# Roy Knyrim

Roy Knyrim (born 1966/1967) is an American film director and special effects makeup artist. He directed Demons at the Door (2004), Cemetery Gates (2006), Night Skies (2007), and Death Racers (2008). His credits as a special effects and makeup artist include the fourth, fifth, and sixth films in the Children of the Corn film series, as well as A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989), Gods and Monsters (1998), 2001 Maniacs (2005), and Death House (2017). He also provided miniature models for such films as The Abyss (1989), Tremors, Darkman (both 1990), and Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991).
Knyrim heads the special effects workshop SOTA FX (State of the Art Effects).

## Early life and education

Knyrim was born in Hilton, New York. He began creating special makeup and creature effects in his second grade of elementary school, and filmed them using super 8 film. He has stated, "Mostly I did those in my basement. Friday the 13th was a big influence, but I made up my own stuff. They were a lot of slash, a lot of splat. A couple of them were pretty good – but most of them were garbage. I was in a hurry to do them and get them developed so I could look at them and show them." Knyrim graduated from Hilton High School in 1985.

## Career

Knyrim's early credits as an effects artist include the Troma Entertainment films The Toxic Avenger Part II and The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie, both released in 1989.
After moving to southern California, Knyrim, along with Jerry Macaluso and Patrick Tantalo, founded the special effects workshop and production company SOTA FX (State of the Art Effects). With SOTA FX, Knyrim has provided special effects makeup on a number of films, including the 1998 film Gods and Monsters, as well as the television series Weird Science.
Knyrim directed the 2004 direct-to-video horror film Demons at the Door, which features music by the American hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse. According to Fangoria, by May 2006, during the production of the Knyrim-directed horror film Cemetery Gates, he had "a slew of Insane Clown Posse videos under his belt". Following the release of Cemetery Gates later that year, Knyrim went on to direct the 2007 science-fiction horror film Night Skies and the 2008 action film Death Racers, the latter of which features Insane Clown Posse in acting roles. Knyrim is co-directing the upcoming horror comedy film Sorority of the Damned alongside Joe Davison, who will also star in the film.

## Selected filmography
### Film
#### As director/writer

| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Notes |
| 2004 | Demons at the Door | Yes | | Direct-to-video film |
| 2006 | Cemetery Gates | Yes | | |
| 2007 | Night Skies | Yes | | |
| 2008 | Death Racers | Yes | Co-writer | Direct-to-video film; co-wrote story with Patrick Tantalo |
| TBA | Sorority of the Damned | Co-director | | Co-directing with Joe Davison |

#### As special and visual effects/makeup artist

| Year | Title | Credited as | Notes |
| 1988 | Slugs | First assistant special effects | |
| 1989 | The Toxic Avenger Part II | Key gore effects artist | |
| 1989 | Society | Additional makeup effects | |
| 1989 | The Abyss | Additional model maker (Los Angeles surface unit) | |
| 1989 | A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child | Special makeup effects artist | |
| 1989 | The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie | Key gore effects artist | |
| 1989 | Psycho Cop | Effects makeup team | |
| 1990 | Tremors | Model builder (basement scene) | |
| 1990 | Darkman | Model builder | |
| 1991 | Steel and Lace | Makeup effects designer | |
| 1991 | Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare | Model builder (Freddy's house) | |
| 1991 | Karate Cop | Special makeup effects artist | Direct-to-video film |
| 1992 | Auntie Lee's Meat Pies | Key makeup effects | |
| 1994 | Dinosaur Island | Fabricator (cave creature) | |
| 1994 | Mirror, Mirror II: Raven Dance | Special makeup and creature effects | |
| 1995 | Fist of the North Star | Visual effects supervisor/special makeup effects | |
| 1995 | Howling: New Moon Rising | Makeup effects designer (SOTA FX) | Direct-to-video film |
| 1996 | Amityville Dollhouse | Special makeup effects | Direct-to-video film |
| 1996 | Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering | Special effects makeup (Josiah's makeup) | Direct-to-video film |
| 1996 | Uncle Sam | Special makeup effects supervisor (SOTA FX) | |
| 1997 | Leave It to Beaver | Beaver stunt dummy fabricator | |
| 1998 | Gods and Monsters | Makeup effects supervisor | |
| 1998 | Modern Vampires | Makeup effects supervisor/special makeup effects artist | Also known as Revenant |
| 1998 | Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror | Makeup effects supervisor | |
| 1999 | Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies | Special makeup effects | Direct-to-video film |
| 1999 | Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return | Special makeup effects (SOTA FX) | Direct-to-video film |
| 2000 | G-Men from Hell | Special makeup effects artist | |
| 2001 | Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell | Special makeup effects artist | |
| 2002 | Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled | Special makeup effects supervisor | |
| 2005 | 2001 Maniacs | Special effects supervisor | |
| 2005 | Urban Legends: Bloody Mary | Special effects makeup | Direct-to-video film |
| 2006 | Trapped Ashes | Makeup and creature effects (Japan and Vancouver) | |
| 2008 | Starship Troopers 3: Marauder | Special effects supervisor | Direct-to-video film |
| 2009 | Forget Me Not | Special makeup effects | |
| 2011 | Super Shark | Special effects makeup | |
| 2012 | 2-Headed Shark Attack | Practical shark supervisor | |
| 2012 | The Ghastly Love of Johnny X | Special effects supervisor | |
| 2013 | Big Ass Spider! | Makeup effects designer | |
| 2015 | Tales of Halloween | Assistant makeup artist/makeup designer and supervisor | |
| 2015 | Sinister 2 | Makeup designer (SOTA FX) | |
| 2016 | Range 15 | Special makeup effects designer | |
| 2017 | XX | Special makeup effects artist | Segment: "Her Only Living Son" |
| 2017 | Mohawk | Special effects makeup | |
| 2017 | Death House | Special effects makeup | |
| 2020 | Breach | Makeup effects designer | Also known as Anti-Life |
| 2021 | Willy's Wonderland | Makeup effects designer and supervisor | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Credited as | Notes |
| 1996 | Humanoids from the Deep | Makeup effects supervisor | Television film |
| 1998 | Halloweentown | Makeup effects designer | Television film |
| 2001 | Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge | Creature and makeup effects designer (SOTA FX) | Television film |
| 2004 | Halloweentown High | Makeup effects designer | Television film |
| 2005 | Snakeman | Makeup effects designer | Television film |
| 2006 | Return to Halloweentown | Makeup effects designer | Television film |

### Music videos

* "Boogieman" by Twiztid, 2015