elsey followed in Tucker's footsteps and did the same thing; make-up was, and is very expensive, so it was good advice. The industry was so secretive, and there were no good text books, plus it seemed at the time that he was the only kid he knew interested in monsters and makeup, so Elsey had to struggle to develop technique. He used to do things like study photos of makeup artists like Dick Smith in magazines, trying to figure out what materials were on their shelves in the background. Eventually an aunt recognized his talents, and allowed him to use a small room in her house as a workshop.

Idols and First Breaks

Two pivotal movies he recalls seeing with his father in Leicester Square (West end of London, England) were ''

King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...

'' (1976) and '' An American Werewolf in London'' (1981). After viewing the work of special make-up effects artist '' Rick Baker'' in both films, especially the latter, make-up effects became Elsey's career ambition. In 1983, at the age of sixteen, Elsey met ''

Baker A baker is a tradesperson who baking, bakes and sometimes Sales, sells breads and other products made of flour by using an oven or other concentrated heat source. The place where a baker works is called a bakery. History Ancient history Si ...

'' on the set of the film '' Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes''. That meeting reaffirmed Elsey's plan to make makeup his career. Dreams of working in the

film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, ...

started forming during visits to

Pinewood Studios Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London. The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to t ...

Shepperton Studios Shepperton Studios is a film studio located in Shepperton, Surrey, England, with a history dating back to 1931. It is now part of the Pinewood Studios Group. During its early existence, the studio was branded as Sound City (not to be confused ...

, and

Elstree Studios Elstree Studios is a generic term which can refer to several current and demolished British film studios and television studios based in or around the town of Borehamwood and village of Elstree in Hertfordshire, England. Production studios ha ...

in various counties in ''

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

''. Elsey frequently ran into

Jim Henson James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and '' Fraggle Rock'' (1983–1987) and ...

(''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000 ...

'', ''

The Muppet Show ''The Muppet Show'' is a sketch comedy television series created by Jim Henson and featuring the Muppets. The series originated as two pilot episodes produced by Henson for ABC in 1974 and 1975. While neither episode was moved forward as ...

'') while on the lot. He eventually met Lyle Conway who was

Henson Henson may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places United States * Henson, Colorado, a ghost town * Henson, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Henson Creek, Colorado * Henson Branch, Missouri, a stream Antarctica * Mount Henson, Ross Dependency Other * H ...

's creature shop designer on ''

The Dark Crystal ''The Dark Crystal'' is a 1982 dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment and The ...

''. After repeated requests for a job, Conway gave Elsey his first break in the industry, putting him to work creating

for the movie ''Little Shop of Horrors''. In the course of his work, Elsey made many of the special Vine effects as well as the tongue of alien plant Audrey II. The experience taught Elsey the art of using mechanical effects to create the illusion of life in puppetry. They did a lot of reverse shots, turned the camera upside down, changed camera speeds, and other things that most engineers would not have considered as solutions. That movie went on to be nominated for an Oscar for the plant, and won the

Academy Award for Best Visual Effects The Academy Award for Best Visual Effects is an Academy Award given for the best achievement in visual effects. History of the award The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first recognized the technical contributions of special effects ...

in 1986.

Farscape, Australia

In 1999, Elsey was asked to supervise the Australian branch of the

Jim Henson's Creature Shop Jim Henson's Creature Shop is a special/visual effects company founded in 1979 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. The company is based out of Burbank, California, United States. History Jim Henson's Creature Shop was originally ...

about two months before the series ''

'' was launched. Although Rygel and Pilot were complete, a significant number of characters were not designed yet. Elsey used the opportunity to create characters puppets and makeups using every technique he could think of, resulting in many intricate and visually stunning alien creatures cult fans came to love.

Industry Awards

*Saturn Award Nominations: Best Make-up ** 38th Saturn Awards 2012 - '' X-Men: First Class'', shared with Frank Needham and Conor O'Sullivan. Won. *Academy Award Nominations: Best Makeup and Hairstyling **

83rd Academy Awards The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2010 in the United States and took place on February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles b ...

- '' The Wolfman'', shared with Rick Baker. Won. **

78th Academy Awards The 78th Academy Awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on March 5, 2006, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time Zone, PST ...

- Nominated for '' Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith''. Nomination shared with Nikki Gooley. Lost to '' The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe''. *Quanta's Film: Achievement in Make-Up Design in Film ** 2008 Qantas Film and Television Awards: Achievement in Make-Up Design in Film - ''

Black Sheep In the English language, black sheep is an idiom that describes a member of a group who is different from the rest, especially a family member who does not fit in. The term stems from sheep whose fleece is colored black rather than the more comm ...

'' (2007). Won.

Filmography

Television

* '' Trading Races Documentary'' , Make Up Effects Supervisor * '' Farscape Seasons 1-4 (88 eps)'' , Creature Effects Supervisor * '' Farscape ‘Peacekeeper Wars’'' , Creature Effects Supervisor * '' Big Garage'' , Creature Effects Supervisor * '' Cold Lazarus'' , Make Up Effects Supervisor * ''

How to be a Little Sod ''How To Be A Little Sod'', was written in 1992 by author Simon Brett to show what a baby may think during his/her first year of development. The format is in a traditional diary style, listing selected days and events. The main character's na ...

'' , Make Up/ Animatronic Supervisor * ''

Hunting Venus ''Hunting Venus'' is a British television comedy-drama starring Martin Clunes and Neil Morrissey as former members of a 1980s new romantic pop group. The one-off drama was broadcast on ITV on 31 March 1999, and was produced by Buffalo Pictures ...

'', Make Up Effects Supervisor * '' Prime Suspect 5'' , Make Up Effects Supervisor * '' Silent Witness 7'' , Make Up Effects Supervisor * '' Seaforth'' , Make Up Effects Supervisor * ''

The Comic Strip The Comic Strip are a group of British comedians who came to prominence in the 1980s. They are known for their television series ''The Comic Strip Presents...'', which was labelled as a pioneering example of the alternative comedy scene. The ...

'' , Make Up Effects Supervisor * '' The Hunger'' , Make Up Effects Supervisor * '' The Wanderer'' , Make Up Effects Supervisor *
The Toon Room
ref name="TTR">'' , Animatronics Supervisor * '' The Uninvited'' , Make Up Effects Supervisor * '' Big Garage'' , Animatronics Supervisor * '' Casualty'' , Make Up Effects Supervisor

Television Commercials

Allied Dunbar – ‘Grim Reaper’
(1997) , Creature Effects Supervisor * Angel Delight – Moosehead , Creature Effects Supervisor * Bonaqua – Chicken , Creature Effects Supervisor * Bonaqua – ‘Mermaid’ , Make Up Effects Supervisor * Bosch – Handtools , Make Up Effects Supervisor * Campbells – Malcolm meatball , Creature Effects Supervisor * Conservative Party ‘evil eyes’ , Make Up Effects Supervisor * Der Spiegal – ‘Aliens’ , Creature Effects Supervisor * Golden Wonder -Nik Naks Alien , Creature Effects Supervisor * Heart fm – ‘Alien’ , Creature Effects Supervisor * Mc Donalds – Cavemen , Make Up Effects Supervisor * NAB – Yeti , Make Up Effects Supervisor * NSPCC – ‘Foetus’ , Make Up Effects Supervisor
Nike – Good Vs Evil: Demon
ref name="GvE"> , Creature Effects Supervisor * Nike – ‘History’ , Make Up Effects Supervisor * Pirelli – Goddess , Creature Effects Supervisor
Pizza Hut – ‘Klingons’
ref name="PHK"> , Make Up Effects Supervisor * Ronseal Tiles – Pelican , Creature Effects Supervisor
Slotts Mustard
ref name="Slotts"> , Creature Effects Supervisor * Tabboo – Tango Football ‘Hell’ , Creature Effects Supervisor * USPS – Monster , Creature Effects Supervisor * VB – Shane Warne characters , Make Up Effects Supervisor * Westlights , Creature Effects Supervisor * Xbox – Demon , Creature Effects Supervisor * Yellow Pages – Clown , Make Up Effects Supervisor

Music Promos and Stills

Massive Attack – Teardrop
ref name="MassAttkT"> , Creature Effects Supervisor
Aphex Twin – Come to Daddy
ref name="AphTWinCTD"> , Make Up Effects Supervisor
Bluetones – Marblehead Johnson
ref name="MarblJohn"> , Make Up Effects Supervisor
Blur – ‘Girls and Boys’
ref name="BlurGaB"> , Make Up Effects Supervisor
Leftfield – ‘Afrika Shocks’
ref name="LeftAS"> , Make Up Effects Supervisor
Manic Street Preachers – ‘If you tolerate this’
ref name="MSPiytt"> , Make up Effects * Warrant – ‘Dirty rotten filthy stinking rich’ , Make up Effects

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Elsey, Dave Best Makeup Academy Award winners Living people British make-up artists Place of birth missing (living people) 1967 births