Frances Hannon, Wicked's makeup and hair designer, is proud to have worked on a film that used primarily practical set designs, rather than CGI or green screens.
The same can't be said for Marvel movies, she noted.
“I was always glad we would never green the center [production]. It was a joy and great support from Cynthia [Erivo],” Hannon exclusively told The Post as she described her first reaction when she saw her work shine in the film.
“At the end of the day, [it] It was largely John Chu's invitation, but this really made a big difference. John very much likes things to be tangible and accessible to artists. The sets look big, but they were really big. I mean there was obviously some buzz [production] They have some CGI on them, but when you see how big they are, you won't believe it.
Hannon, who won an Academy Award for her makeup and hairstyling work on the film, praised the “Wicked” director for using practical, tangible sets in making the two-part epic fantasy film.
“It's great to work with someone like John who wants old Hollywood, wants it real and wants the artist to live it. It's different from a lot of the stuff I've done where it's Marvel and you have a lot of blue screens and a lot happens afterwards,” she said. Surprised by the story.”
“I wasn’t surprised by the story, but I was very touched and moved,” Hannon added of “Wicked.”
Hannon had the important task of transforming Erivo, 37, into the green witch Elphaba. She told The Post how she eventually mastered the process.
“I started by trying to find the right shade of green for the skin tone because no one would ever use anything that was used on stage because it was painted on the face and projected onto the back of the audience, while we wanted it to work in all light, but definitely in close-ups.” Great Once I found the shade of green that I thought would work through working on the models, I couldn't make that shade of green work in all the different lights.
Hannon said that once she decided on the right shade of green for Erivo's Elphaba, it never changed throughout the filming of both films.
“The green itself was the base, and then we outlined it on top,” she explained. “I added freckles to give her a story, so we had a place where we would get younger and then progress as she changed in her story. So the green color stayed the same. Her features became stronger, her eye shadows stronger, and her hair became looser and wilder. Her skin tone was the color of her skin.” “
Hannon also confirmed that Erivo and Ariana Grande were heavily involved in the visual creation of their “Wicked” characters.
They cooperated in every way in every department. “They are so amazing,” she shared.
“Wicked” is in theaters now.
