Blue Velvet

A Polaroid Diary

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by Jeff Goodwin

Type

Photos

Subject

One Film > Blue Velvet

Keywords

David Lynch, film making, photos

Publishing date

2026 (October 06, 2026)

Publisher

Reel Art Press

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 192 pages
8 ¼ x 11 ½ inches (21 x 29.5 cm)

ISBN

978-1-915427-01-4

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Book Presentation:
Blue Velvet is one of the most haunting and influential neo-noir films ever made: a dark journey beneath the manicured lawns of small-town America. In celebration of the fortieth anniversary of David Lynch's cult masterpiece, the film's makeup artist Jeff Goodwin - the 'man behind the ear' - takes readers behind the scenes with his rare personal archive of never-before-published Polaroids and first-hand memories from the set. Blue Velvet: A Polaroid Diary captures the strange beauty and creative alchemy that defined working with director David Lynch. 'I made two partial ears and one whole ear and took them into David's office and placed them on his desk for approval. He was like a kid! He picked them up and started playing with them.' Determined to make the prop disturbingly real, Goodwin turned to a then-unusual material for film work. 'I decided to make the new ears out of silicone to achieve... a little 'wiggle'... I was not aware until years later that I was, in fact, an early pioneer of silicone use in cinema.' From refining Laura Dern's luminous on-screen presence to shaping the grotesque menace of Dennis Hopper's Frank Booth, these photographs and recollections reveal the meticulous craft behind Lynch's dreamlike world and Goodwin's pivotal role in shaping the film's visual language. Along the way, he shares insider revelations - from near casting surprises involving Helen Mirren to on-set mishaps and the subtle tricks of the makeup artist's trade: 'Most of my makeup effects are a combination of makeup and magic.' Part visual archive, part behind-the-scenes memoir, this is a rare glimpse inside the making of a landmark of cinema - one that, as the author remembers, was 'the genuine article: a true labour of love.'

About the Author:
Jeff Goodwin is an award-winning film makeup and makeup special effects artist. Blue Velvet (1986) launched his career and he has gone on to work on over one hundred film and television productions, including The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990). Over the course of his career Goodwin has worked with leading filmmakers including David Lynch, Nicolas Roeg, Ang Lee and Michael Mann. Alongside his work in cinema, Goodwin founded the Transformations Makeup FX Lab and has taught and lectured internationally on the craft of makeup and special effects.

See the publisher website: Reel Art Press

See Blue Velvet (1986) on IMDB ...