First off, what projects do you have going on now that you’d like to discuss?
Currently I’m in post-production for a TV series I produced. It’s a hybrid competition show and horror movie for Shutter called Guts and Glory.
I’m also the Executive Producer for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – the next season premiered September 7th on AMC.
What got you interested in special effects in the first place?
Growing up in Pittsburgh, I developed a love of horror movies. There was a TV show called Chiller Theater hosted by Bill Cardill and I’d wait for Saturday nights to stay up and watch it. One night they showed The Night of the Living Dead – that was the first time it was shown on TV. I was blown away and terrified at the same time. I was fascinated that it was shown 20 minutes from where I grew up. I became fascinated with George Romero after that.
By a complete, unique circumstance I met George. My uncle was a local actor and DJ and was in one of his movies called The Crazies. I met George through him and he asked me if i wanted to visit his offices on Ft. Pitt Boulevard. I did that and lo and behold he told me he was getting ready to film Creepshow and asked if i was interested in being his production assistant. I told him I couldn’t then as I was just getting ready to go away to college. But I still visited him and then met Tom Savini and my fascination for the genre kept growing. I always thought it was a hobby and not a career for me until a couple of years later.
What happened?
In the early 80’s there was a massive influx of horror movies – the Howling, The Thing, American Werewolf in London, Friday the 13th….In 1984 I had lunch with George and he told me they had just greenlit Day of the Dead and asked if I wanted a job. I called Tom and asked if I could be his production assistant and that’s how it happened.
I worked with Tom for a couple of years then moved to L.A. I became friends there with Howard Bergen and we became partners and formed a special effects studio in 1988 that is is still in business – KNB EFX.
How did you scale up that business so effectively – you’ve been involved in hit after hit movie now? And do you miss the more hands-on work?
There’s a difference between building special effects and executing them on set. As a principle of KNB I designate the sculpting and painting based on my concepts and designs. But you still need someone to execute them on set and I usually do that still. When working with producers like Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez I like working with them directly – even on the set of The Walking Dead. As the director you’re still hands-on but I do delegate more. When it all comes together though I try to be present on set.
Do you have concerns as CGI and AI take root more?
Jurassic Park and The Abyss – when those came out I thought “Crap – what do we do?” CGI though created opportunities for us. More movies were greenlit with special effects that we could work on – movies like Transformers and Spiderman. We survived the transition from practical to practical and digital mashups.
It affected us more in the shift from movies to TV. Films are on the decline. The Walking Dead’s success – that was the first time anything like that was on TV. We were fortunate – they knew the value we brought – the understanding of the genre and the value of having someone like me help guide the process when you’re doing hundreds of makeups every show.
You’ve acted some as well – but don’t seem to want to get credits for doing so. Why is that?
It’s funny you asked that. I have had enough experience now that I could be a better actor now than when I did it more years ago. When you’re dealing with prosthetics and animatronics sometimes you cast yourself in a role just for necessity. On The Day of the Dead there was a soldier who had his head taken off and it comes to life again. When the script changed the character had a dialogue – so it was just easier to put myself in the role. In Inglorious Bastards there was a character killed and they needed a fake head again. It was easier that I just play the part – it was more production-friendly.
I haven’t acted in something where I had to have real dialogue and acting chops. In Guts and Glory I am the host but I can’t stand watching myself. I guess I would act in something if it wasn’t too schlocky.
How has Pittsburgh influenced you and your work?
Pittsburgh affected me in a unique way. The Bill Cardill element and the fact The Night of the Living Dead was filmed there. There was a renegade independent spirit then. George exuded that – he showed the you didn’t need to be in Hollywood or New York to do it. He opened doors for people and that spirit prevailed in Pittsburgh. It made it attainable for me by proximity.
I know Tom Savini talked about Pittsburgh’s influence and not loving L.A. Was the L.A. adjustment difficult for you?
Tom always wanted to stay where his roots were and there’s a lot to that. When you have roots – your family and heritage is there. I didn’t think as much about that – I was getting ready to move away to college then. But I still feel that connection – my whole family is in Pittsburgh and that’s a significant draw for me to the city.
Mr. Rogers too – a lot of George’s crew worked at PBS so that added to that family environment. You became part of a family working there.
But you did leave…
The relationships I made on The Day of the Dead caused me to leave. Tom didn’t have to leave – he could wait around for work. But I was a 21-year old kid who had dreams of being a special effects artist. I wanted to work and spread my wings. I had a good head on my shoulders and made some good decisions on jobs and relationships that helped shape who I am today. I tell people that we all have those intersections in life, and I think I made the right decisions on those 95% of the time.
Was there a time when you felt you had really made it?
That’s a hard emotion to accept. I never wanted to feel like I made it – then I worry you don’t try as had any more.
I have athletes tell me that as well…
Exactly. I also suffer from imposter syndrome. Sometimes I look around and wonder if I deserve to be here and how I got here. There are a lot of emotions that come with success. Owning a company and the longevity of it – I think that is more success than winning awards is. The relationships and longevity mean more. Having people thank me for what I do. They tell me all the time that The Walking Dead helped bring their families together. Who would have thought that? But that’s the response I often get.
To be at Madison Square Garden in front of 12,000 people, introducing the show I directed that was seen by 20 million people…that emotion I can never explain, but I am tremendously grateful to have done it.
Lastly – given the changes occurring in the industry, what advice would you give those entering it today?
It’s changing so fast – it’s really challenging. AI is changing things monthly – the way content is made. It’s not better or worse – just different. So, it’s difficult to imagine what the future of the industry will be like.
Now, anyone can do AI. What will you need content creators for when everyone can make their own content? When I grew up it was movies – it was a communal experience. We all screamed when something was scary and all laughed together when it was funny. Those days are pretty much gone. Now everything is on TV, phones and iPads. So my advice I guess is to tap into how to appeal to people again. I do worry for the next generation of filmmakers.