Makeup Artists

High school drama departments or local community theaters can provide you with great opportunities to explore the makeup artist's work. Volunteer to assist with makeup during a stage production and you will learn about the materials and tools of a makeup kit, as well as see your work under stage lights. A high school video production team or film department may also offer you opportunities for makeup experience.

Most states have their own film commissions that are responsible for promoting film locales and inviting film productions to the local area. These film commissions generally need volunteers and may have internships for students. By working for a film commission, you will learn about productions coming to your state and may have the chance to work on the production. Film industry publications such as Variety (https://variety.com) can alert you to internship opportunities.

The summer is a great time for students interested in stage production to gain firsthand experience. There are probably local productions in your area, but summer theaters often promote positions nationally. The Theatre Communications Group (https://www.tcg.org) publishes a directory of nonprofit professional theaters across the country. Its ARTSEARCH provides information on summer theater positions and internships, as well as job listings.

Participate in information interviews and job-shadowing experiences with makeup artists to learn more about the field. Ask your school counselor and art or drama teacher for help setting up these experiences.

Finally, explore this career by reading other publications for the field. One interesting publication is The Artisan, which is published by the Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild. Visit https://local706.org/archives to read past issues.