How every character looks, from the first test to the last day of the shoot.

The job

You read the script for what every face and head of hair says about a character, and how it changes: injury, illness, age, time passing. You agree the looks with the director and actors, and develop them with the costume designer.

You run camera tests with the DoP, design wigs and prosthetics with specialists, set the budget and hire the team. On shoot days you usually do the leads yourself while your supervisor runs the department.

A typical day (in prep)

• Character meeting with the director.
• Hair and make-up tests with lead actors, photographed and filmed for approval.
• Wig fitting with a wig maker.
• Prosthetics meeting on a wound or ageing sequence.
• Planning crowd looks and numbers with the supervisor for a big day.
• Reviewing chair times with the 1st AD as the schedule takes shape.
• Budget and stock check.

Skills

• Design and research: period, place, character.
• Expert hair and make-up across every skin tone and hair type.
• Wig, prosthetic and special make-up knowledge.
• Leading a department and managing a budget.
• Collaboration with the director, the costume designer and the DoP.
• Trust with actors. The chair is where a performance often starts.

Reporting lines

You report to the producers and work to the director. The hair and make-up supervisor, artists, crowd teams and trainees report to you. Prosthetics designers or companies work with you.

How people get in

There is no direct entry. Designers come up as artists, key artists and supervisors. Many design first on short films, music videos, commercials or smaller productions. A long apprenticeship in the chair is the norm.

Next step up

Hair and make-up designer is the head of department. Progression is to larger productions, longer series and more complex design.

Find out more

• ScreenSkills: hair and make-up designer profile
• ScreenSkills: roles in hair and make-up
• Hair and make-up rates: the branch card on the Bectu rate cards index