Exodus: Gods and Kings | Meet a member of the crew

Acclaimed director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Prometheus) brings to the big screen the epic adventure Exodus: Gods and Kings, the story of one man’s daring courage to take on the might of an empire. Using state of the art visual effects and 3D immersion, Scott brings new life to the story of the defiant leader Moses (Christian Bale) as he rises up against the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses (Joel Edgerton), setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues. The film is dedicated to Scott’s younger brother, Tony Scott, who committed suicide in 2012.

The production was set to begin in September 2013. The studio announced the casting calls in Spain’s Almería for 3,000 to 4,000 extras and with another 1,000 to 2,000 extras on the island of the Canary Islands. Additional filming was scheduled at Pinewood Studios, England.

We had access to one of the members of the crew, Carmen Fraile, a makeup artist that has been working in the film industry for the past 20 years, apart from commercials a Television work.

Carmen’s professional origins are in Spain, but she moved to Los Angeles to do her Masters in a prestigious Makeup and Special Effects School. When she finished her studies, she was recommended by one of her professors to work at one of the oldest special effects laboratories in Hollywood. There she worked with the crew that made movies like Alien: Resurrection and Dustin Hoffman’s Sphere. Her latest work includes Mr. Nice, The Dictator, The Counselor, Skyfall and Exodus: Gods and Kings. You can find out more about her work on her website www.makeup-artisty.com.

Q How was it working under the direction of Ridley Scott and with actors like Christian Bale?

A It is the second time that I have worked for a movie directed by Ridley Scott, the first time was at The Counselor. I think he is a very friendly person who loves Spain. He always tries to find locations in Spain. The actors are very discreet and professional. It is great working with them, as they appreciate your work.

Q Which part of the movie will be the most impressive for the public?

A I think it will be the battle. It is truly impressive. We filmed for days in Andalucia (Southern Spain) using a striking set. Also, during the scene when Moses opens the waters and walks through it followed by his entourage, the stuntmen had to wear neoprene suits under their costumes, as they had to walk under cold water topping their heads. It was also difficult to make the animals walk into the water, but it was spectacular to see how the manage to make these breathtaking scenes. The public will love it.

Q Why you think Spain was the chosen location to film the movie?

A The southern Spanish landscape looks quite like a dessert and gives you the feeling of being in places like Israel or Egypt. And the weather is very mild. We filmed during the months of October to December. Having mild weather to shoot exteriors without being freezing cold means a happy crew.  Especially when there are scenes to be filmed in the water. We spend a large number of hours standing and running from one place to another, so this is important.

Q Why did you choose a career like yours?

A I love working in the film industry because it involves doing a very specific and professional kind of makeup, creating characters out of your brushes. It is fascinating knowing that lots and lots of people around the world will see your work. I love that you can travel around and never work in the same place for long. It also is a very tough profession. Sometimes you get ill because you work long hours under the sun or in the cold, and sometimes takes hours to get to a location set. But when you see your name on the credits, everything becomes worth it. It is a demanding career, but also very gratifying.

Curiosities

- Exodus: Gods and Kings was filmed in 74 days.

- Ben Kingsley who will play the character “Nun” in this film, portrayed Moses in the film Moses (1995) where Ben Kingsley rescues the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery.

- To prepare for his role as Moses, Christian Bale quickly surpassed Sunday school basics and delved into scripture and literary works. He read the first five books of the Bible, the Koran, as well as Louis Ginzberg’s classic, “Legends of the Jews” and Jonathan Kirsch’s “Moses, A Life.”

- The role of Moses was previously played by Val Kilmer in The Prince of Egypt (1998). Kilmer, like Christian Bale, has played Batman.

- There’s been controversy around the skin color of the actors portraying the main characters. Since the movie is set in Egypt there was talk that the right thing to do would be to have dark skinned actors, not white.

- Second biblical project for Ridley Scott after Gladiator.

Tags: Anthony Hopkins, Carmen Fraile, Christian Bale, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Paloma Fraile, Ridley Scott, Salma Hayek