Clean kit, a ready trailer and a steady hand on crowd days.

The job

You keep the department ready to work: clean and sanitise brushes and tools, set up and stock the trailer, wash and dress wigs, assist in the chair and run to set with whatever's needed. On crowd days you do simple looks on supporting artists.

You learn the continuity system and how the department fits the call sheet. Hygiene matters: you're working on skin, eyes and hair all day.

A typical day

• Arrive before the first actor's chair time, often very early.
• Open the trailer, set out kit and check stock against the day's looks.
• Help an artist with a lead actor: hand over tools, hold a wig, prepare products.
• Do simple hair and make-up on supporting artists at crowd base.
• Go to set with a checks bag when an artist needs cover.
• Clean everything at wrap and log stock to reorder.

Skills

• Basic hair and make-up: day looks, setting, simple styling.
• Hygiene and safe practice, including patch tests and allergy awareness.
• Working fast and calmly in a small space with cast.
• Skin and hair knowledge across all skin tones and hair types.
• Taking notes and photographs for continuity.

Reporting lines

You report to the hair and make-up supervisor and the designer. Day to day you assist the artists in the trailer.

How people get in

Most trainees have a hairdressing qualification and a media or theatrical make-up course. Salon, theatre, bridal and fashion work all count. The ScreenSkills Trainee Finder places hair and make-up trainees on productions, and ScreenSkills publishes a trainee job description. Crowd days, often booked as dailies, are a common first job.

Next step up

To junior hair and make-up artist, working on supporting artists and crowd, then to hair and make-up artist with your own cast.

Find out more

• ScreenSkills: hair and make-up trainee profile
• ScreenSkills: hair and make-up trainee skills checklist
• Hair and make-up rates: the branch card on the Bectu rate cards index