HAIR, MAKEUP, AND COSTUMES

Job Overview

“There are a lot of categories of makeup artists,” explains special makeup effects artist Justin Raleigh. “What I do for film and television is everything from beauty makeup to application of prosthetics, and everything in between: being able to make someone look bald, hair work (like beards or other facial hair—a hairstylist does the wigs), injury makeup, and character makeup. A special effects makeup artist actually designs and builds the prosthetics, creates the creatures and any other mechanical type of thing, as well.”

Education and Special Skills

“I suggest taking art classes,” says Raleigh. “Take illustration and take sculpting classes. Take color theory. Also, go to a makeup school. A lot of makeup artists have gone through cosmetology school. If you're going more into special makeup effects, I suggest chemistry and psychology. Since you're working with actors all the time, you need to understand them.”

Advice for Someone Seeking This Job

If you want to be a makeup artist, Raleigh suggests buying books by makeup artists and studying films and television shows, then begin working with whatever products you can get your hands on and learn by trial and error. “I think that is one of the best ways to learn. You're able to think on your feet when you've gone through all the mistakes and come up with the right answer.” He suggests that attending one of the many film and television makeup schools is beneficial.

“From the beginning, start building your portfolio. Take photos of everything you do and replace them with better photos as your craft improves. Take student film jobs or whatever, just to build a résumé.”

Once you're ready to look for a job, he says, “Start banging on people's doors and constantly cold-calling places. A lot of times you'll send out a résumé and never get an answer, but I feel if you can back it up with a phone call, more times than not you'll get an interview. If you can get the interview, you'll get the job if you have a good personality.”

Professional Profile: Justin Raleigh, Special Effects Makeup Artist

From a very young age, Justin Raleigh knew he wanted to be a special effects makeup artist. In high school, the Louisiana native got a job doing beauty makeup for a portrait studio. “I had never done beauty makeup before—I wanted to do special effects—but that was the one job [where] I could at least get a start doing makeup.”

He relocated to Big Bear, California, and along the way briefly considered becoming a doctor specializing in forensic pathology. Seeing a magazine ad for a makeup artist, a friend convinced him to apply. Hired as an apprentice, he moved to Southern California and worked for free for six months, gaining experience and making contacts.

Soon after, Raleigh landed paying jobs on television series Dawson's Creek, The Drew Carry Show, and Good Morning America in 1997 to 1998, followed by a steady stream of features including Castaway, The Hollow Man, Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps, The Sixth Day, Bedazzled, Spider-Man, and Pearl Harbor.

Recommended by a friend, Raleigh was hired at Stan Winston Studio, where he worked on television programs and features like Jurassic Park III and Artificial Intelligence: AI.

He received a Local 706 “Best Special Makeup Effects” guild award nomination for Jon Voight's Howard Cosell makeup in Ali, along with Nick Marra, who designed the makeup and helped Raleigh manufacture the prosthetics, and artist Mark Gabarino, who did the application. Raleigh has also served as a makeup instructor at Joe Blasco Makeup Center West.