So if you’re into reality TV and special FX makeup, you may be familiar with FaceOff, a show where a group of SFX makeup artists compete to create the best makeups and win a $100,000 prize to jump start their budding careers.
The DIAG squad has been huge fans of the show since it’s inception, and one of our absolute favourite contestants has been Cig Neutron, who was in season 7, and came back for season 11 All Stars and WON. Cig is known for his incredible concepts, crazy hats, and one heck of a waxed moustache.
He was kind enough to have a sit down with DIAG to talk monsters, being bald like Dr. Phil, and why Hausu fucking rules!
RG: Tell me who you are and what you do?
CN: I’m Cig Neutron and I make sleazy monsters with substance abuse problems….Oh and I also work in Los Angeles in the film industry as a Special FX artist. You may or may not know me from Face Off season 7 and Face Off All Stars season 11.
RG: So you just won FaceOff, what did you do to celebrate your win?
CN: Well from what I can remember I’m pretty sure I went to a bar with a lot of TV’s and relived that moment with all the people near and dear to my heart.
RG: You’ve been a fan favourite for your personality, talent, and your crazy hats – tell me about those hats, do you coordinate them to the days of the week? Whats the story behind them?
CN: Aw fan favorite!? You’re so kind *blushes* Well the story behind the hats is disappointingly simple: I used to love having crazy hair….then I started going bald…like Dr. Phil bald….to cope, I started making crazy hats to feel better about myself. When I had hair I was never a hat guy. Ironic that now I’m known as a hat guy.
RG: Any fun moments happen off camera on FaceOff that you can share?
CN: Well when you’re essentially locked up for 2 months with no cell phone or access to the outside world you kind of revert back to being a kid again. (not that I’ve ever really grown up anyway.) Your imagination gets you through it. We made up a ton of stupid games. George and I would try to engineer the best trebuchet out of tinker toys and things like that. It was honestly kind of refreshing, but also sucked a ton because we all missed our friends and family. But the Face Off crew took such good care of us.
Ve Neill
RG: What are the judges like in real life? I want to squeeze Ve Neill, she’s just so cute.
CN: All of the judges are so wonderful, seriously. During filming we only interact with them on the reveal stage but since shooting I’ve had the pleasure of talking with all of them and they are wonderful people.
RG: Is Glen Hetrick as intimdating in real life as he is on the show?
Seriously I fucking love Glenn! Can I type fucking?…too late. Honestly all of the Judges are intimidating because you’re just standing up there in a circle with them all staring at you and you’re just waiting to find out if they’re gonna rip you apart or praise you. In Face Off you never know!
RG: Which makeup did you create on the show that you are the most proud of?
CN: I honestly can’t pick one but season 7 was Big Tuna for sure. Manny Minotauri, and Murky the Dark water clown. Season 11 was Phoenix the Pure-A-Fire, Grizzlemaw and Mutton, Lagoona Blue, and My finale Tiger and Dragon, brought to you curtesy of the Wutron Clan.
I’ve just always been a storyteller my whole life and I’m so glad that Face Off allowed me to create a new character with a new story almost every other day! Seriously being on the show was like Christmas morning, every. single. day.
RG: What are your plans for the future, any new projects you can tell us about?
CN: So I’ve just officially started an fx shop with fellow Face Off buddy George Troester called TroTron FX! We’re working on two feature films right now and look forward to many more!! Hire us for any project! One day I’d love to write and direct films. We’ll see where this crazy thing called existence takes me.
RG: Whats some advice you’d have for a younger version of yourself, or an SFX artist starting out?
CN: Never give up, never be complacent. Always strive for more. You’ll move mountains kid. Leave this world a little bit more bizarre than when you found it, and for God’s Sake never drink an entire bottle of Jagermeister and Goldschlager on your 18th birthday…..you’ll hate cinnamon for years to come…and only lame-o’s hate cinnamon.
RG: So, we always end on the same question, our website is called DrunkInAGraveyard.com and we center around booze and horror films, so with that in mind, what’s your favourite horror movie what would be the intoxicant of choice to go along with it?
CN: You’re speaking my language friend! Favorite horror movie is almost impossible to pick but I’m going to go with Hausu. That movie is bonkers batshit crazy and speaks to every part of my brain jigglies. Favorite intoxicant would have to be Sailor Jerry’s. Man, if I had a nickel for every bottle of Sailor I’ve cozied up to….I’d have nowhere near enough money to recoup the cost….
The super best friends; Cig & George
We are so incredibly psyched for Cig Neutron on his most recent FaceOff win, and you can find him online at http://bizarroaugogo.com, on twitter and instagram @cigneutron.
You can find Cig and George’s new SFX company TroTron FX on facebook: http://facebook.com/trotronfx and instagram is @TroTronfx.