[Music]
[Music]

embalming students have to understand
embalming students have to understand

the importance that every face is
the importance that every face is

different Morgan Freeman square face
different Morgan Freeman square face

Abraham Lincoln oblong face Kanye West
Abraham Lincoln oblong face Kanye West

oval face my name is James Edward Smith
oval face my name is James Edward Smith

jr. I'm an instructor and clinical
jr. I'm an instructor and clinical

director at Dallas Institute a funeral
director at Dallas Institute a funeral

service and I currently instruct
service and I currently instruct

restorative art restorative art class
restorative art restorative art class

provides a skill set to be able to take
provides a skill set to be able to take

a deceased person who has experienced
a deceased person who has experienced

trauma to the head and/or face and
trauma to the head and/or face and

restore those features in that face so
restore those features in that face so

that the family may have an option for
that the family may have an option for

an open casket viewing or visitation in
an open casket viewing or visitation in

a fifth quarter the students are tasked
a fifth quarter the students are tasked

with reproducing a sculpture of a person
with reproducing a sculpture of a person

that they choose and the anatomy has to
that they choose and the anatomy has to

be accurate students generally picked
be accurate students generally picked

celebrities you know they're popular
celebrities you know they're popular

faces and students tend to want to try
faces and students tend to want to try

to recreate those from our restorative
to recreate those from our restorative

art project I did Jennifer Aniston Jack
art project I did Jennifer Aniston Jack

white
white

Viola Davis Frieda calif i decided to do
Viola Davis Frieda calif i decided to do

david lynch
david lynch

taking on the assignment requires each
taking on the assignment requires each

of the students to understand the
of the students to understand the

proportions for the features of the face
proportions for the features of the face

here in school because it translates to
here in school because it translates to

what may happen in the actual
what may happen in the actual

preparation room
preparation room

it is an acquired skill the more you
it is an acquired skill the more you

practice the more proficient the better
practice the more proficient the better

you're going to become the expectation
you're going to become the expectation

of the family is that this is something
of the family is that this is something

we can sometimes do right away but we
we can sometimes do right away but we

have to take into account the amount of
have to take into account the amount of

trauma that the face has sustained we
trauma that the face has sustained we

need to have as much care when handling
need to have as much care when handling

the deceased as if they were in the
the deceased as if they were in the

hospital under the care of a doctor I am
hospital under the care of a doctor I am

very passionate about restorative art
very passionate about restorative art

because I believe it's important for
because I believe it's important for

people to have the best memory picture
people to have the best memory picture

possible when it's time to say goodbye
possible when it's time to say goodbye

we're tasks as in Bombers to help
we're tasks as in Bombers to help

families have the option no matter the
families have the option no matter the

cause of death to say goodbye to mom or
cause of death to say goodbye to mom or

dad or brother or sister
dad or brother or sister

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[Music]

faces are the most important subject
faces are the most important subject

matter in art it's a never-ending source
matter in art it's a never-ending source

of material when you put on one of my
of material when you put on one of my

masks you become somebody different you
masks you become somebody different you

start to embody that character and have
start to embody that character and have

a lot of fun with it
a lot of fun with it

my name is Landon Meyer and I make
my name is Landon Meyer and I make

disturbingly realistic masks I never
disturbingly realistic masks I never

thought I was gonna make a living doing
thought I was gonna make a living doing

masks I was a picture framer loan
masks I was a picture framer loan

officer pizza delivery driver and then I
officer pizza delivery driver and then I

got laid off I've always been interested
got laid off I've always been interested

in doing something that's like really
in doing something that's like really

surreal and nightmarish so it was more
surreal and nightmarish so it was more

or less an experiment that took off I am
or less an experiment that took off I am

the only person out there that's doing
the only person out there that's doing

hyper realistic lightness masks I'm kind
hyper realistic lightness masks I'm kind

of this weird mad scientist down in the
of this weird mad scientist down in the

basement I start off getting lots of
basement I start off getting lots of

reference material the hardest part is
reference material the hardest part is

doing the sculpture that can take
doing the sculpture that can take

anywhere from four days to a year but
anywhere from four days to a year but

once the sculpt is done and I have a
once the sculpt is done and I have a

mold it's about a one week process to
mold it's about a one week process to

make a mask
make a mask

they were ungodly expensive they ranged
they were ungodly expensive they ranged

$500 and up and sometimes even high as
$500 and up and sometimes even high as

$7,500 over the years I've made
$7,500 over the years I've made

approximately 25 different designs and
approximately 25 different designs and

I've produced with my own hands over a
I've produced with my own hands over a

thousand masks
thousand masks

what I make I like to consider wearable
what I make I like to consider wearable

art these are super realistic sculptures
art these are super realistic sculptures

you can put over your head and where
you can put over your head and where

people just seem to have this astonished
people just seem to have this astonished

reaction to masks that's what I love
reaction to masks that's what I love

about him it was a dark time for Star
about him it was a dark time for Star

Wars when CG characters started popping
Wars when CG characters started popping

into every corner of the series but
into every corner of the series but

before George R stumbled into our
before George R stumbled into our

collective consciousness
collective consciousness

Star Wars was all about puppets which
Star Wars was all about puppets which

brings us to this guy I'm Dave Barclay
brings us to this guy I'm Dave Barclay

I'm a puppeteer and puppet builder an
I'm a puppeteer and puppet builder an

animatronic effects supervisor
animatronic effects supervisor

you might recognize Dave better under
you might recognize Dave better under

200 pounds of fiberglass and latex
200 pounds of fiberglass and latex

because he was one of the puppeteers
because he was one of the puppeteers

inside Jabba the Hutt but to play the
inside Jabba the Hutt but to play the

most notorious gangster on Tatooine you
most notorious gangster on Tatooine you

got to start somewhere and Dave well he
got to start somewhere and Dave well he

got his big break with a little green
got his big break with a little green

man
man

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[Music]

Notah was famously puppeteered by Frank
Notah was famously puppeteered by Frank

Oz the legend behind Cookie Monster and
Oz the legend behind Cookie Monster and

Grover show you here and far but Yoda
Grover show you here and far but Yoda

was a complicated puppy and it took four
was a complicated puppy and it took four

to five people working different body
to five people working different body

parts to bring him to life Dave's job
parts to bring him to life Dave's job

was controlling Yoda's eyes and ears
was controlling Yoda's eyes and ears

there's a sequence when Yoda is flooding
there's a sequence when Yoda is flooding

mark with a stick saying where he was
mark with a stick saying where he was

what he was doing and I'm doing a little
what he was doing and I'm doing a little

squint and and subtle control on the
squint and and subtle control on the

eyes yep right there that's me doing the
eyes yep right there that's me doing the

eyes there towards the end of the
eyes there towards the end of the

filming on Empire Strikes Back Frank Oz
filming on Empire Strikes Back Frank Oz

was performing Yoda and it became clear
was performing Yoda and it became clear

if he'd had to move on to another film
if he'd had to move on to another film

and he wasn't going to be available so
and he wasn't going to be available so

they needed someone to take over from
they needed someone to take over from

Yoda and Frank nominated me I was 19
Yoda and Frank nominated me I was 19

years old so suddenly there I am with
years old so suddenly there I am with

with Yoda even a 19 years old
with Yoda even a 19 years old

Dave's Yoda scenes blended perfectly
Dave's Yoda scenes blended perfectly

with Frank Oz that was Dave did you guys
with Frank Oz that was Dave did you guys

see that let's take one more Dave did
see that let's take one more Dave did

such a good job they called him back and
such a good job they called him back and

asked him to run a new puppet called
asked him to run a new puppet called

jabba the hutt jabba the hutt was
jabba the hutt jabba the hutt was

probably the most complicated and
probably the most complicated and

sophisticated animatronic puppet that
sophisticated animatronic puppet that

anyone had ever tried to build and it
anyone had ever tried to build and it

took six to seven people to operate
took six to seven people to operate

inside Jabba was very claustrophobic
inside Jabba was very claustrophobic

very close one person doing the left
very close one person doing the left

hand the head movement and the tongue
hand the head movement and the tongue

another puppeteer doing the mechanical
another puppeteer doing the mechanical

tail another puppeteer doing the
tail another puppeteer doing the

breathing on the air bladders I did
breathing on the air bladders I did

Jabba's right hand and I did his jaw and
Jabba's right hand and I did his jaw and

then I provided the voice onstage my
then I provided the voice onstage my

voice doesn't make it to scream but if
voice doesn't make it to scream but if

you turned up on set will hear this sort
you turned up on set will hear this sort

of voice where's my talk as a child they
of voice where's my talk as a child they

weren't really any movies that had
weren't really any movies that had

puppeteers in them there was a little
puppeteers in them there was a little

bit here and there but there were no
bit here and there but there were no

solid characters like Yoda and being
solid characters like Yoda and being

part of the Yoda team which really was
part of the Yoda team which really was

the first performance animatronic in
the first performance animatronic in

movies was the start of this huge growth
movies was the start of this huge growth

that lasted about twenty years and as a
that lasted about twenty years and as a

puppeteer and the puppet maker and
puppeteer and the puppet maker and

someone who loves the movies it was I
someone who loves the movies it was I

was in there exactly the right place at
was in there exactly the right place at

the right time
the right time

I've had a wonderful career doing what I
I've had a wonderful career doing what I

adore so I'd feel very lucky and
adore so I'd feel very lucky and

privileged
privileged

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[Music]

was our first feature of Point Break did
was our first feature of Point Break did

we do that before rumors not officially
we do that before rumors not officially

yet right so as a company tremors would
yet right so as a company tremors would

be the first technically the cash future
be the first technically the cash future

but gasps I don't know
but gasps I don't know

someone should Google that are you going
someone should Google that are you going

to ask us questions or did you want us
to ask us questions or did you want us

to start talking did you introduce each
to start talking did you introduce each

other I would love to I would like to
other I would love to I would like to

introduce you to Tom Woodruff jr. who is
introduce you to Tom Woodruff jr. who is

the co-founder of amalgamated dynamics
the co-founder of amalgamated dynamics

I'd like to introduce you to Alec Gillis
I'd like to introduce you to Alec Gillis

he's the co-founder of avi home of the
he's the co-founder of avi home of the

oscar-winning creature effects team when
oscar-winning creature effects team when

people think of practical effects
people think of practical effects

creatures you think of non
creatures you think of non

computer-generated characters we've been
computer-generated characters we've been

lucky to be involved with some of the
lucky to be involved with some of the

biggest and best of those types of
biggest and best of those types of

monsters we did the worms and tremors we
monsters we did the worms and tremors we

did the fat makeups of Tim Allen in the
did the fat makeups of Tim Allen in the

Santa Clause all the practical animals
Santa Clause all the practical animals

in Jumanji we've done the alien we've
in Jumanji we've done the alien we've

done the predator with our ship troopers
done the predator with our ship troopers

I wasn't done you can keep going buddy
I wasn't done you can keep going buddy

and of course there's always the gorilla
and of course there's always the gorilla

cut right now that's perfect right now
cut right now that's perfect right now

we cut putting the gorilla costume we
we cut putting the gorilla costume we

started performing own creatures because
started performing own creatures because

we both have this sort of observation of
we both have this sort of observation of

stuntmen despite their talents and their
stuntmen despite their talents and their

skills them going into a creature suit
skills them going into a creature suit

and not really knowing how to make a
and not really knowing how to make a

creature suit work I would be very weird
creature suit work I would be very weird

for us to just say we're gonna build
for us to just say we're gonna build

something and then bring it to set and
something and then bring it to set and

say now what are you hungry that's some
say now what are you hungry that's some

foodie you hungry if you're a digital
foodie you hungry if you're a digital

animator you build the character and you
animator you build the character and you

follow through and you make it move and
follow through and you make it move and

you bring it to life so that's our
you bring it to life so that's our

philosophy is the final step is
philosophy is the final step is

performance because that's where it
performance because that's where it

lives you want to try a little tiny
lives you want to try a little tiny

piece here go ahead
piece here go ahead

what do you think you want some more hey
what do you think you want some more hey

hey hey listen listen I could get you
hey hey listen listen I could get you

fresh bread I could I could get you
fresh bread I could I could get you

fresh bread tremors is an example of a
fresh bread tremors is an example of a

film that was from the pre-digital era
film that was from the pre-digital era

and if you look at it the practical
and if you look at it the practical

effects they've stood the test of time
effects they've stood the test of time

and we're proud of them digital effects
and we're proud of them digital effects

can do things that we can't possibly do
can do things that we can't possibly do

practical effects have a presence to
practical effects have a presence to

them that even the best CGI work gets
them that even the best CGI work gets

close to but doesn't completely achieve
close to but doesn't completely achieve

in other words there's more emotion I
in other words there's more emotion I

believe to a practical creature than to
believe to a practical creature than to

a digital creature
a digital creature

wave to the camera and say goodbye bye
wave to the camera and say goodbye bye

bye bye
bye bye

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[Music]

he's so temperamental
he's so temperamental