Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1512433
A C O N V E R S A T I O N W I T H S A R A H R U B A N O | D E P A R T M E N T H E A D M A K E - U P & M I C H A E L W H I T E | D E P A R T M E N T H E A D H A I R PHOTOS BY SEACIA PAVAO/FOCUS FEATURES LLC 50 • THE ARTISAN WINTER 2024 Sarah: Deep in stacks of vintage yearbooks, 8mm footage of Deerfield Academy, and Hal Ashby films were where Michael White and I found the hair/make-up aesthetic of The Holdovers, a delightful and charming story set at a New England boarding school over a winter break in the early 1970s. This was the first time that Michael, as the Department Head Hair, and myself as the Department Head Make-up, have worked together—but we immediately found our collaboration to be perfectly aligned, which transitioned into an effortless creative flow. And what an honor to be a part of this creative endeavor! Our director, Alexander Payne, is a true visionary who aimed to not simply emulate the films of the '70s, but to create something authentic that would transport the audience back in time. From a make-up and hair perspective, that meant that every detail was important and purposeful—which becomes an opportunity to visually support, through subtle changes in make-up and hair, the journey of each character. Together, Michael and I pulled from firsthand sources and created mood boards that illustrated period- correct color palettes, textures, and shapes. The wonderful Paul Giamatti plays professor Hunham—a curmudgeonly wall-eyed history teacher who was described to us as a "very disagreeable man that needs to be likable." Michael: My process began by speaking with Alexander, who shared reference photos of how he envisioned Paul Giamatti would look as professor Hunham. With the help of photoshopped images created by Joseph Pepe, I presented a handful of concepts based on Alexander's vision. Paul got in on the process, too, and after a few COMING OF AGE The Holdovers Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham Dominic Sessa as Angus Tully