When it comes to make-up, it’s hard to describe any job as typical. But every so often, a
gig comes along that’s odder than most. No doubt, each of us has at least one off-beat tale to tell. Here are a few we found.
MAKEOVER FOR AN ICONJoe Dulude II is best known for
designing the make-ups for the long-running stage musical Wicked. Little did he know it would lead to one of his quirkier assignments. When Mattel decided to create special edition dolls of Wicked’s Elphaba and Glinda for its Barbie Signature line, the toy company wanted Dulude’s thoughts.
“Initially, I was approached by Emma Kerr, the account rep from Araca
Merchandise, the company that develops and markets the merchandise for Wicked,” says Dulude. “My initial reaction was one of excitement! As a make-up artist, you don’t usually get asked to consult on the make-up for a doll, let alone dolls from designs you’ve created.”
Adding to the uncommon nature of the assignment, Dulude, who was nominated for an Emmy last year for Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, never met the designers. His entire involvement took place via email and phone calls. He started by sending face charts of the char-acters and reference photos.
Mattel used the Pantone Color System for Elphaba’s skin and asked Dulude for color suggestions. “The most important part of the discussion was about Elphaba’s
green skin,” he remembers. “Mattel actu-ally created a new color they call Emerald Green. They wanted to get as close to the green that we used in the show.”
There were lengthy exchanges about the character’s eyes, lips and contour. “The contour and the shine on Elphaba are very important,” continues Dulude. “Making sure that they used purple to contour and not a hard brown. It would change the entire look. I also told them we used Golden Olive Pigment from M.A.C.—sadly discontinued—as a bit of sheen on the eyes and lips. The lips are a dark green, not a black, and they were able to match that.”
The goal for Glinda was to keep her make-up soft and beautiful. Dulude pointed out that the eye crease should be
pink with just a touch of brown. He also urged them not to skimp on the lashes. Because of the character’s blond hair, the eyebrows needed to be subtle, and the lips a nice red shine. “They even replicated the soft brown smudged line under the eyes that frames the eye but doesn’t look like liner,” he adds.
Dulude got so involved in other proj-ects, including reimagining the make-up for a stage version of Beetlejuice that debuted in Washington, D.C. last fall, he had forgotten all about the consulting project. Then Mattel sent him the fin-ished dolls as a way of saying thank you.
“I was a bit nervous about Elphaba. I was worried she might be a little too harsh. But she isn’t! When you move the doll in the light, you can see that reflective
quality on the eyes and lips,” says Dulude. “I think so many times people think theater make-up is harsh and hard and thick, and that is not how I design. I like things blended and beautiful. They were able to capture that in the dolls.”
Dulude couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of the Barbie legacy. Just before he received the dolls, he had watched an episode of the Netflix series The Toys That Made Us that featured the history of Barbie. “It was so cool to see how Barbie started and how she evolved. Now a little bit of me is part of this evolution,” he says. “Elphaba is known worldwide. People re-create her look all the time. And it all stems from a nervous editorial make-up artist who loved theater and pretended like he knew what he was doing when he
was hired to design the make-up for one of the most popular shows in theater his-tory. It feels amazing to have one of my make-ups be so iconic!”
COMPANY PERKSAs a member of the make-up team
for the San Francisco Ballet, most days Vanessa Blanchard Lee is making sure dancers look their best before pirouetting onstage. But being in the heart of one of the world’s top tech locations has led to some offbeat assignments.
“Zombie Olympics, sexy demonesses, fashion shows with unusual themes such as luxurious decay,” says Lee when asked for examples. “Themed entertainment such as American Horror Story, Game of Thrones, Narnia, UV black light Avatar-
EDUCATION & JOBS
Vanessa Blanchard Lee (right)
46 47make-up artist number 136 makeupmag.com
inspired creatures, Mr. Monopoly and the Mario Brothers.”
It all started when an entertainment agent contacted Lee a few years ago and hired her to gold paint circus performers for a James Bond/Goldfinger-inspired event. When she arrived at the location, she dis-covered it was Facebook’s annual winter gala.
“Because I did a decent job and could do a wide range of looks, from artistic face and body painting, to subtle, gritty looks or glit-tering Vegas glamour, I became her make-up designer,” explains Lee. “By showing the agent I could tailor the looks, provide aes-thetic consultation and had good product knowledge, I gained her confidence.”
This led to a steady stream of event-ori-ented gigs for such companies as Genentech, Google, Facebook, Instagram, Apple, VMware and Johnson & Johnson. And those are just the ones Lee can name because
of NDAs.“Tech industry jobs are numerous. I
think it’s partly the tech industry plac-ing value on networking, staff morale and the immersive experiences they like when wooing clients ... and partly a tax write off,” continues Lee. “Some are surprisingly conservative, some are more playful. Sometimes it’s only performers creating a mood/theme. Other times, it’s the attendees. Many younger adults want their own bespoke face-painting design. It’s all part of the culture to play, bond, imagine, create—and be your own brand.”
Outside-the-box opportunities also give Lee invaluable experience that her usual jobs don’t offer. She designs the make-ups—researching, sourcing and prepping the materials. Liaising with the clients to create a budget, she’s become
an expert at pricing crews, make-ups, costumes and performers. Lee hires the crew—which can range from just an assistant to a team of eight artists, plus a hair and wig person. Even when she brings in a specialty artist to oversee the designs, Lee coordinates the before, dur-ing and after needs of an event. She likes that she is able to provide work for her peers from Local 706. Her clients like it when she uses artists who have actually worked on the shows that are spotlighted at a themed event.
“It’s similar to being a chef in a restaurant, stirring the whole pot as an overseer,” says Lee. “Honestly, I love the chase as much as the execution. It’s always a unique vision or moment, pull-ing off the impossible or settling organi-cally on something new. It scratches cre-ative itches, keeps your visual mind agile
and thoughts reflective and pragmatic. Client’s wild ideas become real with your input or vice versa.”
LUCK BE A LADYAs a Las Vegas-based hairstylist and
make-up artist, Debra Weite’s eclectic résumé includes films (Jason Bourne, Lake Mead), TV (Daytime Emmy Awards, So You Think You Can Dance), live events (Circus Couture, CES, the Latin Grammys) and stylizing such familiar Vegas faces as Wayne Newton, Louie Anderson and Lance Burton.
“I love Las Vegas for the smorgasbord of gigs that come my way, forcing me to carve out a niche for myself,” says Weite. “I have curated my career to include production work and salon services. I’m an educator. What other line of work can encompass all those things, plus gives you
EDUCATION & JOBS
Young students listen intently as Debra Weite lectures
A MOVABLE FEASTBY CHRIS KOSELUK
Stop-motion animation dates back to the days of silent film. But pos-sibly, one of the more offbeat uses of the artform appeared in 2018.
What has come to be known as “The Sushi Scene” from Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs has quickly become a fan favorite. Lasting about a minute, the segment involves an overhead shot of a Japanese chef prepar-ing a bento box feast of mackerel, crab and an octopus’s tentacle. The majority of the sequence features only the chef’s hands as he slices up the pieces of seafood and forms each into a delectable piece of sushi.
Despite the short running time, Andy Gent, owner of Arch Model Studio Ltd (AMS), the London-based shop that devised all the Isle of Dog puppets, estimates it took seven months to create the sequence from build to the final shot showing the chef bag-ging the meal.
“When we did our first breakdown meeting, it occurred to us that this was one long continuous shot as it was originally boarded,” says Gent. “The cutting was going to be quite realistic—things like fluo-rescent finishes on the mackerel and moving parts that had to separate in front of your eyes. To me, it was going to be a nice, complicated scene. We decided we would need plenty of time.”
It also needed plenty of research. The AMS team studied the techniques of sushi masters to learn how they wielded their knives and the angles they used as they dissected seafood. Gent made sure his pup-pets could be sliced in the same way. The sculptors and molders studied how each chef moved the different pieces and how they slid off the cutting board. Anderson
had developed a fondness for a Japanese chef he had met on his travels and Gent modeled the puppet in the film after him.
But that was only part of the learning curve.
“We bought crab and mackerel from the fishmongers,” continues Gent. “We kept them in the freezer in my little puppet workshop so we could keep looking back at the textures and making sure it was right. We looked at the bits inside. We made sure that the scales were correct. It was a very precise, well-researched sequence.”
All the pieces were designed so that they moved when each is placed on a cut-ting board. That meant fitting the puppets with an armature, which Gent explains was a mixture of wire work with ball and socket joints. The lips on the mackerel, for instance, moved and its fins and tail flapped.
“It had three major parts—a middle, a top and a tail,” says Gent. “A mechani-cal spine ran down it, so the fish could slip around. Each bit was individually rigged and bolted to the floor so that the animator
Continued on page 51
Andy Gent
48 49make-up artist number 136 makeupmag.com
a backstage pass to just about everything and be a valued team member, mentor and artist?”
And when the opportunities are this varied, it only stands to reason that an occasional odd job gets thrown into the mix. When Weite got her foot in the door at the Post Modern Group at Vegas Vision Studios, it brought her into the world of news and politics. As the Las Vegas-based studio for CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and ESPN, Post Modern Group makes it happen when a politician or subject expert needs to do an on-camera interview.
“All on green screen with quartz lamps, Fresnel lenses and LED lights. It’s an evolving set,” says Weite. “High definition sparked ‘The Great Debate’ between me and my mentor Jim Sacca
whether to airbrush or not airbrush. Every on-air talent was different—male, female, skin type, ethnicity. Some had a handler that handed me a personal make-up kit. Others didn’t mind me using my products. Lighting was always a battle because most of the gentleman had either thinning or no hair. Some never had a chance to shave. I experimented with countless ways to reduce shine.”
Weite never knew who was going to show up in her chair. Nevada Senator John Ensign, Congresswoman Dina Titus, state Senator Michael Roberson; political consultants Frank Luntz, Niger Innis and Dick Morris; and financial gurus Guy Adami and Jon Najarian are just a few she has helped get camera-ready.
The work has also helped Weite learn
how to work professionally around a diverse range of clients. “Obviously, I have my own political views and opin-ions,” says Weite. “I was smart enough to keep them to myself. It was sometimes challenging being so close to people that I vehemently disagreed with or who had bad reputations.”
But the offbeat assignments that are getting Weite the most attention are her commercials for personal injury attor-neys. If you ever turn on the TV while in Las Vegas, they are hard to miss. These spots run constantly and are known for being humorously over-the-top to attract attention.
“So many people see those ads. It’s great being able to say, ‘Hey, I did that.’ My family thinks it’s cool,” Weite says with a laugh. “I do a ton of live events,
live TV and a lot of indie films. But this gets my work on a billboard or TV spot that I can point out.”
Frequently, the attorneys themselves star in the commercials. This means that the client and the talent are one and the same. It’s given Weite a crash course in dealing with a variety of different—and sometimes challenging—personalities. “It’s important to do research,” she adds. “I need to know what they are about, what image they want to project and make that come to fruition. Even though ‘artist’ is in my job title, I’m providing a service. I must be present on the set so the client is reassured that looks are covered. I do my due diligence to get to know the client’s needs before I arrive. During shooting, I am parked next to the monitor keeping a watchful eye. It seems
EDUCATION & JOBS
Continued from page 49
I love Las Vegas for the smorgasbord of gigs that come my way, forcing me to
carve out a niche for myself.—Debra Weite
50 make-up artist number 136 makeupmag.com 51
could control it.”Both the mackerel and the octopus’s ten-
tacle were molded in silicone. Gent chose to make the crab out of resin to give it a hard-shell look.
Breaking down the sushi on camera pre-sented a design challenge unlike any Gent had encountered in his career. Each piece had a mechanical skeleton at the start. But each also had to be able to separate when the knife sliced through.
“All of the sushi pieces inside the puppets were prepared to look like the sort of bits you’d expect to see when something like that gets cut apart,” explains Gent. “So, it’s not only the external puppet, but the internal puppet, that had to work. And that’s what we did.”
Tapping animator Tobias Fouracre to act out the motions using paper cut outs, Gent did trial runs on the pieces. Anderson and Brad Schiff, who supervised the sequence, were on hand to offer feedback.
After predetermining where the knife was going to cut on each puppet, Gent’s team created stand-alone sections. Magnetic steel plates were installed where the pieces needed to be rejoined. The magnet pull of the plates held the sections together, creating the entire puppet. Then, like the rest of the skeleton, the plates were hidden with a meticulously painted silicone skin.
Animators Andy Biddle and Anthony Farquhar-Smith were in charge of bringing the sequence to life. When it came time to cut and separate a section, one would position the knife (created by the art department) and maneuver the puppet chef arms to slice it open. Once the incision was made, the sec-tions could be separated.
“When you’re holding the mackerel and the tentacle, you knew that at a couple
of points, it could snap in two. It was only the silicone skin keeping it together,” says Gent. “Everybody was fairly delicate with these things.”
Gent added tiny marks to show where the cuts should be made. But even so, there were some tense moments while shooting the sequence.
“It was up to the skill of the animators. When they brought the knife down for that big moment to cut through it all, it had to be aimed at the right place,” says Gent. “I think
everyone was so terrified of that moment. I drew the short straw and had to go down on the set with a scalpel and gently open it up where the animated knife would make contact. Then, the animator would shoot the knife going through.”
Another big challenge was making sure the edible pieces of sushi looked like they had come out of their respective seafood puppets. As the original plan was to do one continuous shot, the smaller pieces were fitted inside the bodies of the larger pieces.
“We were very keen to make sure that all the diced parts and all the cooked parts down to the tiniest little ones were created in the same material,” explains Gent. “Because it was going
to be very difficult to swap things out and match replacement paint and finish textures. It’s tricky to have a hard material and a soft material and make them look similar.”
As it turned out, the extended shooting time worked in Gent’s favor. While the ani-mators were painstakingly putting one pup-pet through its motions, the design team could build the next without feeling rushed.
Gent admits that he relished the technical obstacles and challenges “The Sushi Scene” presented. He is also thrilled at the response the final effort is getting.
“When we watched it, everybody was quiet,” says Gent. “That’s always a good sign. You know it worked.”
And then he adds, “I hope it makes you hungry.” MA
pretty fundamental, but I’ve heard stories about how unhappy clients were with other MUAs so I make sure to not make those same mistakes.”
But her days with politicians and personal injury attorneys still don’t come close to what Weite considers her most unusual experience. The 2015 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Finals were tak-ing place at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Champion riders Charlotte Bredahl-Baker and Jan Ebeling wanted to do their pas de deux challenge dressed as Danny and Sandy from Grease. Weite was hired to do the transformation.
Finding the clients was the first obsta-cle. “I drag my kit across the parking lot, down to the production office only to be told that I’m doing the riders in the stable, which is about a half mile away,” remembers Weite. “The stable is an immense complex of tents and trailers, million-dollar horses and riders.”
After Weite located her clients, found a clean horse stall, and unpacked her kit, she had to work fast. The horses still needed a warm-up before the show. After the warm-ups, Weite checked her work on Brendahl-Baker and Ebeling, cleaned up her kit, assembled a set bag and started
following the two riders into the arena to be available for touch-ups. That’s when she heard a voice saying the owner of the horses wants to meet her and thank her for the great make-up job on Charlotte and Jan.
“I set down my bag, stepped over to the group, not entirely missing a fresh pile of manure,” Weite remembers before being introduced to the horse’s owner. “‘Hi Debra, I’m Ann Romney and this is my husband Mitt.’ I’m standing shaking Mitt Romney’s hand wondering if he can smell the horseshit I just stepped in … dying. Didn’t do Mitt’s make-up, but we
did all watch the pas de deux together.”*****So while you may never get the chance
to make up a Barbie doll, bring zombie athletes to life or meet Mitt Romney after stepping in horse manure, we’re sure that wherever your journey takes you, you’ll remember these words from Weite, “Never boring, that’s for sure!”
CREATIVE MEDIA SKILLS LEADS THE WAY TO LEARNING FILM
PRODUCTION IN THE U.K.
A good education isn’t only about learning. It should also inspire. Fueling a passion for a subject is
just as important as providing an under-standing of it. And when it comes to the film world, few do it better than Creative Media Skills.
Established in 2012, CMS is a London-based educational program spe-cializing in film production. Whether it’s writing, directing, costumes, hair, make-up, special effects or art direction, CMS aims to make you better at it. Skill level doesn’t matter. The curriculum is designed to inspire everyone from begin-ners to working professionals.
“It’s about bringing in new people, but it’s also about sustaining the quality of the crews we have here,” says CMS founder Ailie Smith. “The U.K. has some of the best crews in the world and the industry is busier than ever. It’s actually
growing at double the rate of any other sector. As more people come in, we have to sustain the quality, pass on the knowl-edge and keep everyone learning.”
One advantage CMS has over other programs is its location. Since 2014, courses have been held at Pinewood Studios. When an offer was extended to visit in person, I didn’t hesitate.
It’s hard not to feel the energy and excitement when you walk into the leg-endary facility just west of London. Over its 80-year history, Pinewood is where Peter Sellers, Alec Guinness and Terry-Thomas got laughs in the 1950s and ’60s and every James Bond—from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig—fought the forces of evil. Tim Burton’s Batman, James Cameron’s Aliens and all the Harry Potters were filmed here. J.J. Abrams restarted the Star Wars franchise on its soundstages and Emily Blunt made her entrance as
Mary Poppins in the Pinewood gardens. With Christmas approaching, the lot
is relatively quiet. The only sign of life is a film referred to as Trixie. But, as insiders reveal, this is the code name for Star Wars: Episode IX. Sharp eyes catch a sneak peek at otherworld production sketches hang-ing on a wall and space cruisers under construction in a cavernous soundstage.
“It’s just such a positive atmosphere to work in,” says Smith from her corner office overlooking the lot. “We were spending loads of money hiring a space in London. I started to think, why not put that to something we’ll have all the time. Then a contact at Pinewood showed me this space. I loved it. So, we made a mas-sive jump.”
For Smith, it was like coming home. The daughter of producer Iain Smith (The Mission, Entrapment), she grew up at Pinewood. “My dad had an office here
Higher Education
for about 40 years. I was a kid in the gar-den picking berries. When dad made The Fifth Element, they had the wrap party with a merry-go-round and fairgrounds,” continues Smith. “I swear, CMS was always going to be here at Pinewood.”
Since relocating, CMS has doubled in size, expanding to 4,000 square feet. There’s enough room to offer 150 short courses throughout the year. They run between one and five days. Four-week course programs have been added and CMS’ higher education platform is shift-ing into high gear.
But more on that later.My tour reveals a fully equipped space
for costume design, a screening room, bustling production office and a spacious meeting area. This afternoon, potential students fill the space to hear Smith and operations manager Estefania Veira unveil the programs. Later, the group will tour
the Pinewood grounds. Down the hall, about a dozen hairstyl-
ists are perfecting their Afro hairdo tech-niques. Next door, make-up artists prac-tice applying prosthetics to each other.
Smith estimates between 700 and 800 students attended the school last year. Many were working professionals looking to up their game.
That’s not by coincidence. It’s the reason Smith created CMS. She started out in make-up on films such as Troy and Alexander. Though she was build-ing an impressive résumé that included Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Mad Max: Fury Road, she still wanted to broaden her skill set. Smith’s goal was to spend a few weeks on hair and wigs; she looked around for a course geared towards her level of expertise. “I couldn’t find one,” she remembers. “Because I grew up looking at all departments and
had a good production sense, I realized there was a need. It was in my blood.”
And who better to teach than indus-try pros? Kazuhiro Tsuji and Stuart Bray offer insights on effects make-up. Aldo Signoretti and Daniel Phillips lend their expertise on hair design. Neil Corbould holds sessions in special effects. There are opportunities to learn production design from Terry Ackland-Snow, set decoration from Rebecca Alleway, location manage-ment from Christian McWilliams and script supervision from Lisa Vick. Smith has even tapped her dad to instruct about producing.
During our visit, Loulia Sheppard, who received an Oscar nomination last year for Victoria & Abdul, was overseeing a Bespoke Period Hair Master course.
“Teaching means a lot to me as I feel it’s important to pass on skills to the next generation of hairstylists and to the older
Loulia Sheppard (center) instructs a student
52 53make-up artist number 136 makeupmag.com
by Chris Koseluk
EDUCATION & JOBS
ones who want to improve their skills,” says Sheppard. “It’s really important to concentrate on basic skills and to research periods properly. They are the basis of everything we do.”
And if a production wants its crew to bone up on a certain technique, CMS can help with a target session on a specific topic. Jan Sewell took advantage of this when she was prepping for The Danish Girl, turning to CMS to give her hair team a refresher course in the Marcel Wave. TV shows Outlander and Poldark have also found CMS helpful for crew refresher courses.
“We’re like an agency,” says Smith. “We keep abreast of what’s going on and what films are coming in. We know there are a couple of big horror films starting
early next year, so we want to be ready for what they might require. Sony has the other half of this floor and we’re working with them on some camera courses. It’s just great that everything is around us.”
CMS is also closely affiliated with the British Film Institute. It initially grew out of Creative Skillset, the BFI body that supports the country’s creative and film industries. “We ran courses all over the U.K.,” says Smith. “We had programs in Northern Ireland to support the crew of Game of Thrones and the develop-ment of the industry up there. We ran short courses for professionals in Wales, Scotland and London.”
These days, CMS is working with BFI to implement its Future Film Skills Programme. Launched in August 2017,
it’s a five-year plan designed to bolster the skills of U.K.-based below-the-line crews.
“Having visited CMS earlier this year, I am extremely impressed by the quality of their training and indeed, their trainers and teacher,” says Margot James, minister for digital and the creative industries. “Their knowledge and industry experi-ence is invaluable and will be hugely beneficial to future generations.”
Expanding its reach, CMS’ latest addition is a higher education platform. Those interested in earning a degree in film can pursue a United Kingdom National Diploma Level 3 (Three) degree in these areas: Art Department for Film, Set Decorating & Prop Making; Foundation Film Production, Assistant Directing & Locations; and Foundation
Makeup, Prosthetics, Hair & Costume. Smith estimates that the CMS degree
platform is ready to accommodate 400 students each year. Recently, it added Master level programs. MA International Film Production is now in its second year. Two new MA programs for Period Hair and Wigs, Prosthetics & Sculpting and Screenwriting have recently rolled out.
Each Master program can receive up to 20 students and runs a year. Because of government rules, only U.K. citizens can currently take the higher educational programs. Smith hopes that within two years, CMS will be able to invite foreign attendees to take advantage of the Level Three and Master programs. She esti-mates about one-third of those currently participating in the shorter sessions are
from outside the U.K., primarily North America, Italy, Germany and Iceland.
Smith is also looking into the possibil-ity of taking CMS international. Though plans are preliminary, likely locations at this writing include Atlanta; Vancouver, British Columbia; and China.
One advantage Smith believes CMS offers over many education programs is its synergy among the different produc-tion disciplines. “The people that are doing hair and make-up love the fact that we are also training assistant directors,” she says.
And Smith is thrilled to find so many working professionals returning to take advantage of new refresher courses. “I would say many of them are coming back more than once,” she adds. “That means
we’re doing something right.”But what excites Smith most is the
impact CMS is making. “We do try to track our students and find that they are working in the studios, she says. “We know it allows you to build a network. Just being at Pinewood allows you to do that ... going to the coffee shop, canteen. You bump into people all the time. And you start to recognize what we’re trying to create here. It’s magic.”
Teaching means a lot to me as I feel it’s important to pass on skills to the next generation of hairstylists and to the older ones who
want to improve their skills. —Lou Sheppard
Phot
o M
A ar
chiv
es
Ailie Smith with writer Chris Koseluk
54 55make-up artist number 136 makeupmag.com
EDUCATION & JOBS
Tucked away in the Tottenham Hale section of northeast London may be one of film’s best-kept secrets. The
traditional English-style brick building dating back to the early 1900s hardly warrants a second look from the cars zooming by. But up on the second floor of the Tottenham Green Workshops, magic is happening. Welcome to the Rouse Wig Company.
For more than 15 years, the Rouse Wig Company has been the go-to shop when it comes to hair creation. Chances are you’ve seen their wigs countless times. Fan of Game of Thrones? It’s filled with them. All the Harry Potter films feature Rouse wigs. The company does realis-tic (Bohemian Rhapsody, Stan & Ollie), period (Mary Queen of Scots, The Danish Girl), superheroes (Thor, Avengers: Age of Ultron) and fantasy (Fantastic Beasts
and Where to Find Them, Beauty and the Beast).
And most likely, you didn’t realize they were there. “Basically, a lot of the work we do doesn’t get noticed,” says company founder Alex Rouse during a tour of the shop in December. “The best compliment is that someone doesn’t know it’s a wig. Hopefully, it’s not obvi-ous.”
Avoiding the obvious is why such top make-up designers such as Mark Coulier, Jan Sewell, David White, Lisa Tomblin and Jenny Shircore come calling. And they’re not the only ones. When Helen Mirren, for example, needs a wig for a certain role, she phones Alex directly.
Alex has been at it for decades, yet this is her first interview. “We don’t get acknowledged very often. That’s why it was key to have a word with you to say,
‘Please remember us,’” she says. “I wanted to do it for my team as well. They work incredibly hard. It is so labor-intensive, so precise. What we do is a really skilled craft.”
Not counting the locksmith in the front corner, the shop occupies the entire second floor of what was originally a grammar school.
The main workspace is a former class-room that feels even bigger, thanks to its high ceilings. The first things you notice are the head blocks. The south wall is filled with them. An initial step in the process, each block was created by measuring the head of a performer. On the bottom shelf sits Tom Hanks. Robert Downey Jr. is one row up towards the middle. Chris Hemsworth can be spotted to his right.
“We use a clear-plastic cling film,
which is wrapped around the head and covered in clear tape,” explains Alex. “We draw on this to mark hairlines, etcetera to make the shape.”
After measuring, the shape is removed and put on a block. To get an exact fit, the space between the block and the shape is padded with tissue paper. Heads are kept “on file” to reference for future hairpieces.
It’s hard to imagine the number of famous heads Alex has had her hands around. She admits to sometimes getting a little starstruck. “The phone calls you get out of the blue can be incredible,” she says. “‘Oh, would you come over and measure Brad Pitt up for a wig?’ ‘Let me check my day. Yes, I can do that!’” Pitt has actually worn Alex’s wigs a few times, most recently in 2017’s War Machine.
On average, it takes two weeks to
create a wig—depending on length, style and color. Using the block for size, a wigmaker creates a lace foundation. It’s the form. Different quality laces are used for different sections of the foundation. Thicker lace is typically used for the back—a fine film lace for the front.
Strands of hair are knotted into the foundation as it sits on the block. Alex likens the process to creating a painting. The hair serves as their palette.
“Unless it’s jet black, a head of hair has many colors,” says Alex. “For exam-ple, if you have a high-fashion blond, there could be four, five, six different colors. You layer them against each other. It takes an eye for building color.”
Ten worktables crisscross the center of the main room. At each, a crew member meticulously assembles a wig—a sewing circle unlike any other. In a smaller room
across the hall, three more team mem-bers craft pieces. The space is filled with reference books. The walls are lined with movie posters of past productions. “We get out of date very quickly because the turnover is so fast,” Alex comments.
Oversized cabinets filled with draw-ers of hair can be seen in each room. The drawers are organized by color and texture. Alex uses the best quality European hair, purchased from a network of London merchants. “They do all our specific orders and color matching,” she says. Alex buys by the kilo and won’t even venture a guess as to how much hair the shop uses in any given year.
Down the hall is a common area that doubles as a photography studio. Designers and directors can meet here to explore concepts, color and styles. It’s equipped with a green screen so that ideas
Hair Today, a Star
Tomorrow TAKE A GUIDED TOUR OF U.K. GEM THE ALEX ROUSE WIG COMPANY
Alex Rouse
Detail work by Takamitsu (Michi) Yanasee
56 57make-up artist number 136 makeupmag.com
by Chris Koseluk
EDUCATION & JOBS
can be tried out on camera. “Instead of saying, ‘Imagine this,’ we can set up a little scene here and actually show them,” adds Alex. Tonight, the room will host the company’s Christmas party.
The holidays are just a week away, but with six projects in the pipeline, there’s no slowdown. Upcoming releases include Dumbo, Wonder Woman 1984, Rocketman and Maleficent 2. The shop is also involved in Season Three of The Crown, helping designer Cate Hall transform Olivia Colman into Queen Elizabeth II.
“You’re using historical photographs, but you also have to take the actors into consideration,” explains Alex. “You have to make sure the wig works on them. For the queen, the only adjustment was a small hairline alteration. Otherwise, we were true to the reference.”
So, what makes a good wigmaker? On one hand, it’s part hairdresser and know-ing color. A knack for sewing comes in handy. “I look for people who are good at
making things and have an eye for detail,” adds Alex. “And have the patience to sit for hours and hours.”
Alex has no trouble attracting tal-ent. Some have been with her since she formed the company. Referrals come from local colleges. Aspiring wigmakers approach her weekly, and they come from all over. Two team members are from Germany. Another traveled from Japan after seeing the company on TV. Across from him sits a colleague from Iran.
In Alex’s case, wigs chose her. Like her sister, she planned to be a make-up artist at the BBC and enrolled at the London College of Fashion. Her studies included a course in wigmaking. She was a natural. “I liked concentrating on something tiny and precise. You can really focus on it,” she adds. “And not many people do it. It’s an unusual craft.”
Alex’s break came thanks to her aunt Jan Bashford, an actress with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She heard its wig-
makers, Ray Marston and Sarah Phillips, were forming a business and looking for help. Bashford recommended her niece.
Under Marston, Alex honed her skills and began building a career. “I think my first film was The French Lieutenant’s Woman,” says Alex. “I was still at college and I couldn’t believe my luck to be on something that high profile.”
In 1992, Alex and hair design-er Jan Archibald formed the London Wig Company. Alex made the pieces, Archibald styled them for such films as Tom & Viv, Sense and Sensibility and The Crucible. They expanded to New York and became the London/New York Wig Company.
The partners agreed to part ways in 2002, and Alex created her current company. Sarah Weatherburn, anoth-er colleague, lured Alex to this loca-tion. Specializing in facial hair designs, Weatherburn’s shop is one flight up. The two often collaborate on projects.
The remaining area is the fitting room, complete with a row of salon chairs and a roomy dressing area. “We can do wigs and costumes in here,” says Alex. “If we have an artist who is liter-ally flying in for the day, it doesn’t make sense to bus him or her from costume to studio to here—it saves time to do everything from one spot.”
The fitting room is often where a fin-ished piece first goes on an actor’s head. “Putting it on is quite a nervous time,” says Alex. “Once someone says, ‘Love it,’ you go, ‘Whew.’”
Alex likes to describe the creations as heads of hair still growing. “They’re long and they’re not cut,” she adds. “The designers style them. We can do that, but normally they want to do it themselves. They like to have the actor there and get the feel of it. That way, they can bring it to life.”
The fitting room is also a place where heads are measured and inspiration
found. When Davina Lamont was pre-paring to transform Antonio Banderas into Pablo Picasso for the second season of TV’s Genius, she brought him to the fitting room. It was there Lamont convinced Banderas to shave his head to better accommodate the unique pieces she and Alex were suggesting. “He was so involved in the character,” says Alex. “He knew how he wanted the hair to look.”
Genius is special to Alex for anoth-er reason. The hairpieces she created for Geoffrey Rush, who played Albert Einstein in Season One, earned Alex her first Emmy nomination.
“Einstein was really collaborative—working with the designer, the actor, prosthetics,” says Alex. “I think Geoffrey had about five wigs. Each one was a sub-tle change of hairline, texture and color.”
Her Picasso pieces brought Alex a second nomination in 2018. As thrilled as she was for the recognition, it didn’t change her at all. “It was lovely, but I
didn’t go,” says Alex, when asked if she attended the ceremony. “I was too busy.”
Yes, the responsibilities of owning a shop are many. But no matter how much time Alex spends meeting with designers, measuring heads, overseeing production, buying hair, organizing staff and doing fittings, she never forgets what got her to this point. “I try to be as hands-on as possible because I think I would lose a sense of the job if I wasn’t still doing all that,” she says. “There are challenges in terms of time limits and because you know everyone just wants it to be per-fect. No job is easy. I’m still knotting, trying to get something finished for film-ing the next day. I often work through the night.”
1.2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
The Team: 1. Imogen Reid 2. Mim Bissonnet 3. Kayleigh Morris 4. Willow Bunton 5. Ina Renke 6. Bhima Bent 7. Denise Heath 8. Maureen Bent 9. Alex Rouse 10. Takamitsu (Michi) Yanasee 11. Evie Kelleher 12. Kelly Poulter 13. Zoë Kettel 14. Huriye Hemmat 15. Catriona Lim 16. Philippa Johnson 17. Shawna Smith
58 59make-up artist number 136 makeupmag.com
EDUCATION & JOBS
Make-up Teachers Love Their
CitiesSOME GREAT SPOTS IN
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA; LOS ANGELES; NEW YORK;
AND VANCOUVER, B.C.
CHELSEA REISSEducatorMake-up DesignoryNew York City
One of Chelsea Reiss’s favorite spots is the famed Chelsea Market, located in the Meat Packing District of New York City, near the Hudson River. It’s about a 20-minute subway ride from the MUD campus.
Reiss, who loves to cook, says, “This is great location for good food and fresh ingredients.” Chelsea Market is also connected to the High Line, which is the converted train tracks for the Meat Packing District into a long winding park walk. “It’s a great place to be above it all and recharge!”
Reiss adds that Chelsea Market can get pretty packed on the weekends, especially in the summer. “So, if you really want to enjoy the experience I’d go there during a week, so your experience will be much more pleasurable.
“They have endless options of foods. But I love the little flea markets that usually have some unique things to buy. Especially because I like to support those types of small businesses. It’s sometimes so hard to choose what to eat at Chelsea Market. For someone who loves France and knows what a good crepe should taste like, I recommend having a crepe from Chelsea Market, whether it’s savory or sweet you will not be disappointed.”
Fun fact: YouTube offices are located in Chelsea Market.
Reiss can also be found wandering the halls of the Museum of Modern Art. “MoMA exhibits are always changing and are a great source of inspiration,” she says. “I try to go to the MoMA or just any art museum as often as I can. Because I’m an artist I feel it really helps to inspire me in my own creativity.” A couple of must-sees, she says, is Vincent Van Gogh’s “A Starry Night” and Salvador Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory.” “My favorite exhibit, hands down, would have to be Andy Worhol,” she adds. Reiss recommends going to the MoMA on Sunday, especially if it’s raining. “It’s a great Sunday afternoon activity.”
The MoMA is about a 30-minute subway ride from MUD.
And, of course, who could leave out Central Park for cool spots to hang out when not in school? “First off, Central Park is huge, you can spend hours or the whole day just roaming around finding things to do. I like to go in the spring/summer because you have more pos-sibilities. However, it’s gorgeous in the winter, especially if snow has hit the ground.” Reiss can be found on a warm summer day picnick-ing the sheep meadow. “I have a cute picnic basket which carries all the essentials (plates, cutting knives, forks and wine glasses). A bottle of wine and cheese, and a beautiful day with my fiancé.”
Central Park is about a 30-minute subway ride from MUD.
Because make-up schools are located in some of the most dynamic and exotic cities in the world, we thought it would be fun to don our tourism hat and ask a few teachers some of their favorite off-campus hangouts—to give incoming students a little education into what their city has to offer.
This is what they had to say about where they go for inspiration, or to shop, relax, eat and explore with friends …
by Randy Sean Schulman
60 61make-up artist number 136 makeupmag.com
EDUCATION & JOBS
JENNINE COOKDirector of Media and Artist Relations, Make-up DepartmentJohn Casablancas SchoolVancouver, B.C.
The Steam Clock in Gastown is a major point of interest in Vancouver, B.C. “The clock is always surrounded by a crowd of tourists taking photos,” Jennine Cook says. “At JCI, we can hear the clock chime every 15 minutes.”
Built in 1977 by Canadian clock-maker Raymond Saunders in an effort to attract tourists to Gastown, the Steam Clock marked the completion of the city’s revitalization project. Local storeowners and private donors raised $58,000 to pay for it—one of the only fully functioning steam-powered clocks in the world.
Fun fact: The Steam Clock whistles and shoots steam at the top of every hour and announces quarter hours with the Westminster Quarters, which is a chime melody that’s also used by Big Ben in London!
JCI is located just up the street from the Steam Clock.
During her spare time away from campus, Cook also loves heading into The Latest Scoop boutique. “This is my fave go-to spot when I have a moment to sneak out on a break. The store has all the cool vibes of Gastown, with exposed brick and wood beams and is filled with home and fashion finds that are unique, refreshing and always on trend.”
Beginning as a pop-up in 2004, The Latest Scoop has maintained its theme throughout the years: to be inspirational, beautiful and affordable.
The Latest Scoop is kiddie-corner from JCI on the same city block.
The wildly popular Meat and Bread restaurant always has a mile-long line at lunch, according to Cook. “The food is simple and delicious,” she says. “And the venue is decorated in a hip rustic style with wood beams, and white subway tile. A must if you are looking for the best sandwich in town. Don’t let the name deter you if you’re not into meat. They make a to-die-for grilled cheese sandwich and potato-kale soup that will knock your socks off!”
Located a block and a half from JCI, Meat and Bread opened its doors in 2010 in historic Gastown, preparing high qual-ity ingredients with culinary skill and a big heart, according to its website!
MARIKE NEL Lecturer/EducatorMake-up DesignoryCape Town, South Africa
(Pic. 1) The Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town, South Africa is formerly known as the Malay Quarter. Not far from Cape Town Campus, Marike Nel loves explor-ing the beautiful heritage buildings of the oldest residential area in Cape Town, and its brilliantly colored homes and cobble streets filled with history and heritage. Nel says, “Be sure to visit the BoKaap Museum as its building goes back all the way to 1760s recreating the life of a typical Malay family.”
(Pic. 2) Nel can also be found on the shores of the Cape Peninsula which curves around to the east on the False Bay coast of Muizenberg. Considered the birthplace of surfing in South Africa, it’s centered on the popular Surfer’s Corner. False Bay, known for its population of White Sharks, also has a shark watch service that operates from Muizenberg, signaling alerts when sharks come in proximity of bathers and surfers.
Interesting fact: Above Muizenberg sits a line of steep cliffs which are popular for rock climbing. But when birds nest on the ledges, certain parts are off-limits to climbers.
1
2
62 63make-up artist number 136 makeupmag.com
EDUCATION & JOBS
(Pic. 3) Boulders Beach is a sheltered beach made up of inlets between gran-ite boulders, from which the name originated. It’s about 31 km from the MUD campus. “But it’s worth the drive,” Nel says. “I love Boulders Beach as the water is a little warmer due to the Indian Ocean side of peninsula. But mostly because penguins are nature’s most loyal lovers and always return to the same mate!”
Boulders Beach is also a popular swimming beach—although people are restricted to beaches adjacent to the pen-guin colony.
(Pic. 4) Lion’s Head is a mountain between Table Mountain and Signal Hill. “It’s only 1.6 km from the MUD campus,” Nel says. “I love Lion’s Head as it is named after the most majestic animal roaming on earth: the Lion. It is one peak in the world worthy of rec-ognition!” Nel says she also loves Lion’s Head because it’s a killer cardio session in beautiful nature.
Lion’s Head peaks at 2,195 feet above sea level. The peak forms part of a dramatic backdrop to the city of Cape Town and is part of the Table Mountain National Park.
(Pic. 5) Nel also loves to explore Table Mountain, which is roughly a 3.9 km drive from MUD’s campus. “It has a great view from top, allowing you to have a quick lunch overlooking beauti-ful Cape Town and its ocean,” Nel says. Plus, it has an unforgettable cableway to the top at an elevation of 3,501 feet.
Nel adds that Table Mountain is home to a large array of fauna and flora, most of which is endemic. “Hiking on Table Mountain is popular amongst locals and tourists,” she says. “And a number of trails of varying difficulty are available.”
(Pic. 6) Cape Point is a spectacular sight of towering stone cliffs, fynbos, breath-taking bays and beaches. And it’s just 60 km outside Cape Town. “Views are exhilarating,” Nel says. “When hunger strikes, I recommend the Two Oceans restaurant, with the best views! Or packing a picnic basket. Personally, it feels like Cape Town’s Eiffel Tower!”
PAULTHOMPSONDirector of EducationMake-up Designory L.A. + New York
The site of the old Los Angeles Zoo is located in Griffith Park, which is about 10 minutes from MUD’s campus in Burbank.
The zoo was open from 1912 to 1965 and is just two miles south of the L.A. Zoo’s new location. You can see how much animal enclosures have changed in a century.
“There are hiking trails and ruins to explore in this very peaceful set-ting,” Paul Thompson says. “I find that it’s a great place to get inspired, draw or just de-stress.”
3 4
5
6
64 65make-up artist number 136 makeupmag.com
EDUCATION & JOBS
SEAN CONKLINEducatorMake-up DesignoryLos Angeles
With a grand opening in 1922, The Hollywood Bowl needs no introduction. It is legendary. “It’s easy to visit with friends while being entertained,” Sean Conklin says. One of his favorite memories is seeing Paula Abdul, NKOTB and Boys II Men at The Bowl! “Total throwback for my sister, niece and myself. Summer is a great time to go!” Conklin says. He recommends taking a Lyft to The Bowl which is about six miles from the MUD campus.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art is a must for museum lovers! “I love art! LACMA has great exhibits and it’s free admission the second Tuesday of every month and after 3 p.m. to L.A. residents!” LACMA is roughly 14 miles from MUD.
If you want a gorgeous view of downtown L.A. go to Perch, according to Conklin. “Perch has French-inspired food, an amazing ambiance and fantastic music!” About 12 miles from MUD’s campus, it’s a quick Metro ride to Pershing Square. Conklin says Perch is mellow during the week and busy on the weekend. What’s his go-to drink at the rooftop bar/restaurant? “I’m a classic vodka tonic kinda guy!” MA
![[1] DOCTOR BOVE - HOME STAGING PROJECT - MARCH 2017](https://static.documents.pub/doc/80x56/58d0de381a28ab47238b6bdf/1-doctor-bove-home-staging-project-march-2017.jpg)
