Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1076112
THE ARTISAN WINTER 2019 • 35 Bale was slated to play the lead role, and the question was, could Cannom make the actor look enough like the historical character to satisfy the actor. Neither artist, nor producer truly knew if the desired illusion was achievable, so a make-up test was decided upon. This is when Cannom will tell you that the collaborative magic began. He ran the project through Department Head Special Make-up Effects Chris Gallaher's shop, where the talented Brian Wade and Cannom sculpted the initial test make-up. The prosthetic pieces were made of a silicone material that was originally co-created by Cannom and special make-up effects artist Wesley Wofford. This innovation in prosthetic material garnered the pair a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2005. Gallaher lent his talent by fabricating the lower dental appliance to be worn by the actor. Wig makers Justin Stafford and Stacey Butterworth were tasked with the creation of the lace front wigs that the transformation necessitated. Cannom and Gallaher applied the test make-up on the actor, who had never worn prosthetics. Bale arrived excited to see if the illusion he envisioned for the character was obtainable, so he happily sat down for the test that would decide the issue. The artists used an airbrush to deftly and realistically color the prosthetics with a combination of the Tuttle PM and PPI tattoo colors. MelPAX was also used to mute the residual blue of the actor's shaved head. The make-up wasn't perfect that day, but it was a huge success nonetheless. Bale enthusiastically took on the persona of the vice president during the show-and-tell with the film's producers and its director, Adam McKay. The synergistic effect of Bale's performance and Cannom's design convinced everyone that they could meet the challenge. Many make-up tests followed as the actor and make-up