Barney Burman has extra room to play in when creating the creatures and ghouls and monsters for feature films and television shows. The third-generation special effects artist has settled into a new space in the North Hollywood Arts District and is rebranding his business with the name B2FX after having closed down his former firm, Proteus Make-Up FX. Having a central location in the San Fernando Valley close to the major Hollywood studios and freeway access was not what Burman expected when he began the search for a new location. “It is more prime real estate there,” Burman said. “I expected to move out to no man’s land.” Burman had been an actor before turning his talents toward special effects, following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father. He started his own special effects company in 2004 with a partner who later left the business. Proteus operated out of 4,000 square feet in Pacoima for about four years and employed more than 20 people depending on the film or television project, Burman said. Proteus credits include “Mission: Impossible III,” “Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny” and a number of modestly budgeted productions. He dissolved the firm after a divorce from his wife, who was his partner in Proteus. Renaming the company B2FX – a moniker incorporating Burman’s initials – was more of a formality than anything after having worked under the Proteus banner. “People aren’t going out looking for Proteus as much as they are looking for me,” Burman said. At the North Hollywood location, Burman has about 1,000 more square feet than he had in Pacoima. Still, the number of effects artists in his employ will depend on the type of project B2FX is doing at any given time. This spring, the firm is working on the second season of “Grimm,” an NBC series about a detective battling monsters in order to keep balance between humanity and a fantasy world. The company also contributed make-up for independent film “Apparitional,” about a ghost hunter. When creating his make-up and prosthetics, Burman said he tries to put in as much natural reality as he can. “The things we make are not calling attention to themselves and instead are a natural part of the overall story,” he said. – Mark R. Madler
Creatures Featured In Valley
