Margaret Callaghan wears otherworldly makeup in episode 601 of 'Face Off' 'Sexy Beast' (Photo by Nicole Wilder/Syfy/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
Special effects artist Margaret Callaghan is preparing to welcome local filmmakers and creatives to her new home in Vallejo. She will celebrate her new Vallejo studio with an open house featuring a demon sculpture and prosthetic limbs, mementos of her impressive resume of film projects.
“I feel like Vallejo is going through an artistic renaissance,” Carragan said. There is no doubt that Karagan's studio will help bring together creative forces, even if it was not before.
The studio is a homecoming of sorts, as local artists return to the area where they grew up.
In establishing this open house, Mr. Callaghan said: I know people from Redwood City, Oakland, and San Francisco. ” From there, she expanded her reach by posting on her feed, and also called on her friends to help spread the word throughout the community.
“I'm trying to do a mixer to get other effects artists and local filmmakers and Vallejo creators here who want to get involved,” she said. From tattoo artists and writers to lighting experts and photographers, Kalagan expects a variety of artistic talent.
“There are as many types of art as there are types of humans,” says Callaghan. “When I work on a film, I work with sculptors, photographers, and even tattoo artists when I design tattoos.”
Callaghan has seen serendipitous moments where people connect creatively at these events. By hosting her own mixers, Karaghan hopes to create a space where everyone can find their spark and realize goals and ideas that would not have been possible without meeting that person.
The mixer will feature an introduction by Callaghan herself, as well as words from her special guest, director and producer Alric Barthel.
The studio represents a full-circle moment for Karaghan, as she passes many of her childhood landmarks on the way there. She feels an overwhelming sense of fulfillment at this opportunity to return to her own stomping ground, just down the street from her uncle and her aunt.
Callaghan is busy giving that gratitude back to the community. The studio represents more than just a network space. It also serves as a place for Kalagan to host classes and collaborate with professionals who want to build their portfolios.
Callaghan aims to begin teaching classes later this year, after a film project scheduled for May.
“The introductory class is the backbone of the studio,” Callaghan said, explaining how he hopes to attract children and young people from across the Bay. Classes are held based on themes, such as classes on “devils” and classes on “aliens.”
When Callaghan himself was training at the Cinema Makeup School in Los Angeles, classes were divided into “Beard and Mustache Weeks” or “Bald Weeks.” She noticed that many students didn't know how to read scripts or characters. “It was lab work,” she says, which led her to shift her focus to thematic research.
Callaghan said people now don't have to travel all the way to Los Angeles to take classes. Ms. Callaghan has friends who are excited to once again tap into that great network and share her expertise through education.
From transforming Steph and Ayesha Curry into the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who to films like A24's Earth Mama, Fruitvale Station, and Sorry, Callaghan has 20 years in the special effects industry. I have accumulated more experience.
“Sorry to Bother You” and “Earth Mama” rank high on the list of Mr. Callaghan’s most satisfying projects. Ms. Callaghan recalled how difficult it was to create “Earth Mama” because of her unwieldy nature of her huge pregnant belly.
“You were trying to make it look perfect,” Karaghan recalled. “We couldn't let a lot of things slip away, especially since the entire shot was focused on the exposed abdomen.” The difficulty was further increased when something grew out of the abdomen in hallucinatory and dream-like scenes. I did.
Looking back on these projects and the time constraints she had to work within, Callaghan recognized that the bar was always going to be a little higher. “Sometimes I look back and think, 'Oh, that was easy.'”
One project's timeline gave us only two days to create detailed effects. “There's a difference between doing things well and doing things well under pressure,” Callagan said.
Of all the effects that Callaghan has helped bring to fruition across 600 projects, transformational makeup presents a welcome challenge. Regarding the full-body demons he has been working on, Callaghan said the process was truly amazing. “Because we calculate all the paint coverage, create separate pieces, and then fuse them together with a small team of artists.”
Building a special effects-rich character requires planning colors, shapes, component creation, time budgets, and compiling design notes.
Although much of her work centers on non-human appearances, Karaghan prefers to balance it out with very realistic makeup, such as pregnant bellies and aging makeup.
“I'm the only one in the bay who likes wearing old makeup,” said Ms. Callaghan, who has just been hired for another project creating an aged look. “Looking good is one of the hardest things to do. And when you look good, you look normal.
“Of course, it’s fun to do creatures and horror, but I did too much horror for the first four years, so I realized I needed to balance it with the fine art.”
Confronting difficulties was the theme of Karagan's life. When a stressful health scare in 2019 was compounded by the stress of multiple simultaneous projects, Callagan overcame it without many realizing it.
“Anyone who knows me knows what I've been through, and I'm really proud of myself for making it through,” Callaghan said.
If you go…
- what: Pandora FX Open House
- when: March 16th 1pm
- where: 102 B Lincoln Road East, Vallejo.
- ticket: $15 cover charge.