Local 706 - The Artisan

34 • THE ARTISAN SPRING 2021 News of the World was in the perfect combination of hands with director Paul Greengrass and Tom Hanks as Captain Kidd, and it was a very special honor when I received the call inquiring about my interest in working on this film. With Paul's background as a documentarian and résumé of films that evoke such palpable realism and Tom's repeatedly earned stature as America's great actor of pathos and impeccable professional standards, it was apparent that this 'would be an unforgettable journey. Set against the brutality and uncertainty of 1870 Reconstruction Texas, we follow the odyssey of Captain Kidd and Johanna, two weary and wounded characters, in need of finding some new hope and sense of belonging. In our early conversations, Paul Greengrass challenged me, saying he wanted these characters to look like "life had made them up, and not make up." I've long believed that the best realistic character depictions are supported by what make-up can do without drawing attention. Achieving this means both photographic and historical period research is essential to understand the authentic looks, fashions and customs of that specific era. Furthermore, it means assembling a team of artists who will embrace a culture of striving to create work that can genuinely hide in plain sight. The first phase of teamwork, sharing research, discussions and design looks, began with Department Head Hair Kelvin Trahan. Kelvin and I worked together on a film in our home state of Texas almost 30 years ago, so it was a great joy, MAKE-UP Continued from Page 32 and another facet of coming full circle, to reconnect and collaborate with this wonderful friend on a period Western set in Texas. The amazing costume designer Mark Bridges and cinematographer Dariusz Wolski also provided helpful insights. As we dove further into the research and character discussions, Paul Greengrass made a number of references but the two that were most specific for me were Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath and his overt proclamation that he wanted the audience to feel like they could smell the characters. These two notes reflected his commitment to authenticity. Early on, Kelvin and I requested that all of our main cast members and background not cut their hair, beards, moustaches, sideburns and eyebrows so as to maximize our potential choices and "grow out" any modern vestiges of their everyday appearance. The harsh reality of most people's appearance in this post-wartime and location, presented as weathered, dirty, grimy, dusty, highly individualized facial hair, long hair for women and primitively treated wounds and injuries. By this time, we knew that Tom Hanks' character would work in every scene, prompting us to plan ahead, making character design decisions in advance so that our teams could execute those for supporting and background players while we were on set. Also, the logistics on location meant filming in remote areas nowhere near our base camp trailers, therefore, needing to create speed, efficiency and portability whenever possible. I began assembling my team, bringing Stevie Bettles from Local 706 as my Department Head Assistant. Our working experience together, combined with his versatile talent, strengths in design,

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