By April MacIntyre Jan 21, 2007, 4:35 GMT
Saturday, January 20th saw the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences official Makeup crafts "bakeoff" for the 79th Annual Academy Awards held at the Beverly Hills location of the Academy at 10 AM.
Who would you like to see win the Oscar in makeup? Tell us your picks... EPA/TANNEN MAURY
The Academy presented extended clips of the selected seven films from the year's offerings. From these seven films, three will be selected for the Oscar ballots for Academy member voters.
The seven films narrowed down that displayed outstanding achievement in makeup for 2006 were:
Click, artists Kazuhiro Tsuji (2 time winner of the Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards, and twice nominated BAFTA) and Bill Corso (2005 Oscar winner for Lemony Snicket's, 2 time Emmy winner, 3 time Saturn Award nominee)
The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, artists Barry R. Koper (3 nominations and 1997 Emmy winner) and Kevin Haney (8 nominations, 5 time Emmy winner, 1994 Saturn Award winner, 2 time BAFTA nominee, 3 time nominee Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards, and 1990 Oscar winner for Driving Miss Daisy)
Pan's Labyrinth, (El Laberinto del Fauno), artists David Martí (5 time Goya Award nominee, 1 win) and Montse Ribé ( 4 time Goya Award nominee, 1 win)
Apocalypto, artists Aldo Signoretti (2002 Oscar nomination for "Moulin Rouge," 3 time nominee and 2006 Emmy winner, and 2 time Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards winner) and Vittorio Sodano
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, artists Ve Neill, (three time Oscar winner, 1989 Beetle Juice, 1995 Ed Wood, and 1994 Mrs. Doubtfire, read more) and Joel Harlow (4 time Emmy nominee, 2 time winner, 2004 Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards winner)
The Prestige, artists Peter Robb-King (1987 Oscar nominated, 3 time nominee and 1993 BAFTA winner, 3 Saturn Awards nominations) and Janice Alexander (3 nominations, 1990 Emmy winner, 2004 Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards winner)
X-Men: The Last Stand, artist Bart J. Mixon, Thom Floutz, (twice nominated, 2002 Emmy winner) and Mike Elizalde (2005 Saturn Award winner )
A makeup artist for 50 years, twice Oscar nominated Daniel Striepeke, who worked extensively with Tom Hanks, graciously introduced the artists at the MAC Cosmetics sponsored reception at the historic, memorabilia filled Hollywood Museum, a must see venue for anyone visiting Los Angeles. He welcomed the crème de la crème of the makeup world.
Striepeke called up newly appointed Governor of the Academy representing the makeup crafts, Leonard Engelman, a respected artist who in the past worked with Meg Ryan, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ashley Judd and Cher to name some stars, who noted each team in attendance and stated the final three teams would be announced by Tuesday of next week. He also mentioned the upcoming Academy sponsored Makeup artist Symposium to be held at the Mary Pickford Center the day before the Oscars.
The audience was filled with many of the world's top artists and hairstylists, including Kate Biscoe, who recently worked with Sienna Miller on "Factory Girl" and "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh," and had wonderful experiences on set with Sienna.
When I asked her about the intense sixties styled makeup and hair for Sienna in the film, "Factory Girl", Biscoe said "She looks great in this and was lovely, and does such an amazing job in this role." Nearby was Keanu Reeves hair stylist Nina Paskowitz, fresh off the Farrelly Brother's "The Mulligan" (also known as The Heartbreak Kid) as Ben Stiller's personal stylist. Her next assignment may be Jon Favreau's "Iron Man" to work with Robert Downey Jr.
Also seen were IATSE Local 706 Makeup and hairstylist Union President Susan Cabral-Ebert, a 4 time Emmy nominee and 2000 Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Award winner, and Tommy Cole, 706 Business representative, a 6 time Emmy nominee and 2001 Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Award winner and an original 1950's Mouseketeer. Sue shared with me that Tommy had also worked with MAC's reigning "it" girl, Raquel Welch, for several years. Read more.
Joining the "bakeoff" attendees were Louisiana native Edouard "Ed" Henriques, a longtime artist and current department head on "National Treasure: The Book of Secrets" and delightful 2003 Emmy winner, Kaori Nara Turner, whose life story amazes those lucky to meet her. She married the late Bill Turner, a makeup artist who worked extensively with iconic actor Steve McQueen, who encouraged her to say "yes" to the besotted Turner, who proposed to Kaori when they met during the 1966 film, "The Sand Pebbles." "The American Dream, I won it," she quipped to me. You'll be hearing more about this entrepreneurial Japanese dynamo in a future story.
Publisher Michael Key from Makeup Artist magazine was also there, as were many key union artisans who had been part of the massive teams assembled for each of these pictures nominated.
The three films selected will be announced next week, and you will soon find out which three film makeup teams are going to the Oscars. Stay tuned.
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