Sat Dec 20, 2008 — by Robert Greenberger

Rick Baker Wins Tesla Award

Makeup Wizard Talks 'The Wolfman'

Rick Baker was honored by the International Press Academy this past weekend in Los Angeles.

Director John Landis presented Baker the Tesla Award for recognition of Visionary Achievement in Filmmaking Technology. It was the young director who first hired Baker in 1971 for Schlock. They have worked together ever since including An American Werewolf in London which earned Baker the first of six Academy Awards.

He later told Sci Fi Wire that his work on next year’s The Wolfman pays homage to the Universal original, not his own werewolf efforts. "I had a lot of trouble with that, because Benicio already looks like a werewolf, especially when he grows his facial hair out," Baker said. "I kept telling them that he wouldn't look too much different.

"This one is different, and harkens back to the classic Wolf Man  I'm not sure what they are going to do about the transformation; I heard they are going to do it in CG, and I think that is a mistake."

As for the film’s delay from April to November, the makeup wizard was somewhat baffled. "It was a troubled project from the start,” Baker admitted. “The first director [Mark Romanek] left, and Joe [Johnston] took it over, but it looks real good. I saw how they set it in [19th]-century England, and it looks spectacular.”

"I had a lot of trouble with that, because Benicio already looks like a werewolf, especially when he grows his facial hair out," Baker said. "I kept telling them that he wouldn't look too much different."

Dan Lebental won best editing for Iron Man. The film also won also for best DVD extras.

Richard King won best sound editing and mixing for The Dark Knight.

Best original song went to "Another Way to Die" from Quantum of Solace.

HBO’s True Blood won two acting awards in the television division.  Anna Paquin took best TV actress in a drama while Nelsan Ellis won best supporting actor in a drama.

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