Open Forum

Hey all.  The missing link in our theatre team is a make-up person. We have managed, but just barely, to get by with minimal, simple make-up.  But it's about time add that to our program. So I wanted to ask, do you hire a make-up designer for shows? Do they teach the students how to apply their make-up or do they do it themselves? And what's the going rate? (I know. It varies by where you are, but I want to get a ballpark idea of how to budget this.) 

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Michael Bergman
Teacher/Director
Alexandria VA
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I have a huge advantage over most programs in that my wife is a professional makeup artist in the film / television / stage industry and she designs for our shows! Our procedure though, is for her to design the show and teach the makeup to our performers but also to a group of my theatre tech. Students who then assist the actors on show nights. For Les Mis last year, student artists applied the aging, including facial hair, to Valjean for example. Professional makeup people / IATSE members may well assist you on a voluntary basis but it is best to be able to offer pay / honorarium. If you would like some other ideas - or to talk to My wife, Joanne, for ideas, email me at my school address. (Joanne has never been to Virginia but loves to travel for work). You can go to iatse.net for a list of local union office. (Joanne is actually featured on the web page - I Am Makeup!) Bill.jacobsen@rdpsd.ab.ca ------------------------------------------- William Jacobsen Red Deer AB -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 08-29-2014 21:40 From: Michael Bergman Subject: Make-Up Artist/Designer Hey all. The missing link in our theatre team is a make-up person. We have managed, but just barely, to get by with minimal, simple make-up. But it's about time add that to our program. So I wanted to ask, do you hire a make-up designer for shows? Do they teach the students how to apply their make-up or do they do it themselves? And what's the going rate? (I know. It varies by where you are, but I want to get a ballpark idea of how to budget this.) ------------------------------------------- Michael Bergman Teacher/Director Alexandria VA -------------------------------------------

It's funny that you should respond this way, as I am in almost the same situation as you are. My wife Amy was, for many years, a film/tv/stage make-up artist. Because we live in an area where much of the work is non-union (and VA and DC are both "Right-to-work"), Amy never joined IATSE as she'd probably have lost work. For years she taught along side me, doing exactly what your wife did- more instruction than application. She did general stage make-up classes for the students. She did effects make-up demos. She and the students built custom prosthetics for "Into The Woods". For each production, they went through the entire design process with her. About 8 years ago, she stopped doing make-up gigs to develop a skin care line, (in part due to the needs of my students). Now we're at a place where I want to bring her back in to complete the support team on the shows. My post was to get an idea of how other schools do this. What was the expectation? Where did they find people? What was the going rate? 

Thanks for the response. And break a leg in the upcoming year.

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Michael Bergman
Teacher/Director
Alexandria VA
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-30-2014 11:19
From: William Jacobsen
Subject: Make-Up Artist/Designer

I have a huge advantage over most programs in that my wife is a professional makeup artist in the film / television / stage industry and she designs for our shows! Our procedure though, is for her to design the show and teach the makeup to our performers but also to a group of my theatre tech. Students who then assist the actors on show nights. For Les Mis last year, student artists applied the aging, including facial hair, to Valjean for example.

Professional makeup people / IATSE members may well assist you on a voluntary basis but it is best to be able to offer pay / honorarium.

If you would like some other ideas - or to talk to My wife, Joanne, for ideas, email me at my school address. (Joanne has never been to Virginia but loves to travel for work). You can go to iatse.net for a list of local union office. (Joanne is actually featured on the web page - I Am Makeup!)

Bill.jacobsen@rdpsd.ab.ca

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William Jacobsen
Red Deer AB
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