On my first production, the one person that flaked on me was my make-up artist. It really bummed me out because I was so stressed out that I was breaking out like crazy and because I was starring in it, my face would be front and center.
I did the best I could, but it was no where near as good as a make-up artist would have done it. And I am really good with real-life make-up. But film & video makeup is a whole different story.
Not that my skills are any less strong. It’s just that TV, film and video make-up is it’s own genre… an entire body of knowledge that I only know a little bit about.
And there are so many facets of make-up application. I find it quite fascinating, actually.
I had one make-up artist use a prosthetic cut on me that was supposed to be the way my character cut her wrist. When she was done and I first looked at it, a part of my mind believed what it saw so strongly that I got dizzy and the arm with the prosthetic went limp and cold. It was really weird, but apparently it happens a lot with prosthetic makeup.
Most make-up artists that have been trained formally have great skills. I’ve had more trouble with the professional practices of make-up artists. This is the crew position that has been most likely to flake at the last minute without providing a replacement.
This is also the only position that has really pressed for compensation for their kit, and once I have agreed, they flake. Quite silly in my opinion.
Be sure to get as many back-up make-up artists for the day of the shoot as you can.
You can see if the artist can also do hair, but usually, unless you’ve got some complicated hair going on, the actors can do their own. And usually the make-up artist is too busy to get too into doing hair.
Some actors can do their make-up, but if you’re using an artist, only let them do their own make-up if there is a time crunch. Sometimes the make-up style doesn’t match with what the make-up artist is doing.
You can use an amateur make-up artist, but be sure you get to see some previous movies. I was on one project as an actor when the artist who was a “friend helping out” make all of the actors look like circus clowns. She was used to stage theatrical makeup, which is applied much more heavily. Needless to say, even though the acting is great, I don’t include that project on my acting reel because I look like such a freak.
