Interview with Gore FX Founder Michael Gore

    As I continue to practice my personal photography and strive to gain more knowledge about the business behind it, opportunities to learn from those in similar freelance fields often present themselves. So with  Halloween quickly approaching, I found it only appropriate to incorporate a lesson from someone who practices haunts and horrors on a regular basis.  

     Today I had the chance to talk with Michael Gore, owner of Gore FX, a makeup and special effects company based in Orlando, FL.     

Michael works on a prop from the new independent horror feature Blood Widow.

      Michael and I sat down to discuss the importance of negotiation in freelance fields and the criteria he uses to make deals when he is offered a job. Although he has a rapidly growing resume he remains humble and admits that his decisions to take certain positions are still influenced by the status of those doing the offering. As with all freelancers, it certainly makes it easier to negotiate salary when the job is with a well known company who will not only provide a decent pay check, but networking opportunities and some great experience along the way. By working for employers of a higher status it validates his skills and helps him to better his position in deals with prospective employers who might be looking to take advantage of his talent. So contrary to the logic of those who aren't freelancers, jobs with these larger, more prestigious companies will sometimes be taken at a lower salary due to artists finding value in making a name for themselves among them.


     On the other side of things, there are many other factors for negotiating and hiring an artist like Gore.

Michael's work can be seen on Discovery Health's "Dr. G. Medical
Examiner" and this years Universal Studios Orlando Halloween Horror Nights XXI. 

Most of what he uses as criteria towards salary are things that can not be argued against. Things like material costs are obviously non-negotiable. As far as labor is concerned, he compares himself to artists with similar skills and equipment. (Something I will soon adopt as a practice in my photography.)  There is an exception for original prosthetic appliances which Gore often custom makes for clients, including life casts. As you can imagine, these one of a kind appliances add to the hours that go into creating characters and effects, resulting in more labor intensive work, and a higher cost of materials used.  There are also different variables involved. For example, if you want something quick, Gore wont shy away from the job. But as with many custom works, turn around time is something clients can expect to pay for if they want a quality product in an unusually short amount of time. It all goes back to the Good, Fast, Cheap triangle. In most cases you can pick two, but with Gore FX you will always get a good quality, realistic product. That should make the decision much simpler when it comes to the latter two. 

For more information about Gore FX, or to contact Michael please visit www.GoreFX.com