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The other major component of the look of the film centered around Stan Winston's design for the effects and make-up for the vampires. Winston and Neil Jordan were immediately in sync regarding their conception of the characters' appearances.
Winston recalls, "Our studio creates new characters for film, and I wanted this to be the first time that audiences ever saw what a real vampire looks like. We are using new technology for certain effects, but the essence of the look is not based on technology. It's based on an aesthetic, artistic and hopefully elegant look and a look of reality. "
Collaborating with make-up artist Michele Burke, Winston and his artists, inspired by the emotional heart of the story, created a design for the vampires that captured their regal otherworldliness. "The feeling of the story is unsettling yet elegant, and the look of the vampires is never intended to be off-putting, but always to maintain a grace and a beauty in their uniqueness," Winston explains.
Some of the finer accouterments of vampire regalia were challenging for the actors to cope with, however. The elongated, stylized fingernails that the characters wear required so much preparation and care that the actors would often keep them on for an entire week at a time. Cruise in particular underwent some demanding and extensive make-up applications for his scenes following Lestat's "demise." Four-and-a-half hours of make-up were needed to affix the special prosthetic pieces and wigs that transform Lestat into a vengeful demon covered with the mire of the Louisiana swampland.
