Jill Warner had a potential career with ADT Security, but she bailed to secure a future in Hollywood instead.

The 1995 Carmel High School grad has worked in casting, been a production assistant, and served as second unit director on a variety of projects, ranging from television (“CSI,” “Friends” and “Battlestar Galactica” among them) to movies (“Daddy Day Care,” “The Cat in the Hat” and “A Mighty Wind”) before settling into her role in special effects.

Since then she’s helped make Doc Ock’s arms in “Spider-Man 2,” worked on M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Happening,” and was part of the creature team for “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” which is nominated for an Oscar for makeup effects.

What exactly do you do?

I am on the Creature FX side of feature films, working for Quantum Creature FX. I am hired for one certain position, but I normally end up having three to four titles, credited or not, and it can be different from project to project. My last title was “On-Set Creature Effects Technician” for “Land of the Lost.” That entailed dressing over 30 performers, as well as maintaining the Sleestak suits.

Worked with any famous people?

I was an intern under Brian Grazer (Ron Howard’s producing partner with Imagine Entertainment) for “Cat in the Hat,” and I worked with Guillermo del Toro on “Hellboy II.” He was amazing to work for, and he’s a freaking visionary.

How did you get your start?

In 2000, I got onto the set of “Charmed,” starting out as a background artist, then moving up to a stand-in, then finally I got a part as a Dark Maiden. I was on “Friends” in basically the same capacity and ended up on the Monica’s 30th birthday episode.

What do you miss most about Indianapolis?

The Brickyard 400 and the Indy 500! I LOVED going to the track.

What’s your most memorable celebrity encounter?

Having pizza on set with the cast of “Friends,” along with Brad Pitt and George Clooney. It’s a cliche to say that stars that big are just “regular guys,” but you really see that they are when they’re just hanging out.

Who should win an Oscar this year?

“Hellboy II: the Golden Army” for makeup effects. I might be a little biased on that one, though.

If you could start over in your career, what would you do differently?

I would have had more confidence in myself earlier on.

My career will be complete when…

I’m dead.

Jill Warner’s current special-effects projects:

- Will Ferrell flick “Land of the Lost,” due in theaters in June.

- M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

- The sequel to the 1982 video game film “Tron.”