My name is Yana Stoyanova and I am a movie makeup artist!

My whole life has always been revolving round the movie reel. I descend from a moviemakers’ family (my mother and my sister are script supervisors, my father is a director & producer, my aunt is also in the creative business, she is a jewelry maker).

Since 6th grade, I have been attending art classes.

When I saw “Dark Crystal”, “Never ending story” and “Willow{ – I was instantly obsessed with the idea “to do such stuff”.  There were no classes or any kind of SFX makeup education in Bulgaria.  There were only stage/theatre makeup classes.

The closest major to my dream was Classic Animation Directing and I started doing Stop motion animation…

In 1999 I got my first movie job with Nu Image/Millennium film.  I became VFX assistant and second unit director’s assistant to Tim Douglas.  I was filling all the VFX forms for him and preparing all the information for the shoots he would need in post -production. I was excited!

Next Year, I spent a summer in Hungary, as an art teacher…when I got a phone call from my mother – “ There is a creature shop that Nu Image has just opened! They are teamed up, but they need a translator!”

Next thing I remember, I was on the plane, heading home. On September 08th, 1999 at 8.00 next day, I had my first 24-hour-day ! We were shooting “Octopus ”. That night I will always remember – the tentacle, the guys were making all summer, blocked on the first take…..

So…after one movie as a translator, I did show the Supervisor Willy Botha my art job, paintings and I was hired as an artist in the shop….

Still being a student, I started to do molds and everything a small creature shop is doing. We were never separated by divisions, a crew of 6 or 7, everyone was doing everything (live casting, foam latex, etc. ) !

We were learning from each other, videotapes, and our own mistakes….

Then Jean-Claude Van Damme arrived with his own makeup artist – Danny Belenc/In Hell dir. Ringo Lam/.  Danny, my supervisor and I did Van Damme’s head cast.  Danny, asked me, if I wanted to study makeup in his school.

I had no money to pay the tuition, so he offered me to do his Project “Fancy heads” to finance my education (12 caricature heads of famous people that I sculpted, molded and casted prototypes).

I managed to get job in several movies as free-lancer. First as assistant makeup artist, than as Special Effects Supervisor. After long hours and hard working and a lot of researching people began trusting me in Heading my own make up department.

I have learned the most significant skills, being assistant to a lot of “real makeup artists’.

(Eduard Henriques , Greg Funk, DDT, Dean Jones, Arjen Tuition, Mauricio Trani , Giuseppe Desiato , Mell Tucker, Jeff Farley, Brian Wide, Brian Penikas, Ken Nibermayer, Timothy Huizing  and others.)

I started attending Makeup Trade shows in London, where I managed to build a professional network and continued learning.

Almost everything I know is self-taught.  The key is that I know, this is exactly what I want to do in my life, so I do the best I can.

Recently, I realized that I was doing things, I have never imagined I will!

I was Key FX make up and the only effects make up in “Messengers 2-Ghost house” (I had only one assistant on set, one mold maker-daily and 2 more lab guys).

I did “The Grudge 3” with only one person.

I was applying and supervising for P13-Robert Kurtzman’s “Boogeyman 3”.

The “Hall of Fame of the Horror movie make up legends” and me! I am extremely happy and honored!

In Dark Castle Entertainment’s “The hills run red”, I did Key make up and some of the effects.  My moment of pride was when the Director said to me one day “Sorry, I did underestimate you. You had to do all my effects “  This is enough.

I was the Head of Effects and Make up on the “Wrong turn 3!

I still cannot believe it!Stan Winston, Three finger!

I sent a picture to a friend who worked with Stan. He showed it to the supervisor of the first “Wrong turn”.  The feedback – I had done a good job!

So, this is me!

I Headed Makeup dept. in a movie directed by Renny  Harlin and another, in which Donald Sunderland and Christian Slater were starring !

I was a part of the Teem of Scott Wheeler and Shaun Smith for the reboot of Conan.

And at the end….. Participated at the Oscar Nomination of “The way back” in an Iconic team (Ed Henriques, Greg Funk, Yolanda Tossing ).

I long walk.

I am just trying to do what I love!

Dreams do come true, only if we work on them!