Photo Credit: Syfy
Season eight is here! And the name of the game is “Return of the Champions.” So how does this season work? Three former champions, Rayce Bird (Season 2), Anthony Kosar (Season 4) and Laura Tyler (Season 5) are back with teams of five new artists to coach throughout the season.
I love Rayce and Anthony’s work but my favorite of the three is Laura so that’s who I’ll be rooting for by default all season long. Do you have a default artist you’re rooting for?
So last night, in the season 8 premiere, host McKenzie Westmore delivered the first foundation challenge: create a companion character to one of the champion’s iconic looks that have already been picked out. There could only be five of each look so the contestants had to pick fast and they only had two hours to complete the challenge after choosing.
There weren’t really any standouts for me for the foundation challenge. I thought Rob, Darla, and Kelly did great but I wasn’t particularly in love with any of the looks. Ve Neill who is back after working on Catching Fire, chose Rob and Darla as the top looks with Darla winning the challenge, getting immunity for the first spotlight challenge.
Based on the foundation look, it was time for the coaches to choose their teams! Laura chose Darla, Julian, Emily (18 years old), Gregory, and Stephanie. Anthony chose Kelly, Alan, Ben, Daniel, and Jamie. Rayce chose Adam, Anthony, Rob, Logan, and Regina.
The spotlight challenge? Work with their team and select an extraterrestrial crash site as inspiration for two aliens that might have emerged from the crash. When series mentor, Michael Westmore came in to check up on the artists, everyone was noticeably excited and nervous. With good reason. But that wasn’t the only nerve wrecking part. They were thrown a curveball when McKenzie brought in monkeys and gave them the news about the crash site…which didn’t crash on earth. More on this next week because this challenge isn’t over yet.
That’s right. This premiere is a two parter. We’ll have to wait until next week to see the final looks of not two but three of the creatures each team has to make and I can’t wait!
The panel of judges this season includes Glenn Hetrick, Neville Page, and Ve Neill. Seven-time Academy Award-winner and makeup legend Rick Baker (The Men in Black trilogy, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Planet of the Apes) was the guest mentor this week and he will guest judge next week. It was so fun watching the artists get excited over Baker. That must have been a pretty surreal experience for them. Can’t wait to see what he has to say about their final looks next week. Great premiere! Looking forward to part two!
Stay tuned for Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games) to guest judge on the third episode, “Let the Games Begin,” airing Tuesday, January 27th!
Also appearing on this season of Face Off:
· Director (Maleficent) and two-time Academy Award-winning Production Designer (Avatar, Alice in Wonderland), Robert Stromberg
Episode 804 “Royal Flush” airing Tuesday, February 3, at 9PM
· Five-time Oscar-nominated Sound Designer, Erik Aadahl (Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon, Argo, World War Z, I-Robot, Monsters vs. Aliens, Godzilla) and Actress and TV Personality, Jill Wagner (Teen Wolf, Wipeout)
Episode 805 “Sounding Off” airing Tuesday, February 10, at 9PM
· Actor, Doug Jones (Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer)
Episode 806 “Troll Bridge” airing Tuesday, February 17, at 9PM
· Academy-Award winning Makeup Artist and Face Off Season 7 Judge, Lois Burwell (Legend, The Princess Bride, Saving Private Ryan, War of the Worlds, Lincoln)
Episode 807 “Queen Bees” airing Tuesday, February 24, at 9PM
· Horror Legend, Clive Barker (Candyman, Hellraiser)
Episode 808 “Dressed to Kill” airing Tuesday, March 3, at 9PM
· Miss Universe 2013, Gabriela Isler
Episode 809 “Miss Intergalactic” airing Tuesday, March 10, at 9PM
· Image Comics founder and former Marvel artist, Todd McFarlane
Episode 810 “Super Selfies” airing Tuesday, March 17, at 9PM
Face Off airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on Syfy.