I was lying in bed last night contemplating my last post, and I hope that on ones thinks I am being arrogant, I am the first to admit that I certainly have not "arrived." I am always looking for new ways to expand and grow as an artist and jump at any opportunity to assist or work under anyone who has more experience then me or I can learn from. And it is in that spirit of wanting to grow that I share these thoughts with you.
I suppose...I just wonder, if our approach to creative work is a hindrance in itself to getting us to the next level. How would our images and results change if the photographer treated his shoot like Patrick Demarchelier treats his shoots for Vogue editorials? Or if MUA's prepared like Pat Mcgrath for fashion weeks around the world? If Models practiced posing in front of their mirrors like Chanel Iman? I know everyone has to start somewhere, and it's important to get experience and build rapport, but why not raise the bar a little each time? Why not take your creative shoots and TFP shoots as seriously as if it were an national campaign for Louis Vuitton?(Even if it doesn't even look close!) Hone your craft, keep raising the bar, and keep putting yourself out there.
Missed part one? Here is the post:
http://bastarachebeauty.blogspot.ca/2013/02/working-with-makeup-artists-pt-1.html#.UY0yIEqjGSo
#5. Workspace
Adequate lighting and table space to set up
Lighting is so huge for makeup preparation, for obvious reasons, a MUA needs to be able to see the face of the client she is working on. Natural lighting is often best, as it can be the harshest if the sun is out and really reveal the pigmentation in the skin, and any blemishes or darkness that need covered.However, if there are no windows, which is not uncommon, any artificial lighting that is as close to assimilating the lighting that will be used for shooting is great. If possible florescent lighting should be avoided, very unflattering. Again, we work with what we are given, but if you can give us light! Please do! Also a small table, even the size of a card table (although a little higher, so we don't have to bend down) seems like a no brainer, but there are more shoots and productions I do that don't have a table then do. Most makeup artist have a system for laying out their products in the order the use them or something similar, again this helps speed things up, so having a space to do that for hair and makeup, you are doing yourself a favor too!
#6. Artistic Etiquette
A photographer would be offended if they saw someone had gone and changed the editing of one of their images, so please don't change the makeup yourself, if you are unhappy with something, confront your MUA, and ask them to change it.
I know confrontation can be scary but it is so important; just as a photographer invests a lot of themselves in their images so do makeup artists into the faces they work on. I personally have not had this happen on a photo shoot, but I have had models change their makeup at fashion shows and they get a strong reprimand from the key artist and the designer who collaborated on the look, but I do know of MUA's who have had this happen to them on a shoot, and it is just bad form. No one has the right to change something about your image; however, they certainly can ask you to edit something for them. It's the same with MUA's, if there is something you don 't like, or isn't quite right, let your artist know what you want changed, they may explain a reason for why they did it that way opposed to another, or they will happily change it. A even worse crime is sending the model to another makeup artist to make the changes, wouldn't it make you feel sick to have your images edited by another photographer behind your back if you could do it yourself?
#7. Feedback
Constructive criticism is imperative to anyone's growth- if we don't know the problem, we can't fix it.
If there was something wrong with my makeup, it melted, or smudged, or faded, and something didn't photograph well, and nobody told me...I would just be so disappointed.I know it can be hard to tell someone something negative, even if it will be helpful to them in the future, so I recommend using the "Encouragement Sandwich Method" Start with one or two positive things, then give the negative, then end on a high not again with something you are happy with. (This works great in marriages too)
I.E. "I loved how the models skin looked, and the you chose worked so great together - you have a good eye for that... One thing I was hoping for for next time was for the eye makeup to be more dramatic -bump it up with some more color, it was a little too plain once I started editing it , do you see what I mean in the images?... Her makeup lasted great though, hardly had to touch it up at all after you left, stay flawless -great job on that!" See? So not painful!!
#8. Rates
Pricing for services.
I found on a makeup artist website from Halifax, I can't remember who it was so I can't credit them, but a great description of what goes into the rates that a makeup artist will charge, I tweaked it a little but it essentially says the same thing:
"Pricing for my services is reflective of my on-going training, education, previous experience, industry research, sanitization, cleaning and preparation of products, travel time and expenses,product replacement and actual labor time." Furthermore, as most entrepreneurs and creatives know, you are paying your own dental and health bills/insurance,liability insurance, your own EI (optional), you have to pay income tax out of your rate,put money into retirement, and you don't collect any vacation pay. That's why when a client wants to hire me and asks how much it is to do X amount of people, I tell them that I operate by a half day rate or a full day rate, so regardless of whether I am there for 2 1/2 hours or my full 4 hours for a half day, the Rate will stay the same, as the only thing that is reduced is my actual labor time, but all my other overheads stay the same. Also, if things do wrap up ahead of schedule and I can head out an hour or so early, I still have booked that 4 hour or 8 hour time slot for you, and have mostly like turned away other work to be part of your project, as I am my product and service, I can make money only where I am.
That being said, if you are working with a small budget, make an offer towards the asking rate, and perhaps negotiations can be made. Being part of the close-knit creative Atlantic Canadian community, most want to support what others are doing and are willing to be flexible to build relationships and continue working together on future projects
I think that is all I have to share for now, I am sure I will edit and add more later. Again I hope you all found this to be a resource to help you operate your projects and businesses better!
xx
sj
www.bastarachebeauty.com
www.sarahjanes.ca
