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By Joe LaPenna Special to The
Times
I have been living here in the
Philippines for the past two years and I’d like to think that I am
back home. I have done prosthetic makeup and special effects makeup
work in the United States for about 27 years before I decided to
come home to do my share in a field that I have learned so much
from.
Mastering the art of special
effects, makeup and prosthetics requires a lot of discipline, focus
and years of study and hands-on experience. To write down all these
will take days I suppose. Friends and family have asked why I
decided to fly back to Manila. Let’s just say it is my little way
of giving back, of sharing what I have learned, and to make my
personal contribution to the industries that need it at this time.
I was approached by Star Cinema
and I came onto the project in late August of last year. My main
task for the movie My Big Love was to create a realistic look and
makeup for its lead actor Sam Milby who plays an obese person. After
careful study of the script and the requirements of the character, I
accepted the challenge.
The process started with doing a
full head cast of Sam as well as a body form so that I could also
construct his custom fat suit. My intention was to create the makeup
using a soft material that moves and feels like flesh, so I decided
to start with a gelatin-like material. I created the sculpture of
the fat face and then created the molds that were needed to create
the prosthetics. The material had to be adhered to his face using
pressure-sensitive prosthetics adhesive that is acrylic-based.
After several tests it became
apparent that there were problems with this as Sam’s profuse
sweating was going against the adhesive. Human sweat possesses a
high acid content so it made things difficult for both Sam and I. I
thought of exposing his face more so it will keep him cooler, but
even after reconstructing, it wouldn’t glue well since the
sweating did not stop.
I suggested that we use a new
silicone-based material that would have to be imported from the
States, the same material they used on the movie X-Men, specifically
for Mystique’s character. When the material arrived, we
immediately had it tested and luckily, everything went well from
there. My Big Love is the first project in the Philippines to use a
gel-filled silicone makeup and I’m glad I was able to bring the
technology and material into the country.
Sam wears the fat makeup and the
fat suit in approximately 60 percent of the movie. All in all, he
had it for 25 days and I could imagine how difficult it was for him
to endure everything since wearing the suit was like having a thick
winter coat on your body.
Sam’s suit is made from nylon
and foam and I designed and constructed it in a way that the suit
would simulate the thickness of someone who weighed over 300 pounds
and still look believable. I had to make sure he had to move
naturally, too.
I realize that all the trouble
and hard work were worth the tension and the pressure and the
deadlines. Sam did a great job as the obese character Macky who had
to endure at least three hours of makeup process to get into the
suit and look we designed, not to mention the hours he had to act
wearing the suit.
It was no joke after all to take
on the challenge to make the country’s hottest matinee idol look
believably overweight.
Joe LaPenna has over 29 years’
experience working as a cosmetic makeup and special effects makeup
artist in the New York and West Coast entertainment industry. He is
most proficient in cosmetic, prosthetic, casualty simulations, hand
puppets props and special costume design. The movie My Big Love
stars Sam Milby and Toni Gonzaga and will be shown on theaters on
February 27. 
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