From an early age Bottin enjoyed a steady stream of old horror films, as well as magazines like Famous Monsters of Filmland. At age 14, he submitted a series of illustrations to well-known special make-up effects artist Rick Baker, who promptly hired him. He worked with Baker on various films. Finally working on his own, his first big break was The Howling, where he was called to create an on-screen transformation from man to werewolf. Notably, Bottin's effect in The Howling appeared five months before his mentor Baker's similar scene in An American Werewolf in London.
