One of the questions we here at the Little School get asked a lot is ‘How do I get into the makeup/SFX/TV industry?’ and it’s a very good question! The answers are often jealously guarded and not always widely publicised. So we’ve written this series of articles to try and give a few pointers based on our own experience and observations.
Part One – Knowing Your Goals
Background
From an outsider’s point of view, makeup and special effects are basically the same thing, right? Well, not really. These are actually drastically different fields with very different (although occasionally overlapping) skill sets and as such the first thing to figure out is to know which of these you want to end up in. So let’s take a bit of a closer look at these two fields and what they involve.
Makeup
Everyone knows that TV and films make extensive use of makeup artists. But these individuals are usually there to make sure that whoever is in front of the camera looks good. The makeup they apply is usually more subtle in its application to counteract the washed out look that studio lighting can create on the skin. That’s not to say that there aren’t times for creativity. A perfect example of creative movie makeup is that of Natalie Portman in the film Black Swan. It’s also worth pointing out that television work is not the only work available to makeup artists and potential artists shouldn’t limit themselves to just TV. There are good opportunities for work in theatrical makeup or doing makeup for model shoots, fashion shows or magazine articles all of which can offer very good chances for getting more creative than television. And let’s not forget that possibly the most creative form of makeup is body art, which when done well can create some truly spectacular results.
Special Effects
While makeup has a reasonable number of sub-disciplines to it, the number of different areas of expertise that can be counted under special effects is positively colossal. If you’ve ever seen a movie, it will have almost certainly featured a special effects team somewhere in it. Were there fire or explosions? That’s special effects. Blood, guts and gore? Special effects. Space ships and aliens? Definitely special effects. Special effects aren’t limited to the fantastical though. The uses of atmospheric smoke or a bar fight where glass bottles get broken fall under the special effects umbrella. One thing is certain in SFX though. No matter what your particular speciality, the ability to think outside the box and actively problem solve will be key!
Required Skills
So what skills will you need for each area? Well that becomes much harder to pin down due to the vast number of possible areas to look for work. Generally speaking though the following lists give an idea of the overall skills that might be used or needed.
Makeup Artist
- A good understanding of colour theory is crucial as this will give the artist the ability to create incredibly subtle or eye popping effects, depending on what the job calls for.
- Understanding facial shapes and how to compliment them is important for any aspiring artist.
- Although a lot of it would come with practice and experience, a good knowledge of makeups themselves and how they blend is useful. Knowing how product A behaves with product B will aid the artist in getting the outcome they require.
- General artistic skills such as drawing and painting will also come into play, especially for the more creative of jobs such as body art.
- Impeccable personal skills. As a makeup artist you will constantly be invading another individual’s personal space. As such your ‘bedside manner’ should be equal to that of a saint! Or at least a doctor!
Special Effects Artist
- You must be creative and imaginative. No matter which area of special effects you work in, these two characteristics will be key, either in designing a new alien or finding that perfect material for a speciality wig.
- This one again will come with experience, but knowledge and understanding of the typical materials used within the industry is useful. At what times would silicone be used over latex? What about fibre glass or plaster?
- The ability to work under stressful conditions and to tight deadlines is crucial. It’s very rare that you will have plenty of advance notice on a piece and will usually be told about it with just enough time to complete it!
- Again, general artistic skills are used, either in the pre-production design stage when sketching out ideas can be useful, or for painting up final pieces.
Both fields also work closely within teams, so a good sense of teamwork and the ability to work and communicate with others is crucial.
Hopefully, this article gives you a bit of clearer idea of where your strengths may lie or what area you are most interested in. Following on from this, we will take a closer look at each field individually and then finish off this series with the best ways into the industry as well as pointing out some of the less glamorous aspects (full disclosure is important!).