SCIFI AND TV TALK: Q & A With Grimm SFX Make-Up Designer/Creator Barney Burman
12/10/2011
by Steve Eramo
Whether it is on Halloween or just playing around in the backyard, most children put on costumes at one time or another while growing up. Barney Burman was no different, except whenever he put on a mask or costume it often ended up in a feature film or on a television show.
A third-generation special effects (SFX) make-up artist, Burman’s grandfather created masks and props for the original Wolfman movies and The Twilight Zone TV series, while his father, the renowned Thomas R. Burman, founded his own effects studio and has created SFX make-up for numerous movies and TV shows. As a young adult, Barney honed his own design skills working for his father and, by the age of 21, was working as Department Head on low-budget Horror and Sci-Fi films for Roger Corman and other groundbreaking independent producers.
Barney opened his first FX company, Proteus Make-up FX Team, in 2004, and his new studio, B2FX in 2011. From “far out” looks to more straightforward effects, his big screen make-up SFX credits include Pearl Harbor, Planet of the Apes, Men in Black II, Mission: Impossible III and the 2009 Star Trek reboot, for which he won an Academy Award. Barney’s TV work includes such popular shows as The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Medium and Grimm, on which he is currently serving as SFX make-up designer/creator.
Earlier this week, Barney generously took some time out of his busy day in Portland, Oregon where Grimm is filming its first season to talk with me along with other journalists about his work on the show and career in general. The following is an edited version of our Q &A. Enjoy!
... Q: There are a lot of humorous elements in Grimm, including some of the creatures. Of all the characters that you and Stevie Bettles (prosthetic and creature effects designer), who works with you, have created, is there one that makes you laugh or an actor that you especially enjoy making up?
BB: "Well I have to say that Silas Weir Mitchell (Monroe, the reformed Blutbad or wolf) is one of my favorite characters on the show. He’s such a talented actor and brings a great deal to his character, which makes him so much fun. I’m glad you mentioned Stevie Bettles. Thank you for that because Stevie is someone whose work I’ve admired over the years and had always wanted to work with but never had the chance.
I’d met Stevie briefly. He came in for a couple days on Star Trek, but we didn’t get to socialize or anything. Then when Grimm came up, I just took a chance and asked him, “Hey, are you available for this?” Stevie had just come off of another show and we hit it off immediately. I knew it was going to be a great match up and it is. The two of us have a very similar sort of aesthetic value as far as make-up and design and the heart goes. So I’m very, very lucky to have him on board.
Again, I don’t want to say anything that’s going to give anything away, but I’m very excited about the historical elements of some of the characters that they’re starting to touch on. I hope it delves more into that as we move along because there are some really fun possibilities there..."
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