When it comes to horror and sci-fi films, SFX plays a major, if not the most important role in scaring someone’s socks off. That’s why franchises like Star Wars, Stranger Things, Ghostbusters invested millions into SFX alone. Each look serves a purpose in the lore and for horror, its the cherry on top.
So when Histeria concluded with a terrifying-looking big baddie, Malaysians were in awe of the ferociousness of the character. The demon looked like the stuff of nightmares and rightfully so, it did come from a nightmare.
"The idea for the complete look came to me in a dream," said Malyaa, a popular name in Malaysia’s SFX industry. Starting her career out as a makeup artist, Malyaa pushed her creative boundaries and stamped her name on everything SFX. Malyaa is the artist responsible for your nightmares post Histeria finale.
"The director (James Lee) had a few references on how he wanted the demon to look like. Mixing all those references were challenging, but the dream cemented the look and finalized our collective vision of the monster". Malyaa admitted that the collaboration was an effective one, a process that she enjoyed thoroughly.
"I was given 2 weeks to complete the costume, top to bottom. Starting from the molding process according to the talent’s body shape, then sculpting the mold with clay before remolding it with silicone.
"But the final and most challenging part is the detailing—this is where the eyes come in, the final bits of details on the surface of the costume. This takes the longest time.
"If you want to craft something, the detailing part is super crucial. This can make or break your art. The detailing helps the audience understand the character better," she shared.
In the Histeria series, the demon came from a busut, an anthill or a dirt mound. In mystical Malay folklore, these anthills may host demonic beings like djinns or monsters. But in the series, the busut existed since the movie in 2008, then brought back to haunt the girls in the Histeria series.
"The busut comes from the earth right? That’s why you can see earthy finishes on the monster, similar to dirt."
But the most interesting aspect of our conversation was the ‘mystical’ part. Traditionally, the making of masks and costumes such as the classic barung does involve the supernatural in some parts of the world. Some (not all) barungs were allegedly constructed based on a look that’s ‘approved’ by a supernatural being, hence the spooky nature of it.
"Thankfully for Histeria’s demon, nothing spooky or scary struck me throughout the process. Which is foreign, because I’ve dealt with those disturbances while working on other costumes in the past."
When asked about the disturbances, Malyaa claims that she heard scratchings on a wooden wall and other ghouly noises. But the scariest one was a doll that ‘moved’ when she was busy working at the studio.
"These are just personal experiences and I can’t fully claim that it’s real. It could be me being tired, but it could be something else entirely too. Who knows, right?"
But all those experiences shaped Malyaa into the otherworldly talented artist she is today. 6 years into the scene, Malyaa’s upcoming work can be seen in Abang Long Fadil 3, though you probably won’t see any monsters there.
‘My next work will scare you as well. I have to keep it hush-hush but I’m excited to show my upcoming work soon!’
Check out Malyaa's IG page to look at more ghouly and ghostly work.