Todd Debreceni

About me

A working makeup effects artist and designer, Todd began his career in entertainment with PBS while a graduate student in television production at the University of Tennessee almost 40 years ago. Before starting his own small effects shop in Denver called Back Porch FX, or BaPoFX, Todd worked for cable pioneer Ted Turner at TBS in Atlanta, 20th Century-Fox Television in Los Angeles, Warner Bros., Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Television Animation. Among his feature credits are Die Hard II; Contact; Batman and Robin; My Favorite Martian; Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves; The Enemy God; Cannon Fodder; Decay; and Ink. Todd sculpted and molded wounds used in the 2013 Tom Hanks film, Captain Phillips. Television credits include JAG, and a teensy weensy uncredited (and not much of a) contribution to an episode for one of his favorite TV programs, Doctor Who.

Todd is the recipient of a 2015 DCPA True West Award for Shrek the Musical and Young Frankenstein, a 2006 and 2009 Denver Post Ovation Award for special makeup effects for his designs for The Wiz, and Man of La Mancha respectively, a 2010 Henry Award nomination for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and a 1992 Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for his effort in establishing Theatre Row in Hollywood. He has created a variety of makeup effects for many stage productions, including Shrek the Musical; Spamalot; The Whipping Man; Young Frankenstein; Man of La Mancha; Peter Pan; Oliver; Dracula; Bat Boy, the Musical; Hoping to See God; Into the Woods; The Wiz; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Urinetown, the Musical; Black Elk Speaks; Elephant Man; The Snow Queen; Bonnie & Clyde; Sleuth; Sideshow and The Toxic Avenger.

Todd is a regular contributor to Neill Gorton's PROsthetics Magazine and does a podcast with Stuart Bray called Battles With Bits of Rubber. He also conducts regular seminars, workshops, and classes in special makeup effects for film, television, and theatre both in the U.S. and overseas, consults internationally and has literally written the book on special makeup effects for Focal Press called Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen Making and Applying Prosthetics (2009). It has been hailed worldwide in the entertainment industry as ’The Bible’ for makeup effects artists. The much anticipated second edition was released in January 2013. The 3rd Edition is currently being written.

Website: http://www.backporchfx.com