WHEN TO SAY NO

At the beginning of your career you are given advice on how to get your name out and gain experience. Advice coming from your Instructors and mentors who have been in the industry a long time is the best and one you should definitely follow. But today you will find advice on social media sites trying to sell you products claiming that these will “attract” clients. You will also find a lot of job posts asking you give your services away for free aka “trade for photos” and the popular “IMDb credit”. Both can be great ideas. You are starting off and need to build a portfolio to showcase your abilities and personal taste and if you want to work on films, the best way to gain experience is to be working on a set. If you live in Los Angeles you will have endless opportunities to do so [in fact you’ll find more work in both film and photography that won’t pay]. But, warning, the drawback to free work is the cost to you in purchasing the latest must have cosmetics that you will need to produce your best work.

SO HOW DO YOU FIND THE BALANCE?

Having an understanding of what you want out of your career is the first step. You have to ask yourself the classic question, where do you see yourself in 5 years? Setting goals helps you focused. Second is researching whom you’re working with. There are a lot of artists in the industry who tend to be jack-of-all-trades but master of none. There is nothing wrong with having creative hobbies; for example, this blog is my creative hobby. But if you’re working with someone who cannot pay you for your services, products, your time, gas, parking etc. you have to consider what the trade of is.

Trading for photos is great when building your portfolio. However, there are important questions you will need to ask. For example, will the photos be retouched? Some photographers do not know how to edit photos so it would be good to know if the photos will be ready to post when you receive them. In some cases, the photographer may ask for multiple makeup and wardrobe looks. In this case you need to ask if you will be receiving retouched photos for all looks. The last important question to ask is if you will be getting close up photos of your work. I’ve worked with several photographers who shoot full body and my work is barely visible. If it’s for trade you’ll need to ask if you can get close up shots of your work.

 

Here’s a beautiful editorial I worked on with Photographer Ella Dedegkaeva and a perfect example of how some lifestyle editorials take in the entire environment which can often show less of your work. Model Ksyusha Kiana B

 

Film is a whole other animal. Research, research, research; I can’t stress that enough. Everyone everywhere is a filmmaker, especially if you live in Los Angeles. You will encounter many people claiming that they don’t have a large enough budget to afford to pay a makeup artist, which is fine if you’ll be assisting the head of the makeup department but I don’t recommend taking on a position as the only artist on set without prior experience (and let’s face it, if you had prior experience you wouldn’t put yourself in that situation).

Many films are produced everyday around the globe and there are endless opportunities to volunteer your talents for trade. But you should employ certain rules when working for trade to help you reach your goals and not be taken advantage of. What some people in the film industry do not understand is that the right cosmetics, hair products and tools are very expensive especially for someone who’s starting out. Its impossible to have an entire kit available for every skin and hair type because obtaining the right products comes with lots of research, experience and money. The only kind of volunteer work that anyone who wants to work in the film industry should do is assisting a veteran hair and makeup artist. With their experience you can learn what kind of cosmetics work best for film, what hair products to use, and the most important, onset etiquette. There are only expensive mistakes to be learned when working on film sets without experience and proper guidance. So I would consider anyone asking for a makeup artist or hairstylist to trade services as a department head as inexperienced themselves. Besides there are no real connections to be made in when working with a skeleton crew (minimal workers). Most importantly, the reality is that no “named” celebrity will volunteer their name and talent. Every person has to eat and keep a roof over their heads so believe me when I say the information they are posting is false. Unfortunately, I encounter many job posts like this all the time.

 

Funny story; I had a person message me on FB about a film project he was doing and mentioned that one of our mutual friends had recommended me. I became immediately excited after receiving this because networking and building relationships is the most important thing in this industry so hearing that someone had recommended me made me really happy. After I messaged him back he said he’d preferred to talk on the phone so we traded numbers and I waited about 10 minutes for his call. Once we were on the phone I believe I said a total of four words before he lead on a thirty-minute dialogue. He mostly talked about how successful he was in the movie industry. He said he had many celebrity friends and that he had produced many films for these people and even got a couple nominations. He went as far to say that he had a project in mind for several years and that his “celebrity friends” believed in the project and encouraged him to finally create this film. He then discussed location (which was 4 hours away from me without traffic) and how the main cast was 12 actors (4 female, 8 male) and he would have background actors as well.

As he was explaining in further detail I was in the back of my mind thinking of whom I would contact to hire as assistants for this intense project. After twenty-five minutes he turned the conversation to complementing my portfolio and told me I was the missing piece to this project’s puzzle and that he was excited to bring me on board and finally make this movie a reality. I felt honored to be considered so heartily for this project and before I could ask any questions he continues to say that there is no budget for this film. Everyone involved is doing it for the passion. I was finally given the opportunity to speak but found myself speechless.

“I’m sorry, whose passion did you say it was?”

I honestly couldn’t believe what he was asking. How can anyone expect an artist to drive their personal car 4 hours out of their way without paying for gas and asking them to use their kit on 12 actors and who knows how many background people without even trying to provide a kit fee, and be there for twelve hours then drive another 4 hours back home for free? Well maybe not for free but for the passion? The only question I had for him at this point was “who did you say recommended me?” I politely said no thanks and advised him to start with the budget situation next time.

 

It is very unfortunate that there are people in the film industry who see Makeup Artistry and Hairstyling as a hobby and not professional. This is not be the first time you apply makeup or style hair even if you don’t have any on set experience you are still either certified or licensed. I highly recommend getting set experience by assisting a veteran in the Makeup or Hair department. That way you have guidance, gain experience on executing the particular style of the film and learn what cosmetics/products work best.

 

FINAL ADVICE

 

Don’t let a terrible experience discourage you from progressing in the industry of your choice. Everything has its challenges but with proper guidance and knowledge you will be able to handle the job and get paid what you’re worth.

DON’T FORGET THE NAILS!

Grooming is such an important part of our industry and has increased in demand by 50% in last 5 years. More companies and photographers know the value of hiring a groomer for their set but not all artists know what grooming consists of.

If you are self-taught or a certified makeup artist my recommendations may not apply to you depending of the Board of Regulations for sanitation in your state but for a licensed Cosmetologist, Grooming is all about the Hair, skin prep, makeup and hands too. The male actor, artist or model is the main focus and as a groomer, it is our job to keep him looking fresh with perfect hair, even skin and manicured hands for the shoot. On some sets a Hairstylist, a Makeup Artist and a Manicurist are hired to prep the client. On other sets you may be on your own. In this case I recommend taking care (as much as you can) of all three positions.

Here’s a shoot I worked on for American Crew where we had one person assigned for each department. Having a person on set for each position helped me focus and perfect my responsibility which was cutting and styling the hair.

Photography by David Raccuglia and Model Mason Cutler

 

Have you ever found yourself zooming in on all the things that should’ve been taken care of when watching a movie, video, or looking at photos?

Becoming aware is not the main problem, what’s worse is the distraction it causes and in my case I often find myself no longer able to focus on the rest of the film or photography. I wonder how many people react the same way I do?

If you look at any form of advertising hands play a huge role and add stylistic value. Sometimes the person you’re working on maintains himself personally groomed. But if our Model/Actor has an active outdoor life, his skin, hair and hands may not be camera ready and lets face it, if he’s not prepped you will lose the audience’s focus on what’s really important, the product. You may ask yourself “shouldn’t the production company hiring the crew already know this?” They may not know or they may think hands are not important for that particular project. In my personal and professional opinion it is always important to be groomed head to toe and for this reason I have made it a goal to prepare and have tools available for anything that need care in all three departments when on set.

Photographer Brett V. King and Model Chazz Nittolo

 

I keep the preparation simple. I am a hairstylist and makeup artist so I keep my tools and products clean and organized in separate cases. For manicuring I have added a 3 way buffer, nail oil and hand lotion to both of my kits. With such a simple and inexpensive addition to your kit you’ll be able to handle and add stylistic value to any project and gain some star points from the people who hired you.

AS REPORTED IN COMPLEX MAGAZINE

The men’s grooming industry is expanding all across the globe and is estimated to bring in $21 billion in revenue in 2016.

It has become increasingly noticeable that companies who market products for men have given their ads the “Tom Ford” appeal. Whether its selling shoes, apparel, fitness or simple toiletries, men’s grooming has become top priority when hiring a crew. This is why it’s important to improve your grooming skills and perform the ultimate care. Attention to detail should be applied in photo shoots as well. They way actors and models appear in head shots and their portfolios allow them to market themselves to companies.

This was a fun lifestyle photo shoot I worked where I applied my skills in all three departments. Photographer Hilla Hirtinstein and Model Daniel Josef

 

I have had the pleasure to work on sets where there’s a person assigned for each service (hairstylist, makeup artist, manicurist, wardrobe) and on sets where it’s just a wardrobe stylist and me. Either type of setting is great. I enjoy collaborating with multiple people and going solo. But solo means more work and time, so if you’re hired to do multiple services make sure to let the photographer/director know how much time you will spend on the client. Communication is key and learning how to time yourself per service will help you stay on track.

 

AND FINALLY,

If you’re a licensed Cosmetologist I recommend you pack a few extra things. If you are not licensed but are a perfectionist, like me, you can add a manicuring kit as well. The only thing I would not recommend is adding nail clippers, scissors (shears) as some state regulations are strict about using sharp tools without the proper training and license.

 

Here’s a behind the scenes photo from a Vevo Stylized interview with Artist G Eazy I worked on. I was hired just for skin prep and makeup application but once I noticed we did not have a manicurist on the team I stepped in and worked my magic on his hands as well.

Director Georgie Greville

Music Artist G Eazy

Production LegsMedia

Groomer Reba Vera