Nestled in the hot country side of Austin, Texas. Meredith Johns is one half of the team known in the SFX world as the Gore Girls her partner in crime Carolyn O’Hara, their company Hawgfly Productions, Inc. was founded out of that passion for their craft. Meredith has done the SFX for films like , Machete, Machete Kills (SFX Prosthetics Makeup) and Chan Wook Park American directorial debut with Stoker. Along with the (Prop fabricator) for Friday the 13th – Part XII.
Growing up in a family of artist, Meredith knew that she wanted to do something in the arts, but what that was she didn’t actually know. It wasn’t until she volunteered on a zombie movie called Day X that she finally found her calling, “I came home from set every day covered in blood and loving every minute of it, ” said Meredith. The challenge that comes with each new project is what drives Meredith. In this Horror Society Exclusive, Meredith Johns gives all the bloody details about her work. Read on and enjoy!
Horror Society: Growing up was becoming a Makeup artist your dream job, and how did you break into the business?
Meredith Johns: I knew I wanted to be an artist and I grew up in a family of artists and was always creating things with my parents and grandparents. I painted, sculpted, did woodworking, and numerous other creative pursuits. Originally I thought I wanted to be a graphic designer and I have a degree in advertising with a minor in Japanese. After quickly learning that sitting behind a desk wasn’t for me, I volunteered on a zombie movie (called “Day X”) and the rest is history. I came home from set every day covered in blood and loving every minute of it. All of the things I grew up doing meshed perfectly into SFX makeup. I met business partner Carolyn O’Hara on that very set and we started Hawgfly Productions, Inc. shortly after.
HS: You’ve done both big budget films and indie budget films – each of one of them bringing their own challenges, is there one that gives you a bigger rush than the other?
MJ: What I look for in a rewarding project is a fun group to work with, a good story and a challenge. I love the rush of figuring out an effect and bringing it to life on screen. There’s no better feeling in the world than coming across a challenge and coming up with a solution that looks awesome on the big screen!
HS: You’ve worked on the last five Robert Rodriquez’s films, what is like being on one of his sets?
MJ: Challenging and awesome! I love working with Robert and watching how his mind works. He comes up with some of the coolest things to create.
HS: To follow up that question, what is like to do the SFX for one of his films?
MJ: See above :)
HS: Now, an easy question, what is your favorite horror film and why?
MJ: I love so many that it’s really hard to come up with a favorite. Asian horror is my favorite. I love Takashi Miike… Happiness of the Katakuris, Audition, Ichi the Killer, and many many more. All are so much fun. Oldboy, by Chan Wook Park, while not a traditional horror and more of a psychological thriller is amazing! I also love The Thing (the original). Some of the coolest creatures ever created. The Exorcist is also high ranking for really cool makeup effects by the amazing Dick Smith.
HS: Your career is pretty diverse, you’ve done a little bit of everything, even doing make-up on an Oscar nominated film True Grit, what was that experience like?
MJ: True Grit was a blast. I love period pieces. There is nothing quite like leaving the makeup room and walking out the door into the 1800s. The transformation was incredible. My job was mostly in the realm of mustache and beard wrangling. I spent weeks laying hair, trimming, styling, curling, and fluffing mustaches and beards. Something we know a lot about in Texas is westerns and fun facial hair goes right along with them.
HS: As a Special Effects Make-Up Artist, how do you tackle new films that are in the horror genre, and try to make what we see on screen something fresh and new?
MJ: It really depends on the project and the script. We try to make each creature unique. There are tons of different styles of zombies, werewolves, vampires, etc. We try to give each project something unexpected whether it’s a cool kill or a new twist on a creature or design.
HS: What do you think makes a great horror film, gore vs. atmosphere?
MJ: It depends on what works best for the script and the overall vibe of the film. I think there is certainly such a thing as too much gore taking away from storyline. We call it “gore porn” when it is gore just for the sake of being gory without any enhancement to the story.
HS: There seems to be this ongoing storyline that comes up every couple years that CGI is the way to future for SFX, and the use of practical effects is the way of the pass, what are your thoughts on it? Do you think that is the case?
MJ: I think that CGI and practical SFX work really well together when done right. We do a lot of work with the visual effects artists at Troublemaker. They are amazingly talented and we do a lot of tag-team effects where I will take things to a certain point and they will finish things off. There are certain things that we can’t do with practical effects. For example if the director wants the blood to defy gravity, blood splatter to hit a particular spot in a particular pattern, or to make an actor’s nose or limb disappear (actors are not fans of us removing their limbs…), we need the help of VFX. However, it’s cheaper and easier for us to slash a throat, do prosthetics on actors, throw heads, etc. I think it’s a delicate balance, but I think both VFX and SFX can work together to create some amazing things.
HS: From all the films sets you’ve been on, what is the one film that stands out the most, or are all of them like your babies?
MJ: Again, a tough one. I had so much fun working with Robert Rodriguez on Machete. How can you not have a blast with 40 ft. of intestines and 27 gallons of blood! There was also an amazing trailer/teaser I did for the video game Defiance. The team we worked with and the creature designs were off the chart. So much fun! Then there’s Stoker. I’m super excited about that one as Chan Wook Park is one of my favorite directors of all time. It was amazing to see how he worked and to help create one of his masterpieces.
I want to thank Meredith Johns for taking the time to do this bloody cool interview with me.
