Neill Gorton

This week I attended a talk by prosthetic artist and designer Neill Gorton. Neill Gorton is very successful in his field and has worked on many films such as Saving Private Ryan (1998), Children Of Men (2006) and television shows such as Doctor Who. He is currently working on the TV Movie Lady Chatterley's Lover and the TV series Spotless. I have previously watched Saving Private Ryan and found the use of prosthetics unbelievable and extremely realistic. Listening to him talk made me appreciate even more the skill, time and hard work that is required to produce work of that quality. As well as designing and applying prosthetics he also runs the Gorton Studio where novices can undertake short courses, seven week courses and bespoke courses learning the art of prosthetics. He also offers the opportunity for people to learn from home through the use of DVDs, magazines and books as well as other resources.

The talk that he carried out was interesting as it was less about his life and his rise to success but about the reality of working as a Make Up Artist or Designer in TV and Film. He started off by discussing the reality of working in the industry and how only 10% of the people in the room with him would end up working in television and film. He also highlighted the fact that hard work over skill can sometimes be more important if you want to be successful as it builds up a good reputation of yourself. He also expressed the importance of gaining as much work experience as possible to build up your portfolio and have a greater understanding of how the industry operates. 

He discussed with us the usual working hours while on set as well as the average salary earnings. The usual working hours are 12 to 14 hours a day 5 to 6 days a week. The days of working per week are usually on a two week rota basis where one week is 5 days and one week is 6. The salary of an artist working in a workshop can range between £7 and £30 an hour and on set £115 and £550, the highest wage is normally achieved by someone who is at the top of the field. 

Although the talk was eye opening to the harsh reality, it also reinforced my desire to be successful in this industry as it is my biggest passion in life and I cannot imagine myself doing anything else. He asked us to think about what it is that drives us to be successful. The money? Meeting famous people? The opportunity to travel? I think of these options the opportunity to travel and experience new cultures and countries is the most appealing and most exciting. He told us where his job has taken him; America, Australia, India and most of Europe. I think this talk had the potential to dissuade me from wanting to take part in this industry, however it has ignited my passion further and I am excited to continue learning and gaining new experiences from people as successful as Neill Gorton.

Neill Gorton Working
http://moviespictures.org/biography/Gorton,_Neill

Neill Gorton Working
http://moviespictures.org/biography/Gorton,_Neill

Sources: https://www.gortonstudio.co.uk/learn-from-home#other-resources
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003929/