Monsters & More our Exclusive Interview with Creature Creator Rich Knight

Readers.. have any of you ever longed for the day when you will finally see a classic horror movie treated with the respect it deserves, instead of seeing a Hollywood bastardized version of that great tale? 

Personally, I know that I am, and from what I've seen - "Frankenstin vs the Creature from Blood Cove" looks to be that film..paying homage to the great classic horror of "days gone by."

Horror-Movies.ca had the honor to chat with Rich Knight, the SFX Artist/Actor for the film so we had HM's very own (Moviemaven) do up a few q's for Rich.. so without further rambling by me, here's the interview.

Q.  The film that brings us here is William Winckler's Frankenstein vs the Creature from Blood Cove. That is a freakishly long title so I'm just gonna call it Frankenstein vs the Creature from here on out. What drew you to this project?

I really liked the challenge of recreating classic-style monsters. I have always been a fan of the original Universal Horror films as well as the Hammer monster films. I have collected masks, horror magazines and monster memorabilia since as long as I can recall... but ultimately it was the Frankenstein monster that drew me to this film. I had always wanted to design my own version of the monster and this gave me the excuse to do just that.

Q.  Apart from the obvious title characters, there is a huge cast of old favorite monsters. Can you give us a rundown on the list?

Aside from the main attraction (the Frankenstein monster and the fish creature) there is also a werewolf, a ghost, the monster's bride, and a number of victims that fall prey to our menacing creatures. In addition to our monster line-up we have a terrific cast of great actors, which like myself and our director, are fans of the classic monster films of yesterday.

Q.  Did you know that Frankenstein vs the Creature is rated number six on our site right now? That is huge! We have well over 2000 films in the database. How does it make you feel to know that so many people are this excited about a film that will showcase your work?

I can only hope that we can live up to the expectations of the creature feature fans. Our movie is truly a homage to the classic monster movies of the 30's, 40's and 50's and we have some pretty huge shoes to fill, but I think that monster fans will find our movie to be fun and reminiscent of the classic films which inspired us. If nothing else, I hope that this film inspires our viewers to buy or rent the original classics and enjoy them once again, and perhaps share them with a new generation of potential monster fans..

Q.  How much creative control were you given during the filming of Frankenstein vs the Creature? Man, how did you guys refer to it? That is really tiring to say. LOL

Yes, the title is sort of long winded, but how can you not love it? The director gave me a lot of creative freedom in the design process. I corresponded with the director via email and phone for nearly two years while we were in the design phase of the project. I gave several designs to the director, based on his input, then he'd choose which designs best matched his vision.

The most challenging character to design was the Frankenstein monster. There have been literally hundreds if not thousands of variations on Mary Shelley's monster, and in my opinion the greatest of them all was Universal's original version with Boris Karloff. We wanted to go in an entirely different direction with the monster. Being that there are so many different variations of the "lonely monster" already in existence it was pretty tough to come up with something original. I think that my designs captured the essence of the monster and maintained that "classic" feel.

Q.  I know that you didn't have a large budget, but worse than that, you didn't have a whole helluva lot of time. Were there ever any moments when you thought you just weren't going to make it?

The truth is that on most independent films both time and money are on short supply. Obviously we can not compete with the major studios when it comes to the budget, but I think that many people will be surprised to see just how "big budget" this film looks. Not unlike such films as "El Mariachi" or "the Blair Witch Project", our movie is sure to grab the attention of the film industry.

We truly captured the look of a major motion picture without having to spend Millions of dollars, and I am sure that this film will also gain major attention to our director and cinematographer. As to whether I ever felt that I wouldn't make it? Failure was never an option, I was determined to finish the work even if it meant losing sleep. . . and I did pull many all-nighters to get everything completed.

Q.  As a result, were you forced to compromise some of your designs?

I never had to compromise the designs, in fact the finished work turned out almost exactly like the original designs... of course they did evolve as they went from 2-D to 3-D. In order to save time we did change materials. For the creature suit I wanted to go with silicone or urethane because those materials have a very realistic look and feel, but ultimately there wasn't enough time to create molds suitable for casting silicone. Instead I opted to go "old school" and use latex and urethane foam which is much faster and easier to work with.

I also wanted to make the creature mask cable controlled, but again time was an issue. I brought my good friend Rufus Hearn on the project in the last two weeks of pre-production, and together he and I came up with an ingenious way of allowing the creature's mouth to move without the need of animatronics or cable control. Despite the change in desired materials, the designs themselves remained mostly intact. I think that by going with the older method of latex and foam we also captured a look more like that of the classic monsters we all love.

Q.  Are you happy with the end results of your efforts?

As a true perfectionist I have to say that everything could have been better. If we had more time and more money I am sure that the monsters would have been much more elaborate... but the truth is, I feel this way about all my work. I am always pushing myself to be a better artist, and with each new creation I learn something new and see things in a different light.

Q.  Apart from the makeup, you also had a speaking role in the film. What can you say about your character Salisbury?

"Salisbury" is one of the mad scientists that creates the fish monster and reanimates the Frankenstein monster. There's a back story to why he is scarred and blind in one eye, but I don't want to give it away to the fans.

Q.  Do you enjoy acting? Is that something you would like to do more of?

Yes, I do enjoy acting, especially when I am also doing the special effects and/or acting in FX makeup. Since the Frankenstein movie I have been cast in two other films. In director Matt Galvin's "Night Walker" I play a blood sucking vampire. And in director Matt Thiesen's upcoming horror satire "Killer Sound" I play a musician that goes on a killing spree after being kicked out of his band. In both films I am not only acting but doing the FX as well.

In "Night Walker" I designed the vampire makeup and claws and applied them myself, however the other makeup and effects for the film were handled by the key makeup artist. For "Killer Sound" I have once again teamed up with sculptor extraordinaire Neal Kennemore to design and create the various gore effects. I am now pursuing more acting work, and specifically seeking out films that I can both act in and do the special effects makeup.

As an actor doing the makeup effects I am not only able to walk in the footsteps of such legends as Lon Cheney and Tom Savini, but it also allows me to become the character I create. It is an extension of the creative process that I am just beginning to tap into. I am hoping to work on many more films as both actor and special effects makeup artist. I am also planning to use my acting and effects skills for puppeteering on a puppet show project I am self-producing titled "The Ruff and Skitch Show".

Q.  Looking at the cast list I spot names like Butch Patrick and Lloyd Kaufman. How cool is that? Is Kaufman as much of a hard-ass as I've heard he is? (Don't tell him I said that. LOL)

Actually I never had the opportunity to meet Lloyd or Butch. I was knee deep in monsters during the entire shoot, and rarely had a chance to take a break let alone mingle with the cast. In addition to Lloyd Kaufman and Butch Patrick there's also other celebrity cameos in the film, but the real star of course is Lawrence Furbish as the Frankenstein monster.

Q.  What is one lesson or experience that you will take away from this project?

I learned many lessons on this project, mostly to negotiate more time on such a labor intensive film. The most rewarding part of this project was the fantastic makeup crew I was able to gather together. We worked so hard to make all of these monsters, and we stuck it out through all of the stressful moments that came and went. We were like a family, and in many ways we still are. I am truly hoping to work with each and every makeup crew member once again on even bigger and better projects.

The movie would not have been possible were it not for the hard work and sacrifice of myself and my crew. I am thankful for each and every makeup crew member, and I hope that you will allow me to give them a plug in this interview. Very special thanks to Nina Markert, Robert Wesley Knight, Felvi Hernando, Scott Randall, David Fahy, Casey Dion, John Hart, Neal Kennemore ,Arriane Meade, Thad Whitley, Choi- Ho Chul, Ross Tallent and Rufus Hearn.

Q.  As a kid I was always into the old monster flicks as well as Godzilla and Jaws (my favorite film and my favorite movie monster). Who is your favorite monster and why?

That's really a tough one to answer, I think it's a toss up between Karloff's Frankenstein monster and King Kong. Although the monster that I find the most frightening is "Bruce" aka the shark from Jaws. . . I still think twice before going in the water!

Q.  What film creature do you wish you had had a crack at designing?

I am going to have to say that I would have loved to have the chance to create the "Jurassic Park" dinosaurs. What a great challenge that must have been to design and create something of such enormous proportions!

Q.  If you could design creatures for any director at all, who would it be and why?

Two directors come to mind that I would love to work with, Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas. Not only are both men incredible film makers, but they are well known for being good to those that work beneath them. I once read that George Lucas gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to all of his crew that worked on the original Star Wars (Episode 4) after it became a blockbuster hit. I doubt that many other directors would share the wealth in such a way. Aside from all that, they are both visionaries. . . true artists, and masters at their craft.

It is always a pleasure to collaborate on a film project with an artist that has such vision and skill. Most indie film makers these days are too cheap to pay for a qualified crew, either that or they have no idea what they are doing, they lack talent or they simply expect to hire other artists to do the work while they take all the glory and reap the rewards. Fortunately, there is still some talented people out there making films, they just seem to be few and far between.

Q.  What is your favorite design to date? Which one did you have the most fun doing and end up being the happiest with the final product?

My favorite design to date is the vampire makeup for the film "Night Walker". Although it wasn't exactly the most original in design (vampires have been done to death!) it was a simple makeup and it looked and moved really well. The director gave me complete creative freedom on the project and all the time in the world, just to make sure that the makeup came out as good as it possibly could, despite the low budget we had.

I am especially proud of the five inch long claws I created for the character. I came up with a unique method of creating them that I don't think has been done before. I am planning to eventually market the claws to other effects artists as well as the Halloween market some time in the near future.

Q.  What would you say was the most influential thing in your decision to do makeup effects?

It is difficult to say what exactly was the most influential thing in deciding to make special effects makeup my career. As a child I was always a big fan of the classic monsters such as "Frankenstein","the Wolf man", "the Mummy", etc. I was also a huge fan of the "Planet of the Apes" movies and TV series, in fact I am still a big fan of those films. The original "Star Wars" was also a major influence to me as well, and so were the Muppets.

As a young adult I used to collect masks as well as comic books and puppets. From the time I was two years old I was drawing and sketching pictures of those movies and comic characters that influenced me. I remember as a kid going to garage sales with my mother and rummaging through all the junk, looking for things that I could use to make puppets or model space ships. I also played around with paper mache and made masks and sculptures. As well, I was notorious for taking apart my sister's toys and gutting them for spare parts for my crazy creations.

As I grew older my interests shifted more towards music and I decided to learn to play the guitar. I honestly thought I was going to be a rock star. Coming from a family of musicians, this wasn't such an abnormal thing, but I think my parents preferred the idea of me pursuing my art rather than suffering the stressful life of a working musician, as they had done.

It was years later when Tim Burton's "Batman" came out, and rekindled my interest in mask collecting, I was very impressed with the way they designed the bat suit, and I knew that I wanted to learn how to do that. In those days I was still working as a musician; singing and playing guitar. . . so I didn't really think about makeup effects as a career, but I did want to learn especially how to make masks and creature suits.

I was weary of the many Halloween masks that were out there, especially since the majority of those I collected as a child had rotted away in storage. . . I always felt that I could make something better. In 1993 I came to a crossroads and had to decide between music and special effects, and I chose the FX and never looked back. I still play music from time to time, and I plan to use my song writing skills in the puppet show, ("the Ruff and Skitch Show") that I am producing.

Q.  I have a few issues with CGI that I rant about all the time. LOL I know it is necessary, but I feel that some directors rely on it too much nowadays. Do you feel that the constantly growing use of CGI is hurting the makeup business?

There's no doubt that CGI has taken a lot of work away from the makeup artist. I am not a big fan of CGI, but I do see it as a valuable tool for any film maker. There are some things that just look better as a CGI effect as opposed to live action, and vice versa. I look at CGI as a tool, not unlike an airbrush for example. As an artist, there are many uses for an airbrush, but it will never replace a hand brush... it is merely another tool in my arsenal.

I think that many directors are using CGI nowadays because it is still a relatively new thing compared to live action special effects. I think that a lot of directors would still prefer to direct live action effects themselves rather than trusting a computer "geek" to do it for them in post, which is why CGI should be used as a tool. When CGI is used in conjunction with live action effects the over all illusion always looks better.

When CGI alone is used to create a character it seems to appear cartoon like. I think that the marriage of both mediums works best, as the CGI can offer effects that are too difficult to do using makeup, and live action effects can bring realism to the illusion because it is grounded in the real world. A perfect example of this is the dinosaurs from "Jurassic Park".

Q.  Tell us a little bit about your business, Creatures by Knight. I love the title, BTW. This is your chance to plug you for all you're worth.

Creatures By Knight Studios (or CBK Studios for short) is my shop's name. Aside from being a clever play on words, Creatures By Knight Studios is an effects shop that caters to the film and television industry. I started the shop in San Diego in 2003 and since then have worked on many indie film projects.

My shop is now located in the Riverside County area about two and a half hours outside of Los Angeles. In order to cater to lower budget productions I run the shop out of my home in order to reduce overhead costs. This allows me to offer lower rates to independent film makers that are willing to look outside of Los Angeles for their special effects needs. I hire crew members on a "by project" basis. I also look for talented individuals interested in learning special effects makeup as an intern.

At CBK Studios we design and create special effects makeups, masks, props, puppets, animatronics, working effects, full body creature suits and fine art sculpture. The shop is small but don't let the size fool you, we have created many monsters, creatures and aliens that rival the major effects studios in Hollywood.

For more information about Creatures By Knight Studios be sure to visit my website at: www.knight-spfx.com, or email me directly at: knightfx2000@yahoo.com (no phone calls please).

Are you a reader of MoviesOnline.ca/Horror-Movies.ca?

I read many of the online horror websites, and frequent many of the discussion boards and forums. I do read the articles on MoviesOnline.ca/Horror-movies.ca from time to time. In fact I really enjoy the reviews, they are sometimes very funny, sometimes they are just full of rants. . . but those reviews express the true feelings of real life movie viewers. There's no professional spin or special interest influence in those reviews either.

I really think that MoviesOnline.ca/Horror-movies.ca is one of the better sites out there, specifically because it is a site for fans, by fans. True, I am an industry professional, but I am also a horror fan first and foremost.

Q.  What have you got lined up that we should be on the lookout for? Anything on the burner as we speak?

Well, as I mentioned before the film "Night Walker" is currently in post production and should be completed in the next few months. "Killer Sound" starts shooting this weekend, and I am really looking forward to working on that project. It promises to be a humorous tale of horror with a very surprising and shocking ending. There are other projects currently in discussion but not yet locked in, so I won't mention those.

What I will mention is "The Ruff and Skitch Show". Ruff and Skitch is a puppet show based on the many characters from my life experience. The stories are very funny and entertaining, but they also have moral lessons that many of today's stories sadly neglect. There's over 32 various puppet characters, some will be animatronic some foam fabricated and some characters will be full body suits and/or makeup designs. I have recently completed the final draft on the first episode, and have a dozen other stories in the works.

Because I am self-producing the project it is moving very slowly and taking a back seat to the upcoming films that pay the bills. I am currently seeking out investors as well as venture capital for the project. So far all that have read the script or have heard the character voice readings have laughed so hard they cried. . . or nearly wet themselves. It really is going to be a very, very funny and entertaining show, and the stories are so funny because they are based on real life events and real people.

Q.  Finally, my favorite question. If you found yourself facing the end of civilization at the hands of any of the terrifying monsters you have designed, what are three things you would have with you? And whom would you want by your side?

If I were to face the end of the world at the hand of my own monster, I would hope to have a camera (gotta make sure I get a great photo for the book - how often do you get the chance to take portfolio shots of your monster wreaking havoc on civilization?).

I'd also hope to have a tall cup of gourmet coffee and my makeup kit (after all, if it's my monster I have to make sure his makeup looks fantastic while he is destroying the planet). . . and of course I would have my girlfriend Nina Markert right thereby my side.