Atlas of Clinical Dermotology (Click image for large.) © William AnthonyOn the occasional Monday night, I play on a pub quiz/trivia team called "Titicaca." (Don't ask.) One of my teammates in cerebral calisthenics is a guy named
Brent Baker. Each of us on the team have our trivial specialties. Mine are biology, aviation, photography and Precious Moments™ figurines. Brent's are TV, film, horror movies and special effects. Which makes sense because he's an amazing special effects artist with a long, distinguished filmography.
Brents. (Click image for large.) © William AnthonyA while back I asked him if he'd be interested in a portrait at his shop. Why? Why NOT? He has one of the coolest jobs in Hollywood. I dream of portraits like this. Plus, I think it's important, every now and then, to turn the spotlight around and shine it on the people who don't see much light because they're quietly working in a non-desrcript industrial shop in Glendale. Thankfully, he agreed.
So earlier today, I got a tour of the
Spectral Motion studio for a scout. It was pretty amazing. Being a scifi geek and lover of all things fantastic, I wandered around wide-eyed and slack-jawed. This is an amazingly talented group of people and I felt pretty lucky to be invited in.
Paint shop. (Click image for large.) © William Anthony
Same to you buddy. (Click image for large.) © William AnthonySpectral Motion has worked on many feature films including M. Night Shayamalan's
Lady in the Water as well as
Hellboy. And every so often I'd turn around only to be staring right at Hellboy's sawed-off horns or down the jaws of a snarling robotic tinder wolf. Hostile workplace at it's truest.
Hellboy sculpture by Ryan Peterson. (Click image for large.) © William Anthony
Animatronic wolf head. (Click image for large.) © William AnthonyMy visit was timed so any and all top secret projects they may (or may not) be working on were not in view. They're currently working on an upcoming
Martin Lawrence movie. (See below.) I saw dismembered portions of Mr. Lawrence throughout the shop. His head here, lips there. A leg on a shelf, torso on a table. Really, really surreal.
Martin Lawrence mold. (Click image for large.) © William AnthonyIn the next few weeks we'll set up a time and concept for his portrait. And given the location and subject, anything is possible.
Stay tuned.
Labels: documentary, Los Angeles, personal work