Posted in: FX , Movies , TV , What We Do In The Shadows | Tags: exclusive , Hellraiser , interview , Paul Jones , The Witcher , What We Do In The Shadows
Paul Jones (What We Do in the Shadows) reflects on his career in makeup and prosthetics, what he learned from industry legends, and more.
Few could have imagined living the dream like this with a makeup designer. Paul Jones With 40 years of experience in Hollywood, he has met, worked with and become a part of the legendary actors he grew up watching. Hellraiser, Waxwork, Wishmaster, Blade, Chucky, Resident Evil, Ginger Snaps, The Thing (first part in 2011), and sawfrom his impressive filmography of over 110 films to his most recent works. Poor thing (2023), Asteroid City (2023), FX What we do in the shadowsJones spoke to Bleeding Cool about how Hollywood’s embrace of CGI and live-action effects has pushed new possibilities for film and TV, his biggest career challenges, what the future holds, and who has been his biggest influence.
![What we do in the shadows: Prosthetic designer talks](https://i0.wp.com/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73/w:600/h:410/q:75/https://bleedingcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/WWD5-Eps507-0062r.jpg?resize=600%2C410&ssl=1)
![What we do in the shadows: Prosthetic designer talks](https://i0.wp.com/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73/w:600/h:410/q:75/https://bleedingcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/WWD5-Eps507-0062r.jpg?resize=600%2C410&ssl=1)
What We Do in the Shadows: Prosthetic Makeup Designer Paul Jones Learns from the Best
Bleeding Cool: We’ve seen productions evolve from relying more on live-action effects to relying more on CG. We still see over-the-top special effects in your work. For example, “What We Do in the Shadows” and “The Boys” have amazing over-the-top special effects. What have you noticed over the years in the industry? Do you lean more towards live-action or CG?
It’s funny, because I’ve been working professionally since the ’80s. When I started, the only options were optical or practical effects. When CG came along, I thought, “Oh my God! We’re all going to be out of work!” No, our technology has evolved at the same time that generations of directors have come on board. Directors who have seen the movies of the ’80s and understand all the practical elements can come in and enter a film industry that on the surface seems to be reliant on digital.
They say, “No, we know these prosthetic people, and their technology is up to the industry standard. They can make things much more realistic.” The great thing is that we don’t have to rely on them 100%. So we can make practical creatures and augment them with CG, instead of doing it as a hybrid and one or the other. I did a little bit of work with a famous director in Toronto, and he thought that one effect can’t be done with one technology. There’s always a mix of disciplines, not just prosthetic people in general. We’re busier, we have a bigger toolbox to work with, and we’re not the only ones on set. We can make something that everyone is happy with, and if there’s something we want to tweak, we don’t have to rely on just us to solve the problem. We have a great CG team that comes in and says, “We can do this, we can do that.” It’s more of a collaboration aspect now. 20 years ago when CG first came to fruition, we thought we’d all lose our jobs, but it’s actually been the opposite. It’s never been busier, so I’m very happy about that.
![What We Do in the Shadows: A Special Effects Makeup Designer Discusses His Career](https://i0.wp.com/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73/w:600/h:295/q:75/https://bleedingcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/What-We-Do-in-the-Shadows-Doug-Jones.jpg?resize=600%2C295&ssl=1)
![What We Do in the Shadows: A Special Effects Makeup Designer Discusses His Career](https://i0.wp.com/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73/w:600/h:295/q:75/https://bleedingcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/What-We-Do-in-the-Shadows-Doug-Jones.jpg?resize=600%2C295&ssl=1)
We’ve seen it take hours to dress an actor in a costume, but now we’re seeing productions that use motion capture for CG characters. Is there anything that can be done with live-action effects, even though CG technology hasn’t caught up? Are we seeing more hybrid concepts of rise and fall?
It’s even because it comes down to the personal choice of the filmmaker. Some filmmakers use CG all the way, some use live action. If there’s something they can’t do, they get a CG guy to help them. Some say, “I want to only use rubber for the frame.” It’s a personal choice. The great thing is that imagination drives everything. What was limiting before is now possible. Nothing is impossible now, everything is back. Whatever we can come up with between prosthetics, special effects, visual effects, we can make it happen. The trick is to stay original and keep entertaining. That’s what drives the technology, whatever it is. If the movie isn’t fun, interesting, and compelling, it’s the audience that’s going to be bored, no matter how you build the creature.
![What We Do in the Shadows: A Special Effects Make-Up Designer Reflects on His Career](https://i0.wp.com/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73/w:600/h:371/q:75/https://bleedingcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Hellraiser-3-Doug-Bradley.jpg?resize=600%2C371&ssl=1)
![What We Do in the Shadows: A Special Effects Make-Up Designer Reflects on His Career](https://i0.wp.com/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73/w:600/h:371/q:75/https://bleedingcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Hellraiser-3-Doug-Bradley.jpg?resize=600%2C371&ssl=1)
What has been the biggest challenge you have overcome in your career?
We talked a little bit about this today. I was lucky enough to work for a small company in London that made the Hellraiser movies. I was making tea and painting duck feathers. That was my first job in the film industry. Five years later I was redesigning and applying Pinhead’s makeup for Hellraiser 3. [1992]It was a steep learning curve, but I did it. I call it a “job,” but it’s my hobby, and I get paid for it. It was all about having a job. Working in the film industry was not an end goal for me. It was about having a job.
The biggest challenge has been the transition from employee to employer since moving to Canada from the UK. Running a shop is much harder than working in a shop, and by “shop” I mean a prosthetics and orthotics workshop. In the 30 years I’ve lived in Toronto, I’ve had great success as a shop owner and prosthetics and orthotics designer, but running a workshop has had its ups and downs. I’ve lost sight of why I did this for a living, to make monsters, and it’s not fun.
Now that Shadows is officially my last workshop show, I’m able to do more freelance work – last year I worked on Asteroid City with a friend in the UK. [2023]I was involved in “Poor Things” [2023] And I worked on The Witcher. It was a great experience to be part of a team rather than a leader, and I hope to help others in the future. That doesn’t mean I’ll never design for a film again, but it’s not my main job right now. I have the skills if needed, but it has to be a special project that makes me want to hire artists, sit in an office, and email all day instead of sticking my hands in a bucket of blood. That’s why I got into this industry.
![What We Do in the Shadows: A Special Effects Makeup Designer Discusses His Career](https://i0.wp.com/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73/w:600/h:419/q:75/https://bleedingcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/WWD5-Eps507-0117r.jpg?resize=600%2C419&ssl=1)
![What We Do in the Shadows: A Special Effects Makeup Designer Discusses His Career](https://i0.wp.com/mlpnk72yciwc.i.optimole.com/cqhiHLc.IIZS~2ef73/w:600/h:419/q:75/https://bleedingcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/WWD5-Eps507-0117r.jpg?resize=600%2C419&ssl=1)
What has been the biggest influence on your career?
I’m a Ray Harryhausen fan, so I remember seeing The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. [1958] The fantasy I saw at the cinema when I was seven years old was my driving force. [1977] I started seeing more of how they were making things behind the scenes. When I was younger I would see glimpses of people wearing masks and gloves. My favorite memory was seeing Rick Baker’s The Making of Thriller. This showed me that this could be a career path and inspired me to pursue my hobby further, so I thought I’d give it a go.
In the industry, Dick Smith, I’ve been lucky to work with a lot of people who have inspired me. Tom Savini, I did a film with him and we’re still friends. I’ve also been lucky to work with Stan Winston, may he rest in peace. When Stan and I glued our makeup together was probably the most exciting moment. It was intimidating! Rick Baker, Craig Reardon, Greg Cannom, Steve Johnson are amazing. These are people I was reading about in Fangoria when I was 15 and I’m meeting them 10 years later. Years after that, I’m working with them. I never thought as a 15-year-old boy that I’d be sitting here talking about my almost 40-year career in the film industry, making monsters. It just felt natural and organic. It’s my calling. I count my good fortune every day.
![](https://i0.wp.com/bleedingcool.com/Google_News_icon.png?resize=100%2C81&ssl=1)
Follow Bleeding Cool on Google News now to stay up to date and support the site.