Let's make up

[Roger Berry]

Hi,

This is another newbie question folks. I've done a search and can't find anything in this forum about makeup... like, as in face paint.

Can anyone offer general advice on makup for DV shoots? I've done a little stage acting and know the general principals for that setting but when I did a test shot of myself done up that way, I just looked like Eddie Izzard but uglier and older (I am both of those things [well, poss' not uglier]).

We all know that pro's use makeup whether they're doing news, chat, drama or anything else so why isn't anyone talking about it here? I honestly think this is the one thing left that's stopping me from producing footage good enough to air on national TV.

I've met Gareth Gates in the flesh and he's honestly just an ordinary looking bloke but on Pop Idol (in the UK) last Saturday he looked good enough to make my 16-year-old daughter almost swoon... couldn't bring myself to say I thought he was wearing a little too much mascara 'cos she'd have just given me that wuthering look that says: "Dad! Button it! You know nothing!"

Help! Anyone!

[Rob Belics]

There are plenty of books in the library. (They have libraries in England, correct?)

It's not as complicated as it may seem. For men, only a powder is added to the face to remove the shine. Sometimes the eyebrows and lashes are touched up with eyebrow pencils and brushes. For women, it can get more complicated with eyeliners, lipstick, eye shadow, rouge and so on.

[Roger Berry]

Rob: hehe! I think I've seen one or two libraries hearabouts. Quite a few were originally built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with loads of dosh donated by some bloke called Carnegie. You may have heard of him!

I've seen a couple of books and my daughter is an expert on general makeup. To the naked eye, she looks like a film star just for going to school but I kinda feel video needs something more OTT.

Maybe I'm worrying about the wrong stuff and should concentrate more on setting warmer white balance or stronger saturation etc.

Thanks for the comments anyway.

Roger.

[Rob Lohman]

It is something I've wondered as well. Indeed, there hasn't been
any discussion about this until now. From the tests that I've
done thusfar I didn't really think I needed make up. Looked fine,
especially with color correction etc.

[Colin Koffel]

<<<-- Originally posted by Roger Berry
I've done a little stage acting and know the general principals for that setting but when I did a test shot of myself done up that way, I just looked like Eddie Izzard but uglier and older (I am both of those things [well, poss' not uglier]).-->>>

You're probably having the problems because stage make up is exaggerated so that the audience, even from far away, can see your face/features/all that fun stuff. Usually when filming, the camera sees the person much closer than a theater audience member would so the exaggerated stage make up looks odd. I'm guessing this is your problem, but I'm more of a theater person than a DV person.

[Matthew de Jongh]

i haven't used them personally yet, but i know a few people who rave about www.warmcards.com

matthew

[Ken Tanaka]

As I learned recently, there is a large underworld of make-up artists for stage and film work. (It seems that there is no green Earthly crevice uninhabited.) I don't recall the name of the professional (i.e. dues-collecting) organization devoted to this specialty but there are many, many resources available.

For example, reference books such as this.

I hope this is helpful to you.

We have done three features this last summer as to makeup I or I should say we learned a lot from several actors and actress as they brought with them tools of the trade.

One was basic makeup as in what one would wear for daytime makeup not to put on the makeup one as a lady would wear for going out on the town.

Less is best.

Have several types of items to remove the glare form the camera lens...
Pad, towel, and coal pencil really it works when it's shiny, dirt it works.

Have your basic makeup kit then look at having odds and ends that will fill in the blanks.

There 25 odds and ends on the table 24 fall off what’s left an odd or and end?

[Roger Berry]

Thaks for the feedback everyone. I'll probably buy that book, although it's bloody expensive so I hope it's good.

Rob L: I thought I looked OK with a warm white balance as well but I'm sure I and, more importantly, my talent, could look better if I knew the basics of makeup, although most women probably already know more than I ever willany way. Like I said, real pro's use makeup so there must be some benefit.

Matt: I haven't used official warmcards either but found the instructions below for a DIY version in another post here and found them very useful (I used Photoshop):

Balance cards:

"To make the cards I used CorelDraw and printed in "best quality" on 8 1/2 X 11 card stock, but
Photoshop should do the trick, too. The color saturation values (C-Cyan, M-Magenta, Y-Yellow, K-Black)in percentages I used were:

Warm 1 -- C/15 M/2 K/5
Warm 2 -- C/20 M10 K10
1/2 Warm: C/7 M/1 K/2
Minus Green: C/10 Y/10 K/2
1/2 Minus Green: C/5 Y/5 K/1"

Just noticed I've now been promoted from New Boot to Regular Crew. Please don't go away with the notion that this means I know what I'm talking about because I've still go tons to learn.

Roger.

[Robert Knecht Schmidt]

One of the new trends in makeup--particularly for television production, as detail-exposing high definition video replaces film and standard definition video--is airbrushed makeup, which provides a more even, less blotchy application. It's slightly more expensive, and requires a bit more training (but not more time) for a makeup artist to deliver good results. I once attended a demo of the airbrush makeup technique for both standard and effects makeup, the pictures from which you can see by clicking on the link. The model with the orange makeup being applied was eventually transformed into an alien.

As for finding a makeup professional suitable for your production, model and talent agencies and their associated industry resource associations will have listings--but in order to find someone who will work for less than scale, try asking around local community theaters.

[Matthew de Jongh]

thanks for the DIY warm cards!

i'm going to make some up and give it a try.

matthew