Academic instruction

Sergio Prieto  obtained the degree awarded by the Advanced Professional Make-Up Course And Special Make-Up Effects Techniques taught by  Dick Smith, the artist behind well known productions as The Exorcist, The Godfather, Altered States, The Hunger, Amadeus (Academy award winner), among others. This Professional Level degree is the only one granted personally by Dick Smith in all of South America. This is not just an "end-of-course" certificate, but one acquired only by those achieving Smith's demanding level of expertise and artistic skill. That is, this is not a diploma obtained for just having paid for the course.

Sergio Prieto also holds the degree of Filmmaker, majoring in Film Direction, awarded by ENERC – Argentina, National School of Experimental Arts and Filmmaking.

Sergio Prieto has worked in TV shows for children, theater productions, feature films and advertising films.

 

DICK SMITH: A TEACHER, A MENTOR, A FRIEND

 

Dick is like an ubiquitous God. As far as make up is concerned, he is everywhere.

There is no book, magazine, or video about make up where he is not mentioned explicitly, either because the author thanks him for having received from him a formula or a technique, or because part of the content speaks about Dick.

I cannot but wonder why so much affectionate comments are dedicated to a person who might seem distant, a part of the Hollywood business, working in high-budget films, with worldwide famous actors.

The reason is simple: Dick is poles apart from what I have just described.

He was always aware that many people wanted to become make up artists. Up until he released his Professional Course, it was extremely difficult to gain access to accurate information on this complex form of art.

The story about Rick Baker's first meeting with Dick is very well known. Baker's parents took him to New York on a high school graduation trip. Baker expected to say hello, to hold a short chat with Dick, and leave. Instead, Dick asked Baker's parents to fetch his son late in the afternoon; he gave Baker a copybook and a pencil, told him that he was going to explain to him many things that he would have to write down so that Rick would not forget. The ensuing chat was a crash course on make up effects.

At a certain point, Dick realized he was not able to answer to the overwhelming number of queries arriving via the mail or the phone from all over the world. For this reason, he set out to work.

Dick was at the peak of his career; he already was a renowned and admired make up artist, sought out by the big studios; nevertheless, he left everything aside for two years to write his course.

I had the privilege to have been accepted by Dick to enroll in his course. Out of the huge number of letters, faxes and e-mails we exchanged, allow me to cite here some stories which speak volumes about Dick's human warmth and professional ethics:

-Gil Mosko presented on the market two Pax Paint palette, for Caucasian and dark skin. Both were supervised and approved by Dick, creator of the PAX paints, one of his many innovations in the field of special make up effects.

When I heard about this, I asked Dick if he could send me an example of these palettes; just a small color chart easy to send by mail in an envelope.

A couple of days later, a UPS van stopped at the door of my house. The UPS man gave me a package containing not only the color charts, handcrafted by Mosko himself, but also two palettes of Pax Paint bottles, so that I could try them! Of course, Dick had never told me about this in advance. It was one of his usual surprises.

- While modelling the Japanese face (see Gallery), I reflected about the best way to mold and apply the Asian epicanthic eyelid fold to the Western-faced model.

I had heard that Carl Fullerton had done an amazing Asian characterization on actor Joel Gray. As Fullerton had been Dick's assistant for many years, I asked Dick if he had provided advice to Fullerton on this job.

As a reply, I received an e-mail from Dick, which started saying "I phoned Carl to ask him how he did the job, and he told me that...". What followed was a detailed description of how to go about the job, but I was flabbergasted at the beginning of the e-mail. Dick had called his former assistant to ask him for pointers. That is, as if the Pope called the altar boy to ask him the recipe for the sacramental bread; a great yet humble man.

-When the peso/dollar exchange became tricky in Argentina (due to the 2001 crisis), Dick was so kind as to offer me to send me the Make Up Artist Magazine; he knew I read it. As he wrote for the magazine, he used to receive several extra copies and thought of me to send me one of those extra copies every time a new issue came out.

I thanked him his generosity, and in return I volunteered to pay for the cost of the delivery. His answer was categorical: "I will also pay for the mail costs. If you insist on paying these yourself, I will not send you anything". I though: "He seems to have learned something from The Godfather; he made me an offer I could not refuse".

Each magazine came with several Post Its written by him signaling different articles of interest, must-read columns or things he liked and that he wanted to share with me.

 

 

- In his course, Dick offered some latex foam prosthetic pieces as a loan. These prosthetic pieces had been made by him, and were meant for each student to have a clear example of what a professionally prosthetic piece was like. When the prosthetic pieces arrived at my house, I asked him what was the best way to duplicate them without damaging them, since they were excellent reference material. In the message that followed, he sent me a long list of steps dealing with several ways of copying those; but at the end of the message he added: "Though you will not need to do anything of this, because those prosthetic pieces are my present for you".

I still keep them, and although many years have gone by, they have not deteriorated. Another excellent job by Dick.

- To exemplify how to model wrinkles on a face, Dick sent me a urethane cast. He told me it had been copied from a life mask of his face, that had been taken by his friend Kasuhiro Tsuji to create ... the sculpture of a character, a mad scientist, to be placed at a Japan amusement park! When I contacted Kasuhiro, he was so gentle as to send me the pictures of the finished job, which I did not know. Dick as a mad scientist... Well, part of him was scientist, and another part of him was bold enough to experience with new techniques, something that some could consider madness.

-When I started working with latex foam, Dick asked me if I could get a Sunbeam mixer, which yielded the best results.

When I told him that the Sunbeam was not marketed in Argentina, he casually said: "No problem at all. I have one to spare. Would you like it? I can send it to you". Though I had known him for years, he always surprised me and touched me with his generosity.

When the package arrived in Argentina, it contained not only the mixer, but also three files with his personal notes, formulas, and letters exchanged with colleagues about latex foam work. The sight of it overwhelmed me. He asked me to return the files after reading them; I not only read them, but photocopied them with his permission. Those files was a gold mine as to information.

When I thoroughly examined the mixer, I saw that there were small latex splatters on it here and there. I told him that I was going to use the mixer, but that I would not clean those splatters out, since they were the result of their work. I was curious, and asked him in which projects he had used it; he said "If I remember it correctly, from The Exorcist to Amadeus".

I was aware that Dick's only assistant for The Exorcist effects had been Rick Baker, who had been in charge of mixing the latex foam. Also, with Amadeus, Dick won a make up Oscar. A lot of history for a mixer.

Each time I work with this mixer, no matter how moody the foam may be that day, I always get good results. No doubt, a mixer with good vibes.

- Dick had to reject many applicants to his professional course because these did not have enough experience. According to his own words, he could not sell his professional course "in good consciousness" to somebody that could not take good advantage of it for not having enough expertise.

That was the origin of the basic course, a sort of introduction to his Professional Couse. This basic course enabled applicants could to learn the basics of prosthetic piece making and make up application; then, they had to send pictures to Dick, and only at that point could they enroll for the Professional Course.

I had the pleasure to receive a copy of this course, along with Dick's request to send him my honest opinion about it. 

This was just one of the endless body of deliveries sent by Dick; for example, a 66 reference photo set of aged faces, or magazine and newspaper clippings with articles about his professional career.

-Luisa, my wife, graduated as a sworn translator at University of Buenos Aires. The touching graduation ceremony, where each graduate received his/her diploma, took place at the Law School ceremonial hall, with all the students, teachers, and authorities.

After lunch with other graduates, we returned home happy and exhausted.

As soon as I opened the door, I found an envelope. I recognized Dick's handwriting immediately, and I opened it. Inside I found the Make Up Artist Magazine he used to send me, plus a professional course promotional leaflet and a make up union magazine. Dick had sent it to me because there was a detailed summary of his career in it. I started browsing it, but suddenly my eyes could not help but see what I though was a leaflet.

Why a Dick's course promotional leaflet had my name printed on it!? Because it was not a leaflet. Dick had sent me his Professional Level course graduation certificate, without telling me in advance!

Of course, I sent him an e-mail thanking him for the certificate, and his valuable encouragement and companionship during all those years. I told him that exactly on that same day, my wife had received her diploma (he did not know Luisa was completing her studies). She could have received her diploma one day before or after; Dick could have mailed the envelope one day before or after, but no. Both arrived at the same time.

Therefore, I have to ask Dick again the same question I asked him so many times: "Dear friend, can you please explain to me how you do it?". 

NOTE: The pictures shown here are merely illustrative, and are the property of their authors.