The Role and Responsibilities of a Makeup Artist Working on a Drama Series
July 11th, 2009 Filed under: Uncategorized — Movie Critic
A makeup artist is someone whose chair is the bridge between a person in real life and the character who appears on the screen for all of us to view. All personal traits disappear and the character begins to surface as the layers of makeup cover the face.
Even if the role does not require a person to change his/her personality, the makeup artist makes him/her more presentable for the camera so that the best features are highlighted in the lights in which the scene is being shot. A makeup artist is an integral part of the team that produces a drama series or any other performing art form.
Without one, Sarah will be Sarah and Jillian will be Jillian. Makeup artists create identities that the director and producers want to see and that we eventually begin to relate. What’s more is that they have to reproduce the same face and its characteristics for every episode or scene that is shot.
If a person in the serial is injured or comes back from a holiday in Hawaii, again the makeup artists give the impression of wounds or a tan, of course according to the demand of the character and the scene. Sometimes, a makeup artist may have to apply special effects for every episode. Imagine a sci-fi serial.
The forehead probes on the alien’s head, the silver robot or the three-eyed she-monster – all require a makeup artist to make them look that way. They have to make sure that the character looks the same in every episode that reaches the viewers. Makeup artists work with the dress designers, and together they create the complete look of a character.
The makeup artists have to be very careful about the lighting and other conditions of the scene at hand. They make sure that the character appears just as conspicuous in a dark forest as he/she does in a living room setting. Sometimes, they may need to different makeup in different scenes. For instance, if a person in the scene is commenting on an actress’s beautiful eyes, the makeup artist will work really hard on making her eyes look very attractive and shining.
If on the other hand, someone disparages somebody’s wrinkles, you will also suddenly notice them. That is also because the makeup artist has subtly introduced them on the actor’s face. Makeup artists are truly ‘artists’. They make the glare of camera lights look like luminescent and may even make a person look shorter or taller if the character demands.
Besides applying makeup to the artists, there are also many other roles and responsibilities of the makeup artists and their team. They are responsible for procuring all the makeup that may be required. They also have to maintain and take care of the wigs etc used in the getup of a character. Besides that, they have to keep on researching on how to improve their technique, how they can improve themselves than their rival artists, and how to use any new products and methods in creating their characters.
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