Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1541402
34 • THE ARTISAN WINTER 2026 give you room to invent small histories through hair and make-up. Alicia Silverstone, who plays Teddy's mother, gave us two very different kinds of creative opportunities. In the literal flashbacks, we got to explore her character's strange parenting methods—like wrapping Teddy entirely in tinfoil and covering his childhood bedroom wall-to-wall in foil. Visually, those moments were darkly comedic and eerie but still grounded in emotional truth. Then there was the dream sequence, where she levitates with more than 30 needles piercing her body. That scene was surreal, symbolic, and technically one of the most demanding we faced. We worked closely with the special effects, visual effects, and stunt teams to ensure everything was executed safely. None of us had ever worked with that many large needles on a body—it was intense but incredibly rewarding when it came together. Our prosthetic FX team—Millennium FX, led by the brilliant Kate Walshe—deserve a special mention. They created unbelievably lifelike full-body dummies of our actors and hyper-realistic prosthetic heads that were genuinely unsettling to see in person. We also had to fabricate multiple prosthetic heads of Jesse, each crafted with different materials and levels of realism, because Emma's character ends up getting hit with them. It was an intense blend of artistry, design, and coordination between departments—but the result on screen was unforgettable. We shot on location in remote, natural settings during springtime, which was such a gift. The bees were real, the flowers were blooming, and it felt like more than just a movie—it was an experience. Even though the story had intense basement scenes, moments of captivity, and emotional darkness, our surroundings kept us grounded. Yorgos's directing style was unlike anything I'd experienced before. It brought a unique kind of challenge—and reward. He likes the set to operate in a full 360° space. That meant the crew had to be close enough to jump in when needed but completely invisible to him, the actors, and the camera lens. He didn't want it to feel like we were making a movie. He wanted it to feel like we were witnessing a living, breathing play—with all its independent moving parts. Once it started, it didn't stop. I loved it. It required all of us to adapt, to trust, and to be fully present every second. Working on Bugonia with such a passionate team was a rare opportunity. It's not every day you get to be in a space that's both creatively challenging and personally fulfilling. As always, one of the biggest challenges in our department is staying close—but invisible. When you know, you know. Bugonia challenged all of us—not just creatively, but personally. It made us look inward, outward, and somewhere in between.For me, it was a reminder that beauty, like meaning, can come from the strangest places: a glued-in extension, a tinfoil-wrapped bedroom, a basement lit with paranoia, or a silent alien with hair and makeup. What Yorgos created is unmistakably his own world, full of nuance, originality, and surreal edge. At the core, Yorgos has a passionate belief in storytelling with a message—urgent, emotional, and darkly entertaining. For me, it was a reminder that beauty, like meaning, can come from the strangest places: a glued-in extension, a tinfoil-wrapped bedroom, a basement lit with paranoia, or a silent alien with glorious hair. • like us—different races, body types, expressions—but unified in purpose, working together to protect their Queen. Their hair was a vital part of that final image. Creating the flashbacks was another highlight. It was fun designing what Jesse and Emma's characters would have looked like 10 years earlier. Flashback styles are always exciting to build—they Alicia Silverstone as Sandy Right: Prosthetic of Jesse Plemons' character, Teddy