Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1277606
THE ARTISAN SUMMER 2020 • 45 Photos © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., except as noted After getting the call that I had been selected for the job, I immediately started putting together my dream team. Fortunately for me, this was being shot in Los Angeles, and I was able to pick from the very best from our Local 706. I reeled in my Assistant Department Head Sabrina Wilson from my previous job to help me run the department and toss ideas around regarding the Harley Quinn make-up, as I knew it would require a double-teaming process with more than 18 tattoos to apply, along with full body make-up and more than 18 different facial make-up designs throughout the shoot. I then brought Jamie Kelman in to help me corroborate on the looks for the make-up special effects aspect of the villains and Vincent Van Dyke Studios to fabricate our special make-up effects needs. Knowing I would only have Jamie for a limited time due to prior obligations, I brought in Dave Snyder and Cale Thomas to carry out the remainder of the show with the periodic deep scratches on Ewan McGregor and the scars on Chris Messina applied daily. We also had Vincent Van Dyke Studios create a full silicone chest piece with custom-punched hair and scars for Chris Messina, who played "Zsasz" and was then applied by Dave and Cale. Vincent created two hanging bodies for us for a torture scene in a meat market. There was a design created to "peel" a face off of the male body and slit the throat of the female body. Both were hanging from their feet, and I knew there was no way to hang a human hang for this length of time, so these beautiful bodies were created and manned by Dave, Cale, and Bart Mixon. Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn was such a great study in the development of a character. The original Suicide Squad was done by Alessandro Bertolazzi and he created the beautiful, iconic Harley Quinn, so I knew I had my work cut out for me. With that in mind, and keeping the rock-n-roll Debbie Harry infl uence of the '80s, we were able to design some fun, unique looks, all while maintaining her iconic look as inspiration throughout. Our director, Cathy Yan, wanted to keep her skin more on the pale side and less white. This was a tricky balance as it tended to go too white very quickly. During testing, we decided Sabrina would airbrush the body with silicone-based foundations, and include a pearlescent touch for highlight so that when the body moved, the skin caught light and looked more vibrant and full of life. While doing tests on the body, I The hair for Birds of Prey was a mix of comic book and contemporary hair designs. Staying true to the comic book characters was important but at the same time, I felt like we needed something new and fresh, as well as sexy, we called this "Gotham City Gritty." When we fi rst see Harley, she is breaking up with Mr. J and breaking down mentally so we took the hair on the same journey, breaking it down for every change she went through, up to "the haircut." She goes through 18 different changes during the course of the movie. One of my favorites being her "Diamonds" look. It's her version of Marilyn Monroe. This was achieved by using one of the Suicide Squad wigs, and after styling it, I sewed the hair with fi shing line known as fi lament to keep it in place. The wig was very long and this held it up, as well as kept it in place for 15-plus hours of shooting. Renee Montoya was a great example of a '70s cop show character and the look she had served that purpose well. Cassie Russek was in charge of taking care of her look and did a great job, as well as Huntress. We tried several H A I R S T Y L I N G BY ADRUITHA LEE Continued on page 46 Continued on page 49 From left: Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), Helena Bertinelli/Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco), Dinah Lance/Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell)