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Lissuin
Valinor
Aug 19 2017, 11:03am
Post #1 of 7
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Hobbit makeup artist Warren Dion Smith
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These hard-working people are there before the actors and extras arrive in the dark hours of the morning, and the next shift (sometimes the same folks) are there after they go home at night. This is a nice interview.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/...nd-hollywood-9132528
Fun facts: 1) approximately 752 wigs and 263 beards were made for The Desolation Of Smaug.
2)"Although there were only 13 dwarfs in The Hobbit trilogy, it took 165 people, including actors, doubles and stunt men, to portray them. The time for production to complete hair, make-up, prosthetics and wardrobe for each person portraying a dwarf? Five hours."
Most importantly, Smith believes that making movie magic all starts with treating all his actors equally.
"I was told by a friend who’s the head of the hair and make-up department (in Weta) and who won an Oscar for hair that without all the extras in the movies, there wouldn’t be the impact desired,” he said. "So I always looked at the extras as being my lead characters and I treat them, to this very day, like an A-grade celebrity.”
And you do, Warren. Cheers!
And if you're lucky, Warren might be your tour guide at the behind-the-scenes Weta Workshop tour. Boundless enthusiasm and information.
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Loresilme
Valinor
Sep 3 2017, 12:58am
Post #2 of 7
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It takes a special kind of temperament
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“Because everyone (working at Weta), they are perfectionists in their own right. Every little detail,” he said. “You could be designing something that might not even be used. That could be six months in the making of one garment (for costume) that ends up being something that you’re not going to be using. I’ve designed and made up 150-odd hairstyles in The Hobbit that were in CGI and they ripped all the hair out after I’ve spent all that time making them!”
Explaining that these are just some of the challenges working on a major Hollywood blockbuster, he continued: “Those are the things you’ve got to be prepared to let go and not get so emotionally attached to.”
To be, on the one hand, someone who is so much a perfectionist, who has such love for their craft, and such patience and attention to detail, and then on the other hand, be able to just let it go, and not become attached to what one has devoted so much time and effort.
An interesting read. Thank you for this article, Lissuin.
(This post was edited by Loresilme on Sep 3 2017, 12:59am)
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
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Sep 10 2017, 12:02am
Post #3 of 7
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how much went into the production of these movies, all the time, effort, detail, LOVE, the vast number of wigs and other things needed, and people and extras.
And patience, and creativity, and endurance.
Thank you for the interview! (Did you get to meet the man yourself?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Lissuin
Valinor
Sep 10 2017, 6:59am
Post #4 of 7
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Yes, ma'am, I have had that pleasure.
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As well as making the wigs and hair pieces for the films, Warren worked a lot with the extras' makeup on The Hobbit. He always asked how things were going for us while we sat in his chair and was genuinely interested and encouraging. The day the Laketowners came straggling in wet and tired but jubilant from the hilariously mad "escaping in boats from Smaug" filming, he was just as jubilant because he had watched us, and he praised us for our willingness to immerse ourselves in the scene - literally in my case, as my boat had slowly sunk straight down on take three, and four of us (it was meant for three but one over-eager extra extra hopped in  ) were knee deep in the waters of Long Lake. (Yes, Long Lake was long but very shallow actually)  You had to laugh, and Warren laughed with us.
Three years later I took some out-of-town friends to the Weta Cave, and we peeked in the window of the workshop tour. Warren was the tour guide, and when I waved at him he came running out, hugged me, and declared that we must take his tour. He introduced me to the visitors as "an actor from The Hobbit". I demurred, saying I had only been an extra. Warren was having none of that.
"Oh, no! You were an 'actor', and I did her makeup. You all worked just as hard as everybody else, so you were an actor!"
"So I always looked at the extras as being my lead characters and I treat them, to this very day, like an A-grade celebrity.”
So you see, he really means every word. 
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Silverlode
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Sep 10 2017, 7:25am
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Both the sinking boat and the fact that Warren paid such attention to all the people he worked with during the shoot, no matter who.
Silverlode
Roads go ever ever on
Under cloud and under star
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green
And trees and hills they long have known.
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dernwyn
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Sep 10 2017, 1:22pm
Post #6 of 7
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LOL! Sinking knee-deep! I can just imagine what a grand time you all had, filming that!
So Warren is one of those amazing people who never forget a face they've worked on! What a delight for him to recognize you - and remind you of how important you were to the production. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Loresilme
Valinor
Oct 22 2017, 8:57pm
Post #7 of 7
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But I am just getting the chance to read through some earlier postings. This is such a heart warming story, thank you so much for sharing. What an amazing person, to remember each and every one of you so clearly. He must be so aware, so 'in the moment', to make such a connection with each person he works with.
Three years later I took some out-of-town friends to the Weta Cave, and we peeked in the window of the workshop tour. Warren was the tour guide, and when I waved at him he came running out, hugged me, and declared that we must take his tour. He introduced me to the visitors as "an actor from The Hobbit". I demurred, saying I had only been an extra. Warren was having none of that.
"Oh, no! You were an 'actor', and I did her makeup. You all worked just as hard as everybody else, so you were an actor!"
Three years later! Amazing   ! Thank you Lissuin, for sharing. What an unforgettable experience this must have been for all of you ,
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