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16.2
HowtoDo Makeup
andWhattoWear
vI/hen you hear of makeup, you may think of movies in
which actors are transformed into monsters or odd-look-
ing aliens or of how to fake d variety of wounds, You may
even argue that the way performers or actors look is
important than the substa nce of what they say or do. But
most televi sion m<lkcup is done not so much to transform
appcar,mcc as to make someone look as good as possible
OD- camera. The same goes for clothing. Unless you ael in
a period pl ay, most actors wear clothes thaI filthc role, and
per(onners choose clothes that make them look attractive
on-camera.
The aim of section 16.2 is 10 help you choose makeup,
clothing, or costumes that not only fit but also add to the
overall production values and communication intent.
.... MAKEUP
Marelio/s, oppliCOlion, and lecilnico/lequiremenl5
.... CLOTHING AND COSTUMING
Line, lexlureand derail, and c%r
MAKEUP
All makeup is used (or three basic reasons: (I) to enhance
appearance, (2) to correct appt:"arance, and (3) 10 change
appearance.
Standard over-the-counter makeup is used daily by
many women \0 accentuale and improve their features.
386
Minor skin blemishes are covered up, and the eyes and
lips are emphasized. Makeup can also be used to correct
closely or widely spaced eyes, sagging l1esh under the eh in,
a short or lung nose, a slightly too prominent forehead,
and many minor "flaws." If a person is to portray a
specific character in a play, a complete change of appear-
ance may be necessary. Dramatic changes of age, ethnic-
ity, and character can be accomplished through creative
makeup techniques. Make-up artists working for crime
show series have a field day. Their grisly of all
sorts of bodily harm are oft eIl so realistic that they border
on Ihe repulsive; but they are, nevertheless, testimony \0
the high artistic skills of the makeup artisrs.
The various purposes for applying cosmetics require
different techniques, of course. Enhancing someone's
appearance caUs for the least complicated procedure: cor-
recting someone's appearance is slightly more complicated;
and changing an actor's appearance may require involved
and complex makeup techniques. Making a you ng actor
look eighty years old is best left to the professional makeup
artist. You need not learn all about corrective and character
makeup methods, bUI you should have some idea of th(
basic ma terials, techniques, and technical requirements of
televisi on mahup.
MATERIALS
A great var iet y of excelle nt televisi on makeup material is
available. Most makeup artists in the theater arts depart-
ment of a college or university have up-to-date product
lists. In (act, most large drugstores can supply you with the
basic materiah for I'llhancing a performer's appearance.
Women performers are generally experienced in cosmet ic
materials and techniques; men may, at least initiaUy, need
some advice.
The most basic makeup item is a foundation that
covers minor blemishes and cuts down light retlcctions on
oily skin. Water-based cake ma keup foundations, generally
referred to as pancake, are preferred over the more cum-
bersome grease-based foundations, called pun stick. The
Krylon AquaColor Base or MaybeUine verFresh pancake
series is probably all you need for most makeup jobs. The
colors range (rom a warm, light ivory to dark shades for
dark-ski Jl ned performers.
\,v01l1en can use their own lipsticks, so long as the reds
do not contain too much blue. For dark-skinned \"3.\ent,
a warm red, such as coral, is often more efftct ive than a
darker red that contains a great amount o[blue. Other ma-
terials, such as eyebrow pencil, maSCMa, <lnd l'}'e shadow,
are generall y part of every woman performer's makeup kit.
5ection /6.2 How to Do Mok eup and What / 0 Wear
Materials such as hairpieces or even latex masks are part
of the professional makeup dr tiSI's inventory. They are of
little use in mO$t nOlldramati c product ions.
APPLICATION
It is not always easy to persuade nonprofessioll al perform-
ers, especially men, to put on necessary mak<!' up. You illay
do \."ell to look at the SlIests on-C:lmera before de("idi ng
whetht' r they Med any. If ther do, you must he tactful
in suggesti ng it s applicati on. Try to appeal lI ot to the
performer's van ity butlo his or her desire 10 cont ri but e to
a good performance. Explain the for makeup in
tcchni(a lterms. such as color li nd light balance.
All makeup rooms have large mi rrors so that talent
can watch the emire makeup procedure. Adequatt' , even
ill umination is critical. The color ttmfX'rature of the light
in which the makeup is appli ed must match, or at
clo5ely approximate, tha t of the produClion ill umi nation.
Most makeup rooms have two i!luminatjon systems th;tt
can be swit ched from Ihe indoor (3,200K) standard to Ihe
OUldoor (5,600K) standard.
When is applied ill the swdlo, have a small
mirror on hand. Most womell performers are glad to appl y
the more complicated makeup themselves-lipstick and
mascara. for ins ' ance. In fact , most rrofessiOl)al televis ion
talent prefer to apply their makeup themselves; they usuaUy
know ",hal kind they need for a speci Rc televis ion show.
\\fhen using a waler-based pancake makeup. appl y il
{'\'enl y with a wet sPOllgE' over the face and adjacent
skin areas. Get the base right up into the hairline, and have
a lowel ready 10 \"ipe off Ihe If close-ups of hauds
are shown, appl y pancake base to them and the arms. This
is especially important for performers who demonslrat e
small object. on-camera. If an uneven sunla" is ex.posI?d
(('specially when women pe rformers wear
or different kinds ofbathillg SuiIS), all bare ski n areas must
be covered with base: makeup. l3ald men need a generous
amOUnt of pancake foundati on to tone down illevit abl(
li ght reflecliolls and to co\'er up perspi n tion.
Be careful not to give male performers a ba by-face
(ompi ex..i on through 100 much makeup. It is somelimes
desi rabl1? to havt' a litt le beard area show. Frequentl y, d
slight covering up of the beard with a pa n stick is allihat
is needed. If additional foundal ion is necessary. a pa n-
sti ck aro und the beard area shou ld be applied firs t and
then SCI with powder. A very !ighl application of .. yellow
or orange greasepaint satisfactorily counteract s Ihe blue of
a heavy Rve -o'dock shadow. There are J>wfessional l.h.'ard
covers dvai.lable.
Because you r face IS the most express ive communica-
tion agent , tf)' to keep yom hair out of your face as much
as possible.
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
Like so IIHl nr other production clements, makeup must
yiel d to the demands of loe tdevisioll camera.
li mita ti ons indude color distort ion, color balance, and
cl ose -ups.
Color distortion As rn(,ll tioned, skin tOiles are the only
real color references Ihc viewer has for color adjuslnlcnl
on a hom(' receiver. Thei r a( cur;!t e rendering is then'forc
of Ihe lltm OS I importance. Because cool colors (hues wi th
a blue ti nl ) have a It'ndetlc), 10 overemphasize bluishness.
especiall y in high-color-temperature lighting, warlll colors
(\."arlll reds. orangl'S, browm. and tans) are prderre<! for
tek'Vision makeup. They usuall )' provide more sparkJc.
especiall y when used on a dark-skinned fa ce.
The color of the foundation makeup sho ul d match
the nat ur:'!1 skin tones as closely as possible, regardless of
whether the fact' is lltt tu rall}' light oc naturally dark. Again,
10 avoid bluish shadows, Narnl ralherthan cool foundation
colors are preferred . Be carc- ful, however, that light -colored
skin does not turn pink. As much 3S you should guard
against 100 much blue in a dark fa ce, you musl 1\' 3tcl! for
\ 00 much pink in a li ght face.
The skin reflectance of a dark face can produce unflat-
teri ng highl ights. These should be toned down by a proper
pancake foundati on or a translu(ellt powder. Otherwi se the
video operator will have to compensate for Ihe highlight s
Ihrough shnding, making the dark picture areas unnatu-
w il y dense.
Color balance Generall y, the art di rector, scene de-
signer, makeup arti st, and costume designer wordinate
all the colors in production meetings. In nonbroadcast
productions, where freel.m ee people are usuallr hired for
s(cne dcsign and makeup, sllch coorrl ina!"i on is not always
easy. In any case try 10 commun ica te the various color
requiremeru s to dll the.'.e pcople as best you can. Some at -
tention beforehand to the coordin3tion of the colo rs used
in thl': scenery, costumes, and makeup certainly facilitates
the production proct'ss.
Sometim es rhe surruundmg colors refl ect on the
performer's clot hing or (ace, which the ca mera shows a.'.
noticeabl e color distortions. One way of avoi ding such
rctlect ions is to have the t<l lent st ep far enough aW3Y from
the reneCl ing surfaces. ' ""hen sti ch a move IS not
387
388 Chapter 16
apply an adequate amount of pancake makeup and addi-
tional powder to the discol ored skin areas. "rhE' viewer will
tolt" rale 10 some e..xtenllhe color distortion a ll clothing but
not on skin areas.
Clou-ups Televi sion makeup must be smooth and
subtle enough that the tal ent 's (ace looks natural even
in an extreme close-up. The skin should have a normal
sheen, neither 100 oily (high refl oK:tance) nor too dull (low
refl ectance but no brilli ance-the skin looks lifeless). Tho:;
5ubtlet yof television makeup goes directl y against theater
makeup techniques. in wh ich features and colors a fC greatly
exaggerated for the benefit of the spectators in the back
rows. Good television makeup remains hugely i nvi sible, so
a doSt". upofa person's filee under actual produclion lighl-
ing condi lions iSlhe besl criteri on for judging Ihe necessity
for and quality of makeup. If the performer or actor looks
good on-Camera without makeup, none needed. If the
performer needs makeup and the close-up of his or her
finished face looks normal, Ih\? makeup is .:I eceplable. If it
shows, the makeup must be loned down.
All m.. keup must be applied under Ihe ligluing condi-
tions in which the production is This is because each
light ing setup has its own color temperature. Reddish light
(low color temperature) may require cooler, more bluish
makeup Ihan would higher-color-temperature li ghting. In
higher-color-t emperalUre lighting (more bluish tight ), you
need 10 U5ewarmer (more reddish) makeup. (For a review
of color temperature, see chaf>t er 7.) mDUGHTS-t Color
temperature-t light sources
CLOTHING AND COSTUMING
In smail-station opera tions and most Ilonbroadcast pro-
ductions, you are mainly concerned with clothing the per-
former rather than costuming the actor. The performer's
clothes should be attractive and stylish but not too con-
spicllous or s.llO\YY. Television vie\,<,ers expect a performer to
be well dressed but nOl After all , hear she is a
guest in Ihe viewer's home, not a nightclub performer.
C.LOTHING
ThC" l}'pe of clothing you wear as a performer depends
largely on your personal taste. 11 also depends o n the type
of program or tlw occasion and the panicular selling.
Obviousl y, you dress di ffereml ywhen reportjng live in the
field during a snow stMm when taking p<l rt in a pand
discussion on the homeless in your city. \"ihat eve r the occa-
sron, som\? types of clothing look on television than
others. Be<<luse t he camera may look at you both from a
r
PROOUCTION PEOPLE
di stance and at close range, the lines, tex tll rt' , and details
are important as the overall color scheme.
line Tel evision ha::. a h.>ndency to add a few eXI fa pounds
to the performer, /::ven it' they are not digitally stretched to
make a 3 x 4 pictLll' \.' fi l the 16 x 9 screen. Clothing CUI to
a slim helps combat this problem. Slim dresses
and tai lored suits look more il1lractive than do
heavy, horiwnlall y striped fabri cs and baggy st yb. The
overall silhouett e of Ihe clothing should look pleasing
fro m a variety of angles and should appear slim-fitting
yet comfortable.
Texture and detail \'\'hereas line is especiall y importanl
in long shots, t hc texture and the detail of clot hing become
import ant at doS(> range. Textured mal erial often looks
uett er than plain, but avoi d patterns that have too much
cont rast or <He 100 busy. Closely spaced geometric patterns
such herringbone weaves and checks ca Lise a moire c[fl:ct,
which looks like superimposed vibrati ng rainbow colors
(see figure 3. 20). St ripes may extend beyond the garment
and bleed through sur rounding sets aJld objew. Extremely
fine detail in a partern will either look too busy or appea r
smudgy. Note that most high-qualit y studio monitors
have moire-suppression circ uits built -in, but most home
recei"crs do no(' You Illay nol always be awarc of the mo ire
problem a herringbone jacket or checked tie may cause
,yhen watching yourself ill lhe mirror. If you suspect pos-
sible moire problems. view the talent 's allire on a tel t!vision
St:1 th,1t does not contain such prevC"tllive circuitS.
Make rour clothing more intcresti.ng on-camera not by
choosi ng a detailed d oth texture, bUI by addi.ng decorati ve
accessories, such as scarves and jewelr y. Allhough jewelry
style depends, of course, on the performer's taste, in genera!
he or she should limit it to one or 1'\\'0 disti nctive pieces.
Th(' sparkle of rhinestones can become an exciting vi sual
<lecent when dressing for d special occasion, such as the
tel cvised fund-rai sing dinner or a concert by the commu-
nit y symphony, but they are obviously out of place when
interviewing a crime victim.
Color The most important consideration for choosing
colors is that they hannonize with the sel. If the set is lemon
yellow, do not wear a lemon yeUow dress. As mentioned be-
fate, avoid sa turated red, unless you are working ,vith hi gh-
end stud io cameras. If yOll are lakillg part in blue chroma
keying (sllch as in weathe rcasting), avoid wearing blue
unl ess you want to become transparent during the chroma
key. Even a blue scarf or tie may give you trouble.
Secrion /6.2 How to Do Makeup and Whot t o Wear
YOII ca nwear black or a verydarkcolor, orwhi te or
avery light color,so longas the mat erial is notglossyand
high\y , eneaive. Butavoid wearingacombinati onoft he
IwO. Ift heset isvt!:rydark,avoid astarchedwhiteshirl. If
the set colors are ex:tremely light, do not wear black. Ai;
desi rableas a dramatic colorcontras tis, ex"1reme bright-
vari ati onscausedifficultiesforeven thebestc.ameras.
Starkwhite,glossydOlhl'scanturnexposedskjnareasdark
onthe televisionscreenordistort themoresubtlecolors,
especially when theca merasareonautomatic iri s. Dark-
shuned performers should avoid highly reAecting white
orlight-yeUow clothes. lfyouwearadarksui t,reduce the
brightnesscont rast by,"earinga p:lSIelshirt. Light blue,
pink,li ghtgreen,tan,orgray-all showupwell ontelevi -
sion . As always, when in doubt as to how weU a certain
colorcombinationphotographs, previewiton-cameraon
theset andundertheaCluallighlingcondit ions.
Ift wO prospecti ve wealhe rcasters-a man and a
wom"rI- werenow10 askyoufor adviceonwhatto wear,
whatwould you leil them?
BOLli should wear somethingcomfortable that does
notlookwideorbaggy.Becauseofchromakeyi ng.avoid
anythingblue (or green,ifIht! chroma-keyback-
drop is green).Ifpossible, tell them the color ofthe se t
backgroundso theycanavoidwearingthesamehue. The
,""oman might wear a sli m suit or dress ofplain, simple
colors. Avoid black-and-white combinations, such as a
hlack jacket over a highly refl eCTing white blouse. She
should avoid highl ycontrastingnaffOWstripes orchecks
andweae as little jev'lelryas possible, unless she Ivants to
appear fl ashy. The llIall might wear a slim suit or slacks
and a plain coat, wi th a plain ti e orone with a bold hut
subtlepattern.Heshouldavoid wearingawhit eshirtunder
a black orda rkbluesuit ,as well as clothes orac.;essories
wilh checke redorherd.ngbonepatler ns.
C:OSTUMING
For most normal productions in nonbroadcast, or non-
net work, operations, youdo nol need costumes, Ifyo u
do a playoracommerci althat involves costumed actors,
youcanalways rent the necessaryartkl es from acostume
companyorborrow(hemfromtheIheaterartsdepart ment
ofalocalhighschoolorcollege, Theaterartsdepjrtments
usual\yhaveaweJl stockedcoslumeroomfromwhichyou
candr.tw moststandarduniformsand costumes_ If
youU(,eMod ecostumesontelevision,theymustlookcon-
vincingeven in alight close- up, Thegeneral construction
.1I1d. especially, thedetai lofthealer accessor ies arcoften
100coarse for thetelevisioncamera.
The color and pattern restrictions for clot hing also
applyforcostumes. Thetotalcolordesign--lhcoverallbal-
anceofcolorsanlongscenery,costumes,andmakeup--is
importantinsometelevisionplays.particularl yinmusicals
and varietyShOlVS, whereIonsshotsoften revealthetot al
scene, including actors, dancers, scenery, <lad props. As
point ('d oulbefore, ratherthantrytobillanceall tho:: hues,
iliseasier to ba lance the colors by theirrel ati ve aesthet ic
energ}', You can accomplish thi s balance by keeping tht
set relatively low-e nergy (colors wi th low saturation)
and the set accessories andcostumes high-energy (high-
salur.l1ion colors).
i t'j. !J..:a. _
+ Makeupand<lothingareimpollantaspect s01thetalent 's
(01 on<ameraWOlk.
Makeup is usedfor threebasicreasons:toenhance,tocor-
reCt, andtochangeappearance.
Warmcolorsgenerallylookbene' thancoolcolo'sbecause
thecame,atendstoemphasizethebluishnessofcoot
colOls;butavoid wearing red.
Makeupmustbe smoothandsubtle toappearnalUral in
theactualproduct ion lightingandon extremeclose-ups.
Themost basic makeupitemisafoundatiOilthatcovers
minolblemishe-s.Water-basedpancakefOllndaciom.. which
comeinavarietyofskin aregenerallyusedfor televi-
sion makeup.
+ ThetechniquesoftelevisiOil m.akeupdonotdifferdras
tkallyhomapplyingordinarymakeup,espe<ially iflh{'
purposeistoenhance0 1COHeecilppeafance.
These areImportantwhenchoosingclothing:line,
wherebyaslimcutispreferred:textureanddetai l,WhKh
must not maketheclothingappeartoobusy;and(olor,
whichshouldharmonizeyetCOlll lastwiththedominant
coloroftheset.Tightlystripedo.checkefedpatternsaocl
herringboneweaves,aswell ashighlysaturat!<! redsanda
combination ofblack-andwhil efabrics,shouldbeavoided.
Fa......
Foryourreference,ortotrackyourwork,each Video-
Lab programcuein thi schapteris li stedherewith its
coHespondingpagenumbe,.
m5) PROCESS-+ People-7 nont Khnlcal 368
f3!l!) People0-7 technical 370
Em) Colo' temperatu,e-7lighl sources 188
389