Month: July 2014

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Syfy’s ‘Face Off’ to Bring Gruesome Character Creations to Life at

Halloween Horror Nights

The most twisted and gruesome character creations featured on Syfy’s hit competition series “Face Off” will be live and “In the Flesh” at both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Halloween Horror Nights” events, beginningFriday, September 19.  Nightmarish creatures will surround guests on both coasts as the macabre visions of some of the most talented up-and-coming make-up artists’ from the show are brought to life.

Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights will feature an all new street experience with ten different character creations inspired by the acclaimed Syfy series, including a look designed by season 5 “Face Off” winner and Universal Orlando make-up artist, Laura Tyler. The hair-raising, horrifying characters will inhabit five unique and immersive environments within the scare zone, from eerie scarecrows that go to great lengths to protect a spine-chilling farmland to ghoulish brutes that haunt dilapidated castle ruins.

Universal Studios Hollywood’s all-new “Halloween Horror Nights” maze, “Face Off:  In the Flesh,” will recreate the morbidly disturbing inventions masterminded by visionary make-up special effects artists over the course of the show’s past six seasons.  Twenty-two original “Face Off” designs – from human-insect hybrids to horror villains, ancient mummies and zombies – will cascade throughout the dark corridors of the terrifying new maze bringing to life multiple incarnations of these select characters and adding to the cast of characters designed to scare the life out of every guest.  “Face Off:  In the Flesh” will also feature new sounds from acclaimed electro house artist “Figure,” who returns to Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Halloween Horror Nights” with a haunting mix of electronica-inspired dance music.

“Face Off” is a competition/elimination series exploring the world of special-effects make-up artists and the unlimited imagination that allows them to create amazing works of living art. As a member of the multi-generational family dynasty whose name is synonymous with the make-up effects field, actress McKenzie Westmore brings expertise to her role as host of the series.

Some of SFX world’s most celebrated figures judge the competition – multiple Academy-Award winner Ve Neill (“The Hunger Games,” “Pirates of the Caribbean”), industry veteran Glenn Hetrick (“CSI: New York,” “Heroes,” “Legion”), and creature designer Neville Page (“Avatar,” “Prometheus”). World-renowned Hollywood makeup artist Michael Westmore (“Star Trek”) serves as the contestant mentor. Stepping in to complete the judging panel for season 7 while Ve Neill is working on “The Hunger Games” is Lois Burwell, an Academy-Award winning artist known for “Lincoln,” “Bravheart,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “War Horse” and “War of the Worlds.” Season 7 of “Face Off” premieres on Syfy on July 22.

The series will feature Universal Studios Hollywood for an episode airing September 9, in which the artists must create an original horror villain inspired by evocative titles and vivid graphics from a movie poster. The winning makeup from this challenge will be featured at the 2014 Halloween Horror Nights.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16vofVpVNGA

“We’re excited that some of Face Off’s most memorable and visually stunning creatures ever will be brought back to life for Universal Studios’ ‘Halloween Horror Nights,’” said Bill McGoldrick, EVP, Original Content, Syfy Original Programming.  “Over the years, the talented artists of Face Off have dreamed up some amazing creatures that we know will make terrifying additions to the ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ experience.”

“The gruesome creatures imagined on Face Off are the perfect fit for the streets of Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights,” said Michael Aiello, Director of Entertainment – Creative Development, Universal Orlando Resort.  “Our goal is to bring to life the macabre artistry displayed in the characters seen week after week. We are also very excited to be featured in a season 7 episode of Face Off, and to include that episode’s winning makeup in the maze. For our guests, I know it will be a uniquely terrifying opportunity to come face to face with these creations for the very first time now “In the Flesh.”

“‘Face Off’s’ inspiration to create original movie-quality creatures makes for very compelling television,” said John Murdy, Universal Studios Hollywood’s Creative Director for and Executive Producer of “Halloween Horror Nights.” Collaborating with the show’s creative team, however, gave us a unique way to extend the life of these exceptional characters that make-up artists have poured blood, sweat and tears into creating.  We’re excited to put these incredible works of art to the test and see just how scared our guests will become when they are face to face with live versions of these nightmarish characters.”

Universal Studios’ “Halloween Horror Nights” events have a more than 20-year history of creating incredibly entertaining, horrifying Halloween experiences that are consistently rated the nation’s best. The events on each coast feature highly-themed, disturbingly real, haunted mazes based on everything from films to nightmares – and streets filled with hundreds of specially trained “scareactors.” Other announced experiences include “From Dusk Till Dawn” and “The Walking Dead:  The End of the Line” haunted mazes.