NINA CARELLI: Prosthetic Nightmares
From horribly scarred faces in The Exorcist, to the beautifully withered cheeks of Vito Corleone in The Godfather, if you have a pulse and a TV, then you’ve been exposed to the magic that is SFX makeup. Shaping the nightmares of our youth through the creation of monsters in cinematic history, this creative practice has stirred the subconscious of countless artists over the years. Nina Carelli is just one of them.
Carelli is a New York-based SFX artist who has used her skills to embark on a range of exciting projects. She has collaborated with musicians like King Woman, Gojira and Eartheater, adding a visceral edge to music videos. Her prosthetic and makeup work is otherworldly—like creatures that take on a life of their own, they jump out from the images, refusing to be contained.
Nina’s Make-up for “Dark Angel” Movie @miguelangeles @ize @izecreme
Horror, gothic elements, aliens, fantastical motifs, the list of influences is endless for this artist, who draws inspiration from the “infinite”. Not content to follow traditional paths this artist, embraces her own style with a sense of authenticity that is rare to behold.
The GATA team had the honour to sit down and chat with Nina about the steps that have led her to this point in her career. From early experiences copying fashion magazine beauty advertisements to spending hours preparing prosthetics for certain looks, the journey has been epic and there is certainly more to come.
Hello Nina, can you please introduce yourself to the GATA family?
Nina: Hi, I’m Nina Carelli. I’m a makeup and special effects artist living in Brooklyn and working mostly in NYC.
When did you start doing makeup and what made you specialise in this form of art?
Nina: I started doing makeup around nine, playing around borrowing from my Mom’s drawer of Clinique makeup in the house and things I could get at drug stores in the early 2000s—which was limited being from a small town in Massachusetts. In my youth, I was obsessed with drawing beauty ads from magazines in extreme detail.
As I remember, makeup wasn’t as much of a thing like it is now.
I didn’t start pursuing makeup professionally until about five years ago after years of living in New York and trying different avenues of work; initially in the gallery world and later working at a thrift store. I was eventually asked to do some clown makeup for a photoshoot and things clicked at that point, so I shifted my focus ever since.
Your works are pieces of art, it seems that they require a lot of preparation and many hours of dedication. How hard was it to learn to do “SFX”? How many hours of preparation do you usually need?
Nina: Thank you! Some looks require a ton of prep work and others are completely intuitive, it depends on the project. I think some of my best work so far have been times when I don’t think too much about what I’m doing at that moment.
SFX work especially was a world I wanted to dive into, not only to make more elaborate makeups but to challenge myself in my abilities. SFX is a learned skill like any trade but it requires patience, and there is a level of building/making of layers that is uncomfortable in moments when I've thought “will this come together?” and it usually does, but it takes time to build certain looks.
There’s also an aspect of experimentation and testing with certain FX looks, when you have to be okay with completely failing and trying again, or accepting sometimes it’s not your best work, but you learned from it.
Any look can take an unknown amount of time. Sometimes it's face paint that’s effective and it only takes 20 minutes, other looks require painting or building components of a prosthetic look that can take days.
“My attraction to horror might have initially come from curiosity and fear from a young age of seeing certain horror films and being utterly terrified. Now, I get to approach it from an almost scientific perspective in dissecting how certain things were achieved on film.”
As a makeup artist, you must draw influence from many different visual forms, what influences your specific style?
Nina: Influence is infinite… I’m often overwhelmed by things I’m taking in on a daily basis. I watch a ton of movies and have always been a collector of books and magazines. Sometimes the effect is on an auditory level, hearing a random snippet of someone in passing, or a song blasting from a car can get me thinking. The timing of these moments is key. Being in proximity to so many other talented artists is a huge impact. I also try to visit museums and generally surround myself with old stuff. I think that has some kind of residual wisdom to offer.
Fae creatures on the set of @plant_skull
You are based in New York currently, what exactly is it about this city that inspires you creatively? How is it different from other places you have been to?
Nina: I love New York so much. There’s something innately raw about this city that is authentic, intimidating, refreshing and comforting all at the same time. Most people here are living at a pace that is unmatchable. I get fascinated by the characters you get to overlap with that are simply living their lives and truths. It’s a vortex of lost souls and hilarious moments that might be missed if no one notices. I find the chaos unique from any other place I’ve been to.
We can see that most of the time, you like doing horror SFX artworks? What attracts you so much to the world of horror?
Nina: My attraction to horror might have initially come from curiosity and fear from a young age of seeing certain horror films and being utterly terrified. Now, I get to approach it from an almost scientific perspective in dissecting how certain things were achieved on film. I think it's a powerful form of storytelling and that's what keeps me interested.
“SFX is a learned skill like any trade but it requires patience, and there is a level of building/making of layers that is uncomfortable in moments when I’ve thought “will this come together?” and it usually does, but it takes time to build certain looks. ”
What job from the past was your favourite to do? And which one was the hardest?
Nina: I feel fortunate to have worked on so many interesting projects, it’s impossible to pick a favourite. The full transformation looks are time-consuming—but to see someone’s reaction when they no longer recognise themselves is rewarding in its own way.
Recently, I worked on a music video for the band Gojira where I made a sphinx lady and man into a stone Aztec sculpture, which was fun and challenging. I think my most involved makeup was on myself a few months ago. I created a Pinhead look (from the film Hellraiser) that took about 5-6 hours, after creating the bald cap and body paint etc. My friend Ashley Boman helped shoot a video of me around the neighbourhood that was hilarious, so it was worth it in the end.
Have you ever experimented with any other forms of art; would you like to try something different in the future?
Nina: Lately, I've been experimenting with making video shorts, whether it’s of my process or actually telling a story which is completely outside my wheelhouse. To me, the process of making things is savory and underplayed. I also try to find humor in whatever I’m doing because in the end, it’s absurd I get to do what I do, and I want to convey that somehow.
You have worked with many talented artists already, what are your future goals for your artistic career?
Nina: I’m blown away by the people I get to work with. My main goals are to continue to help artists facilitate their fantasy selves, and to continue to develop my skills as an SFX artist. I’m currently learning how to sculpt and cast my own prosthetics, which is my biggest focus at the moment. I would love to work on more film projects, hopefully, a feature-length film soon. I'd like to see the places it could take me.
Can you tell us some of your favorite movies? Are there any films that have inspired you during your career as an artist?
I keep a list of films in my notes that I’m constantly adding to. I like classic films just as much as horrible low budget productions. Some of the forgotten films are real gems. Metropolis, The Holy Mountain, Waterworld, The Cell,Tank Girl, eXistenZ, The Shining, Blade Runner, are a few I can think of that are movies I could watch over and over again.
I try to give things a chance because I might learn something from them. Dario Argento’s films have the craziest death scenes that make me wonder what that FX team was like. H.R. Giger's work with the Alien series…so many layers of sculpture and slime!! It’s endless.
Edit by SAMO