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Question: I want to be a Special FX makeup artist!!!?
Hey!.!.!.
I am 20, and LOVE Special FX makeup!.!.!. I am pretty good at it!. I took a class with the Wolfe Brothers, which are very good at what they do!.!.lol Since then I have fell in love with doing Zombie makeup, and fun stuff like that!. I live in Florida, and would love to learn more of how I can get a career in this field!.!. If you have any idea or ideas about doing this PLEASE!! Let me know!.!. thanks!.!. And HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!
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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
The best way to start a career in Effects Makeup is to start creating things on your own!. Find books and magazines that talk about the various products and processes for creating prosthetics and full scale masks and costumes!. Take care to learn about the safety procedures to be followed when handling the various products!. Most of them are highly toxic!. Once you feel confident in your base of knowledge, start creating some sculptures on your own!.

Eventually, the sculpture will deteriorate so you’ll want to make molds to preserve your creation as a mask or resin material!. also, take pictures of everything you do!. The pictures and the resin products will be your portfolio which you will use to get a foot in the door!.


Unless you are a child prodigy in art, sculpture, and creature design, your first step in the professional world of effects makeup will probably be as a RUNNER at a special effects shop!. While this seems like a menial position, and can be at times, it is valuable in that you are learning how a real shop runs in the context of a real business environment!. You learn firsthand where to get the various materials needed, what they cost, and how they are eventually used by the seasoned professionals!.

Once you’ve shown that you’re enthusiastic and reliable, you may be pulled from your running duties to become a full time LAB TECHNICIAN!. Here, you are responsible for all sorts of things like “running” foam, brushing latex, making armatures, casting silicone, assisting with life-casting or even just assembling work tables!.

Those two positions are sort of the “support” jobs for the artists in the shop!. Of course the glory jobs are in SCULPTING and PAINTING!. Your portfolio coupled with the “who you know” factor will land you work in those areas…maybe!. But almost equally important to the process (not that any of the steps are unimportant) is the MOLD MAKER!. The clay used to create a sculpture will eventually break down and fall apart!. Not that an Actor can wear a block of clay anyhow, so a mold has to be constructed from which the final product can be produced!. Using a variety of techniques and materials, the Mold Maker takes a sculpture and makes a negative of it so that it can be reproduced precisely as a latex or resin (or other finishing material) piece!.

A very specialized position in the field is the MECHANIC!. This is a person who is well schooled in creating internalized armatures and motors for models, miniatures, or creature effects such as eye movement and muscle control!. If the film calls for such an elaborate creation, the Mechanic will be called in to collaborate with the Sculptor early on in the process to ensure that enough physical space is left for the necessary equipment to be added later!. Eventually, when the product is completed, the Mechanic may also be asked to go to the set to work as the PUPPETEER!. Now, the job is taking on a whole new dimension as the technician is required to “act” via the mechanical device for camera!.

The important thing for you to consider while pursuing this career is that while specializing in one area can be rewarding, it might not pay all the bills!. Being a jack of all trades makes you far more valuable to a production, as they can count on you to do the jobs that might otherwise be assigned to several different people!. For instance, a Sculptor may only need five days to finish a mask!. Then what!? If that’s all he is capable of doing, then he is now out of work!. But if he also knows how to make molds, then he just picked up another few days of employment!. If he is a highly skilled Painter as well, then he may get the privilege of seeing his creation from start to finish and get paid for it!. Not only will you keep the checks keep coming in, but, as an added bonus, you will experience a sense of creative accomplishment!.


That's just a start! There's a lot more to know!. Visit http://www!.whatireallywanttodo!.com/ for more resources that can help you create a real career!.


Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www!.whatireallywanttodo!.com/Www@QuestionHome@Com

Look at a longer course - I know a couple of people who have done 1 and 2-year courses in makeup, specialising in special FX!. also, try and find local groups who might need help with theatrical makeup (for instance, we did "Arsenic and Old Lace" recently and had to get a makeup artist in to do Jonathan's scars), work with them (you may have to volunteer your time) and take photos of your work to build up a portfolio that you can then show professional employers!. Loads of groups do "The Wizard of Oz" which calls for some quite specialist makeup with the Lion and Scarecrow - a good place to start!Www@QuestionHome@Com