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Can I be a special effects makeup artist and a costume designer?

I’ve been wanting to go to college and learn how to do special effects makeup for a while now, but here lately I’ve been thinking about costume design. Is it possible to do both? Where is the best school for those kind of things? I’d assume in L.A. or Hollywood but I’m not sure. Any information on either of them really would be great!
Thanks (:

Hi Caity

Costume and makeup from a film industry point of view are distinctly different – except Italy which has traditionally combined them as a department in many instances.

However, special effects makeup is also really yet another specialism which is separate from ’straight’ makeup which is attended to every day on most productions. There is a difference between ‘makeup effects’ and effects done by conventional makeup artists, as the skills sets do overlap, but once you get into makeup effects and prosthetics to an advanced level, the skills branch off into a completely different path involving sculpting, making moulds and working with materials.

There are overlaps with costume (as with the Batsuit/Stormtroopers in Star Wars or sculptural, non-fabric costume items) but these people come more from a prosthetic and sculptural background and are rarely the actual designer, who is the person instructing the artisans and makers whatever particular skills they have (metal working/tailoring/leather etc).

To the eye, seeing this work taking place appears at first more akin with construction and sculpture. Most makeup artists would be able to do minor casualty effects, but the more involved stuff using extensive prosthetics or creature suits is a different department.

Also in the US particularly there are unions which make crossing departments on A-List movies more unlikely. As in medicine, people specilaise as they get better at something over time rather than flit from being a surgeon to a radiographer and then dabble in tropical diseases etc…they specialise in an area. Low budget movies will have cross departmental skills owing to necessity but that is what you may start out in, professionally you will need to be one or the other.

I have answered similar questions before, and I post the responses below for you as the combined text will exceed the permissible word count. I am a makeup FX artist who works on films & TV shows and have worked in the UK for 18 years and also teach workshops. I have a website and blog (below) which you may find of interest. There are articles, tutorials and a free mini ecourse on there.

Regards
Stuart
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http://www.learnprostheticmakeup.com/

http://www.learnmakeupeffects.com/blog

http://www.youtube.com/user/stuartbray73

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*What school to go to for special effects makeup?

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApurneL02h.37RxKW2TKqfghBgx.;_ylv=3?qid=20101203213720AAz3Jfz

** Looking for a career as a movie makeup artist, where would you start?:

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AuDL7oXG1fsMpix3HdXfWBUhBgx.;_ylv=3?qid=20101219054447AAuxmOr

***Are special effects/prosthetic makeup artists in demand?

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnsMRAqbZhLpLbkb.D5×0G4hBgx.;_ylv=3?qid=20100420093141AAngjQp

Special Effects Make-up Workshop

Special Effects Make-Up Artist [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] …

Makeup Fx: Character Prosthetics & Special Effects [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] …

Special Effects Make-up: For Film and Theatre (Special Effects) (Backstage) £11.10 This text provides step-by-step guidelines for achieving a wide variety of grotesque and outlandish effects, including bullet holes, body fluids and burns. In addition, there is a chapter on specialised character make-up, ranging from Dracula to the Terminator….

Make-Up Artistry: for Professional Qualifications £26.09 A comprehensive, practical guide to professional make-up, this text has a special emphasis on creativity and developing individual style and skills. Also covers: creating fashion and photographic image, cosmetic camouflage and body art, hairstyling and wigs, and how to run a successful business as a make-up artist….

Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen: Making and Applying Prosthetics £19.49 In the world of film and theatre, character transformation takes a lot of work, skill, and creativity. Focussing on SFX, this book takes you through the many genres that need a special effects makeup artist, like horror, fantasy, and sci-fi. It also tells you about the tools you may need, and how to maintain your toolkit….