Makeup Artists – S.A. Ring
Make-up artists are basically never household names, however , their tasks are invaluable to the movie-going experience. Without them, Captain Sparrow couldn’t have his signature guyliner, Spock would lose those sharp Vulcan ears, and the Joker will be just another pretty face. Instead, gifted makeup artists change famous actors into every sort of character you can possibly imagine, from humans both eye-catching and not-so-attractive to Terminators, Hobbits, and Grinches.
Directors will check with the makeup artist their vision for the look of each personality, but tend to vary substantially in terms of how much insight they would like to have. A few may possess very specific concepts, a few are quite hands-off, yet others really know what they need yet have a problem communicating it. It is the makeup artist’s responsibility to try and find out what the director wishes to see and transform that vision into a reality.
Even with its ostensibly thrilling nature, makeup artists possess a rather difficult work. They must be on the set early to prepare the characters for the shoot. Several fancy makeup effects normally takes several hours to complete (and remove)–think of all the layers of prosthetics that must be thoroughly placed on Eddie Murphy or Tyler Perry’s faces each time these people wear a fat suit to play a zaftig character. Makeup artists are usually in charge of putting on makeup to the extras, and need to be readily available throughout the day (and night) for any kind of touch ups that will need to be done.
Make-up artists must be artists, first and foremost. They must also be researchers, having a wide breadth of information with regards to makeup as well as hair fashions through the entire ages. Make-up can stimulate a particular time and place (think fake eyelashes and nude lip gloss from the 1960s), or can carry us to a vision of the future, or whisk us away to a dream world that does not exist.
One of many top rated makeup artists working currently is David Leroy Anderson. He didn’t go to film school, but elected instead to acquire his Associate of Arts degree at Santa Monica College. This winner of different Academy Awards began his career in makeup shortly after that, and has since created the makeup effects for a wide array of films, including Angels and Demons, Dawn of the Dead, and Men in Black.
Matthew W. Mungle is another very powerful makeup artist who in no way went to film school. He was a Theatre Arts major at Oklahoma State College prior to enrolling in a makeup training center in Hollywood to sharpen his capabilities. Nowadays he is an Emmy and Oscar Award-winning makeup artist whose credits comprise of Ghosts of Mississippi, Schindler’s List, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Many of the most accomplished people employed in Hollywood at present are makeup artists.
