Richard Miranda was 9-9-09’s Special Effects Artist who has worked on cult horror movies such as Nightmare on Elm Street, Army of Darkness, and Lost Boys.

 Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background, highlights of your career so far, how you got into this    crazy business, and how you became involved with the movie.

Richard Miranda: I have been a Makeup/Special Effects-Makeup Artist since 1987. I have worked on everything from extremely low budget and no budget student films to very high budget movies, such as Army of Darkness, Lost Boys, one of the Nightmare on Elm Street’s, and Running Man.  As a kid, I would always watch old scary movies after my parents went to bed. One of my idols was Lon Chaney, “the man of a thousand faces.” Due to an industrial accident on one of my previous jobs, I was given the opportunity to train for a new career. And the rest is history.  I love what I’m doing and have fun every day.  Not many people can say that. 

I became part of this movie because the line producer, who I worked with before on Alone In The Dark II, contacted me about doing this film. For the creation and design of the alien worms, I met with director the director, Howard Wexler, to discuss possibilities for special effects and his vision of the design of the worms and it was up to me to make them work. 

Tell us about your crew position.

RM: My role was Head Special Effects Artist with my assistant, Steve Corwin.  We researched tapeworms, which were the closest real worms to the vision of what the worms should look like. From that we created the design of the worms. Then we had to make them.

In your own words, what is the film about?

RM: The film is about a meteor, which fell to earth filled with alien worms. 

What was it like working on a low budget film?

RM: It was a good time.  I have worked on many low budget films and working with the director was great.  Low budget films make me work more creatively because I want to give production the most bang for their buck! 

Were there any interesting obstacles or creative quick thinking on the set?

RM: The meteor was a challenge.  To create something believable from a big block of foam!  Another obstacle was the movement of the worms when they were crawling across rocks, down a hillside and downstairs. 

Did you learn anything about yourself or others from the experience?

RM:  think we all learn by working with someone’s vision. We were able to create new and exciting products for this film. 

What was your favorite moment working on the film?

RM: Everyday was a great time. Working with this cast and crew was very enjoyable.  And working with my creative assistant, Steve, made the job run smoothly and I think everyone is happy with the outcome. 

What does it mean to you to be infected?

RM: Aren’t we all infected in one way or another?