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THE ART OF DYING (Blow By Blow) Behind the Scenes with Isabelle Stephen, Joe Lauria and Makeup Artist Brian SpearsIt's June 2002. I met with Isabelle Stephen and had dinner with her after her long drive down from Canada. The next morning we met again and dived right into her first scene. Isabelle plays Ethan Fernier's (the Black Rose Killer played by Joe Lauria) love interest who in this scene makes the decision to black mail him into leaving his wife. It's a decision that has some deadly results. Death by camera tripod to be exact. Makeup Artist Brian Spears (G&S Effects Co.) was on hand to whip up some grisly effects. Brian (who went to the Art Institute of Pittsburg on a full scholarship) had studied many real autopsy photos in order to make it look authentic. Joe swings the tripod towards Isabelle. The shot is blocked so that it appears to strike her in the side of the head. Succeeding blows strike her in the chest. In the tradition of Psycho (shower scene) we never see the hits. The visuals and sound effects lead us to believe that she is being beaten to death. Isabelle often makes sounds off camera as Joe strikes the bed where she would be laying.
Brian is called in shortly after the first blow. He uses out of the kit makeup for the bruises and a Kayro and Cabosil gel mixture with red food coloring for the blood. Blood and Bruises are added after each blow.
Brian adds the finishing touches before the final death blow is dealt. Layer upon layer is added and the shading is blended for realism. Again, all of this is done out of the kit with the type of makeup you can find at a party store or Halloween outlet.
Joe rears back to deliver a blow that will break her rib cage and collapse her lungs. First we shoot Joe plunging the tripod down with Isabelle out of harm's way. Then we shoot a close-up of the tripod pulling away from her chest. This can be sped up later or it can be reversed and sped up to look like a close-up of it slamming into her.
Isabelle is dead... NOT! She checks out the damage in the mirror before cleanup. Another job well done and this is just the first scene to shoot for the day. We shoot all the rest of her scenes throughout the afternoon until dusk when a hurricane sweeps in as she drives back to Canada.
Now check out the movie trailer to see part of the scene in action!
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