The Walking Dead: Behind The Scenes Special Effects Secrets

The team behind the effect.TWD.The special effects uses practical effects and makeup whenever possible. These methods are cheaper and often look more realistic. How exactly do you make an actor's face look twisted backwards?

In a Season 8 scene, a walker trips when its foot hits a steel fence. This sends it toppling over onto its belly. Its head twists all the way around tocovered one actor's face up.Executive producer and director Greg Nicotero shared how they made the gruesome shot: "We did a full prosthetic makeup on the performer. Then, we dug a hole and covered his face. We put an animatronic head on top to turn it all around."

Most monsters onTWD.are worn down; most have at least one limb missing. Combined with the show's many on-screen deaths, some fake blood is necessary.

Each episode needs massive amounts of red ooze. The special effects department makes all of this on set.Nicotero said, "[TWD.] probably uses the most blood we have ever used on any show. Per episode, we usually use between 20 and 30 gallons.

Different situations need different blood types. Arterial blood is bright red. Blood from veins is often a much darker shade. Dried blood does not look like fresh, dripping blood, and vice versa.

Nicotero explained the special effects team usesThe crew uses several different shades and textures of blood, depending on the need.to make realistic blood based on its use. He explained, "We have dark zombie blood, dried blood, and coagulated blood. If you wear a dark shirt like mine and want to see the blood, it must be brighter; otherwise, it just fades in with the color."

The CGI tiger looks very real. Fans might think it is real, but it is not. Throwing a live animal on set would save money, but safety rules for the animal and crew required an animated version.

Scott Hunter is Shiva The Tiger, a stunt man in a blue body suit., a stuntman, put on a mocap suit to stand in for Shiva. Every time the tiger jumps on someone and tears out their jugular, it is actually Hunter in a blue bodysuit.

TWD actors go to 'Zombie School' to perfect their performance.'s'Zombie School'trains performers in the classicstumbling-and-groaning styleActors must be quiet. Walkers make much noise on the show, but the sound is added in post-production. This makes the sound design more consistent and removes random sneezes, coughs, or other involuntary sounds from the actors. Nicotero stated:

I judge the auditioning zombie extras by look and performance. The show needs a specific look for the zombies: thin, gaunt, and emaciated. We choose thinner people with a certain bone structure. When we apply prosthetics, makeup adds to the look; it doesn't make their faces look too built up. Performance is the second part. The actor must bring the zombie to life. Our walkers must feel real and authentic.

Anyone passing the casting agents continues by attending the school. This school teaches actors how to move, walk, and bite people correctly. While students train there, effects artists measure them for costumes and prepare everything for the on-screen action.

The Walking Dead features three different types of zombies.It features three distinct types.It features types of zombies.: those wandering in the back, those in the middle distance, and those close to the camera. Zombies in the distance need little makeup—maybe just some fake blood and dirty clothes. Middle distance zombies need some makeup, shading, and a bit of blood.

Those in the foreground get the full makeup treatment. Even for a few seconds on screen, they must look as nasty as possible. This is why those monsters take the most time to prepare for a scene.

Nicotero explained the process in aA 2012 interview with CNN covers this.:

For days with 60 or 70 zombies, we separate the work. We have "hero" makeups, which are features. We have "midground" makeups, which are paint jobs. We paint highlights and shadows on their faces to make them look dead, but they do not get too close to the camera.

On average, a zombie takes a...TWDactor can look like a zombie in about an hour and a half. The process is streamlined; customization happens beforehand. Each actor gets their own dentures and contact lenses. They also get 3D-molded prosthetics made just for their faces, which need prep and artistry.

A team of four makeup artists spends up to 90 minutes getting everything right for each actor. Nicotero said the team oftenTWD doesn't know.who is coming in that day:

Extras arrive in the trailers. We do not know who shows up; it is like starting with a new canvas every time. They all wear contact lenses; they all have custom dentures. Some people we like to make look more decayed than others. It all depends on the character and what we plan for that day.

TWD uses partial masks to stop zombie actors from overheating.Filming happens in Georgia. That place has extreme heat and humidity. This causes issues when actors wear heavy latex masks or suits. Early on, special effects and makeup artists decided against full masks. They used only 3D transfers on parts of the faces instead.

Full masks made actors overheat fast under the Georgia sun. This forced artists to invent new methods. As the show grew, the team made new ways to make the zombies look scarier and more interesting.The showrunners, including Nicotero, want the zombies to look less fresh as time passes.To stop zombie actors from overheating, the team uses partial masks. Nicotero also wants the zombies to look less 'fresh' as time passes.

The show runs for years. This means some beings walk around for ages. The leathery skin, the thin bodies, the visible bone structure—they show the zombies' decay over time.

Before he worked with TWD,TWDNicotero started working when he worked for George Romero on Day of the Dead.he worked for George Romero on Day of the Dead.Day of the DeadHe worked in horror with John Carpenter and others. He kept working in horror.

Nicotero studied biology in college, which gave him real-world roots for his interest in cadavers. His love for medicine and biology shows in the show's VFX artistry; he adds great detail to the zombies' skin and muscle.

In a2018 interviewNicotero shared methods: "We try to make it look real. Pull the skin back on some zombies, and you see different layers underneath."

Georgia is hot and humid in summer. Actors playing zombies still need self-care. Actors often use sunscreen because they walk around in the background for long periods on hot days.

The sunscreen protects actors and stops them from overheating and sweating.sweating, which Nicotero says a zombie does not do:

They spray them with sunscreen before they leave. This sets the makeup well. If they lie on hot pavement, they cut out neoprene sheets shaped like their bodies and use silver boards to block the sun. If a zombie turns red or sweats, it does not look like someone who is [deceased].

Hair is often missed in zombie creation. Since these monsters walk in the hot sun for years, their hair must show it—matted with mud, blood, dirt, and everything else they find. Nicotero says the makeup crew uses lots of conditioner weekly for a The makeup team uses a ton of hair conditioner each week for a flat, greasy look.:

We eliminate anything that makes a zombie look like she just left a salon. An extra with purple hair appeared. We spent two hours changing the color. A zombie with purple hair makes no sense. We use conditioner to make it look flat, greasy, and matted. We use four bottles of Alberto VO5 conditioner weekly.

Turning a camera-ready actor into a walking zombie is hard.TWDThe artists know the process. Nicotero revealed that four artists form an assembly line to make enough people fast.The assembly line works with each person doing one specific job repeatedly.

Four artists run an assembly line. They finish forty to fifty zombies per hour. One artist works the eyes and cheekbones. Another artist applies a lighter color to the highlights to show the bone structure. A third artist spatters blood. The last artist puts conditioner in hair.

This gets them through a whole horde in one hour. One person doing it slowly could take a whole day. For a series needing daily makeup for many actors and extras, an assembly line is the best way.