Fresh off the success of working with the stunning ladies of Charlie?s Angels 2, and the leather-clad hero Daredevil, starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, Matthew W. Mungle is currently working on CSI:Miami and Presidio Med. I had the opportunity to ask him about his post-Oscar successes and find out where exactly he eats at 2 AM. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Academy Award Winning Make-up Artist Matthew W. Mungle!

NE-FX: Firstly, thanks for the interview, You are very generous with your time.

MM: Thank you, it?s always a pleasure to give interviews and to talk about the art that I love so much.

NE-FX: While researching for this interview, I of course came across your filmography. Your resume reads like my DVD collection. 

MM: You know I?ve been very fortunate in my career to work with some great Directors, Artists and wonderful projects. It really seems like a dream sometimes.

NE-FX: Absolutely, You have had the opportunity to work on some great stuff. From Edward Scissorhands, Jurassic Park 2, Pay it forward, Schindler's List and so many more. Are most of your connections for these projects who you know, and have worked with? Or is it more by reputation? 

MM: It?s really both because once one starts working in this business your reputation starts to precede you (whether good or bad) and you make connections in the industry along the way which brings the great projects to you.

NE-FX: Just looking at your filmography, one can imagine that networking has been important. For example, you have worked with Mike Meyers on several occasions, I understand he is a make-up artist?s dream to work with. Care to comment? 

MM: Yes, Mike and I worked on several projects together including 'So I Married An Axe Murderer', 'Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery', '54' and 'Mystery Alaska' and it was great working with him at the time when he was younger in the industry and not too full of the industry do's and don'ts.

NE-FX: Speaking of of the industry do's and don'ts, aside from the obvious, can you give us some examples of professional guidelines that should be part of every makeup artist's standard operating proceedure?

MM: Always be professional but yet have fun with your job at the same time. As I do have to remind myself from time to time 'This is what I  LOVE to do and it gives me the most joy'. Treat others with repect and it will come back to you.

NE-FX: You were nominated for academy awards for 'Ghosts of the Mississippi', and 'Schindler?s List'. However, you won for your amazing work on 'Bram Stoker?s Dracula' . For those of us not polishing our own Oscar, can you give us a clue as to what happens when you are nominated? I mean, do you just get an anonymous phone call in the night? Or do you get an official letter written on 20$ bills, what?

MM: It's a most amazing experience. You hear that you might be considered for nomination in January and after a few months of going through the 'process' you are finally called the morning of the nominations at 5:30 am notifying you of your nomination and the rest, up until the actual ceremonies, is like a dream. The nail biting really starts the night of the show when you know someone will win and someone will lose.

NE-FX: After being awarded an Oscar, did people treat you differently? Were you in a better position to contend for the 'A' list projects?

MM: You know I didn't really get into this industry to 'win' an academy award it was like icing on the cake and if I don't ever win another again it won't matter because I thoroughly enjoy what I do. People don't really treat you differently after you win it's just that they are happy for you and of course always want to hold 'the golden boy'. Winning certainly elevates your career status and you do get a few more job than if you don't have an oscar.

NE-FX: You also worked on 'The Perfect Storm'.  That show was CG and practical effects heavy, what sort of make-up did you do for it? 

MM: We did the effect where John C. Reilly's character gets the hook in the hand and the after effect and also supplied various appliances for the show.

NE-FX: Ouch. Nice work. As I mentioned, you are currently working on one of my faves, CSI:Miami. What episodes are absolute no-miss episodes this year for FX? 

MM: 'Breathless' which deals with a male stripper and his death (trying to find out how he died). We did a 'Y' incision on him, stitched it up and drew a grid on his body to find toxicology markings from his skin. Also 'Losing Face' where we had to produce a dummy of an actor with a 'Y' incision and his face blown off.

NE-FX: Sounds graphic. Are you ever disappointed when a particularly good but graphic effect is cut/cropped/edited for television?

MM: Yeh, that sometimes is very disappointing because you've spent serveral days, weeks or even months preparing an effect that you're particularly pleased with and they end up cutting it out of the film. Going into a project I do ask if an effect is really necessary and will it be left in so we don't waste our time on manufacturing it.

NE-FX: Some of our members have done simple casting of heads and body parts, but not many have had the experience of something as large as a whole body.  With regard to the cadavers on CSI: Miami, what are they made of? Also, what amount of time is needed to make one? 

MM: WELL, the time normally need is 3 weeks but we are only given 5-6 days to produce a full cadaver. Luckily we have a large stock of body molds at our finger tips and we just take a head cast of the actor and join it onto a stock body. The bodies are made of silicone with individual hairs punched for hairlines, eyebrows and lashes.

NE-FX: That sounds like an extreme process for such a short timetable, do they get names? 

MM: No, not really.

NE-FX: Too bad. In a news story, when asked about the realism you bring to the CSI:Miami Morgue set, David Caruso said of a child cadaver you built: 'The detail on the replica was so perfect that you got within inches and couldn't tell it wasn't a real child' That must feel pretty good. John Haynes, the shows technical advisor said 'We had crew members who actually flipped out had to leave the room'. Talk about a compliment! What exactly happened?

MM: First it's really wonderful getting a compliment from the star of the show and the technical advisor that I trust and respect. The gag was a 6 year old girl had died and an autopsy had to be performed so we had to make a body without the 'Y' incision and an appliance to go over the body for the autopsy. Yes, rightfully so the crew was freaking out about the realism of the little girls body but I just kept saying 'I don't write the scripts we just do as much as we can to make the bodies look believable'.

NE-FX: How much research goes into creating effects for CSI: Miami or Presidio Med?

MM: Quite a bit. There usually is a full research department on shows of this type that we work very close with for each episode. 

NE-FX: How much advanced warning do you get as to what is needed for an episode?

MM: Usually 6 to 8 days in advance.

NE-FX: Do you ever get into trouble with either show's medical consultants about realism?

MM: Not usually because we all know we have to stretch the truth about what things may really look like some of the time. But as I said we do rely on there expertise as much as possible.

NE-FX: You have worked on TV/HDTV and Film What color considerations are made for each medium?

MM: Reds read differently and should always be tested before using.

NE-FX: What technical concerns are taken into account when considering things like HDTV?

MM: Be extremely precise with our work because every little flaw may show.

NE-FX: Do you have HDTV at home?

MM: No, not yet.

NE-FX: You have worked with some frighteningly short timetables. Which job scared you the most?

MM: An episode on 'Presidio Med' with 4 babies that had to be completed in 10 days from raw sculpt to molding to mechanizing them.

NE-FX: Whoah! The whole thing huh? Were these cable or R/C babies?

MM: R/C controlled.

NE-FX: With the release of movies like 'Wrong Turn' and '28 Days Later' The Horror movie genre seems to be making a comeback. Are studios taking risks again? and why do you suppose people are returning to fear as a escape? 

MM: I think it's a difficult world we live in right now and for some odd reason people want to go to the movies to escape and be scared. It makes no sense to me but as long as they go to the movies, what the heck!

NE-FX: What was the last movie you saw that you did not work on?

MM: 'League of Extraodinary Gentlemen'

NE-FX: With regard to recent products used, what 'learning experiences' have you had? ( By learning experiences, of course we mean tragic failures.... :-)

MM: Always try new products, when the time is right, but fall back on the old standards when in doubt.

NE-FX: Living or not, if you could meet face to face with anyone and ask them anything, who would you ask to meet and why?

MM: George Bau, I?ve heard so many tremendous things about him that I think I'd love to pick his brain. A real inventive artist.

(Editor's Note: George Bau served as Makeup Supervisor and artist during the 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's on such classics as 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' [1939] and 'House of Wax' [1953]  He also has the reputation of being the original creator of the foamed latex makeup artists use today.)

NE-FX: It's 2 am and you just came off what seemed like the longest day of your life. You are starving, where do you go for a quick bite when you get the munchies and what do you have?

MM: Most of the time I'e been snacking at the craft service table ALL DAY and I've learn not to eat right before I go to bed, to get a good night's rest but when I was younger I'd go straight to In & Out for a Burger.

NE-FX: Members of NE-FX have attended the International Make-up Artist Trade Show three times (twice in Pasadena and once in London) and have found it incredibly inspirational and educational. I am curious, what do you, as a professional working in the industry, think of the trade show? I understand that you're a PPI Player and have attended and demonstrated at the show in the past. What are your feelings about it?

MM: I think it's a great way for all artists to learn new and different techniques. Because the industry is so open with MOST artists and we love to share our formulas, etc. it's a wonderful experience.

NE-FX: In an interview for an online magazine you had given some time ago, you said with regard to Computer Generated Images:

'The CGI stuff is just another tool, so we need to embrace it, not shut it off.'

I understand you use Photoshop for design work, but how much does your actual 'on set' day interact with the 'digital wizards'? 

MM: On 'CSI:Miami' we constantly were working with the CG Department, working together coming up with different ways of doing a NEW shot. Working WITH people is better than working AGAINST them and making the job harder than it should be.

NE-FX: At the IMATS London Show, Sharon Gault said that it's important to work with photographers and lighting people or take classes in photography while you are learning makeup. Is there anything novice make-up artists can do to prepare for their potential interaction with CG artists? 

MM: Study as much as you can about lighting and the digital revolution and embrace the technology. It all helps.

NE-FX: George Lucas check: Are there any projects you wish you could go back and do again or improve on? 

MM: Many, but I waste too much energy thinking about that so I try not to do it.

NE-FX: Many people and industries are feeling the economic crunch more than ever. How has the FX industry been affected recently? 

MM: Strikes, cutbacks, people not attending as many movies as they should, the whole gamete. That's why I think it's important to save your money (As much as you can of course) and invest it in property or items with high returns because I really don't what to HAVE TO BE ON THE SET when I'm 65 years old and wondering where my next job is coming from. I want to do what people should really be doing at that age, RELAXING and doing what they LOVE to do rather than what they HAVE to do. A little idealistic but that's what I am striving for.

NE-FX: What feature films do you have in the pipeline?

MM: A few but I don't want to JINX them yet.

 

Thanks for visiting with us Matthew, we look forward to seeing your work this season on CSI: Miami (CSI: Miami - Sept. 22 10 p.m) and Presidio Med.  You can see Mr Mungle's work on his website: http://www.matthewwmungle.com