There’s no doubt that the movie makeup industry is a hard industry to get into. Not only do you have to know how to make someone look drop dead gorgeous, but you need to have a set of several other skills to even allow you to be considered as a movie makeup artist. As a matter of fact, several of the best known movie makeup artists began teaching themselves the craft way back in their childhood and teen years!
Don’t let the hard road ahead sway you from your makeup artistry dreams; who knows? You may very well be one of the fortunate few to be hauling in tens of thousands of dollars (if not millions!) applying makeup on movie sets and on well-known stars. To give yourself the best chance of getting into the movie makeup “biz” there are some things you need to consider:
1. Choose a reputable school. Just as when you hear of anyone who has attended Harvard and associate them with being extremely intelligent, choosing the right makeup and beauty school will help employers gage just how good they can expect your skills to be. When looking for a school, go for a big name school but be sure that the school also offers courses that are appropriate for the field of makeup that you are going into. Movie makeup is a particularly dense course load and will require a lot more schooling than receiving a beautician certificate or diploma. Review professors who are teaching there and see if the school offers what you need to succeed (such as schooling, scholarships, loans, or even childcare).
2. Take the right courses. Working your way up to becoming a movie makeup artist is, well, certainly a long way up! Not only will the school you choose need to offer great basic beauty and hair courses (which you will need to ace to really succeed in the business) but you will need to find a school that specializes in stage makeup, and then movie makeup, such as lighting and special effects.
3. Learn about the trends in the movie industry. If you want to be considered as a movie makeup artist, then you have to know at least SOMEthing about what’s going on in the movie industry! Learn about different special effects, lighting, and technologies that are being implemented and hone your makeup skills to be suitable. 3D is all the rage these days; learn how to properly apply makeup to suit this new demand.
4. Remember to start small. Wouldn’t it be grand if we could all just jump on board with a huge, fantastic film like Lord of the Rings fresh out of makeup school? Unfortunately, this is very much NOT the way things work in Hollywood. You will need to put in a whole lot of time working on budget films, volunteering for the local theatre, and building a portfolio. While you’re at it, make sure you continue to network and stay in touch with other makeup artists and movie buffs to increase your chances of getting hired.
