Interview with special effects artist HAZAL TANRIVERDI
What inspired you to pursue art, makeup artistry, and photography professionally?
I am Hazal Tanrıverdi from İzmir, Turkey. I am an art historian, makeup artist, and photographer. I graduated from Ege University where I studied art history. I have been doing makeup artistry for five years. I have been doing photography for ten years. But makeup artistry is my favourite. I got a course in makeup artistry including special effects makeup, professional makeup, and permanent (micro blading) makeup. Of course, my passion is about special effects makeup art. I am in love with special effects, and my whole life is about it. Each day I work very hard. I watch movies (especially horror and science-fiction), video clips and famous makeup artist videos. Every single day I am learning something new. The most beautiful thing in special effects is you are free to imagine, and you can mix imagination with your hands and create masterpieces for everyone. For example, I have been working with some film producer for short movies, documentary and video clips and stage makeup for musicians and Halloween parties. When I begin to create makeup, my imagination cannot stop and my hands cooperate with my ears. I am in love with music. I cannot work without music and I cannot live without "metal" music (especially heavy metal, thrash metal and death metal). Music feeds my imagination. So; music, horror movies, books and of course ‘’life’’ are among the things that inspire me.
What historical periods did you study in art school, and how long have you been a professional art historian?
I studied all of art history from the first era to today. I studied Greek art, Romanian art, Byzantium art, prehistoric art, Asian art, European art, Islamic and Turkish art, Hellenistic art, 20th-century art and so on. I have been an art historian for three years, working in local art galleries and writing some articles about Byzantium art. I worked in a local art gallery for a short period. I worked there when there was an exhibition and I was introducing my paintings. Also for a long time, I’ve published articles at the internet magazine Nouvart about my special effects makeup.
There are many of them... Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Giotto, Leonardo Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Mimar Sinan, Sedefkar Mehmet Ağa, Isidorous and Anthemius, Ahlatlı Hürrem Şah, Zenon, Emin Halid Onat, Ahmet Orhan Arda, Wassily Kandinsky, El Greco, Andy Warhol, Gustav Klimt, Hieronymus Bosch, Frida Kahlo.
As a photographer, has your work been published in local or national magazines?
I actually joined a photography contest and I was awarded third place. And then they published my photograph in magazines. I also publish my photos on my Flickr and Facebook accounts.
What equipment do you use as a photographer? How does your equipment bring out your desired results?
I am using the Canon series, including lenses and other devices. Mostly, I take black and white (monochrome) photographs of landscapes, objects and street art. I love black and white art in photography. It feels very emotional.
How does your interest in art history and photography influence your makeup effects work?
I grew up with art and my family was supportive of me. When I was a little girl, I saw the world with a different perspective from others. Today I still am. When I studied for university exams, I wanted to study art and decided to study art history. Art history influenced me to different perspectives and I am open to many fields of art. I am a person who wants to produce something new, and makeup artistry is a creative field for me.
In Turkey, you can easily find a job in makeup but a job in special effects is harder to find. Many effects artists are working freelance. After working as an art historian I found freelance makeup jobs in İstanbul, Ankara, Antalya, etc and I’m still working.
What horror movies made an impression on you? Which eras of horror cinema do you most appreciate for imagination and creativity?
My favourite horror movies are The Conjuring series. And the Insidious series was awesome. Both movies have the same director, James Wan. The subject matter and make up was great! I love cult horror movies such as the Evil Dead series, The Hills Have Eyes series, The Exorcist, Psycho, The Shining, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Silence of the Lambs, It, The Thing, Hellraiser, etc. I love cult movies and I found them creative. As we look to the past, all those movies made big waves despite the lack of opportunities for some of them, in terms of makeup skills, material, and technology. 50’s makeup effects were different from today’s. But in my opinion, today’s special effect makeup is inspired by that of the past. Today the industry is improving day by day, skills are getting better and people are open to new ideas. We owe most of this to cult horror movies.
Are there any special effects artists you admire for their work in movies?
I admire Stan Winston, Rick Baker, Dick Smith, Joe Blasco, Kevin Yagher and Ve Neill.
Describe the Conjuring series and the Insidious series to readers who aren’t familiar with them.
James Wan continued his style with Insidious and Patrick Wilson worked with him. The Conjuring series tells of how Ed and Lorraine Warren became famous for investigating paranormal events. In the Insidious series, the first movie begins with the young couple Josh and Renai moving into a new home with their three children. It reveals the phenomenon known as the astral voyage in an eerie way. The other movies follow the topic and are interconnected.
Kreator’s “Violent Revolution” and “Coma of Souls”; Toxic Holocaust’s “Death Master”, “Evil Never Dies” and ”Hell on Earth”; Vader’s “The Ultimate Incantation”, “Morbid Reich”, “Sothis”, “Black to the Blind” and “Kingdom”; Slayer’s “Season in the Abyss”, “Christ Illusion”, “Divine Intervention” and “Reign in Blood”; Exumer’s “Possessed by Fire”, “Fire & Damnation” and “Hostile Defiance”; Destruction’s “Release from Agony”, “Infernal Overkill”, “Cracked Brain”, “Thrash Anthems” and “Day of Reckoning”; Sodom’s “Obsessed by Cruelty”, “Tapping the Vein”, “Agent Orange” ,”Persecution Mania”, “Code Red” and “M-16”; Demolition Hammer’s “Tortured Existence”; Vio-lence’s “Eternal Nightmare”, “Nothing to Gain”; Possessed’s “Seven Churches”, ‘’Beyond the Gates’’ and “The Eyes of Horror”; Venom’s “Black Metal”, “Hell”, “Welcome to Hell” and “Prime Evil”; Death’s “Scream Bloody Gore”, ‘’Leprosy”, “Symbolic”, “Spiritual Healing” and “Human”; Bolt Thrower’s “War Master”, “Mercenary”, “Realm of Chaos”; Dismember’s “Indecent and Obscene”, “Death Metal”, “The God That Never Was”; Pestilence’s “Consuming Impulse”, “Spheres” and “Malleus Maleficarum”; Morbid Angel’s “Altar of Madness”, “Domination” and “Heretic”; Deicide’s “Deicide”, “Serpents of the Light”, “In Torment in Hell”, “Till Death Do Us Part”; Bloodbath’s “Nightmares Made Flesh”, “The Fathomless Mastery” and “Breeding Death”; Gorefest’s “False”, “Soul Survivor”, “Mindloss”; Carcass’s “Reek of Putrefaction”, “Heartwork”; and especially Motörhead’s “Orgasmatron”, “Iron Fist”, “Overkill”, “Another Perfect Day” and “Inferno”. Those are my favourite covers. I also love black metal, doom metal, psychedelic/progressive metal cover art. My favourite artists and cover artists are Andreas Marschall, Ed Repka, Dan Seagrave, Travis Smith, H.R Giger, Eliran Kantor, Joe Petagno, Larry Carol and Alex Grey.
Why do you consider it important for an album to have cover art representing the songs on it?
Album covers are like clothes in my opinion. They should be attractive. I think the cover art of an album, for which bands worked hard on for a long time, is the album’s identity. Many people are intrigued by the cover as well as the songs. The design is always important to me.
Would you design album covers if you had the opportunity? Which bands would you like to work with?
I would like to. By the way, I am interested in drawing in my free time. If I had the opportunity I would like to work with Kreator, Amenra, Sodom, Thy Darkened Shade, Judas Priest, Carpathian Forest, Venom, Benediction, Vader, and Urgehal.
What were the first movies you worked on? How well did your work show on screen?
I worked in lots of movies, short films, and series. The most important of these were Bilanço, Ajurne, Katil Kim?, Sorgu, Yol, Acı, Gecenin Sesi. Ajurne was about old age makeup effects. But others were full of bloody-gore style makeup effects. When I saw them on screen, I thought they were good. Most of the projects were horror and science-fiction.
How do you base your makeup effects on a movie’s storyline?
The director gives me a script, I take a quick look and think of how I can create makeup for it. Then I talk to the art director, costume designer, and gaffer, about an actor’s costume or which side the lights will come up, etc. When we decide on it, I begin to create makeup by adding my own imagination. After finishing the design, I prepare the actor and apply the make up their body.
I am going to work on a short movie project which is supposed to be out in August. It will be a horror movie with lots of blood! I am hoping to work outside the country. Again the special effects industry is not strong enough in Turkey. So I would like to work in the US. My dream is working in Hollywood. I am working so hard and trying to improve day by day. There are a lot more opportunities in the USA as far as makeup and special effects. It would be nice to visit again after I was here three years ago.
Are you seeking contact with film companies in the US? Where can they contact you if interested?
People can contact me with my e-mail address, my social media accounts or my phone number (write and I’ll send it to you directly).
-Dave Wolff
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