Sofia Bue

Diploma in Special FX & Prosthetic Makeup Artistry Level 5

Since graduating from Cut Above Academy with a Diploma in Production Design and Sculpting, Sofia Bue has quickly cemented her place in the Special Effects makeup industry.

In 2013, as a recent Cut Above graduate, Sofia entered and won the World Title in Special Effects Makeup. It was a win that would put her in the sights of Richard Taylor from Weta, and he immediately offered her a job as a sculptor and special effects makeup artist in their world famous Wellington based workshop. Her time at Weta has meant experience working on movies like Ghost in the Shell, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies and Chappie. Whilst working full time Sofia also managed to snap up another win in Special Effects Body Art at the 2015 World Championship, something she hopes to repeat in 2018.

Alongside her role creating weird and wonderful creatures for movies, Sofia released Bodies of Art this year, a book which showcases her bodypainting through a series of beautiful photographs. The development of the book is Sofia’s proudest achievement to date.

With all this success Sofia hasn’t forgotten where it all started. “Studying at Cut Above was a great launching pad. The course is so immersive, you dedicate the whole year to focusing on learning and have a fantastic creative environment around you. It offers an exciting balance between the core techniques of makeup artistry, while allowing you to learn and push your creative boundaries”.

Sofia is now forging an international career, living and working in Canada on TV and Film productions. “I'm very fortunate to have found a career that I love. When your passion becomes your job, it never feels like work”.