He relocated to Big Bear,
California, and along the way
briefly considered becoming
a doctor specializing in foren-
sic pathology. Seeing a maga-
zine 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 experi-
ence 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, fol-
lowed 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.
Job Overview
Makeup artists are responsible for designing and applying the cosmet-
ics and prosthetics worn by on-camera talent. "Makeup is necessary to
render true skin tones and bring features forward for correct imaging in
the final product (photos, video, live broadcast, movies, etc.)," says media
makeup artist, hair and wardrobe stylist, Suzanne Patterson.
JOB TITLE: MAKEUP ARTIST,
HAIR AND WARDROBE SYLIST
One of Raleigh's
tips for success is to
keep pounding on doors
and cold-calling. He
keeps track of companies
and the individuals he has spoken to on his
computer, so he can easily remember whom
he called when, and what they spoke about.
"Try to be nice to everyone. Some
people are very standoffish in this industry.
I try to be as social as possible. I am also
always very prompt."--Justin Raleigh
"I studied every aspect of this indus-
try. I know other people's jobs, like lighting
techs; it makes you more versatile."
--Justin Raleigh
CAREER TIPS
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