Joel Harlow is a professional special effects and make-up artist. He is also a painter and sculptor, specializing in the fantastic and the surreal. In addition to being a two-time Emmy Award winning make-up artist, Joel\'s work has been featured in art galleries,specialized art houses, and numerous books and magazines.
Joel credits the original "King Kong" with the inspiration needed to create his first art piece, a miniature version of the mighty ape. The film also inspired what would become a life-long fascination with the "imperfect". Says Joel, "While I appreciate a scene from nature, it is variables and randomness that inspire me to create. I\'ve always considered work that takes on the edges and borders of life to be the most interesting. To me the imperfect is never repulsive, but rather is, in its way, fascinating.
At eighteen, Joel left his hometown of Grand Forks, North Dakota to attend the New York School of Visual Arts. It was in Manhattan where he was introduced to the world of low-budget film making. During the course of his education, Joel began moonlighting from his studies to work on several low-budget horror films, which since have become underground cult classics. Creating under the most trying of conditions gave him a crash course in all aspects of special effects, from make-up and pre-production design to the all-important art of stretching a buck. "In one film, I was given a budget of $1,000 to produce eight full body zombies and create a realistic grisly death for each of them. Working under those conditions was a lesson in creative economics."
Armed with a growing portfolio of film and personal work, Joel relocated to Los Angeles. Presently his work can be found in over 150 motion pictures and television shows, as well as print work and internet sites. He has worked with many of the entertainment industry\'s most prolific directors, such as Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, Gore Verbinski, Paul Schroeder, Tim Burton, and Clive Barker. His work has been celebrated twice by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with its PrimeTime Emmy award. In addition to his Emmy awards he has recieved several Cable Ace nominations as well as recognition from his peers for his original work.
For eight years Joel worked for Steve Johnson at his company XFX, inc. It was here that he became interested in designing special make-ups. In time Joel was creating and applying make-up for a variety of films and television programs. It wasn\'t until 1998 that Joel struck out on his own and got the hours he needed to join the 706.
"The first show I was a part of as a union make-up artist was "The Grinch", and a more enjoyable experience I can\'t imagine. Not only was I surrounded by more than sixty of the most talented artists I have had the pleasure of working with, but we were under the watchful eye of Rick Baker. I would again be fortunate enough to apply make-up for Rick Baker on "Planet of the Apes", but not before Ve Neill asked me to be her second on A.I."
A.I. proved to be an invaluable learning experience, the show had everything, from high fashion make-ups to incredibly inventive robot make-ups, crafted under the expert eye of Stan Winston. The A.I. experience helped Joel tackle his first Department Head job, the Spike Jonze film "Adaptation", "Though it wasn\'t very enjoyable, I wouldn\'t have changed a thing about it. I was tested almost daily and I honestly feel I am a better make-up artist for having had the experience."
In 2001, long time effects and make-up artists Joel Harlow and Rob Hinderstein founded Harlow FX, initially to handle the fabrication of make-up effects for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer\'s" sixth season. It wasn\'t long however, before "Harlow FX" was tackling bigger projects, including "AutoFocus", Paul Schroeder\'s docu-drama on the life of Bob Crane.
