THE ILLUSIONIST

Behind our favorite movie monsters, aliens and ghouls are teams of special effects makeup artists using incredible prosthetic detail to bring the fantastical to life. If film is magic, then special effects makeup is a key spell. 

Over the course of his 40-plus-year career, beloved SFX makeup artist Rob Burman has created just about everything you can imagine, from Vulcan ears and puppets to hyper realistic wounds and Power Ranger suits. He currently runs Rob Burman’s Laboratory, teaching courses in prosthetic makeup technique to emerging talent. In this discussion, Burman will answer questions and share tales from his career working on legendary productions, including John Carpenter’s The Thing, Star Trek, Batman Returns, Jackass: The Movie and more.