The Hollywood touch is coming to Red Deer.
Sutton Landmark Realty and Marvel College have teamed up to sponsor a special effects makeup workshop featuring renowned makeup artist Herman Groenewald.
Those who have trained under Groenewald, an internationally qualified makeup artist with more than 30-years of experience, have gone on to work in various makeup artistry roles.
One of his graduates, Trefor Proud, is an Academy Award and Emmy Award winning makeup artist who has worked on films such as Underworld, Gladiator and Topsy Turvy.
Cecile Doris, director of Marvel College, said she anticipates Groenewald will spend most of his time during the three-hour workshops showcasing what she called theatrical makeup.
She explained this includes horror movie makeup that features a victim with ghastly gashes constructed out of fake blood and putty.
And while the college offers a 1,050-hour esthetics course that touches on the topic of theatrical makeup, Doris said Groenewald’s presentation will be much more intensive and elaborate than what the local program covers.
Neall Stevens, a broker with Sutton Landmark Realty who helped arrange the event, said the workshops will provide students with unique training while also raising funds for an African AIDS project.
Interest in the courses being held May 15 and May 17 has been overwhelming, he said.
At least 60 local students have registered and individuals from Edmonton and Calgary have also expressed an interest in attending the workshop.
The resounding demand has even resulted in Groenewald agreeing to offer an additional workshop to about 40 Stettler high school students on Monday.
“They don’t have too many people locally who can teach special effects makeup,” Stevens said of the enthusiasm.
“It’s different and not readily available to them. I’ve seen his work and it’s absolutely unbelievable.”
Stevens has been volunteering with the Dibanani AIDS Project in Cape Town, South Africa, for the past two years. It was there that he met Groenewald, a native of South Africa who also volunteers with the project.
The two men decided to host the makeup workshops in an effort to help raise money for the initiative that provides ongoing community care to people and families affected with HIV and AIDS.
The workshop will be held at Marvel College on Ross Street from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on both Saturday, May 15, and Monday, May 17.
Pre-registration is required and fees are $20 per person or $10 per student.
To register, call either Neall Stevens at 403-357-9347 or Eduardo Haro at 403-318-3980.