News Article

Oh yes, there will be blood!


5/19/2011 2:25:32 PM


Mitchell Stacey of Clarenville is the owner of Inde F/X Studio in Ontario, a company which specializes in makeup and special effects. His experience at College of the North Atlantic inspired his chosen career.

Being arm deep in blood, guts and gore is just another day at the office for Mitchell Stacey. The Clarenville native is the owner of Inde F/X Studio in Ontario, a company which specializes in makeup and special effects.

Growing up with a creative mind, a love of art and an even bigger love of horror movies, Mitchell found himself doing his own bloody make-up at the young age of 10. Mitchell felt his passion for art was great, and not knowing where it would take him, decided to enrol in the Visual Arts program at College of the North Atlantic (CNA).

“I had an interest in art since I could hold a pencil,” recalls Mitchell. “I decided to attend the visual arts program in CNA, because after graduating high school the only thing that appealed to me was art.”

The decision would be a life-altering one for Mitchell.

“Ever since I was a kid I had a strong interest in horror movies and the creatures and blood and gore that was involved with them. From that I started doing my own Halloween make up – winning first prize in Grade 6 for having a stake going through my stomach and coming out my back, which was perfectly lined up and looked legit.”

It was a common occurrence for Mitchell to win top prizes in these contests and his creations became bigger as his love of makeup grew.

“The visual arts program was a life altering experience for me. I met some new life-long friends, learned many new art forms which I never studied before in high school such as jewellery making, photography, and animation. In comparing artwork of my peers to mine I really honed in on my skills and learned how to improve certain aspects in my drawings and paintings.”

However, it wasn’t until he got his hands dirty that he discovered his real passion.

“Then came pottery,” states Mitchell. “This is where I learned that clay and sculpting was my forte and I loved forming 3D objects. I knew this was where art and I became one.”

He says sculpting with his hands and tools profoundly impacted the direction of his career.

“I learned many techniques about firing pots, kilns, glazes and the pottery wheel, but it was sitting in front of a ball of clay and sculpting with my hands and tools - that was what excited me,” he says. “The program definitely made me realize I wanted a career in art, and more so sculpting.”

After graduating from CNA in 2000, Mitchell wanted to attend Concordia for their sculpture program but feared he would just be another starving artist and end up working odd jobs not related to his chosen field.

“Being an artist definitely takes desire, a certain dedication and the will to persevere. After graduation I kept sculpting but never knew where I was headed or how I was going to get there. I just knew with this one life I was going to do something I love, and art would play a factor one way or the other. As hard as it can be never, never give up.”

His perseverance paid off when he discovered how to make his passion for sculpting merge with his love of movies.

“It wasn''t until a roommate of mine in Stephenville, who had seen what I did to myself for Halloween in 2001, said that I had talent and told me of a friend of his from St. Johns who had attended a school in Toronto for special effects make up, and it hit me – wow - a career for me! Take my sculpture and my love of horror... this was for me and I knew it.”

Mitchell attended Complections International Academy of Make-up Artistry in January 2003. The six-month intensive program features courses in hair styling, fashion, theatrical, film and TV special effects and prosthetics – the making and fabrication of fake limbs, monster masks, fake noses, body suits, among other things.

“I learned a great deal about the professional products used in the industry and was able to improve my skills greatly from the cheap department store materials I was using before. I graduated in July with top marks in Film and TV S.P.F.X. and Prosthetics which I had the desire for. Even though my teachers were telling me that I should do all aspects of the course to make it in the industry, I decided to stick with what I wanted to do and just pursue the special effects side of it.”

While still in school, he got his first taste of the movie business.

“I got started in the movie industry while still in Complections. One of my peers who knew how in love I was with the horror side of (the industry) asked me to help her with a movie she had landed. So I did, and with a very unorganized crew and 18-hour days on set, El Nino Cinema (now known as Black Fawn Films out of Guelph, ON) came out with their first feature Film Titled Desperate Souls which was later released by Alliance Atlantis. After seeing my name in the credits of my first feature I was hooked.”

Mitchell worked hard after leaving the academy, holding down jobs from fish plant worker to landscaper and everything in between.

“I’ve done everything – fish plant, gas station, grocery store, city worker, warehouses, Tim Hortons, Subway, landscaper – never getting too attached to one job so I can focus on what I really want to do, which is have my own successful studio for prosthetics and creature making for special effects in the movie industry.”

His tenacity in pursuing his goals got him to where he is today.

“I started my own business as soon as I graduated Complections as a freelancing makeup artist and then started my own studio to get more into the fabrication of prosthetics,” he says.

“The main reason for doing this comes from looking up to people such as Stan Winston and Tom Savini, who created a name for themselves by having their own studios and working on some of the films I grew up on such as Predator, Aliens, Terminator, Friday the 13th, and From Dusk til Dawn. I guess I wanted to be one of those guys per say... for their success and the great creatures they are known for creating. So I started Inde F/X Studio which is becoming more successful with every passing year.”

Since 2003, Mitchell has worked on several independent films, shorts, and music videos. He has also worked with such established production companies as Warner Bros., Lions Gate, and Maple Pictures.
To find out more information about Inde F/X Studio check out their website at http://www.indefxstudio.ca.

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Media contact:

Glenda McCarthy
Public Relations Assistant
College of the North Atlantic
709.643-6408
glenda.mccarthy@cna.nl.ca