The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Roman's ability to connect with people of diverse cultures and backgrounds has forged strong bonds that transcend the classroom.
In 1999, A one year sabbatical took Roman from Hollywood to New Zealand where he was asked to work with the world's best in creating the movie magic to bring Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings to life.
His previous student, Gino Acevedo, now the Senior Prosthetics Supervisor and Visual Creature Effects Art Director at Weta in New Zealand, arranged for Roman to experience the inside of cutting-edge moviemaking with the best of the Kiwis.
During those months at the Weta Workshop in Wellington, Roman worked to create the Orcs and Uruk-hai masks and prosthetic body parts used during the filming of the trilogy. His expertise in airbrushing, sculpting, and painting allowed him to move freely into this exclusive creative brotherhood.
This team approach paid off with the garnering of four Academy Awards for the special effects and makeup used in the films, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and the Return of the King.
