I was recently asked by my business mentor to think about who inspires me most - not necessarily in the FX or makeup worlds but someone, or a company, who I aspire to, then to discuss those reasons why. I didn’t have to think twice about it and it is someone who works within the FX industry and whose companies and work ethics I believe are similar to mine, albeit that his are on a much grander scale than mine.
That person is Neill Gortonhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003929/ and his companies are Millennium FX http://www.millenniumfx.co.uk/ and Gorton Studio https://www.gortonstudio.co.uk/ Neill began working in the SFX world when he was just 17 and went on quickly to work on the biggest titles in cinema and TV from the early 90s as well as gaining six nominations and winning four BAFTAs, gaining five nominations and winning two RTS Awards and numerous other awards. His company Millennium FX, which he runs with co-director Rob Mayor, focuses on cutting edge prosthetics, animatronics, and special make-up FX. Gorton Studios - there are now two sites in the UK and the first specialist prosthetics school to open in Europe, leads the way in teaching the subject to trainees and professionals, equipping students with the latest up-to-date techniques and product knowledge enabling them to get straight out into the FX world as soon as they graduate.
The reason I aspire to Neill is that he is clearly at the top of the makeup FX league having got there not only by pure by hard work, an inquisitive, passionate and creational mind but also a desire to succeed in his own business by educating and passing on his skills and vast knowledge to an ever-growing fan base of FX students who will, with no doubt at some point in their own careers, take on a job that that would have once been given to the very man that taught them. But that’s how it works and as an educator myself, again albeit on a much smaller scale than Neill, the sheer enjoyment of seeing young people creating, designing and lapping up new knowledge is immense. I've watched Neill demonstrating several times and his ability and desire to pass on knowledge is as incredible as his work itself.
Which leads me to today. Today I spent time with students at West Kent College, the place it all began for me a good few years ago. My tutor at the time, Hilary Cowley, still lectures there and invited to me guest-speak and demo to her group of Theatrical, SFX, Hair & Media Makeup students. It was an absolute honour to go back to where I first opened a kit box and realised I had found my true vocation. Hilary was my inspiration when I trained. I knew I wanted to work within the industry and she opened my eyes to the passion that became my future. In just a few hours today I introduced Hilary’s students to new products that they hadn’t come across and gave them a very open and honest view of what it’s like to work on location – early mornings, late finishes, wind, rain, sun, tempers and laughs! As I left the classroom, one student asked if she could get in touch with me as she said she had so many questions for me that she didn’t know here to begin and one student came and found me in the car park as I was leaving and asked for some personal tuition to kick start her on the way to what she now knew would be her career.
In my opinion, it’s all about paying it forward. Give back where you can. Learn, work and share.
http://westkent.ac.uk/courses-in-kent/beauty-therapy/702/9927.html#
