As one of the premier studio production companies in New York, Broadway Stages works to meet the growing needs of the film and TV industry while also focusing on the needs of our community. We provide the industry with soundstages and locations where they shoot their scenes, but they also need a skilled and experienced workforce. In this series, we look at the various jobs that make a production come to life. We hope it provides insight and encourages you to consider a career in the film and TV industry. This week, we look at the roles of key hairstylist and key makeup artist.

What do Key Hairstylists and Key Makeup Artists do?

Our last post in this series focused on the role of costume designer and how they and their team manage the actors’ wardrobe and accessories, contributing to a believable look and feel in a film or TV production. Two additional elements that help the actors portray their characters effectively are their hair and makeup, which are two distinct activities under the purview of, you guessed it — the hair and makeup department! The lead roles in this department are the key hairstylist and key makeup artist. From natural looks to the use of wigs and prosthetics, to more complex special effects, the hair and makeup crews use their creativity and artistry to help the actors transform into their characters and maintain their looks throughout filming.

Job description

As leads in their department, the key hairstylist and key makeup artist collaborate with each other, and report to the production designer. They are involved at the pre-production and production stages. They first need to read the script to understand the characters’ hair and makeup needs relative to the time period, location, and genre depicted in the production. Next, they conduct research to reference images so they can create the hair and makeup plans for the actors. These leads are typically responsible for attending to principal actors’ hair and makeup and being on set during filming to do needed touch-ups, while they will delegate to and oversee the other stylists who take care of the additional actors. They will also ensure continuity of the hair and makeup during filming.

How do I become a Key Hairstylist or Key Makeup Artist?

As these are lead roles, the individuals should possess hairstyling and makeup artistry skills, knowledge, and experience. The key hairstylist should be experienced with not only cutting, coloring, and styling hair, but also possess a knowledge of working with and maintaining wigs and bald caps. The key makeup artist should be experienced with applying and removing various types of makeup and prosthetics and have a knowledge of how to address skin conditions and allergies. And, as lead positions, it is important to be flexible and have a good attitude and effective communication skills as they work with actors, hair and makeup team members, and others on set, often under tight deadlines and in close quarters.

No formal educational degrees are required for these roles; however, cosmetology school is helpful in both the hairstyling and makeup fields to learn needed skills, practice techniques, and prepare for any required licensing exams or certifications (check with your state/local government for local requirements). These key roles require experience which can be gained in different ways, including working in hair and makeup jobs outside the film and TV industry, working on student and low- budget films, and getting industry experience as an on-set hairstyling assistant or PA, or a makeup assistant or assistant makeup artist. In these ways, individuals can make connections and ultimately work their way up within the hair and makeup department. It is also important to maintain a portfolio showing the range of hair or makeup looks one has created. Note that makeup artists are responsible for supplying the makeup, brushes, and other tools they will use on set, so they need to build a toolkit containing those items.

More information. Find overviews of the key hairstylist and key makeup artist roles on Backstage (here and here) and MasterClass (here and here). Find general information about hairstylist and makeup artist roles on Media Match (here and here).

Read about hair department head LaWanda Pierre’s experiences and get her advice in this interview. Learn about the different types of makeup artists, what’s in a kit, information about joining the union, and other resources in this article. And, as always, you can learn about film and TV industry jobs, training, and more in the Broadway Stages’ Industry Resource Guide. Our guide provides information about industry-focused job posting sites; links to general recruiting sites; education an training programs; and state, city, and borough industry information.