Make Up Artist Jobs

According to Wikipedia definition about make up artist, A make up artist is an artist whose medium is the human body, applying makeup and prosthetics for theatrical, television, film, fashion, magazines and other similar productions including all aspects of the modeling industry. Awards given for this profession in the entertainment industry include the Academy Award for Makeup and even several entertainment industry awards such as the Emmy awards and the Golden Globes to name a few. In the United States as well as the other parts of the globe, professional licenses are required by agencies in order for them to hire the MUA. Bigger production companies have in-house makeup artists on their payroll although most MUA’s generally are freelance and their times remain flexible depending on the projects.The use of digital cameras may have made the use of bridal make up more popular.

 Before we make a deep explanation about it, I would like to let you know the basic of make up techniques that it used to applied on make up process in film making. Those are :

• Fashion Makeup

Fashion makeup is used in magazine photography as well as on the fashion runway.

• Theatrical Makeup

Stage makeup is used as a method in conjunction with stage lighting to highlight the actors' faces in order make expressions visible to the audience from moderate distances. This often includes defining the eyes and lips as well as the highlights and lowlights of the facial bones.

• Special Effects Makeup (FX Makeup)

The use of special effects techniques enhancing physical features to exhibit metaphysical characteristics as well as fantasy makeup. The use of prosthetics and plaster casting are also required for projects that entails non-human appearances. Accents such as theatrical blood and ooze are also techniques applicable to this type of makeup.

• Airbrushing

The use of an airbrush which is a small air-operated device that sprays various media including alcohol and water-based makeup by a process of nebulization.

• Bridal Makeup

Bridal Makeup is fast becoming a new segment within a makeup artists repertoire. From ethnic, to glamouros to contemporary, most makeup artists now are a major vendor within the wedding planning space in Asia, Europe and North America.

• High Definition

This is an art which involves the use of light reflectors and ingredients such as minerals to give the skin a flawless finish. This was developed due to the further development of High Definition mediums and the cost implications of airbrush makeup.

 So, what is the make up artist profession is ?

The life of a makeup artist is varied and exciting – and challenging at times!  If you work in television or fashion, you might have a 3 AM call one day to get models ready for a photo shoot, followed by 10-12 hours of work that same day.  Or sometimes it’s an easy 10AM call, shoot for a few hours and then you are done.  If you are making up a celebrity for a TV show or movie premiere, you will go to their homes to make them up.  You might also meet with fashion designers to design a makeup look that coordinates with their latest collection for a runway show.  One thing you can be sure of: it’s never a boring job!

One of the best (and sometimes worst) parts of the job is getting to work with people all day.  You will make friends and professional connections constantly due to the nature of the job.  Sometimes, of course, the people you work with will be difficult or rude.  Sometimes you yourself are tired from a very long shoot and have to remember to be positive and help keep everyone’s spirits up and working well.

You will be working with teams most of the time.  For example, on a television show, there will probably be a makeup supervisor, other makeup artists, hairstylists, costume designers, and the director, all of whom you will need to work with as part of your job.  There may also be daily workers who come in occasionally to help where extra staff are needed.

Makeup artists are experts who can give you the look of your choice through the use of cosmetics and other accessories or tools of the trade. Most makeup artists work in films and theatre companies. Others are employed in cosmetic companies as makeup consultants. Some are contacted for special events such as weddings, fashion shows and photo shoots. Different film roles require a specific look. This is mainly the reason why makeup artists are needed in filmmaking. Their work is to achieve the particular look each actor needs to make his/her role more believable. For instance, a mature role requires the actor to look older than his age (if he is young). There are certain makeup techniques to do this.

If you are going to be a makeup artist, you must be an expert on different kinds of makeup or cosmetics in general. You must have sufficient knowledge on coordinating various makeup shades with your client’s skin tone and color. Understanding the appropriate amount of needed to suit different looks is also very important. For instance, makeup that looks good during the night may appear overdone during the day. Makeup artist also need to have at least basic knowledge on skin care. This is very important so that you can be on the lookout for allergic reactions and other negative effects of some forms of makeup. To do this, you need to be able to assess each of your clients’ skin types.

Sources : Wikipedia
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