Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1189512
PROSTHETICS & MAKE-UP Continued from Page 45 Upon interviewing with Jay Roach and the producers, I was informed that Charlize Theron would do her own beauty make- up after Kazu's prosthetics were applied. Nicole Kidman would also have her own team, which meant I had the opportunity to work with Margot Robbie. While I still had more than 100 well-known media personalities to design and execute, I was delighted to work with her. With the talent and collaboration of Anne Morgan, everything was falling into place. After the final prosthetic make-up tests, everything changed. Not only did Nicole request that I do her prosthetics and beauty make-up, but I was informed that I would be doing Charlize. Since I knew it wasn't feasible to do all three leading ladies, I worked with the producers to devise a new plan. They rearranged the schedule so that Nicole and Charlize would initially not work on the same days. I designed Nicole's look and worked with her a few days before Bill Corso was available to be her personal. Meanwhile, they found a way for me to execute Margot's make-up but allow Cristina Waltz to cover her on set. With a lot of flexibility and teamwork, the producers arranged a tight schedule so that I was able to also focus on Charlize. After several years of working primarily overseas, I realized I no longer have a local team in Los Angeles. Considering the scale of the show, I knew I needed artists who could do full-on glamour make-ups, in addition to heavy character/prosthetics work. My first hire was Richard Redlefsen. Kazu and I agreed that he would be a great addition for both our teams. Next, I asked Cristina Waltz to be my key, an artist with advanced fashion and prosthetic skills who could handle anything. Lastly, to handle the administrative duties and allow my artists to be artists, I hired a make-up PA, Megan Longmeyer. As an aspiring union artist whom I'd worked with for over a year, I knew she had the skills and temperament the film required. Considering I now had the responsibility of two leading ladies and my department, I knew I needed another artist ... fast! I asked Richard and Cristina for suggestions, and they recommended Tara Lang Shah. She confirmed her availability and began immediately. A fresh young artist thrown into the fire, she became a valuable asset to our team. When it came to running our background team, I reached out to Randi Mavestrand. I usually don't leave the responsibility of BG to one person, but I knew she could handle it. My hands were full and I knew she would take that weight off my shoulders. She assembled an amazing team, including Claire Doyle. Karen Blynder, Denise Paulson, Jennifer Clark-Keys, Laci Simon, Phyliss Williams, Jacklyn Evans, Annette Lorant, David Abbott, Jenni Brown, Kathleen Freeman, Joleen Rizzo and Elaine Thomas. I never once had to check on them, other than to tell them what a great job they were doing. Jay Roach said from the beginning that he didn't want the actors to be replicas of the people they were portraying. He and Michelle Graham did an amazing job of casting actors with a similar "essence," but I still wanted to elevate their looks. After all, we were working with Kazu, the best, so we needed to be the best. Margot Robbie