I have several years’ experience in creative makeup, it’s my passion and I love sharing my knowledge with others. I wanted the screen and media students to appreciate what it’s like creating theatrical designs within time constraints and that’s why I came up with the idea of a special effects make-up live art show for the students.
I knew this would give them invaluable real industry experience and for them to acknowledge the skills and techniques of being a successful professional make-up artist. We decided to hold this event at the Fremantle Markets on the 16th of October 2016 just ahead of Halloween, to encourage students to be extremely creative with ghoulish and ghostly designs.
The students were very excited to participate in this event. They all have their own individual artistic flair and we wanted to celebrate that and to show off their unique talents to the public.
The Halloween theme gave us plenty of opportunities to be creative. I performed a demonstration to the students and they then planned their own designs using many different types of mediums. Their enthusiasm and excitement were clear to see and from then on, I knew it was going to be a great day. We discussed products and working within a budget. I demonstrated how to use normal household materials to create gory effects and awesome additions to their designs.
We decided to divide the day into two parts. In the morning between 8 am to 12 noon, the students had time to apply the make-up on themselves and make any further adjustments before the show. This midday deadline gave the students a real sense of urgency and was good industry experience about time management. We all managed to finish our designs by midday and set off for our destination by 1pm.
We arrived in Fremantle and spent 30 minutes setting up our stall. We hired a photographer and videographer for the day so we could record everything that happened. These professional images could then be used in future portfolios.
Each student was interviewed and asked to introduce themselves and explain their own make-up creation. We received lots of comments from shoppers and tourists who were impressed with the level of artistry.
The day made us more aware of planning, preparation and budgeting. It also made the students think about time constraints and the effectiveness of the cosmetics which they were using. The way the students displayed themselves in front of the camera and their high level of professionalism to the general public was exemplary. They learnt how to work in high-stress situations and how to problem-solve. The team was fantastic and both staff and students worked very well together. It was such a success that I’m hoping we’ll be able to repeat this Halloween special effects make-up live Art Show again.
Image; The students and myself show off our artistic abilities and pose accordingly in front of this tree for the photographer, videographer and onlookers. The students gained a lot of attention and admiration that day in Fremantle.
Courtney Leigh Hollins
