by S. J. Reid

Created on: September 21, 2008

Everyday we see beautiful faces on television, in movies, and in print. Although many of them possess natural beauty, they would not be nearly as radiant without the expertise of one of the most important people in Hollywood and beyond the Make-Up Artist.

A career as a make-up artist, particularly in the film industry, can be quite challenging to break into. There are, however, a few simple steps to follow which will increase your chances and have you well on your way to making the stars beautiful. Be forewarned, however, that you will not be working on the big stars right away, even when you finally land a job with a major production company. You will most likely start as a Daily someone who comes in for one or more days of filming when the regular make-up crew simply has too much to handle. From there, if you show great potential, you will become an Assistant Make-Up Artist and will perform much of the make-up application for secondary characters. Finally, with much hard work, you may have the opportunity to become a Key Make-Up Artist, a job in which you design the look for the entire film, make sure your team is working to your satisfaction, and apply make-up yourself, most often to the principal performers.

A career as a movie make-up artist begins with talent. This might be something you naturally possess, or it might be something that you have to learn from scratch. Regardless of whether or not you have the natural eye to be able to mix colors properly or assess the best eyebrow shape, you will still almost always require some basic training to break into the business.

There are several kinds of make-up application that a well rounded film artist should be proficient in. Some of these include basic beauty make-up for film and television, airbrushed make-up, and casualty make-up (cuts, bruises, etc). A background in prosthetics and special effects make-up will also open doors into a completely different, but still make-up related, realm of the film industry. A basic knowledge hair styling may also be an asset on a resume, and assist you in landing jobs faster.

Many schools offer comprehensive courses which cover all areas of make-up, as well as some basic hair design. You can also find module-based courses which will teach you individual skills which, when combined, will make you into a well rounded artist. Whichever option you choose, be sure to always have a camera on hand during class and document your work for use in a portfolio. This will be an invaluable

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