Face Off type TV Show

Syfy has revealed details on the cast, guest judges, and mind-bending challenges audiences will see on season 5 of the special effects make-up reality competition series Face Off.

The network promises plenty of “twists and turns,” the first of which comes when the eight season 5 newcomers discover that they’ll be competing against veterans from seasons past. The contestants will be challenged to create mutants, goddesses, and human/creature hybrids, some of which will be put to the test in live stage performances.

Who’s coming back in search of redemption? Click on to find out.

During last season’s Face-Off redemption, Eric Zapata secured his spot as a returning contestant in season 5. He’ll be joined by Alana Schiro (season 3), Bryan “Tate” Steinsiek (season 1), Frank Ippolito (season 1), Laura Tyler (season 3), Miranda Jory (season 2), Robert “RJ” Haddy (season 2), and Roy Wooley (season 3).

The winning artist will receive $100,000, a 2013 Fiat and a V.I.P. visit to a Kryolan Professional Make-Up — which has joined the series as the official make-up sponsor — lab.

McKenzie Westmore returns as host, along with judges Ve Neill (The Hunger Games, The Amazing Spider-Man), Glenn Hetrick (CSI: New York, Heroes) and Neville Page (Avatar, Prometheus). Legendary makeup artist Michael Westmore resumes his role as contestant mentor. Bill Corso and Valli O’Reilly — who shared the 2005 Academy Award for their work on Lemony Snicket’s A series of Unfortunate Events — and sculptor and concept artist Jordu Schell (Edward Scissorhands, Babylon 5) are among the lineup of guest judges.

During this season’s Spotlight Challenges, the contestants will be tasked with creating camera-ready characters like a Morlock-inspired subterranean humanoid beast, an alluring Mother Earth goddess inspired by the contestants’ own mothers, and a stylized alien that will appear in a performance by circus troupe Cirque Berzerk.

For the final challenge, the top three contestants will each create two lead characters for a special performance of Swan Lake by the Los Angeles Ballet.

But first… all 16 contestants must create make-up looks for cast members from Syfy’s new docu-series Heroes of Cosplay, which debuts after Face Off‘s season 5 premiere.

Season 5 of Face Off premieres on Tuesday, August 13 at 9 pm EST on Syfy.