How To Get A Job As A Special Effects Makeup Artist
How to get a special effects makeup creative person
Kelly Taylor is the course lead in Theatrical & Media Brand-Up at Rugby Higher, part of the Warwickshire Higher Group. Kelly spoke to the states almost how to get a special effects makeup artist and ran through the skills, qualifications and dedication needed to succeed. She also tells usa what information technology'due south like to piece of work in the make up manufacture and gives us her acme tips for a career as a makeup artist.
What skills and qualifications practice you need to become a makeup artist?
Most special furnishings makeup artists' careers brainstorm with a relevant grade. Kelly explains what teaching and qualifications are needed and what a typical programme involves.
Straight Line for Business: Tell united states of america well-nigh your journey from working in the industry to condign a lecturer?
Kelly Taylor (KT): I started working in didactics five years ago, and earlier that I worked predominantly in films and fashion photography. A lot of my early work was voluntary, in theatre, to build my portfolio. Later on that I did a lot of bridal make up work to pay the bills and build my experience.
Directly Line for Business: What should prospective students wait from a special effects makeup class?
KT: Our students commonly bring together the states at 16 years old for the BTEC Level 3 Diploma form in Theatrical & Media Make-Up. It'due south a three-year, total-fourth dimension grade and students are also expected to complete a minimum of 30 hours' industry feel during each academic year. This feel doesn't have to be paid work, simply anything that involves their skills and can exist classed as work experience.
Should they need it, we have a number of piece of work experience opportunities that students tin sign up for. These include attending exhibitions such as Comic-Con and Creaturegeddon, as well every bit IMATS (the International Brand-Upwards Artist Trade Show). Our students collect witness statements and/or before and after photos as bear witness. Nosotros then critically appraise this evidence and we refer to work experience as 'fourth dimension away', not 'time off'!
The first year of the course is all about the central principles. Nosotros beginning with bones skincare, and progress through to prosthetic applications. The second is more specialised, enabling students to focus on a particular discipline. In the third year they tin sharpen their skills and expand their portfolio. To help span the learning gaps, nosotros'll set up projects or provide work packs during the summer holidays.
Direct Line for Business: How do y'all assess prospective students and what key skills and interests do you await for?
KT: Information technology'southward e'er good to have a creative background and nine times out of ten, our applicants will have a GCSE in a creative surface area, such every bit art, music or drama.
We request that applicants show us a hard copy portfolio, which just needs to be six to eight examples of their best work. It's fine if they're recreations of work they've seen elsewhere, but on our class we create original artists and non copycat artists. We teach our students the fundamental skills to ultimately produce work that reflects the best of their imaginations.
In addition to all the applied creativity, the grade contains a lot of bookish report, like beefcake. Therefore we'll check previous exam results and also assess the student'south willingness to learn. Makeup artistry isn't but about putting on foundation and pretty eyeshadow. It certainly isn't the piece of cake career option that some people might think it is.
Direct Line for Business: What other unexpected skills can students learn during a special furnishings makeup course?
KT: Something that oft surprises people is how important information technology is to be able to do hair. It'southward a major role of the industry and I don't think I've ever done a task where I didn't have to bear on the hair — wig work and hair wrapping are extremely common.
We as well support them to enter student competitions as it'due south great practice for the busy, fourth dimension-pressured environments that they'll often have to work in. We've had WorldSkills winners (international competition showcasing the talents of young workers in a multifariousness of trades), likewise as students who've discovered a real talent for special furnishings makeup and have gone on to win major makeup competitions at events such equally Olympia Beauty.
Nosotros also try to best gear up students for life beyond the class and tell them what sort of roles they should be applying for and how to present and store their portfolios. They'll still exist classed as administration or 'apprentices' after they end though, so unfortunately won't go straight to being the lead makeup artist on Star Wars!
Direct Line for Business: What options are there for makeup artistry students who want to go on in teaching?
KT: At that place are now plenty of degree courses in special effects makeup. The do good of these is that you get a lot more opportunity to acquire and experiment using the latest products. Ultimately this gives you more 'play time', which y'all just don't get when you get-go working. Once you get out education, y'all may have to fund the price of buying and experimenting with the same products up-front, which can cost a lot of money.
That being said, a good special effects makeup college class will also expose y'all to contemporary products and techniques. In improver, you'll learn loads of older techniques that are a vital and effective foundation for annihilation you go on to do, and that volition also serve every bit a fallback if things go incorrect.
I don't think any makeup creative person would ever say that they know it all. Even after 16 years in the manufacture, I know I'g still learning! New products and techniques appear all the time and information technology can be a matter of months for something that was cutting border to become 'old'.
In makeup artistry y'all always demand a plan for a program. No technique is foolproof, so you should ever be prepared to use or create more you demand for a job.
Direct Line for Business: What tips doing you have for showcasing piece of work? How should students go about preparing a portfolio for getting jobs in special furnishings makeup?
Adept clean shots of their best work in hard copy is the best option, but nosotros as well suggest them to have a re-create on their phones, saved somewhere they can find quickly hands. You never know when y'all'll have an opportunity to show your best piece of work to someone influential, so always exist prepared!
A typical makeup artist'south career
So once the initial training has been completed, what adjacent? Kelly reveals what life is like for a newly-qualified special effects makeup artist.
Straight Line for Business: What are the most common career paths and opportunities to get ahead? Do you have whatever tips for a newly-qualified special furnishings makeup artists?
KT: Special effects makeup is function of the varied field of makeup artistry and too has a number of variations itself.
For case, you lot could exist a fauna makeup artist (e.1000. the goblins in Harry Potter), a special effects makeup creative person (e.one thousand. a hospital drama), or a beauty makeup artist.
I'd say that nine times out of x, makeup artists will work as freelancers — Tv networks and film studios overwhelmingly employ this manner. Therefore, it's vital to have a good grasp of how to manage your taxes besides as a good understanding of your insurance needs.
You need to exist enlightened that yous won't always be working — some makeup artists are simply contracted for six months of the year. You lot'll also be expected to be available every mean solar day that you commit to, and so but apply for jobs for which you know you'll exist available. It's not possible to take a day off for a wedding ceremony similar y'all could in any other profession. 'Pulling a sickie' could as well mean a black marker against your proper name, so take reasonable precautions when you're on a task. The days can exist very long so it's not wise to become out partying later on yous finish for the day!
Special effects makeup artistry is not an industry that you tin only fall into — you have to work extremely hard to become your start. Be prepared to collaborate in order to build a repertoire and contacts. Networking is too vital. I oftentimes find that networking is a struggle for young students, so it's important to develop that skill early if it doesn't come naturally. You lot actually have to get to know people and go to the correct events to build contacts.
Information technology's besides actually important to know who'southward who in the industry. I always suggest my students that film credits are a quick and easy fashion to get information about people to contact for information and opportunities. That existence said, don't pin your hopes on the most senior/influential person. Maybe ane in every m will get their lucky break from manufacture leaders, so y'all're more likely to get noticed if you lot go through someone inferior. Have a look at who works for, or used to work for, people yous admire and reach out to them.
Market yourself well. Social media has made it much easier to observe and contact people. It tin can likewise help you get recognised, so it's a good idea to maintain a decent profile on Instagram or Twitter. Nevertheless, yous can't just rely on them to go you all the good jobs because that just won't happen! Sadly, social media likewise makes information technology easier for people to copy your work to their reward, just this can be managed by setting your accounts to private.
Direct Line for Business: What's it like to piece of work every bit a special effects makeup artist on a moving picture or TV production?
KT: If you lot're the atomic number 82 then y'all'll agree the costs before production starts — you'll either be given a upkeep or expected to send a quote.
Once agreed, you tin't change the costs, unless of course, product overruns and additional budget is agreed. Always plan your special effects makeup to work within the budget, and not 'to' the upkeep! You'll need to plan for contingencies so this should be factored in too. You could make the aforementioned mould iii times and it won't necessarily look or piece of work the same!
Once the design and budget has been agreed with production, it's essential that this doesn't alter. You'll need to stick to what you've been given or what's been agreed. If you've been given a brief, which includes certain products, you'll have to stick to that – even if you lot think another product is better. You're ever a small cog in a big machine in these situations and so there could be factors that you're not aware of, east.g. allergies or the likelihood of stains from another product.
The hours are very unsociable. Information technology's unusual to work less than 13 hours a solar day on a moving-picture show fix. Therefore y'all've got to stay alert and can't go in the way, though yous'll take to be nearby in case you're required for a touch up. Yous'll besides have to accept two makeup kits: a total one in the trailer and then a smaller, 'on-set' version. This smaller kit will include lots of quirky tools like a canteen of water, aspirin, first aid kit and a hand held fan. They may audio lightheaded simply they could get equally essential to you as lipstick.
Continuity is key. Productions are rarely shot in sequence so yous could notice yourself working on the ending of the film and and so the centre part in the same twenty-four hour period. With that in mind, information technology'southward essential to know how to correctly remove your special effects makeup. If not, you could terminate up with an actor with a red and irritated face, which could be problematic if they're shooting a more natural expect adjacent.
Top tips for a career as a special effects makeup artist
Finally, here are Kelly's top tips to be successful special effects makeup creative person:
- Have an interest in creative subjects
- Choose a suitable college class
- Employ for the right level of jobs and work experience
- Maintain a decent portfolio and online presence
- Network within the manufacture
- Keep upwardly to appointment with new products and techniques
- Be careful and self-motivated
- Exist business organization-savvy, both about your own fiscal interests and working to job budgets
- Don't exist afraid of failure — mistakes are inevitable. It'southward important to understand why things go wrong, so use praise and criticism constructively as they're equally of import. You'll never grow if you lot don't take them on board
- Don't give upward!
If running your ain special effects makeup company is something that you want to do, you may desire to take a look at our tips for running a small business.
We've also created a free tool to give you the data you demand to accept the adjacent pace in your pilus and beauty career. Click here to take a look and style your own pathway to success.
Source: https://www.directlineforbusiness.co.uk/small-business-insurance/hair-and-beauty-insurance/knowledge-centre/how-to-become-a-special-effects-makeup-artist
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