"MaXXXine" Special Effects Artist: Kodai Yoshizawa What is Hollywood's Work Style? [CINEMORE ACADEMY vol.39]

Following A24's biggest hit series, " X " (2022) and " Pearl " (2022), the latest installment, "MaXXXine," is finally being released in Japan. Director Ti West has chosen Hollywood in the 1980s as the setting for this film. Maxine auditions for a new horror movie and is selected for the lead role, and begins filming. However, a series of disturbing, bizarre murders begin to occur around her...

Special makeup and special effects were handled by special effects artist Kodai Yoshizawa for this film, which depicts horror with a sort of meta-structure. Yoshizawa moved from Japan to Hollywood after The Graduate from high school and has worked on numerous horror films. This film was a long-awaited project for Yoshizawa with A24. We spoke to Yoshizawa about the production of this film and his work in Hollywood.

*Some parts contain detailed descriptions of scenes.

"MaXXXine" Synopsis

Hollywood, 1985. A blonde woman named Maxine appears in a huge film studio. Having risen to fame in the porn industry, she is auditioning for the new horror film "Puritan II" in hopes of becoming a "real star." At the time, LA is gripped by the fear of a serial killer known as "The Night Stalker," who is reported on the news day and night. Meanwhile, around Maxine, a mysterious incident occurs in which fellow actresses who have been invited to Hill's parties are killed one after another. Amidst the turmoil, Maxine lands the lead role in an audition and begins her rise to stardom. However, a mysterious entity, "someone," approaches her, who knows the trauma of the gruesome murder that happened to her six years earlier.

Index

• Working with Hollywood stars
• Evolving special modeling
• A well-balanced work style

Working with Hollywood stars

Q: Please tell us how you became involved in this project.

Yoshizawa: I work at Fractured FX Inc., a studio in Los Angeles that handles special makeup and special effects, and this request came to Justin, the company's president. Justin and director Ti West have worked together on Cabin Fever 2 (2009) and Valley of Violence (2016). X and Pearl were filmed in New Zealand, so WETA Studios was in charge of the special makeup. This film was shot in Los Angeles, so the offer came to Fractured FX.

Q: Please tell us the scene that Yoshizawa was in charge of.

Yoshizawa: The first major scene was when a man's crotch is crushed, and I created the man's testicles. Another member of staff created the insides of the testicles, and then I put them inside the ones I made. I also put in a tube that dispenses fake blood, and when it's crushed, it creates the special effect of blood gushing out. Another scene is when a cross is pierced in one character's eye, and I was in charge of the special makeup for that as well. I created a face with a cross pierced in the eye.

Q: In terms of the work process, do you bring the sculptures made at the company to the shooting location?

Yoshizawa: That's right. I send the sculptures I create to the set, where the makeup artists put them on the actors or incorporate them into the equipment. Only makeup artists who are part of the union are allowed to work on set, so there is a complete division of labor. That's why I don't often go to set locations, and I usually work holed up in the studio. However, there are times when actors come to the studio to have their molds made, so I sometimes meet them there.

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Q: I imagine that during the casting process you spend a long time with the actors.

Yoshizawa: As you can see in the film, they still actually do the mold-making process, which involves applying silicone to the face, and it takes about 1-2 hours.

Q: What's it like smearing silicone on Hollywood stars' faces?

Yoshizawa: Of course I'm careful, but since it's my job, I go all out and do it (laughs). I was once visited by Hiroyuki Sanada, and I was quite nervous. However, since I apply it all over my face, only my nostrils are open for breathing, and everything else is blocked...

Q: If the time is long, there will likely be opportunities to communicate.

Yoshizawa: I talk normally with the actors and we often have casual conversations, so we sometimes become good friends. As I'm Japanese, many people tell me, "I've traveled to Japan. Japan is a great place." Sanada-san is making an effort to convey true Japanese culture through Hollywood movies and dramas, and I was really influenced by him. He gave me the strength to work harder as a fellow Japanese.

Evolving special modeling