Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1514620
34 • THE ARTISAN SPRING 2024 T hrough a complicated set of circumstances, I woke up on the morning of June 22 to an email from the line producer of Ferrari informing me that I was being handed over the job of designing, building, and applying the make-up on Adam Driver for the part of Enzo Ferrari. Between June 22 and August 1, I had to organize two different crews, build three different versions of the make-up, travel to and from Italy twice to test them and then navigate a complete change in design concept aer making the full time move to Italy. In all of this, we had to navigate a major distortion in the life-cast we inherited, as well as alternate options throughout the process. Shaun Smith was my right-hand man and was involved with the build, testing, and application for the full run of the show. Alexis Continente was the masterful hair stylist for Adam who designed, cut, and dressed and applied the wigs and hairpieces. We were testing options up until the very first day of shooting. Aer pursuing a concept of trying to create an accurate likeness, Michael Mann decided that a design based on a strong rectangular shape with elements of likeness would work best for the character. e actual final make-up settled into three prosthetics and a paint job to age and reshape Adam's face. We started with a split bald cap. e cap was split to avoid front to back tension. Alexis and I would glue down Adam's hairline in three layers while Shaun would glue down the back half of the split bald cap. I would then glue down the front part of the split cap. Adam would pull down on his forehead while I glued the cap down to avoid creating any li effect. At the same time, Shaun and Alexis would glue down the back of the neck prosthetic over the bald cap. We would then lay Adam back and Shaun and I would glue down the forehead. e forehead was designed originally to blend under cheeks. And this was further complicated by the runs having edges that were so thick that they had to be scissored instead of blended with acetone. We developed a process of filling edges with Pros-Aide and TS 100 and then further blending and transitioning from the prosthetic to Adam's face with a custom mix of Pros-Aide, acrylic matte medium, F E R R A R I balloon rubber, and distilled water. We did this to make the transition uniform in its reflectivity and in how it transferred Adam's facial expressions. e neck presented its own set of challenges. In order to give Michael the broad form in the neck, he felt would define the character, the micro forms had to be anatomically compromised. To make things even more complicated, the appliance had no reference points. Landing the prosthetic in the right spot each day was like landing an airplane in the dark without instruments. Once we anchored it in the right starting position, Shaun and I had to carefully tweak the glue in to try to create more anatomy without losing the broad form that Michael Mann wanted. We had to push and pull to try to place the top edge in the crease of Adam's neck to make that edge look like a natural crease. We had to stretch the back of the appliance to hide certain distortions under the wig. en we had to integrate these two large prosthetics into Adam's face and reshape his face and add about 15-20 years with color. Using illustrators, I would do a very theatrical contouring by hand and with T U R N I N G D R I V E R I N T O PHOTOS BY LORENZO SISTI