ROTLP INTERVIEW WITH STEVE WANG
We recently got a chance to talk with Hollywwod Monster Maker, Steve Wang about how he got involved in the industry, what inspires him and how he sees the business evolving. Check it out!
ROTLP: Mr. Wang, thank you for joining us for this interview. For those that may not know about you or your work, tell us a little about yourself.
SW: My name is Steve Wang, I started out as a creature maker for the hollywood film industry. I am a self taught sculptor, painter, makeup artist, designer. I've been doing this for about 34 years now. What I am mostly known for is co-designing and building the original Predator creature for Stan Winston Studios back in 1986. I have worked on many films lke Batman Returns, BeetleJuice, Gremlins 2, Hellboy, Underworld 1&2 and Aliens VS Predator: Requiem to name a few. You can see more of my work at https://www.facebook.com/StevewangCreatureCreator
ROTLP: Obviously, you are a gifted artist, at what point did you realize that you had a talent for art? At what point did you decide to focus that talent on making monsters?
SW: I started drawing my favorite cartoon characters at the age of 4. I immigrated to the United States when I was 9 from Taiwan. It was that year that I saw my first full head latex mask. It changed my life. I became obsessed with them and started collecting them till I was 14 years old. After that I just had to learn how to make them. I came across a magazine called Cinemagic and it had a tutorial by a maks maker named Kirk Brady. I taught myself how to sculpt and make molds and started making my own masks. I didn't think I was all that great at it, but I had a real passion for the work so I moved to Los Angeles when I was 19 to pursue a career in monstermaking. I as very lucky to have gotten my first job at Stan Winston Studios (Terminator, Aliens, Predator and Jurassic Park etc...) And my second job I worked for my idol Rick Baker on Harry and the Hendersons. A year later when I was 20, I came back to Stan Winston Studios to work on Monster Squad. My roommate at the time, Matt Rose (An incredible sculptor and monstermaker) and I created the Gillman creature for the film. After that, Stan made me the art department coordinator/concept designer of the Predator. And after that film came out, My career changed for the better.
ROTLP: How did you get your first real break in the business?
SW: I just came down to LA and called studios for job interviews. I was very lucky and got work at Stan Winston's studio the first week in LA, it just took off from there. The 80's were wonderful and magical times for makeup effects as it was in its infancy and every studio was trying their best to be innovative and create great work.
ROTLP: You’ve been in the business for a long time, how has the business evolved during your time in it? Where do you see it going from here?
SW: The business has changed for the worse since the advent of CGI. After Jurassic Park, we started to see little declines in practical makeup fx work. Even though no one wanted to admit it, we all knew eventually our trade would all but die off as CG becomes more and more sophisticated. Most creature work are non-existent these days. Films like Gremlins 2 would never be made with practical puppets anymore. The studios really hate practical effects. They think it costs too much money, forcing a longer preproduction and production time, don't look as good as CG and locks them into making creative choices too soon. These are all valid problems they have to deal with and many filmmakers have become accustomed to not having to make decisions until post production these days. Only the filmmakers that have a strong vision embraces practical effects because they appreciate shooting the effects in camera. They want a tactile quality to the images that is still very difficult to achieve in CGI alone.
ROTLP: What’s your favorite type of creature to create?
SW: I used to love monstersuits. In fact, that's kinda what I've done the most and am known for. But I don't want to do them anymore. Not until I can find new materials and techniques to make them substantially better than what's already been achieved. As for favorite types, I don't have a favorite, but I have types I don't like: Tentacle monsters, Zombies, anything with the standard long arms, torso and dog style legs (mostly because it's been overplayed and I get forced to create that on occasion) LOL
ROTLP: What is your favorite creature you have made/worked on?
SW: I still like the Guyver Zoanoid from Guyver 2 and Abe Sapien was ok.
ROTLP: When you start a design, what’s the toughest aspect of the design to you?
SW: Coming up with something original. And when I do, it gets rejected because the people I'm designing for want to see something that everybody has already done a hundred times over.
ROTLP: If you could pick one creature that you’ve designed and put it in a cage match with any other creature from film and it’s a fight to the death, which creature of yours would you turn to?
SW: I don't know. That's too much to think about for me. LOL
ROTLP: Can you give us a hint as to what you may be working on currently?
SW: Right now I'm working mostly on the new line of collectibles for my collectible company, Elite Creature Collectibles. www.elitecreature.com
ROTLP: Finally, could you tell us one thing about yourself that may surprise some people?
SW: I'm tall for an Asian.
ROTLP: Mr. Wang, again thank you for your time. We look forward to the next creature from Steve Wang – Creature Creator!
