There are a lot of different types of movie magic, but one of the most essential -- and
often overlooked-- elements of filmmaking is the makeup.
In fact, solid movie makeup can make all the difference in bringing a new world to life.
So to celebrate the vital art of movie makeup, here's a look at some of the most incredible
makeup transformations we've seen so far in Netflix films.
The makeup team on Zack Snyder's "Army of the Dead" certainly had their work cut out
for them when it came to creating so many memorable zombies.
Not only were there hundreds of traditional undead walkers shown roaming around Las Vegas,
but there were also distinct tiers of zombies, including the alphas, which had drastically
different looks.
For the 150 alphas that can be seen flanking Zeus and the Queen, it took a crew of almost
three dozen makeup artists more than six hours to get the cast ready for those terrifying
shots of the kingdom.
And that was after the makeup artists meticulously crafted the uniquely translucent look of the
alpha flesh.
With sculpted prosthetics, airbrushing and paint, colored contacts, and some nasty fake
teeth, the team managed to transform all of the actors into a truly terrifying army of
the dead.
Martin Scorsese's mafia epic "The Irishman" covers the entire criminal history of hit
man Frank Sheeran, from his earliest days stealing from meat trucks to his final years
spent contemplating all those "painted houses."
So bringing five decades of the character's history to life was a huge undertaking for
the filmmakers.
The movie is pretty famous for using de-aging technology, especially in the scenes where
De Niro's character is very young, but believe it or not, there are a lot of practical effects
on display, meaning the makeup team was on point for much of that process.
Not only did they use prosthetics and cosmetics for Sheeran's nursing home scenes, but they
also managed to bring him back in time by as much as 20 years with the magic of makeup.
And Sheeran wasn't the only character that aged over time in the film.
The makeup team also subtly aged up most of the film's principal characters as they popped
in and out of Sheeran's life throughout this brilliant bio-pic, with stunning results.
To truly capture the essence of the legendary Ma Rainey on-screen, her signature look had
to be perfectly on point.
Because as much as the "Mother of the Blues" was known for soulful music, she was also
a style icon with her own bold flair, fashion choices, and powerful personality.
"I make more money for this outfit than anybody else you got put together.
If he mess up, he'll do it till he get it right."
So for "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" star Viola Davis, that meant doing a little homework
to learn that the real Ma Rainey always had a mouth full of gold teeth to show off during
her performances, as well as layers of thick makeup.
"I guess that was more of the style then, and her particular style.
When I first saw it I was like, uhh, okay, but I get it now.
I get it."
Behind the scenes, Davis also had to be doused with spray-on "sweat" to achieve Ma's glistening
appearance as she put on her power performances.
In "A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting," Tom Felton stars as the Grand Guignol, an
evil being who creeps into children's rooms at night and leads a parade of nightmarish
monsters.
To achieve his highly unsettling look, the makeup team used prosthetics, dark shadowing,
and snakelike contacts to turn the fresh-faced actor into someone who believably gives all
kids the creeps.
As effectively off-putting as the look might be, though, Felton somehow didn't scare off
his co-stars in real life.
As behind-the-scenes footage from the film shows, they still managed to have a lot of
good fun together, even with Felton's spine-tingling makeup still in full force.
"Terrors alive like never seen before."
There was a lot of ground to cover when it came to bringing "El Camino: A Breaking Bad
Movie" to life.
For the makeup team, getting Aaron Paul back into the character of Jesse Pinkman again
was a heavy lift indeed.
For the flashback sequences, the makeup artists turned to the original series to capture all
of the scars, facial hair, and caked-up grime that the character had when we last saw him.
And as the timeline shifted throughout the story, they had to carefully adapt his look
to his changing circumstances.
Meanwhile, bringing Bryan Cranston's iconic Walter White back to life was a bit of an
undertaking as well, as the makeup team had to cover up the actor's full head of hair
and add on Walt's signature mustache.
But by making their appearances match so closely to what fans remembered from the show and
creating new looks to showcase the changing circumstances, the filmmakers ensured fans
would strap in for a satisfying new ride in "El Camino."
Marlon Wayans really shows off his comedic range in the film "Sextuplets."
He stars as a father-to-be named Alan who decides to finally find out more about his
birth mother.
He soon discovers that he's actually one of six children born to her at the same time.
Wayans portrays all six of the siblings, and achieving the distinct looks of the characters
was a bit of masterwork.
"Ha ha, I'm just joshing.
No I'm not."
To become the boisterous Russell, for example, the team covered his face and neck with layers
of prosthetics, in addition to adding freckles and thinning hair on top.
Then, to become Dawn, Wayans was fitted with prosthetics and a layer of airbrushed makeup.
You'd be hard pressed to recognize Colson Baker, aka Machine Gun Kelly, as Newt in "Project
Power."
In the film, Newt takes the mysterious pill called "Power" and becomes a walking, talking
fireball for five minutes.
It was a slick combination of makeup and CGI that transformed the character from a relatively
normal looking guy into a charred mess of a man, and the makeup team worked closely
with the visual effects team to pull off that epic guy-on-fire moment that's seared into
our memories forevermore.
Perhaps the most jaw-dropping makeup transformation of all is the achievement of Joel Edgerton's
look as Nick Jakoby in "Bright."
To create Jakoby's appearance as an orc, the makeup team had to carefully craft a textured
mask that could be applied to the actor's face, in addition to adding ear prosthetics
and layers of gray- and blue-tinted makeup patterns to the rest of his head.
In all, the makeup process took three hours a day to complete, but for Edgerton, being
practically unrecognizable gave him a lot of freedom with his performance beneath that
mythical skin.
Of course, Edgerton wasn't the only fantasy creature to be seen in the film.
The makeup team also had to work on hundreds of other actors and extras to create something
of an orc army for the film.
And all that hard work certainly paid off, as the highly believable look of the orcs
helped transport audiences into this bright new world.
Thanks for watching.
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