Doug McCarthy (pictured below at the end of the back row on a visit to the School’s Visual Effects & Model Making department in 2019) has worked on a range of huge films in the special effects department in a range of roles including The Avengers, Annihilation, Wonder Woman, Prometheus, The Conjuring2, Game of Thrones and many more.

Speaking about his career he said: ‘I left secondary school at 16 and was a military gas turbine aero engine fitter / tester/inspector. After my two year training on helicopters, six years later in 1989, the Cold War was over and the Berlin Wall came down, work became very quiet, so I became a drummer touring Europe on and off for four years.

“In 1993 I was asked to audition for the part of a colonial marine in 20th Century Fox’s ‘Alien War London’. I got the role and after eight weeks was asked to co-manage the show. We started doing our own repairs to costumes, armour, weapons and all the special effects (SFX) side of the job. I met some great people involved in film and TV and was offered work on TV shows then moving on to major films.

“Most of my work in armoury and special effects was using my engineering skills, but I learned to make models and props and many other skills in the twenty-five years I was working in that field.

“I travelled the world to countries such as Iceland, South Africa, Thailand, Korea and many European countries while filming.”

Check out Doug’s body of work on his IMDb page HERE

To book a free place at this online event from 11:00 – 12:00 on Wednesday 12 May visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/industry-speaker-doug-mccarthy-special-effects-tickets-152308903029

About The Northern School of Art’s Creative Careers series:

The schedule of talks covers a range of disciplines and they are delivered by industry speakers, creative lecturers and graduates from across the whole creative sector.

These sessions can serve as a useful resource for schools and colleges (or anyone with an interest in creative development and progression). Usually lasting around 45 minutes, they take place on a Wednesday afternoon.

Participants can log in remotely via a Microsoft Teams link, which will be sent to anyone that books a place through Eventbrite.

Our previous speakers have helped to inspire the next generation of creatives, sharing their own creative journey, insights into their practice, demonstrations of their work as well as providing general advice to anyone looking to follow a similar path.

If you have any questions contact studentrecruitment@northernart.ac.uk or call the friendly team on 01642 288888

Further details of the wide range of creative courses offered by The Northern School of Art at its Middlesbrough-based FE campus and its HE campus in Hartlepool are available at: https://northernart.ac.uk/