Dick’s Life and Work
Dick working on Dustin Hoffman’s old age makeup for LITTLE BIG MAN
In acknowledgment of Dick’s unique role in advancing the makeup profession, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored him not once but twice, first with a special tribute ceremony in 2009 and again in 2011 with an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Dick was also famous for his boundless generosity of spirit. He loved helping other artists and was always there when they needed him with information and just as importantly, a sympathetic ear. Dick became a father figure as well as artistic mentor to many artists and had a profound impact on their lives.
2009 Tribute
On June 17th, 2009 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences honored Dick Smith with a special tribute to acknowledge his extraordinary contribution to the makeup profession and entertainment industry.
The two hour event at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater was opened by Leonard Engelman, the Academy’s Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch Governor and MC’d by Rick Baker. It featured guest speakers Greg Cannom, Kazuhiro Tsuji, Mike Elizalde, Shane Mahan & John Rosengrant, Kevin Haney, Andrew Clement, Alec Gillis & Tom Woodruff, Carl Fullerton, Hal Holbrook and Linda Blair.
The standing-room only audience of 1,100 was also treated to an extensive series of video clips of Dick’s groundbreaking work in film and television and never-before-seen documentary footage of Dick on location for The Exorcist and The Hunger.
The happy guest of honor received three separate standing ovations, a tidal wave of affection that shook the auditorium.
Dick and the audience were delighted by a surprise video from New Zealand. The giant projections of Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro and Richard Taylor sent their greetings and congratulations.
Lifetime Academy Award
Dick is the only makeup artist in history to receive a Governors Award for Lifetime Achievement, the very highest and most prestigious type of Academy Award. By bestowing a Governors Award on Dick Smith, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has acknowledged him as the preeminent figure of the makeup world.
Weta Workshop was established in 1994 in Wellington, New Zealand by Richard and Tania Taylor, Peter Jackson, and Jamie Selkirk. Their goal: to provide special makeup effects, props and other services to local film and television productions. Today Weta Workshop is a 65,000 square foot dream factory employing over 200 artists and craftspeople, creating everything from weird creature makeups to the design for fantasy vehicles, weapons, and entire worlds for blockbusters like The Hobbit, King Kong, and Avatar. The Workshop’s extraordinary work has earned it five Academy Awards.
Mike Elizalde is an Academy Award nominated prosthetic makeup designer, animatronics designer, and Screen Actors Guild puppeteer. He is also President and Creative Director of Spectral Motion, Incorporated.
Lee Romaire Studios, Inc., founded in 2004, designs and produces extraordinary live action creature, character and mechanical effects for the entertainment industry.
Raised in Connecticut, a few miles from New York, Andrew Clement was taking the train into the city to work in the effects business even before graduating high school. He gathered any experience he could in the east coast effects community, sometimes even working for free, until it was time to attend S.U.N.Y. Purchase. While working towards his Visual Arts/Theatre Design degree, he began working on shows such as Saturday Night Live, and the films, The Princess Bride and Ridley Scott’s Black Rain. In 1985, Dick Smith began his legendary Advanced Professional Make-Up Course, and Andrew became his very first student. Armed with this life changing knowledge, he began commanding larger and more lucrative jobs.
In 1988 Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr. formed Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc., which was destined to become one of the top effects labs in the industry. In 1988 Alec had enrolled in Dick Smith’s Advanced Course and found it to be a tremendous help in ADI’s quest for artistic excellence.
At a young age Mike Marino became a student and protege of legendary make-up artist Dick Smith. Through Dick’s Advanced Professional Makeup Course, Mike built the foundation and inspiration needed to excel in the field of Special Makeup Effects. Now, with over 20 years of experience in the film industry, Mike has worked with leading artists in the field, including Rob Bottin, Rick Baker and many others. As owner and designer of Prosthetic Renaissance, Mike has been able to realize his goal of leading a first rate team, elevating the art of special makeup effects.