ABSTRACT
In the film and television industries, the makeup artist is responsible for anything that is applied to or glued onto the face, including facial hair and sideburns.
There are many professionals who do not feel that hair experience is necessary in today’s market, because Hollywood has become so specialized. We disagree, and feel that in order to be a professional makeup artist working in film and television, you need to learn the skills for working with facial hair. If, at some point in your career, you choose to not polish these skills or to not use them, and prefer to “hire out” or not accept jobs requiring these skills, that will be your option. Not learning to work with facial hair will limit you. Until you have the working experience to know what your forte is, you will need experience and exposure to all areas of makeup artistry. So, learn all the skills that are required to be a professional makeup artist before deciding what suits you. Having a working knowledge of all aspects of your field not only makes you a well-rounded professional, but is extremely beneficial during conversations with producers and directors on how to create certain looks. It is not uncommon today to “hire out” jobs that require a high level of skill and expertise; it saves time and money to have the best. Early in your career, you will be hired for jobs in which there is no available budget to “hire out” specialists, so the producers will hire
a makeup department that can handle all the makeup needs. This is an example of what can happen if you do not have all the skills required to be a professional, especially in the beginning of your career. You most likely will be working on projects that have small budgets and cannot “hire out.”
