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Syfy's 'Face Off' back tonight, interviews, videos and more!

By April MacIntyre Aug 21, 2012, 15:27 GMT

Prosthetic makeup is normally a big boys game, but there are talented women in the field dominated by the likes of award winners Howard Berger, Greg Nicotero (KNB) Todd Tucker, Greg Cannom, Bill Corso and many more.

Face Off, the competition program that celebrates the craft of Hollywood prosthetic makeup, returns with a new season tonight, and a crop of contestants inspired this time by films like The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man.

Face Off salutes the inventive souls who help to make films pop, and superheroes and villains come to life.

Prosthetic makeup is normally a big boys game, but there are talented women in the field dominated by the likes of award winners Howard Berger, Greg Nicotero (KNB) Todd Tucker, Greg Cannom, Bill Corso and many more.

McKenzie Westmore, the daughter of Hollywood pro Michael Westmore (Oscar winner for Mask, and three-time Ocsar nominee for various Star Trek films) returns as Face Off’s host.

Glenn Hetrick, Emmy winner for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, Heroes and Babylon 5 also has worked on feature films like The Prestige and The Hunger Games.

Face Off's subject matter is unique enough to override the usual maudlin b-roll stories and hyped-up behind the scenes gnashing of teeth between contestants.

Syfy's 'Face Off' returns for its third season next Tuesday, August 21 at 9:00 Eastern/Pacific with 12 new contestants and an array of incredible challenges.

McKenzie Westmore and series judge Ve Neill answered questions on a conference call with reporters.

On change in the show's format:

McKenzie Westmore: The first time in Face Off history America’s going to get to vote. We’re going to do a live show on Halloween night and America will have a say on which contestant they feel came up with the best make up.

On guest judges...

McKenzie Westmore: There are some people that are dying to be on the show and they’re loving it and there’re are some people that we always reach out to to see if they’re interested for - especially if it’s a particular challenge and it fits them.

We have an array of amazing guest judges this year. We start off with Sean Astin as you were first mentioning with the very first foundation challenge. We have other great guest judges that come in. We have Brian Grazer, we have Laila Ali, we have Kevin Smith, who I actually was tweeting back and forth with this morning regarding his appearance on the show. So there are some really fun, amazing guest judges that come in to join our already amazing panel of judges.

On examples of the challenges:

Ve Neill: Oh, wow. How they’re going to be different. Geez, there’s so many different ones. I mean, can we talk about...

McKenzie Westmore: Wouldn’t you say that we kind of went bigger and broader this year?

Ve Neill: We did go bigger and broader, I think.. we’re seeing a lot more full body and all kinds of great things from our artists. It’s pretty amazing some of the things that - the opening show is going to be absolutely spectacular. We have some of the best talent we have had on the show in a long time. So, I’m pretty happy about that.

One of our challenges was a Star Wars challenge, which was pretty great and we did a Who challenge and Brian Grazer was our guest judge and it was pretty fun to have him there seeing as he was one of the producers on the film. So, it’s going to be pretty fun and terrific and there’s a lot of really great wonderful makeup you’re going to see this year.

On creativity versus following instructions...

Ve Neill: Well, it’s important for them to follow the specifics of the challenge because sometimes, and it has come up, that we find two that are really, really spectacular make up and we literally judge it just by did they follow the challenge exactly.

We can have a really spectacular make up but they’re missing part of the challenge. And so when it comes to that, we have to really just say okay, well there both really great make up but this one follows the challenge precisely. And several times this has happened and we have had to choose the one that’s followed the challenge precisely.

That doesn’t mean that they can’t think outside of the box but they do have to incorporate all the elements of the challenge.

On challenges that fans can look forward to this season?

McKenzie Westmore: We have a lot of cool challenges this season. We start off with a bang of Star Wars. We have super heroes, we have dancing Chinese New Year dragons, we’ve teamed up with a charity, Kids Say Yes to the Arts, that was one of my personal favorites where children brought in sketches of monsters - 7-year-olds brought in sketches of monsters and teamed up with the contestants to bring their monsters to life. So there’s a good array this year.

Ve Neill: Yes, there’s a lot of different fun challenges this year and we’ve had some pretty spectacular guest judges with us as well.

McKenzie Westmore:  I know for myself there’s sometimes I feel like I get my own challenges when I’m doing some of the working with the contestants and explaining some of things. It really wasn’t anything I can think of with Season 3, but I do know in Season 2 we had the challenge of dangerous beauty and I have a horrible, horrible fear of bears. And they had that bear right behind me as I was announcing the challenge and I really kind of blacked out and don’t remember explaining most of the challenge to them because of that. You didn’t know that Ve, did you/

On agreeing , or not, with each other:

Ve Neill: ...sometimes we’ve come against each other but not -  usually, it’s pretty clear cut. Sometimes we think well, I like this one more but I understand why - where you’re coming from. And yes perhaps maybe that one is better because, you know, they followed the challenge more of they used -they were supposed to do this and they did that and the other guy didn’t do it even though it’s a really great makeup.

So we wind up agreeing most of the time after we’ve had a chance to hash it out, I don’t think we’ve ever really had any major disagreements because, as I said, sometimes it’s just very clear cut who the winner would be.

On the cyborgs challenges the Pirates of the Caribbean...

Ve Neill: The cyborgs was very cool. That was the one we had - was that where we had Gale Anne Hurd...she came in for cyborg and that...

McKenzie Westmore: That was great.

Ve Neill: ...was an amazing challenge. That was really fun. They did some really interesting and different takes on cyborgs.

McKenzie Westmore: I’m picturing it right now. Oh my God, there were some amazing makeups in that one that I remember.

And the Pirates one, I know you guys loved the pirate one. There were some fun things that happened for you guy in the Pirates on, Ve.

Ve Neill: Yes, I mean, that’s always great to see pirate stuff. I, you know, I’m a big pirate fan, obviously

They were the challenges are always so unique and it’s also so fun to see somebody else’s take on something you’ve done before. So, it was really fun. I,  I enjoy the show so much, it’s really refreshing to see somebody else’s work on something that you have obviously done and it was pretty entertaining, I got to say.

McKenzie Westmore: there were some similarities to some of - not necessarily - I mean, the borg queen is an example that I do give them in their challenge as an inspiration. So they definitely had that direction to go in but they really went outside the box of what they would consider to be their own version of a cyborg, not necessarily the borg queen of Star Trek. So there were some pretty amazing make ups that they did present to the judges that really, you know, encompassed what the challenge asked for.

On a film or show that gets them wonderng how someone achieves a certain look?

Ve Neill: Wow. that’s a pretty broad question. I’d have to really start thinking about that. Seeing as I know how they do most of the stuff. I’ve never really thought about how did they do that. Although with a lot of CGI stuff these days, it does make you stop and wonder, occasionally about how did they integrate the CGI into the makeup. And that’s really cool, I wonder who set it up and how they figured it out. But, I’m not sure that I can think of anything right off the back like how’d they do that. Can you McKenzie?

We’re just too damn smart I guess. That’s what happens when they take all the fantasy out of your work. When you already know how they did that. It kind of takes all the fun out of it, doesn’t it.

McKenzie Westmore: That’s funny.

On if the judges get to see any of the foundation challenge work and does that factor into the decisions at all?

Ve Neill: We don’t get to see anything except for what’s really brought to us right on stage.  It usually doesn’t factor into it. The only time it does factor into it is when we are told that somebody had immunity. They will tell us what the challenge was and they’d say who won it or who is immune, but other than that, we really have no knowledge of any of the challenges that go on before that we don’t see. We just solely on what we see right on the stage, which is what you guys see. We don’t even know what goes on in the houses or anything and we don’t even know what the challenges are until we actually get to work that day.

On the clash of personalities and behind the scenes drama...

McKenzie Westmore: I am, I’m privy to most everything that does on, just as being the host and being kind of the conduit for everything and being so intertwined with the contestants, as well as the judges. I am in the loop on all of the ins and outs and, what’s going on in the lab. I really don’t deal with much of the house stuff because I’m not there.

I might hear some of the things that are going on but I don’t take part in any of the house drama, I guess you could say. But I always know what; going on in the lab. Obviously, I’m there with the guest judge for the foundation challenges, so I do see all the ins and outs and all the workings that do happen on a daily basis.

On keeping in touch or working with any of the past contestants or winners...

McKenzie Westmore: Oh, yes.

Ve Neill: A lot of times the past contestants, we will have a little bit of contact. As in the first season, Conner - on the first season, Conner came and did the Hunger Games with me, and I’m still in contact with Conner. We email and occasionally speak.

McKenzie Westmore: Yes.

Ve Neill: I was actually hoping that he’d go on the second Hunter Games with me but I think I’m going to have to hire locally again, which is why he got hired the first time, because he was local in North Carolina. So, that being said, I think it’s just such a wonderful opportunity for any of these artists to be able to stay in touch with us because we would love to be able to help them out eventually.

McKenzie Westmore: Absolutely.

Ve Neill: And they don’t even have to be the winner. I mean, I still talk to a lot of the guys. They come and do things at tradeshows with me and do demos and it’s really to see all their progression and how they advanced since they’ve come off the show. So, it’s really quite fun to stay in touch with everybody.

McKenzie Westmore: It really is. There are a couple that I’ve kept in touch with and my dad actually hired Gage to do a Bollywood film this past year. And so...

Ve Neill: Oh, cool.

McKenzie Westmore: Yes, I know. So you’re right, when you...

Ve Neill: I didn’t know that, that’s bitching.

McKenzie Westmore: I know, it’s that so cool. Yes, he sent him over to India and had him make up the - who’s considered like the George Clooney of India.

Ve Neill: Wow.

McKenzie Westmore: And my dad is still very much involved in India, so it was really, it was kind of neat to see somebody like Gage, who like you just said Ve, you know, isn’t - wasn’t the winner but, still an amazing talent.

And a lot of people do continue to get great work after being seen on the show and after they are able to showcase their talent.

Ve Neill: Yes, it really opens up a lot of doors for them. And, as you said, they don’t even have to be the winners. I mean, I’ve occasionally - they’ve managed to get a hold of my email or they contact me through Facebook, but it’s always nice to hear, gosh I’ve gotten so many, it’s been such an advantage being on the show. I get contacted all the time now to do local things and blah, blah, blah. It’s really kind of fun. I’m so happy for the contestants because it’s such a great opportunity for them to advance their craft. So, I’m really happy that the show has been able to do that for so many artists.

On the casting process...

Ve Neill:  I don’t really know because we’re not involved with the casting at all but McKenzie, do you know. I mean, I know they do a lot of interviews at all the different functions and try to find people. And I think eventually they have to do, like, some sort of makeup test or something to get in.

McKenzie Westmore: Exactly, they had to do a makeup on themselves and they..

Ve Neill: Okay.

McKenzie Westmore: ...also have to do an interview. I’ve - there’re a lot of - I know I’ve seen a lot of the videos even on YouTube from some...

Ve Neill: Yeah, I have too.

McKenzie Westmore: ...that are - yes, it’s kind of fun to watch some of them to see...

Ve Neill: And some of them are pretty inventive, as well.

McKenzie Westmore: Yes, they are with what they come up with and what they use and what they - you know, how they go about creating a makeup on themselves.

Ve Neill: Yes.

McKenzie Westmore: But they’ve have to showcase their personality and they have to showcase their talent. It’s a full package.

On the preview of the premiere episode...

McKenzie Westmore: We’ve got a - it opens up with a great foundation challenge to showcase the contestants’ talent and to show us a little bit about who they are. Sean Astin joins me as a gust judge with that one. Then we move into our big opening with Star Wars. So, I will let Ve take it from there as to what we saw on stage, because that was pretty amazing.

Ve Neill: The Star Wars challenge was pretty fantastic. I mean, there was a lot of really great makeups and there was also a couple of surprises because some of our contestants are quite young and I was really surprised to find out that one of our young lady contestants had never even seen Star Wars.

Yet, he came up with a really fantastic kind of makeup. So,  a lot of times they can’t really explain why but some people just have the innate talent and it just happens without them even trying. So, it’s really kind of fun to see, people’s imaginations. I mean, to actually create  an alien in the whimsical kind of fashion that when you’ve never seen the movie...we were all kind of dumbfounded. It was kind of actually a really fun moment. But some of the makeups were just so much fun...they were just amazing and I was excited to see them. It was just really a fun challenge.

On McKenzie working with her father...

McKenzie Westmore: Oh, absolutely. There was a time when I was a teenager and I actually was taking my makeup classes and, you know, I around the same time had read an article where they were calling my dad the last of the living dinosaurs where they really ran every department. You know, everything from sketching to working in the lab to applying it on stage and on set. And it broke my heart when I read that article and so I started to take classes and I started to study and really I would help him out in the lab.

I pulled my dad aside and I said I love what our family is about, I love what we do, I admire you and your work so much but I want to be an actress. I want to sing opera. I want to go in a different direction and he said are you kidding me, follow your dreams. That’s what I did, I followed what I wanted to - my dreams and I support you in whatever you want to do.

So yes, there was a time when I came very close into going into that direction, so I feel so lucky and blessed to be a part of Face Off because it’s like the best of all worlds for me. You know, I get to still do - I wouldn’t call it acting. Obviously, hosting but it’s still in a vain that I love and it’s in a world that I absolutely have so much admiration for. From what my dad does and our judges, with Ve, with Glenn, with, you know, Patrick and Neville. You know, what they all do is just - every day is so impressive to me.

On Ve having the judges do a challenge against each other...

Ve Neill: Not yet. Oh, against each other. I don’t know if they could because I don’t know that we’re all - I don’t think we can all do all that stuff. So, I mean...

I mean, Glenn could do it all because he runs a lab and stuff. But it’s been so many years since I’ve been in the lab and I don’t think...I just prefer not to. The whole idea is really, truly frightening to me.

It’s really hard to have all that criticism going flinging around especially when you’re like over 40... you don’t want to hear that stuff anymore.

Face Off premieres Tuesday, August 21 at 9:00 pm.

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