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A.K. Espada

@akespada

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Writer/Director of AMERICAN VERMIN, etc. Scenic Artist

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AMERICAN VERMIN won a prize at @fantastic.fest that the judges CREATED in deliberations…WHAT?!!! We just wanted to be in the room, we never expected to win anything. So when @catherinehardwicke announced we’d won a camera package from @blackmagicdesign (presented by @fangoria!) PLUS she and the other judges (Gore Verbinski and PLAY HOUSE’s @nicolascurcio and @kirbygladstein!!!) had decided to mentor us for a year, the sound that comes out of @theanniejacob’s lungs in this video (peep @_alexbock_’s adorable reaction) is what would have come out of mine if the announcement didn’t knock the wind right out of me. I think the judges were moved to enlist in the VERMIN army by our protagonist Lupe, a Latina asylum seeker and badass final girl ready to kick some U.S. Army ass as the setting reveals a much-needed history lesson. And if anyone’s not ready for Lupe…our mutant cockroaches will show them the way. 😈🪳

HUGE congrats to the winning team @joshfarnworth and @connnormartinn with their amazing terrifying evil dad getting revenge at a wedding project FATHER FIGURE! Those guys are so ready to deliver and I can’t wait to see the result of next year’s whirlwind.

This is truly the most otherworldly thing that has (and probably will ever) happen in my career! We are making this movie, and it’s gonna pack a gargantuan double-whammy punch of pure entertainment and potent social commentary due to the creative investment of all those above.

So much gratitude to @chroma_presents and @fantasticfest for creating this indie genre film rocket launcher. Thank you for making this happen @ahbracadabra, @edenbliss, @beverage_sam, and so many more. Thank you to @jordanbastian and Eden for your unwavering support and mentorship. We love you all and everything you’re doing for the indie genre community. You’re gonna save cinema!!!

#horror #fantasticfest #specialeffects taken in Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar by @akespada

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6 days ago

From trembling with nerves when I pulled up my first day to work as a Scenic Painter on @strangerthingstv to painting the hero spike from the final boss battle 😈

Sculpted by @melvansan

I was so nervous my first day—it was clear from the jump that my coworkers were a higher caliber of artist than I considered myself to be. I didn’t go to a prestigious art school. I didn’t have decades of experience. I just loved monsters and worldbuilding through environments.

But my bosses seemed to notice my strange passion for gore and grime and gave me increasingly interesting things to do—first foreman of the Squawk @johnyglaze66 and then forewoman of the Upside-Down @curra___, and of course our Scenic Charge, legend Randy Woodward. They all gave me a shot without knowing a thing about me outside my obsession over details, love for sci-fi horror, and habit of saving a million reference images (you don’t wanna see my folder for the Pain Tree, it’s disgusting.) From then on, I knew I’d do everything in my power to never let them down.

Thanks for the memories, ST. Through you, I found confidence in my abilities and my vision. It was one of the best times of my life. taken in Atlanta, Georgia by @akespada

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9 months ago

See you on the dark side 🌙 making art is more liberating with the expectation that the plan can change, it’s a push and pull, it takes time, it doesn’t have to start out perfect. Painting is about layers. It’s one my favorite medium because it can’t be ruined, it can always be transformed.

Thanks to @jacmprine for commissioning this piece as a wedding photo backdrop! Monsters and creepy movie sets are always my heart, but it’s always a breath of fresh air to make something joyous and pretty to look at ❤️

#scenicpainting #behindthescenes🎬 #setbuilding taken in Atlanta, Georgia by @akespada

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4 months ago

We shot THIS IS OUR HOME in NYC on March 7-8, 2020. 2 days later I drove a van full of rented set dressing down to ABC in NJ (RIP) and stopped at a diner to get some coffee. At 7am, the mood was grim. The news was on a small TV over the counter, predicting a city-wide shutdown. The next day, New York became a hellscape much like the pre-war apartment from the film. We fought our way through post at the height of the pandemic, and the claustrophobic nature of the film felt more relevant than ever. Watch now on @shortoftheweek ;) taken in Brooklyn, New York by @akespada

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8 months ago

@curra___ pouring the top of the melted stairwell at Hawkins Lab. Later @chefk.allen and I got to figure out how to recreate this mesmerizing effect inside the melted sections.

#strangerthings
Production Designer Chris Trujillo
Senior Art Director Sean Brennan
Art Director Eric Johnson
Charge Scenic Randy Woodward
Lead Sculptor @alexsherrod
FX Paint Foreperson @curra___ taken in Atlanta, Georgia by @akespada

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9 months ago

The melted lab makes complete sense if you paid attention, fight me 🫠

Production Designer - Chris Trujillo
Senior Art Director - Sean Brennan
Art Director - Eric Johnson
Scenic Charge - Randy Woodward
Lead Sculptor - Alex Sherrod
FX Paint Foreperson - @curra___ taken in Atlanta, Georgia by @akespada

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9 months ago

#alien Adding some bloody lil mouth drips to my xenomorph chest burster for my Nostromo Crew costume 🥰 taken in Atlanta, Georgia by @akespada

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9 months ago

It’s subtle, but wherever you see Upside-Down vines in @strangerthingstv, the scenic department went behind each one and added some “nether” to tie them into whatever surface they’re crawling over. This includes every inch of the miles of vines spfx installed in Hawkins Lab. 🫠 taken in Atlanta, Georgia by @akespada

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9 months ago

Exhausted after a morning flight then driving a truck to one auto salvage place after another hunting down authentic junk for a shoot, we stumbled upon this magical place: @wadessalvagephotos in Waterford, NJ. Turns out it’s already been discovered! Catch it in S1E2 of @falloutonprime. taken in Wade Salvage by @akespada

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8 months ago

#behindthescenes #strangerthings #filmmaking taken in Atlanta, Georgia by @akespada

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8 months ago

Thanks to @highmuseumofart for having me do a lil creature demo at their Halloween party on Friday, to @yayatwin2 for setting it up, to @porch_chops for being my model, and to @sherrieelyse for the groovy time-lapse! This zombie was made with all DIY materials like cotton balls, single-ply toilet paper, and liquid latex/creme makeup from Spirit Halloween! Spooky creatures aren’t just for Hollywood pros, they’re for the masses! 🧟 special shout-out to the group who asked if those were his real eyebrows and hair 😂 taken in High Museum of Art, Atlanta by @akespada

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a year ago

A delightful mystery surprise is coming soon from composer @dancareybailey and @i_could_just_die. Keep your ears tuned in…

#horror #halloween #filmscore by @akespada

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a year ago