Rob Hinderstein

Rob Hinderstein’s career has changed from year to year. Now a union makeup FX artist and prosthetic painter, Rob started his film career in a wholly new and soon-to-become standard shop department – eyes and teeth. Rob earned his marks as a dental tech and lab supervisor in college learning acrylic techniques working in actual dental and orthodontic labs. Focused into a career as an orthodontist by his parents, Rob couldn’t see doing anything other than making monsters.

In 1990, Rob started work at Stan Winston Studio. He realized quickly that he could further his talents by inserting what he knew into what the studio really needed – an eye and teeth department. With Jurassic Park in full design swing, Rob realized there would be a need for eyes. Rob urged Stan to take a chance and let him create the first studio department responsible for acrylic elements. So, the eye department was established.

Over the next year, Rob created all the eyes for the film – and it didn’t stop there. He sculpted and painted all the dinosaur accessories, including the now-famous velociraptor clicking claw and dilating T-Rex eye.

Rob’s success with film eyes created a niche and the makeup companies came calling. In the last thirty years, Rob has worked for every makeup studio in the state and made a name for himself as “the eye guy,” creating eyes for over 200 films and many more uncredited projects. He has invented new techniques and ocular standards that are now set in place and widely used.