The Makeup Artist Handbook

by Gretchen Davis

  Syncing LED (light-emitting diode) markers on the suits, plus testing the helmet cams (helmet cameras) is part of the process. There are also banks of manned computers and “witness” cameras that are positioned to film every possible movement of the actor/performer for future reference. The makeup department for mocap is evolving as well, and is unique to each project. At first it may seem that the department has minimal work, but the positioning of the dots is crucial to the facial cameras. The care and maintenance of the dots as well as removal of the dots is the responsibility of the makeup department. This is not always as easy as it seems since the paint used can react differently on each actor's/performer's skin. Some paints simply wipe off, while others need a prosthetic remover such as isopropyl myristate.

  Before going to camera there are various stages necessary to facilitate motion capture. The principal actors/performers need facial and body scanning to follow the movement of the major muscle groups, especially the face. Technicians carefully map out the best points for facial movement and expression for the makeup department. Actors/performers are then scanned 360 degrees and photographed.

  From the scans, full vacuform face masks are built for each actor/performer with the position of the dots. The positioning of the dots is critical to the facial cameras and they are a constant concern. There can be teams of Makeup Artists that maintain and track the “dot marks.”

  On the Job

  In the film, Caesar: Rise of the Apes, Victoria Down found that there was a whole new technology and learning curve.

  Caesar is a unique film in that mocap performers were working alongside actors in practical sets. Often the motion capture work is filmed in a totally separate, controlled studio and then integrated into the film. Taking on a project like this follows with first designs and concept meetings. Through these meetings we learned that this was not to be the usual makeup film. WETA, a New Zealand based visual effects company, was designing the apes solely by computer.

  My responsibility as department head was to work closely with the mocap team, ape performers, facilitate facial and body capture, while filming live action. My first responsibility was to cast the teeth of the twelve principal ape performers. Next was designing and building ape, orangutan, and gorilla teeth that would mimic the actual animals. Each is built to appropriate scale for each actor's face. The teeth are extremely thin, and used to plump the upper and lower lips. This will help the actors to move their mouths with fangs, aiding their performance. The teeth were also tracking markers for the VFX team to follow when they designed their own teeth for animated apes. The paint used is a special Mocap paint that was developed for Avatar, in specific colors depending on light levels and skin color. This paint has a fluorescent reflection, readable by the facial cameras. Paint was developed to be long wearing, because of the heat of mocap suits, and the friction of helmets with cameras attached.

  On each face the Makeup Artist glued 300 tiny silver balls that had hexagonal reflective surfaces, carefully mapped out by technicians to be the best points of muscle movement and expression. Though this was a nonprosthetic makeup show, we did build twelve slip-on face masks, based on the conceptual drawings of the ape characters for use in deep background, and to help the director of photography in lighting.

  —Victoria Down

  There is much to think about in all areas of makeup design for all mediums, starting with: What medium is being used? What is the look (style) of the project? Is there a color palette that all departments are working with? Who are the characters (and what are their backgrounds)? What is the movement of the story? Who is the client? Is it an editorial shoot or advertising? Where are the shooting locations? What are the environmental factors; continuity issues? What are the scheduling issues? What is the director's vision or desires? What does the actor require or want? Is there an arc to the story that affects the makeup movement? What research needs to be done to create realism? What creative influences do you want to use: European fashion magazines, art books, American fashion, street or local fashion, or museums? Is it fantasy, real life, or futuristic? What is your inspiration?

  Inspiration

  Inspiration for design can come from just about any source. It's all around you. People watching is a great source of inspiration. Ride the subways and public transportation, visit different neighborhoods, people-watch at the airport, go to clubs and social events that appeal to the specific types of characters that you are researching. Keep current with beauty trends and fashion—think internationally with sources from Milan, Paris, London, New York. Art books, photography books, old Life and Time magazines, and old catalogues from the time period (e.g., Sears and Roebuck) are great sources. Walking down the street you see the most interesting makeup choices and characters that you never would have imagined otherwise. Inspiration is all around you (Figure 8.1).

  Figure 8.1

  Ethnic Old Man(Istockphoto)

  Henna Hands(Istockphoto)

  Tokyo Pedestrians(Istockphoto)

  Presentation

  There are many ways to present your concepts and designs: verbally, visually, demonstrated on practical models, and of course a combination of all. Each situation and individual can require a different style of presentation. Keep in mind the need to present your designs in a way that works best for those making the decisions to clearly see the direction of the designs and that also showcases your ideas. A poorly put together presentation will take away from your designs. You should be able to discuss and show examples of your designs. Presentation books organized with illustrations, photos, sketches, story boards, magazines, and Photoshop are all standard methods for presentation. In many cases, Photoshop will be essential (Figure 8.2).

  Figure 8.2 Photoshop

  Courtesy Matthew Mungle

  Gimp is a free, open-source software which can do almost everything that Photoshop can do for the less-experienced user. For portrait makeups (recreating a likeness from a real person), freeware morphing software will find the differences between the “real” person and the actor (Figures 8.3 and 8.4).

  —Lars Carlsson

  Figure 8.3 Morph in Six Phases (See Next Page for Last Two Morph Phases)

  Courtesy Lars Carlsson

  Figure 8.4 Morph Completed

  In film, there is movement to makeup and it can be necessary to work for 360 degrees. Our work is consistently changing with the mood or emotion, physicality, situation, and the environment of the character and the filming. It can be extremely subtle or very obvious. Attention to detail and character brings life and believability to the look. The more believable, the less focus on the fact that makeup was used to achieve a look.

  Read through the text several times, making notes and breaking down the script before meeting with the director. Script breaks are done by all departments, and you must compare and defer to the script supervisor's version as the final word (Figure 8.5). The script supervisor will provide a breakdown to all department heads. Recommended reading for script breakdown is Costuming for Film: The Art and the Craft, by Holly Cole and Kristin Burke (Silman-James, 2005).

  After meeting with the director, meet with the other departments: costume designer, production designer, and cinematographer.

  Figure 8.5A.

  Script Supervisor's Breakdown

  Figure 8.5B.

  Daily Makeup Department Breakdown

  Figure 8.5C.

  Costumer Supervisor Breakdown

  This is the time of discovery and aesthetic decisions. It is also a time for research. Once you feel you have done your due diligence, talk to the AD (assistant director) about meeting with the actors. The AD handles all scheduling. Your first meeting could just be a meet-and-greet (no makeup applied). If that is the case, you and the actor will discuss looks, products, and ideas. If the schedule allows, then there would be a makeup day to test or work out the looks. If there are makeup designs that are still in the experimental phase, work out the design on a model first, perfect the design or p
roducts to use, and then apply this to the actor. If you are not experimenting, work out your designs with the actor. Makeup Artists also use Photoshop to design looks and to use for a show-and-tell. Prep time and money in the budget will dictate how much makeup testing there will be. In some cases, you will not have access to an actor. Normally, there is at least one day of makeup testing done on-camera, called a “test day.” This gives everyone a chance to put the work on film, look at it on-screen, and make decisions based on what was tested. When the tests are screened at “dailies,” everyone involved is present. Discussion on the looks and problem-solving happens during the screening and additional tests may be requested. Many feel that prep is the most difficult time in the production schedule. This time of collaboration can become a time of too many cooks in the kitchen!

  For photography, you will develop your makeup design from directions and concepts given to you by the photographer and client. On the day of shooting, test photos will be taken (or Polaroids) and, after reviewing and consulting on the photo, any adjustments or requests that are needed will be made. In theatre, your designs will start with the text and meetings, and develop during the technical and dress rehearsals in the schedule.

  In all situations, remember to stay flexible in mind and hand. This is part of the process of problem-solving and collaboration that go into designing looks and characters. There will be times when you will be asked to change or correct something. Do not be put off, but understand that you will not always get it right the first time. Ideally, you will have the opportunity to start out with small projects, independent films, industrial projects, and small print jobs to hone your skills, creativity, and intuition. These small projects help to develop and perfect your problem-solving ability in design. Knowing how to achieve a look with very little money or resources, or how to create a look when the environmental issues at hand will cause problems (like humidity) is an asset. You will struggle to achieve and maintain your makeup if you do not look at the whole picture. It is foolish to not consider all elements to each design situation.

  You now have some idea what the makeup department head (HOD) or makeup designer goes through. In the beginning of your career, you will not be privy to all the meetings, discussions, and decisions regarding design. The bigger the budget and show, the more this is true. This is why we remind you often to follow instructions given by those members of the department who are supervising the makeup crew. This is true for all mediums, as much has gone into the design and choices for a project long before you arrive for your first day of work. If you are a daily hire, the larger the show, the more likely it is that you will have very little interaction with the HOD. The HOD will be relying on their crew to instruct and manage a large staff. There is a temptation in a large work situation to “grandstand,” or stand out from the group. Resist the urge! When you are new and wanting to impress, all you have to do is your job! The HOD might not have the time to chat with you, but they know who is getting the work done. This is what will impress those you work for: doing the makeup asked for, paying attention, being professional on and off set, and not trying to over-step your position to get attention.

  Meetings are an important time for meeting the team… [I]t makes the whole process interesting, fun and human to take the time to sit down and discuss the project.

  —Daniela Eschbacher

  Character Design

  Character design can be thought of as all makeup designs; even a beauty makeup is a form of character design. When referring to character makeup, some people do not realize this point. They think of an old age makeup or an obvious physical alteration to the actor to show character and not beauty. All projects begin with text or concept; there is your character. Working subtly is just as challenging as painting with broad strokes when creating a character. Nicotine stains on the teeth and fingers of a character who smokes is an example of conveying the subtlety of a character. Many times the audience does not consciously notice these design details because the look is so authentic to the physical portrayal. Richard Dean is one of the top Makeup Artists in the film industry. His work gives Makeup Artists inspiration, and for the beginning Makeup Artist he will illustrate some of the thought processes for designing a makeup:

  In designing the makeup for Fatal Attraction, the female character Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) is clearly attractive and sensual, but with an underlying layer of terrible disturbance and ill function. Symmetry and balance could not tell this story. Instead, I made an effort to suggest that something was always hidden by emphasizing the natural lack of symmetry in the human face, by lining the eyes to stress that one was slightly smaller and by tossing a shaft of hair over one eye to create a kind of three-quarter (rather than honest full face) gaze. The lady had her secrets and her “beauty makeup” contributed to her mystery. In the retail world, balance and symmetry are more useful than they are in film.

  The movie camera seems to adore the less-than-perfect if it exists within the confines of perfect reproductive health and heat. Just examine the specific features of today's biggest stars. I struggle to learn what each face wants to say about itself. Unless there is a particular demand made upon one feature's emphasis over another, my habit is to let the face of the actor tell me. Or their voice if they are so inclined.

  —Richard Dean

  We use every trick available to tell the story and sell the look. We change eyes, teeth, eyebrows, noses, nails, skin color, and hair color. We reverse age, add age, add tattoos, change facial features, and, of course, alter with prosthetics. Your designs can be sketched, done with Photoshop, tested on models/actors, or verbalized. The better your prep and research of a project, the better your work will be. There will be times that you have no prep or research time, such as last-minute jobs, on-the-spot requests because of a new inspiration by the director or actor, or accidents that require fast problem solving. Remember that attention to detail gives your makeup designs life and so does the ability to think on your feet.

  It can be daunting to execute a makeup on a leading lady when she is the second or third soprano to sing the role during the run of an opera, and there is no chance to observe her in a rehearsal and make any necessary corrections. This is where one's instincts and experience must guide one's hand.

  —Steven Horak

  Patty York, a film Makeup Artist with a passion for perfection, and a background as a commercial artist, prefers to illustrate her designs for film. Patty also prefers illustrating her makeup continuity charts (or face chart) as well. She meticulously shows a painted illustration and includes written details of her makeup designs, including a photo of the completed makeup on the actor or actress.

  One of my job requirements is makeup continuity for the film project at hand. This means reproducing the makeup designs I've created for the film on paper, a face chart, if you will, with painted illustrations and written details. I love doing them. I get a sort of Zen buzz from the process.

  —Patty York

  Many times you will have to re-create looks for continuity reasons on a project. Scheduling, story line, and cost affect how often one look will be recreated throughout a shooting schedule. You need to remember what you did, how you did it, and what you used.

  These face charts or makeup charts go into a makeup continuity book that is kept by the makeup department and turned into the studio on completion of the film. If there are re-shoots or additional photography requested by the studio to finish or change the film, the looks can be re-created by referencing the makeup continuity book—regardless of whether the original makeup department is available. These decisions are made “in post” on a project; the powers-that-be decide to change, redo, or add to a scene for many reasons, one of which is a testing audience who do not respond well to the movie. All departments in film and television keep continuity books. Everyone puts their own stamp on how the book is done. Digital photos, notes illustrated with photos, sticky notes that attach to the back of the photo, makeup charts (face charts),
labeling of the cosmetics used with the scene and actor on the label, and combinations of all of the above, are some of the tools used to document continuity. Patty's face chart gives you all the detail and description to recreate her makeup design for this character (Figure 8.6A).

  Figure 8.6 A, Patty York Face Chart. B, Kim Felix Burke Face Chart

  Kim Felix-Burke gives us another example of a makeup chart. Kim was requested to duplicate a makeup based on an ad. This shows how a photo from fashion or advertising can inspire a makeup design. The photo is from a Sephora makeup ad (Figure 8.6B).

  For fashion and beauty photography, Daniela Eschbacher gives her experience with design.

  In a city like Paris, it is hard to break into the business. When I started out in the fashion industry, I contacted as many photographers and stylists as possible to do “test shooting” to build my portfolio and contacts. It is a lot of work contacting everybody and running after magazines but all that hard work pays off. After working for magazines and commercials, people get to know you and pass your name along.

  In fashion, sending out your newest editorials to photographers and magazines will keep them updated on your work.

  For commercial shoots, it's important to have all the information necessary from the client or photographer. The client normally knows exactly what they want, and they expect the makeup artist to realize it. When the call is for a commercial shoot I ask the theme of the shoot, the makeup look wanted, if it is an interior or exterior shoot, and how many models they are using. For beauty it is important to ask the photographer the reference of the model. The photographer can either email her portfolio to you or you can look at the agency's website for the model's book. Once you have all the information, it is time to start thinking about the makeup, products, and to double check that you have everything you need for the shoot.