The Makeup Artist Handbook

by Gretchen Davis

  With HD (Figure 5.1), one of the most obvious changes when you watch a projection by a state-of-the-art HD projector is the total lack of grain usually associated with film. However, grain can be added with filters if so desired. Images on set can be checked by real-time monitors to evaluate what your makeup looks like before the shot. A 24-inch, high-definition monitor works best.

  Figure 5.1 Digital High-Definition Camera

  Makeup Department and HD

  By Paul Wheeler

  The relationship between a director of photography (DP), the makeup designer, and their team, I believe, has to be one of close cooperation—especially if there are prosthetics, or as so often happens in period projects, wigs. The closeness between the joint or edge of a prosthetic or lace of a hairpiece needs to be reflected in the closeness in cooperation between these two crafts.

  Working on HD or film is very similar. If the HD camera utilizes ⅔-inch chips, then the DP will be restricted in the amount of diffusion that can be deployed in front of the lens in a very similar way to a Super 16-mm camera. Any form of diffusion on a ⅔-inch HD camera has to be very light. This is because diffusion has a greater effect in HD, and this makes it very difficult for the DP to find that subtle level of diffusion where the lace will disappear, but the rest of the scene will not look false. If the camera utilizes a single chip similar in size to a normal 35-mm film frame, then the ability to deploy diffusion to help with the makeup will, again, be similar—but this time the help can be greater than with the smaller-image formats.

  Basically, if the makeup and hair teams are familiar with working in the 35-mm film theatrical environment, then they should have no trouble whatsoever with the HD environment. That said, a few things are easier in HD, and just a couple of things need more-careful watching.

  If the production is using an HD monitor of decent quality and size on set, then the DP and makeup supervisor have a much easier task. On a well-set-up, 14-inch (or, better still, 24-inch) HD monitor, most problems can be more quickly and effectively dealt with. It's that adage of “what you see is what you get”—whereas peering down an optical viewfinder on a film camera will not tell you as much. Remember, though, neither will be quite as devastatingly critical of your work as when the image is blown up to a cinema screen. But the same has always been true of film.

  Note that each frame of film has the little silver grains in slightly different places. Each pixel on an HD image is in exactly the same place on an HD image. Usually, as far as the Makeup Artist is concerned, that is not a problem—but, just occasionally, it needs watching. If the camera or the artist is moving, you can usually forget about this—but if both are static, then something like the pattern of a wig net can, very occasionally, line up with the pixel array, and the net will look awful. If spotted early on, there is no problem. Just a slight change in camera angle will usually put the aligned lines out of alignment, and all will be well.

  Media Explanations

  Motion Pictures in Digital: Motion pictures that are shot digitally are films in which their images are captured on digital formats. These images can be taken with any media that can use digital technology. “Digital cinematography” is a term usually used to describe when film is being substituted with digital. Cinematography digital cameras are usually progressive, high-definition formats. Cameras for digital motion pictures are becoming more and more advanced and easier to use with already-existing camera lenses for film.

  Resolution in Digital: This is a little more complex than what you would assume. Each pixel of the image is partial toward red, green, or blue. The color image is taken from this pattern of colors. Film stock has a certain amount of grain in the image, which some people feel is lacking with digital pictures. However, a high-end DP knows how to light and use the correct filters to get the same images and textures of film. Color grading is often created digitally instead of using a photochemical process.

  High-Definition Television: HDTV is a television broadcast using higher-resolution formats. When considering resolution, the screen and how the image is transmitted come into play. HDTV has at least twice the resolution of standard television. The picture on HDTV is clearer, with a better color spectrum.

  Digital Television: DTV is a telecommunication system for broadcasting. Pictures and sound are received by digital signals. Digital television systems can carry both standard-definition and high-definition formats. Digital television can be received in different ways: aerial, pay-TV, digital cable, digital satellite, and DTV monitor.

  Digital Photography: Images are captured with electronic devices that record the images in binary data. Digital photography image quality is expressed by pixel counts and the way the camera can turn data into the correct color balance.

  Photographic Film: Can be polyester, nitrocellulose, or cellulose acetate. The film is coated by silver halide salts that are suspended by gelatin. When exposed to light, it forms an image. The film is put through a chemical process to expose that image.

  Black-and-White Film: There is one layer of silver salts. When grains are developed, the salts are converted into metallic silver. This blocks the light and will be exposed as the black part of the negative.

  Color Film: Uses three layers. Dyes are added to the silver salts, which in turn become more sensitive to color. The layers are usually blue, green, and then red. When the film is being processed, the salts turn into metallic silver, which reacts by forming colored dyes.

  Print Film: Print film when processed turns into a negative. The negative can be color or black and white. Print film must be viewed by being printed on photographic paper or observed through a lens.

  Bluescreen (Figure 5.2): Used often for shooting people. Skin tones (reds, yellows, and greens) are opposite of the blue background. Bluescreen works by photographing or filming an actor in front of a blue background. Shades of blue should not be used while shooting bluescreen. The blue makeup might cause a spill format in the background to appear on the surface of the face. With incorrect colors, the face can almost start to look transparent. Warm colors work best. When shooting for bluescreen, lights and gels are often used to cast off yellow, orange, and warm tones. This is all to keep the actor separated from the background.

  Figure 5.2 Bluescreen

  Photo by www.eefx.com Chroma Key.Screens & Supplies

  Greenscreen (Figure 5.3): Often used in the same way as bluescreen. Greenscreen has a stronger luminance than blue and shows more detail. Because of this clarity, greenscreen is used often for special effects. Special effects can also include people in the shot. The same principle applies for makeup. Leave out colors that will blend with the background, avoiding makeup that could cause spills and transparency to your work.

  Figure 5.3 Greenscreen

  Photo by Bob Kertesz, www.bluescreen.com

  Example: Superman flying through Manhattan.

  Whitescreen: Used for a variety of reasons. The background is white, which adds to the contrast between screen, clothes, makeup, and hair. There are no wrong or right choices except to watch colors that are pale, clothes that are pastels or white. These colors might blend into the background.

  Monitors (Figure 5.4) help the Makeup Artist to judge how the makeup looks under the lighting conditions on the set.

  Figure 5.4 Monitors

  Photo contributed by www.Marshallelectronics.net

  Monitors are set up for the director and DP first. Where they are set up and how will keep the AC (assistant camera) busy. The practice I like is for the second AC to cable from a single primary source on the camera a feed for the monitor [that] the director and DP will be using. When this is done, a second feed, totally independent from the first feed, is supplied for everyone else to tap into. The second AC can rig a single monitor for the script supervisor, makeup, hair, and costume. That is, if the DP allows it.

  —Paul Wheeler

  In some situations, there will be different areas for viewing, as Paul Wheeler describes. It not only depends on
the DP, it also depends on the director. The director and the DP will decide where and how many monitor setups there will be. One monitor for just the director and the DP allows them to work in a quiet environment, without the distraction of others, or to work in private. It is very common to have two setups for monitors. There can also be a third setup for the clients, visiting guests, studio executives, and so on. If a monitor is not provided for you, and you need to check your work, ask the first AD if a monitor can be set up for you. Remember, every set is different. Some jobs will have monitors available for you, and some will not.

  Here are a few examples of monitors to look for:

  Cathode Ray Tube: CRT monitors are also available in true progressive-scan monitors.

  High-Definition Monitor: A good monitor for the Makeup Artist to view. You will get a real image of what to expect, and the details will enhance any flaws. Talented DPs will actually use this monitor to light the set.

  Liquid Crystal Display: LCD monitors usually found attached to the camera or on a flexible arm that allows the focus puller (First AC) to see the action being shot. This monitor is lightweight and nice to look at, but is not the right monitor to check for colors and lights and how they affect your makeup.

  Plasma Screens: Available in larger screens, often between 42 and 61 inches. They have a little less quality than the CRT monitors.

  Pro Tip

  In filming situations, if you need to check your makeup, ask the DP or camera operator for permission to look through the lens. This way, you are seeing the image with gels, filters, and the lighting in place. Sometimes in film, using the monitor is not the best way when checking or correcting your makeup.

  Script Breakdown

  Script breakdown is the process of analyzing your script. Breaking down a script is not a suggestion—it is essential toward your process of analyzing, developing, and designing makeup. All departments do a breakdown of the script, starting with the producers, who need to budget and schedule, based on the information in the script. An understanding of the script is necessary for answering the many questions that will come up during prep and filming. This allows the Makeup Artist to effectively deal with the changing conditions and concerns of a shoot. You will build lists of characters, scripted notes on the characters (how they look and dress), makeup effects, location or environments that will affect you, and any written descriptions affecting makeup. This information will influence the design and needs of the Makeup Department, including budgeting. Script breakdown is your chance to understand how the story moves, to get an understanding of everything that has to happen to the characters, the number of “script days,” which scenes are daytime, which scenes are nighttime, and if there are any environmental factors (such as rain). Script breakdown will help you make decisions on how to achieve and maintain the makeup looks. There are computer programs available for script breakdown. It is recommended that you use both manual and computer breakdowns for makeup.

  1. Start by reading through the script without taking notes.

  2. Read through a second time, making notes on what “day” or “night” it is, per scene.

  Your days/nights will need to be checked against the script supervisor's breakdown. Always defer to the script supervisor's breakdown—this is given to all departments, and is the definitive breakdown of the script.

  3. Read through a third time, making character notes, and start an effects list.

  4. List all characters, along with any script descriptions of their looks.

  5. List all makeup effects or looks that need to play in continuous scenes. Make notes on how long an effect or look works. This is your makeup continuity.

  Example: Fred is hit in SC 3. His cheek is bruised.

  Question: How many scenes does the bruise work, and what is the progression or age of the bruising? When is the last time you see the bruise?

  Example: Mary and Joe leave the diner. It starts to rain. They run two blocks to the car.

  Question: Where do they drive to? How long do you maintain the “wet look”? Your effects list will also help you in budgeting for the department. The better you know and understand the script, the better prepared you are for conversations with the director, producers, and other department heads.

  Product Update

  The following products are now available for HD use:

  Cargo Blu Ray HD line

  Christian Dior Totale High Loose Powder

  Graftobian HD line

  It Cosmetics HD Finishing Powder

  MAC Pro Airbrush line, use with or without airbrush, sold only to professionals, no retail

  MAKE UP FOR EVER High Definition Elixor

  MAKE UP FOR EVER High Definition Foundation

  MAKE UP FOR EVER High Definition Powder

  MAKE UP FOR EVER Rouge Artist Intense with 50% more pigment

  MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Microfinish Powder

  MAKE UP FOR EVER HD line

  Revlon Color Stay Foundations and Powder

  Smashbox HD Healthy FX Foundations and Concealer

  Temptu

  References

  Wheeler, P., Digital Cinematography. (2001) Focal Press.

  Wheeler, P., High Definition and 24P Cinematography. (2003) Focal Press.

  Internet Resources

  Bluescreen, www.bluescreen.com.

  Digital photography, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_photography.

  Digital television, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/digital_television.

  EEFX, www.eefx.com.

  HDTV, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDTV.

  6. Foundations

  For every person who sits down in your chair—whether you are working on a film, designing elaborate characters for theatre, creating an image for a photo shoot, or skillfully applying a beauty makeup for television—you will need to know that person's skin tone. If you do not get this part right, your makeup will appear dull, gray, and lifeless. One of the things you'll learn as a Makeup Artist is how to be quick and to think on your feet. In many cases, we do not have the luxury of time to work on a person—everyone from the director to the crew is waiting on you. Train yourself on the steps to analyzing skin tones, and you will be a better Makeup Artist. This would also include makeup effects. Makeup effects deal in great length in the art of skin tones and color layering.

  The primary function of the skin is to protect, and to regulate heat. Differences in skin color are due to the amount of melanin activated in the skin and the way it is distributed. Melanin is the pigment of the skin. Melanin protects the skin cells from ultraviolet rays by absorbing and blocking UV rays through tanning, which is a reaction to sun exposure. UV rays have the greatest impact on how skin ages. Approximately 80 to 85 percent of skin aging is caused by the sun. Melanin in the skin is nature's sunblock, and the more melanin in the skin, the darker the skin tone. Scientists have estimated that people of African descent have some 35 different hues or shades of skin. Undertones that tend to dominate dark skin tones are yellow, orange, red, olive, and blue. You have to learn and really understand how to deal with all skin undertones. Do not rely on just looking at the surface of the skin—the undertones that are present just under the surface will affect the color you apply to the skin. This takes much practical experience and exposure to the wide variety of skin tones and different combinations as well as situations that you will encounter. Ethnicity, environment, and illness all play a part in a person's individual undertones, and in some cases are not easily recognized. Look at what happens to color when applied to the skin. Does the color enhance the skin tone, or is there a gray or dull quality? Unless the part calls for illness, your goal is a healthy tone to the skin.

  Nancy Tozier, director of education and president of Take Up Makeup Cosmetics, says: “Learning color theory can help you change a good makeup application into a great one. By understanding color theory, you can take years off a face, make eyes show from across the room, create harmony, and change dull to outrageous, while always knowi
ng exactly what you're doing.”

  Tozier teaches throughout the United States and internationally. She specializes in teaching the artistry of makeup, color analysis, and skin care. The following outline will show you how to incorporate the color wheel to plot skin tones. You will also learn to custom blend foundations and powders with color to enhance or correct skin tones. Again, this theory in the use of color is a basic knowledge for all Makeup Artists. Nancy will guide us with her knowledge through color theory and mixing foundation.

  She explains: “The key to understanding color theory is the artist color wheel.” (See Figure 6.1.) Nancy continues:

  Figure 6.1 Artist Color Wheel

  If you divide the color wheel in half from top to bottom; the colors on your right are the cool colors—blues, and shades of blue (blue green, blue violet, and raspberry). We associate these colors with the cold. The colors to the left are the warm colors. They contain yellow. We associate these colors with fire. The color at the very top of the wheel, red, can be warmed if a little yellow is added, moving toward the orange tones on the left. That very same red can be cooled by the addition of a little violet, moving toward the blue tones on the right. In the same way, green, at the very bottom of the color wheel, can be cool if a bit of blue is added to it, and can be warmed by adding a bit of yellow. You can see how very similar colors can be warm or cool depending on whether blue or yellow undertones are added.