The Makeup Insider
The Makeup Insider is a fortnightly one-on-one podcast exploring the life and career of makeup artists, hosted by freelance mua Vanessa Barney.. Finding your community of other likeminded mua’s – the creative, artistic, talkative, flexible, adaptable with a good eye for colour kind-of-people, can often be daunting. Like, where do you start? The Makeup Insider is designed for just that. To build a collaborative online community of artists to build their confidence, connections and help drive their career to the next level.If you’re just starting out or have been in the industry for a long time, tune in now, check out the key takeaways in the show notes and subscribe so you never miss an episode. Find Vanessa @vanessabarney @the.makeupinsider
The Makeup Insider
From High School Hobbyist to Film and TV Makeup Artist: Ashleigh Stone's Journey and Career Insights
Ever wonder how a self-taught high school enthusiast transforms into a sought-after hair and makeup artist in the film and TV industry? In our latest episode of the Makeup Insider, we sit down with the inspiring Ashleigh Stone, whose incredible journey takes her from experimenting with beauty looks in her teenage years to mastering special effects at the Australian Academy of Cinemagraphic Makeup. Ash shares her path of perseverance and passion, dishing out invaluable insights on using educational resources and networking to carve out a niche in this highly competitive field.
Ash doesn't just talk about the glittery side of the business. She opens up about the challenges of breaking into entry-level positions, emphasising the need for versatility and adaptability. From honing her craft at Mecca during bustling holiday seasons to landing a pivotal role on the set of "Neighbours," Ash discusses the real-world experiences that shaped her skill set. Her story is a testament to continuous learning and the magic that can happen when you get the chance to work alongside seasoned professionals.
For those aspiring to make their mark in the makeup industry, this episode is a treasure trove of practical advice. Ashleigh shares her secrets to securing freelance work—think cold emailing and leveraging social media—and offers tips on navigating the logistics of away jobs with a must-have standby kit. She also shares her aspirations of working on war or horror films, providing a glimpse into her creative ambitions. Whether you’re a budding artist or a seasoned pro, Ashley’s journey is sure to inspire and motivate.
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Hi and welcome to the Makeup Insider. I'm your host, vanessa Barney, makeup artist, hairdresser, educator and all-round beauty junkie. If you've ever felt lost or lonely in your makeup career, this podcast is for you. I'm here to interview makeup artists and other industry professionals, to give guidance and be the mentor I needed early in my career. With a new episode every Tuesday, don't forget to hit subscribe so you don't miss a trick, and if you like what you hear, please rate and leave a comment. I hope you enjoy. Today on the Makeup Insider, I'm joined by hair and makeup artist Ashley Stone. Thanks for joining me, ash, thanks for having me. Pleasure, pleasure. So where can everyone find you on social media? What's your?
Speaker 2:what's your handle? My social media handle is Ashley Stone. Underscore artistry.
Speaker 1:Cool and how do you spend your days? What do you do in the hair and makeup world? I?
Speaker 2:generally spend my days on film and television sets doing hair and makeup standby work.
Speaker 1:All of that fun stuff Cool, and how long have you been working in the TV world?
Speaker 2:About three years now. Previous to that I started off doing sort of bridal event. I still do that now in my spare time on weekends and things. But yeah, three years in the film television industry.
Speaker 1:Cool. So when did hair and makeup begin for you? When did you first like? When did it start? How long ago?
Speaker 2:Probably my last few years of high school. Okay, I was sort of teaching myself lots of special effects-y things, watching YouTube and whatever, doing all the DIY at home stuff, and I was getting really into that. I then did like a couple of tours of makeup schools and stuff while I was in high school, but the cost of it just wasn't feasible at that time. So, yeah, I just sort of went through with doing friends makeup and my sister she's been my guinea pig for like ever yeah, just making them up and things. And then, yeah, finally eventually got myself to a point where I could put myself through school, sort of went off from there.
Speaker 1:Which school did you go to?
Speaker 2:I went to the Australian Academy of Cinemagraphic Makeup, the Melbourne campus.
Speaker 1:Okay, so how did you come to the decision to go to that one?
Speaker 2:So how did you come to the decision to go to that one? I sort of loved the idea of going to that one, just because the diploma of Screener sort of learn a little bit of everything in the industry, which was great, and what year did you go to that one?
Speaker 1:what year did you start?
Speaker 2:I started there in 20, 20, 20. And then COVID obviously okay, yeah, so I started there. I was working in child care at the time, um, yeah, during the days to put myself through going to night school there, um, so I was doing a part-time course, um, but then, obviously, with COVID, life it ended up being like two and a half years it took me to get through it, um just with like not going into school and stuff, but we got there in the end, yeah cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so when you um were doing so after you finished school and you, you know, been teaching yourself um makeup? Yeah, is that when you started doing events and bridal sorts of things? Then?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. So I sort of started off doing sort of events and bridal stuff when I was self-taught, like you know, doing like I'll do a face for like 20 bucks, like just real basic. Um, I then sort of, yeah, built up a clientele there and then, obviously through my study, gained more and more skills and, yeah, just sort of took off from there.
Speaker 1:I guess how did you build your clientele? How did you get clients?
Speaker 2:Word of mouth really of it started off as like friends, family sort of thing. They would then like pass on my name to people and then, obviously, starting up a social media account, um, to post all my makeup work definitely really helped and like things like putting yourself out there on like local, like facebook group things, like the ones that they have like your town and like they have like all different things going on, like things like that have really helped me sort of build that okay and what about, like, how did you, did you just build your kit just sort of from?
Speaker 1:did you watch a lot of youtube and things like that?
Speaker 2:oh yeah, big youtube person, but yeah, I built my kind of that way, definitely sort of seeing what other people were using, just buying things, trying them on myself and if I like them, I'd be like, oh, this is great, I'll use it in my kit. Yeah. Yeah, that was just playing around with makeup sort of in the beginning was, yeah, definitely the way I sort of started building my kit up and how long?
Speaker 1:how long were you doing that before you uh went off to study? Like how long?
Speaker 2:probably three years. Oh yeah, cool. Yeah, probably around that. I mean, I was playing around with makeup probably before that, but when I started taking it seriously, yeah, probably around that sort of time frame, for sure and so when you did go into your course, did you do that course with an intention to want to get into tv? Yeah, for sure. Yeah, tv film world is definitely where I sort of wanted to end up, yeah, and yeah, lucky enough to have made it work, so, yeah, it's great amazing.
Speaker 1:So when you, how did you? How did you end up working in the film world? How did it? How did you? What was your first job? What was your sort of foot in the door?
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah for sure. So basically I was yeah, as I said, working in childcare. I was sort of through the Australian Academy. They sort of have like an alumni Facebook page where they post like jobs and things like that, like student films and people who have come to them and are looking for a makeup artist. You could just put your hand up and jump on that. So, through there I had a couple of opportunities where I just did things on student films, which was great, yeah.
Speaker 2:But I was struggling with being able to jump on those opportunities because I was working. Okay, being able to jump on those opportunities because I was working. So I had to take that sort of leap of faith and be like, okay, I need to leave the stability of working behind and just give makeup a go. Basically, I pestered Alex at Neighbours Okay, Not all the time. Okay, I came up all the time. Okay, hey, I'm new to the industry, I would love to like check it out. I'd love to just like even come in and see how it all works. And eventually I was lucky enough one of their girls were going on maternity leave and that got my foot in the door. Yeah, Okay.
Speaker 2:So I did a little three-month stint at Neighbours when they were wrapping up yeah, They've come back now, but when they were wrapping up a few years ago and yeah, so I got my foot in the door and that was great.
Speaker 1:Sorry, that just cut out. So you did the little three months stint when they were wrapping up. Yeah, I'd love to just find out about how did you get Alex's contact to start with, and how much did you pester her? Because I think one thing that I've struggled with did you pester her? Because I think I think one thing that I've struggled with, and I know a lot of people struggle with, is what's too much like you know, like what is too much.
Speaker 1:You can't be Martha from Baby Reindeer, but you know you do have to keep yourself top of mind, right? You just maybe? So tell me how, how to get Alex's email first of all from Neighbours, to start with. How did you find that contact?
Speaker 2:So the first time that I contacted her was through I saw an ad on Facebook on one of, like, the Melbourne Makeup Artists pages. Yeah, alex had put an ad on there looking for an artist. Yeah, so that's why initially I'd found her email, so I had contacted her through there. She had already filled the position. That was fine. She had let me know that, whatever, and I was like just keep me sort of front of mind and then, sort of, like you know, waited a few months and then would shoot her maybe another email just saying, hey, just checking in. But yeah, definitely not pestering to the point of crazy, but just like a couple of months maybe checking in and just sort of seeing where they're at, just keeping your name at the front of their mind.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm. And so, being fairly new to hair and makeup world, you were after entry-level kind of position, so an assisting position? Yeah, exactly, and did you learn about the different sort of positions when you did your course? Did you sort of know?
Speaker 2:how it worked before. Yeah, definitely sort of know how it works before that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely that was. Another great element of the course was we did sort of run over film and industry film and television as an industry in terms of like all the people that are on a set breaking down a script, all of that fun stuff. Yeah, continuity of course, but yeah, so it was great to sort of already have those elements in your head, sort of knowing about it. Obviously, getting into the industry really taught me the most about all of that, but I was familiar with it coming in, which was great, yeah.
Speaker 1:You mentioned earlier that you know you weren't getting the opportunities because you weren't available for them. Yeah, because you had a job which is such a. I just think it's such a hard part about transitioning from I don't know your old job to wanting to be a makeup artist Definitely so. Can you tell me about that? Did you get another part? How did you get another part? How did you make that work?
Speaker 2:yeah, definitely. Basically what I did was I went casual where I was working, which was great that I was able to have that opportunity to go casual, so I did that. In the meantime, I also picked up a casual gig at Mecca over the Christmas period which was really great to work there.
Speaker 2:Work with product work within the industry was amazing and that also helped me build up like my shade matching skills and things like that, which was great. But yeah, because over Christmas they're always looking for Christmas casuals, so I jumped on that and that sort of helped me stay afloat in that middle period when you did your makeup job?
Speaker 1:were you doing makeups?
Speaker 2:no, I was just a like color specialist on floor, so just like, yeah, assisting with the retail side of it, yeah and also probably a good opportunity to get a nice hefty discount.
Speaker 1:Yeah we love it yeah yeah, yeah built that kit. That's it. When you tell me about hair training, because you do hair as well did you start like your hair training when you did the course?
Speaker 2:yeah, yeah. So yeah, I always wanted to get into makeup. I didn't even think about hair being really a thing, um, until I started delving into it a bit more and I was like hair is important, especially here in Australia, to be able to do both. So in the course we did sort of basic hairstyling, we did a couple of bridal sort of looks, basic blow waving, just real bare bones. So I was happy with that because I was always the kind of person that was like I don't want to be a hairdresser, I want to be a makeup artist yeah to then realize that they sort of come hand in hand a little.
Speaker 2:So once getting into the industry, I sort of saw how important it was to be able to have more than just one skill. My sort of balance between hair and makeup was having the styling skills. I then also went out and did a barbering course Smart yeah. So I thought that would be my even sort of balance, because I didn't as much as I would recommend, if you're into hair, doing a hairdressing like apprenticeship 100%.
Speaker 2:But for me I was like I don't want to go down that route really, but I saw how crucial it was to have some sort of haircutting skill. So barbering was definitely a great one to have within this industry. Just from things doing little continuity cuts, beards, that sort of thing that has been, yeah, a bit of a game changer for sure.
Speaker 1:Do you think doing the barbering course has helped you with hairstyling?
Speaker 2:Males hairstyling yes, yeah, okay, females not so much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah true, yeah, unless it's short female, I suppose. Exactly right, exactly right, yeah, yeah, yeah unless it's short female, I suppose. Exactly right, exactly right, yeah, yeah, um, I think it's, I think, doing a barbering course. If you're someone who wants to work in the film and tv world, I think it's a great option, totally what you can do. Yeah, because really the main thing that you're going to be doing, even working as someone who does additional days, is men's cuts 100%, or a fringe trim You're not going to be doing a lady's haircut.
Speaker 2:No, full colour yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if you're going to be doing the full colouring, they're going to get somebody who has experience.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So I think the barbering is such a great option. Okay, so where are we up to? And have you, did you have a? Do you think like you've? You know how sometimes with people they, some people just get hair hair slowly. Do you think you were someone who sort of caught on a bit quicker when it came to hair styling? Do you think sort of you had a bit of a natural ability?
Speaker 2:yeah, um, I definitely think my strong suit is my makeup over my hair, for sure, but I am confident within doing hair. I do tend to catch on to things relatively quickly, but I do find that I'm still always learning things about hair. Um, yeah, especially working with people who are hairdressers and have been styling hair for years like they just have so much knowledge and different tips and tricks to adapt to, which is great for someone who isn't predominantly hair-based but is learning to evolve into that as I work in the industry.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, so let's. So. How long did it take you to so you did the three-month job working at Neighbours and that sort of just took a little bit of? Did you end up doing any work experience at Neighbours or Alex just ended up getting you in for the three-month cover?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I ended up just coming in for the cover, which was a godsend.
Speaker 1:It was great. So that was your first introduction into working in film and TV. That would have been really exciting, so exciting when you got that yeah, yeah and when you first went into it as a newbie, what was sort of the things that you noticed? What was? What would? What would be for somebody? Say, somebody's looking to get their first job and they, what? What are the sort of things that? What are little tips you can give them going into their first job?
Speaker 2:Just be open. Open to everything. There's so much to learn. There's so much going on. Yeah, going onto a film set for the first time is definitely an experience Like you see it all in the movies and whatever of how they document what a film set's like. But actually being there and being on it is such a different ride and it's great. But, yeah, just be open, be there to do anything you can assist people where they need it.
Speaker 2:Listen, learn from everyone around you. They're all so knowledgeable, even from the lighting department. Becoming best friends with them is the best thing you'll ever do. Different continuity script supervisor my best friends, my absolute best friends with them is the best thing you'll ever do. Different continuity script supervisor my best friends, my absolute best friends. Just to be able to go around to different departments lighting will be like, hey, give them a bit of a blot, they're looking a little shiny. Yeah, going to continuity and be like, hey, I'm so sorry, was their hair on the right side or the left side in that last take? Yeah, just being able to bounce off other departments. Don't be. Try not to be. I'm a bit of a person on set that tries to keep to themselves.
Speaker 2:Mm but, yeah, being able to develop those relationships with other people on set, I think is really important, because we're all there for the same thing at the end of the day we want to make something that looks great. So, yeah, definitely be open to learning and learn about everything that's going on. Don't just try and focus on your one thing, because it all contributes to the same thing at the end of the day.
Speaker 1:Yeah, did you do the barbering course before Neighbours or after?
Speaker 2:No, I only did the barbering course last year. Oh, okay. So I had done a couple of years and I was like, yeah, I think this is the thing I need to do. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and one thing I wanted to ask you was when you did email Alex, did you send her any kind of a folio or anything like that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think I pretty sure I sent her like a link to my socials. Yeah, okay, to have a suss over, yeah. And then, yeah, we just had chats on the phone and whatnot discussed at all. But yeah, definitely sending something like a link to your social media or if you have a portfolio or website or whatever, um, I think is a great idea so neighbors wrapped up?
Speaker 1:yes, I can't remember when that was, but anyway, they're back now. But that's a whole whole other story. What did you do so you finished up there Then what was your next step?
Speaker 2:So I finished up there and I was like, well, I guess that's my stint in film and TV, like I guess that's what it is.
Speaker 2:I just felt I was like, oh, like how am I ever going to get like another job, sort of thing, and I was lucky enough like not not long after, maybe, like a week after I got a phone call from amanda rowbottom, who is a head of department in melbourne, and she was like I she passed on your name, I'm looking for a junior. I'm doing a TV series for the ABC coming up. I was wondering if you were available and I was like, yeah, I'm available, like I'll be there. Tell me when and where and I will be there. So, yeah, it was amazing. It was basically just, yeah, I'd worked with Laura on set. She had just done Days on Neighbours and she obviously just recommended me to another artist, which was amazing. So I'll forever be so grateful for Laura. I love her so much.
Speaker 1:She is amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so yeah, giving me that opportunity was, yeah, amazing.
Speaker 1:Okay. So that's a really great tip to anyone Sort of like once you're in, you do meet other people and you're going to meet additional days, people that come in and everybody talks and everybody's connected. Yeah, so if you're someone who's easy to be around and eager to learn and they know that you're out of work at the time, they're going to then pass your name on to other heads of departments, especially for junior positions, because when you've been in the industry a while, you're kind of not in the loop with, you know, younger, up-and-coming artists Exactly Awesome. Yeah, so what was that job that you went on to?
Speaker 2:That was called Turn Up the Volume, which was like a children's series for the ABC. Okay, yeah, so that was great.
Speaker 1:Okay, and how long did that job go for? I?
Speaker 2:think that was, I think it was a three month shoot something around that. I mean, that's generally sort of the length ish of like, yeah, television series generally about three months, yeah, but yeah um, and then, what sort of duties did you have when you were working on that?
Speaker 1:what we we? Were you doing makeup, what were you doing?
Speaker 2:yeah, so I was given a cast member to look after, which was great. But I also did a lot of the standby work on that job yeah, being on set, checking cast, all of that fun stuff which left me to be sort of in charge of all the continuity notes, breakdowns, that sort of thing, which was a great experience. I'm now like a continuity fiend. It's like my favourite thing to do is to document continuity, yeah, yeah. So I sort of Amanda's an amazing head. She sort of, yeah, gives me the opportunity to do most of it, you know, especially starting and being quite new. But yeah, it was a great like first job out of Neighbours World for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cool. And what happened after that one ended? Where did you go next?
Speaker 2:after that one ended, amanda just took me on to her next job with her. So I've done a few jobs with amanda. Now, yeah, she at the end of each job we've sort of just continued to flow on to another. We've had like a few breaks in between and things like that. Like sometimes you, you might be on a job for three months, then not have a job for three months sort of thing which is obviously like the most stressful part of sort of being in this freelance sort of industry.
Speaker 2:But yeah, when the jobs come, it's great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, are you with Amanda at the moment? No, at the moment.
Speaker 2:I'm with John Logue.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, cool yeah, so what do you tend to do in those times when you're not on a film? What do you? How do you get work?
Speaker 2:yeah, so I basically I try to do as many days on things as I can, additional days. That's sort of the bulk of what I try to get when I'm in between jobs and then doing event bridal stuff on the side. But yeah, that's mainly what I try to get during between jobs. I've been lucky enough that I haven't had to wait too long in between jobs. Like three months is probably the max. But yeah, just yeah, keeping your contacts out there, seeing what everyone else is doing and, yeah, definitely putting your hand up to do additional days and things like that.
Speaker 1:So with doing additional days, do you, because you're in the industry, do you know what's happening Like? Do you know what other jobs are on at the same time and do you let maybe the second in charge know that you're available for additional days?
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely. It's one of those funny things that, like before being in the industry, like you'd have no idea what is being filmed or going on.
Speaker 2:But once you've still had your foot in the door. You always hear talks, like whenever you're on a job and it's like wrapping up, people are like, oh, what are you going on to next? Like I'm doing this, this is filming in Sydney, this is filming in Melbourne, whatever. So just sort of hearing those things and then you learn who's on the team. Yeah, and then just reaching out and being like, hey, I'm wrapping up on this date. If you need any additionals, like feel free to reach out and things like that. Yeah, it's all about just like communicating with others in the industry and just yeah, hoping for the best.
Speaker 1:So you're currently I don't know if we've mentioned that you're currently you're in Western Australia. Yeah, yeah, I am. I don't know if we mentioned that, so how did you?
Speaker 2:end up on this job again, word of mouth sort of situation. Um, yeah, yeah, so this is my first job, interstate also, which is really exciting. But yeah, just word of mouth. And yeah, being asked to be a part of a team again, which is amazing, makes me feel quite good because it makes me as much as you question and have like the imposter syndrome of like, is this even real? I'm like I must be doing something right if people are asking me. So it's a bit of a mind like is this real? But also I keep doing what you're doing because it's a bit of a mind like is this real? But also I keep doing what you're doing because it's working.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay, yeah. So now that you've mentioned imposter syndrome, is that something that you have struggled with a little bit since you've started working in the industry?
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely. I feel like it's been like a bit of a whirlwind the last few years being in the industry, Like it went from being feeling like such a dream and something that I was like one day I'll get into it one day, and then getting into it and it just is go, go, go. Once you're in, so sometimes sitting back and being like is this really my job? Like actually a job, Like what am I doing? Yeah, it's just sort of a crazy thing to go from hoping and wishing that one day you would be doing it, and then you're doing it and you're like, yeah, it's hard to acknowledge if it's real or not. But yeah, it's definitely something I struggle with. But yeah, you've got to sort of pull yourself out of it and be like no like I'm good enough to be here.
Speaker 2:There's a reason I'm here, like just keep going.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so have you worked with John before? No, this was before coming First job. Okay, cool. So how does it work when you're doing an away job? Did you have to get yourself to the location? How does the process work?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so on this job lucky enough by production too they have gotten me over here and everything. So, yeah, basically flew into Perth and then I have a car here, loan car, I have accommodation, so it's a great gig. Yeah, production has been fabulous, so very lucky with all of that. But yeah, so it's sort of I guess it would depend, job to job, on what they offer in terms of if you get a loan car, if, if you get accommodation, whatever. But yeah, I guess, you generally get.
Speaker 1:I guess it would depend on where the accommodation is in relation to where you're shooting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, that's it Exactly right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and are you staying with anyone else? Are you staying on your own? Are you in a house?
Speaker 2:Are you in a hotel, yeah, yeah, I mean it's sort of like a little cabin sort of thing, little cottage, oh cute, on a farm, which is great, got all the lovely animals prancing around. But yeah, we're sort of in like rural WA. Yeah, we're a little bits out the way.
Speaker 1:Yeah, definitely need to have accommodation and stuff because we're not really close by anything so, and um, are you allowed to talk about the show you're working on, or is that still okay? Well, we can't. We can't do that. All right, that's okay. And what's your? What are you? Are you? What's your position while you're over there? What are you? Are you? Are you an artist? So an artist? Okay, so can you explain the?
Speaker 2:yeah, for sure. So you've got your head of department obviously at the tippity top so hair and makeup designer, they design the show, etc. Build their team. The whole world is their world, sort of thing in correlation with director etc.
Speaker 2:Um and then you sort of got your supervisor under there. Fortunately enough for me, on this job, my supervisor is also a co-designer, so that's another little spin on the hierarchy of it all, I suppose. But your supervisor, yeah, generally looks after the team and whatnot, does things like organising additional days, all of that fun stuff. And then on this job in particular, there's two artists Above me, there's like a senior artist, and then there's myself and yeah, we do whatever the big bosses tell us to do. I don't know, okay, but yeah, it's great. Um, all sort of get to have equal this is great team. We all sort of have equal jobs and things to do, which is fabulous. We all get to look after the cast members. We all sort of have equal jobs and things to do, which is fabulous. We all get to look after the cast members. We all have spent time on set, we all spend time on truck doing paperwork, so it's really evenly spread out, which is great.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm, mm-hmm and from memory, I feel like you've only really just started shooting, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Were you over there for pre-production beforehand. Yeah, I had one week pre here our designers had a couple of weeks, yeah, yeah, one week pre before we began shooting. And what did you do in that?
Speaker 2:one week pre. So basically my job during pre was to, while we bumped into the truck, set it all up, all of that fun stuff, but then basically for the most of it, I and set up our continuity world. So we use an app called scene match, which is fabulous. I basically set that up and worked through doing script breakdowns so read all of our scripts, took all our notes for that and then also going through like the shooting schedule, making notes there just for easy access for our HOD and, yeah, just doing all sort of the back-end paperwork-y setting up things was what I did most of that week.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm, does everyone read the scripts, or did you just do it and break it down? I suppose everyone has to, don't they?
Speaker 2:Yeah, we all had a read of the scripts. Yeah, everyone read them in the team and then we all sort of collaborated notes. It's good to have a few eyes go over the script because I pick up different things, yeah and yeah, then we just sort of work through that and do character breakdowns and things from there, just to track any sort of injuries or hair and makeup changes different story days, different looks, that sort of thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah yeah, I suppose it's probably hard to explain that to somebody who's never really experienced it right. The breakdowns, yeah, and the continuity it's. You kind of have to be in it to get it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, when you're in it you're like, okay, it all makes sense.
Speaker 1:Like yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, you can learn only so much by just like learning it, and then, when you're having to like put it into your everyday, you're like okay, now I understand it.
Speaker 1:I guess the only way to explain it is that things aren't shot in order of how the story runs, so you need to keep track of how you have to make your character up that day, if they've got a bruise, if they've been crying, and that's probably the basics of it, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, and have you found that you've picked up hair like a lot more since you've been working? You've got, you know, you're doing it every day yeah, exactly right.
Speaker 2:yeah, definitely getting that muscle memory in and lots of practice, of course, but yeah, when you're doing it every day, particularly when you're looking after, like, particular cast members, and yeah, you really every day you're doing that hair look so really just like nailing it in and learning the different techniques and tools and products, yeah has definitely come a lot from having to do that every day. Yeah, definitely helps with learning of it all.
Speaker 1:And how have like? Do you like that you're doing an away job?
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, I'm enjoying it. So far, I've been here for three weeks now. Yeah, so it's my first interstate job. I have done like like away jobs at home. Um, last year, um, I was on the team for High Country. We filmed in um Mount Bulla and Jamison for about a month, so I stayed up there and that was great. But, yeah, this is my first interstate away job, which obviously is different and it's not sort of something you know how you're going to go until you do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:But yeah, so far I'm enjoying it. I have a few weeks left. I'm back at like the end of December.
Speaker 1:We've still got a little while to go.
Speaker 2:But yeah, at the moment things are great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cool, excellent. Oh, that's what I was going to ask. Did you have to bring your own kit across, or is everything supplied for you over there?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I definitely brought my kit across. I didn't bring as much as I would normally bring to a job at home just because of travelling things, but yeah, I worked with John and saw what I needed to bring. But yeah, I definitely brought most of my own kit over, especially like your tools brushes, hot tools, that sort of thing for sure what advice would you give to somebody who is wanting to get into the film and tv world?
Speaker 2:like don't give up, like keep trying. Like it's really hard when you get knocked back, especially being like a newbie, it's hard to get in because you are new, yeah. So, yeah, like productions might be looking for someone with experience and you don't have the experience, but you're not going to get the experience unless you get a job. So, yeah, you just have to keep trying, keep working on like your portfolio and stuff yourself like doing things like the student films or things that aren't necessarily paid gigs, just to sort of build up your confidence of being on set and sort of giving you that little bit of experience that you can lean back on, to be like, hey, I've actually done three student films, like I have been on a set and I do like have some sort of experience, just building it up on that back end. And then, yeah, really trying to get your foot in the door, because once you get your foot in the door, happy days. But, yeah, building that up.
Speaker 1:If you don't have any contacts. I suppose you had the one, Did you? That's what I should ask. So you were emailing Alex to get into Neighbours. Was there anyone else that you were emailing to try and get in with as well?
Speaker 2:At Neighbours World.
Speaker 1:Oh, just before. Like have you had to do cold emailing besides with Neighbours?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I have, I have and I still sort of do it now in between jobs, to heads of department that I haven't worked with before. Yeah, but yeah, it's definitely like a scary thing, especially like when you don't get a reply. You're sort of like God, they've read it and, oh my God, they hate me, they don't want to work with me. Why would they want to work with me? And you go into this spiral of like I'm never going to get a job. But you just have to remember like these people are busy, like they have lives too, like and they're working, like when you're working it's hard to have a life, to answer emails, to answer messages. You're working 12- 14-hour days, like it's not easy for them to just pick up their phone and reply to an email of someone messaging and asking for a job so once you like.
Speaker 2:Remember that aspect of it. It makes it a little bit easier and not as gut-wrenching when you don't initially get a reply yeah but yeah, you've just gotta keep trying, yeah, not being like super pestering to the point of emailing them every second day, but no, but maybe once a month's?
Speaker 1:okay, yeah, definitely, I think even once every two weeks, depending on what you're you know, maybe once a month, I don't know. I think it depends yeah.
Speaker 2:And you might feel like your email might fall under it on a day when they're thinking, crap, I need additional artists. And your name just pops up and they go oh my God, let's get them in, let's give them a go. Yeah, so yeah, you've just got to keep trying, keep pushing, You've got to fight for yourself.
Speaker 1:How do you find these people's contacts to email them?
Speaker 2:yeah, for sure. So a lot of things sometimes. Instagram is another great one is freelanceelance Portal.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of, and that like goes for all the industries, industries, all the different teams, yeah.
Speaker 1:I know what you mean departments.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, to go on there. You can find so many different levels of artists, different departments, whether it be special effects, makeup you want to get into, whether it be hair, whether it be makeup there's lots of different. Yeah, you can see cvs on there to see what people have worked on details. Um, yeah, that's definitely a great place to sort of even familiar, familiarize yourself with names of people. That, yeah, in industry.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that's freelancers. The other ones, there's ones here in Sydney, top Tech, I think it is an Aussie crew. Yeah, but depending on where you're listening, I'm sure there's crew agencies everywhere, everywhere. Yeah, I can understand that. When you send the emails, what do you tend to include what? What do you tell them?
Speaker 2:I try to give sort of a breakdown of, obviously, who I am, where I'm from, all the basic information. I then like to attach a link to social, any social media or portfolio sort of situation and a cv as well, just with my past work. And it's also great, obviously, once you're in industry you can sort of have some people there as references, which is great, yeah, okay, I love to have a reference on my CV just to give your character a bit of credit. But, yeah, just sort of a basic rundown of who you are, what your skill set is and, yeah, sort of where you're looking at going within the industry.
Speaker 1:yeah, yeah, cool, all right. What are your career goals? What's sort of something that you want to work on?
Speaker 2:yeah, for sure. I mean, at the minute, I would love, love, love to do something like a war film or something um, I'm all about the blood and guts.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, jumping into that side of the world would be phenomenal. Um, also doing a horror film, because I'm a horror fiend myself. Working, being the behind workings of a film like that I would love to be a part of. I mean, in one day I would love to become a head of department, a designer. That's definitely my top tier goal. But yeah, that's still a few years ahead of me. But yeah, that's definitely what I would love to work towards career-wise for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, cool. Yeah. What are some sort of like if someone does want to get into the industry, what are some like must-have sort of like. If someone does want to get into the industry, what are some like must-have sort of things that they sort of need to have? I guess I'm talking about your standby kit, right? Tell me about what's in your standby kit.
Speaker 2:Yeah for sure I mean my standby changes every single job. It's like one of those things that you're never happy with. I'm always like, no, I've got to pull that apart, got to buy a new bag, got to do whatever. But I like to have a base standby kit which comes to me with me to every job, on every set. And I have it in one of those photo cases, I don't know. It's got like 12 little individual containers that open.
Speaker 1:A photo case.
Speaker 2:It's made for photos little individual containers that open A photo case. It's made for photos like printed photos, okay, and you get it at like Kmart. It's got like 12 different rainbow slots.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Cases that you can pop open.
Speaker 1:Oh, is it a plastic clear thing? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know the one. Yeah, oh, is it a plastic clear thing? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know the one.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's my like ride or die standby that I have everything I could possibly need in and I have it sort of organised as like mattifying and powders, make-up products I like to have a couple of lip colours, little concealer palette. I then have like a blood and dirt tears, tear blower. What else have I got in there? A couple of little first 80 things nails, nail glue, files, all like the bits and pieces that if you were out in the middle of a field somewhere and you needed something, that it would be there. Yeah, the director turned around and was like you know what? I want them to be bleeding from the forehead and have a bruise that you could just quickly put something up. That's what I like to have in there.
Speaker 2:And then my actual standby that I carry on. My person changes all the time, even day to day, just depending on who I'm looking after that day, what's going on on? I'm looking after that day, what's going on on set. Yeah, that sort of part always changes. But yeah, my proper standby bag that I like to have in my trolley has everything in it, just in case, just in case just in case it's never fun when you're caught off guard oh, never, never, do it again.
Speaker 2:Like, yeah, they turn around, hey, can I have that. And you're like oh, my god, I don't have it. And then every day, forever. You're like do I have that in?
Speaker 1:my bag yeah yeah, um, what about some kit favorites at the moment? What sort of you go? What sort of foundation and staff are you using at the moment?
Speaker 2:yeah, that's for sure on my like. If I do bridal event clients, I love nars anything nars okay related, I'm there for it. I love she glow probably my go-to, just because it's great on everyone. I love the coloring and you can sort of sheer it down, you can build it up and the little NARS pot concealers they're my favourite. But yeah, base-wise I'm a NARS girl, for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I've just tried the light-reflecting foundation, which one I'm trying that I use it on myself and I actually really like it because I'm thinking about adding it to my kit, because I'm thinking about getting rid of Armani Luminous Silk, a classic, because it's just. Yeah, I do love it, but I used to buy it through Neighbours and I got an amazing discount and I can't do that anymore. So expensive. It's $110 a bottle. It's big bucks. It's a lot right.
Speaker 1:You know if you've got to stock up on 10 shades. It's $1,000. It's wild. Yeah, it is a lot. What do you sort of tend to use in the film? World foundation wise? Yeah, for sure, depend on your cast member yeah, it sort of depends cast.
Speaker 2:You have some cast who prefer to wear a particular product, um, and then you have some where they couldn't care less. It's totally up to you. But yeah, we do use a lot of luminous silk, depending on what the show or movie calls for. But recently, on this job, we've started using on one of our main girls. There's just been released at Mecca, the Tower 28 brand. Oh yes, yeah, like the Tower 28 brand. Oh yes, yeah, yeah, it's like a tinted moisturiser, spf sort of thing, and we've just started using that on one of our girls and it's gorgeous. I'm like, okay, I'm going to add that to my kit. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah it's great. It's very natural. A little bit goes a long way, but yeah, it's beautiful and yeah, SPF in it too is great while we're filming outside and whatnot. Yeah, and it doesn't bounce on camera or anything so it's great.
Speaker 1:What do you mean? It doesn't bounce. What does that mean?
Speaker 2:in terms of the lighting and things we use sometimes some potential spf products as in the SPF doesn't bounce.
Speaker 1:Okay, Okay, cool. I wasn't sure if you meant like the shade, the shades might go warm or something on camera. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. So the SPF it works well on camera. Good to know. And what other? Is there any other sort of products that you are loving at the moment?
Speaker 2:I'm a big embryo lease moisturiser little situation girly. That's my favourite. I use that on everyone to prep skin. A great, yeah, moisturiser, obviously, but also fabulous under whatever else you're going to put on top. Yeah, I'm yet to find something that doesn't work well with it. So it's definitely a staple, something I can rely on. And they also have like a sensitive version, which is great for people with sensitive skin, and there's also like a matte version, which is really good, too, for people that tend to be that little bit more oily. But, yeah, that's definitely a prep product that I love.
Speaker 1:But yeah, that's definitely a prep product that I love. Can you still buy the matte one, because I've loved the matte one. I can just never find it.
Speaker 2:Me too. Honestly, I haven't bought it in a little while because I had a couple, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I haven't bought it. For a little while I've been using the Bioderma one. What? Yeah, I don't mind that one, and I've got another, the Bioderma one Nice, yeah, I don't mind that one and I've got another one. I'm going to try an Avene. Is it Avene? I'm going to try the Avene mattifying one as well.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:But I've not been able to find the mattifying embryo-lease one again, but it definitely I mean the matte one definitely it gives a definite different look to the skin, like it does look matte, I think, because they've actually I did a training on it once They've got. It contains talc, I think, or some kind of powder. So it does make it more matte, something like that. I can't 100% remember what it was. But, yeah, you really can tell the difference.
Speaker 2:You can yeah.
Speaker 1:What is your favourite mattifying product for camera?
Speaker 2:Yeah for sure. So the tried and true that everyone has loved for years but it no longer exists is the Mac little anti-shine. Yeah, you can't get it anymore. It's so sad. There's a couple of people around that have a couple of ones left in their little stash but you would never ever be able to get that off them. It's just the best, but not many things sort of amount to that.
Speaker 2:The closest thing that I have found is from afx allied effects. They have made a similar one. It's a little matte, that little silicon sort of based product that is great on set for just that quick little touch up of a mattifier. Um, it has a little pump too, which is great on set for just a quick little touch-up of a mattifier. It has a little pump which is great just to be able to dispense a little bit on the back of your hand and get in there. It's awesome for, like, bald heads when they're collecting the sun or the light off their head. But yeah, that's a great sort of replacement for the Mac one, I think Okay cool, excellent, ash.
Speaker 1:Any final sort of bits of advice for someone who's wanting a career in the film and TV world? Just do it.
Speaker 2:Take the jump. It's so scary, like I know I've been there, but you've just got to really go for it and it will pay off. And just like, be you, be great, listen, learn, just like soak it all up because, yeah, it's an amazing industry to be a part of. There's so many fabulous people to meet along the way, so much to learn. But, yeah, just get yourself in there and enjoy it.
Speaker 1:It's great Thanks, ash. Thank you and congratulations with your success this far in the industry. Thank you so much. I can't wait to see what you're doing when you're a head of department. Thank you, look forward to seeing your progress. So thank you so much for today.
Speaker 2:No worries. Thank you so much for today.
Speaker 1:No worries, thank you so much Thanks for joining me today on the Makeup Insider. I hope you've enjoyed the show. Please don't forget to rate and subscribe, and I'll see you soon. Bye for now.