Local 706 - The Artisan

Fall 2026

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LOCAL706.ORG • 59 gear; so touch-ups weren't always an option. My objective was to depict subtle passage of time on the guys, and protect them from the elements. And to keep the guys handsome while being struck with lightning or shivering in a river, Telesis: Beta Bond was the answer. For the guys' hair in the river scenes, the movie was sponsored by Giovanni, so I used Giovanni castor hair oil to maintain a wet look so they wouldn't have to actually be wet. The approaching autumn season was also a factor as each day it got a little crisper. Ginger and I worked on both actors, and would make up either Emile or Ben given the day. She would take whomever didn't need FX make-up for that scene. We would both style the stunt team as well, and I styled the stunt wigs. And she would cover set while I applied make-up effects like the lightning strike or arm break, etc. For the most part, the film was shot sequentially, and a personal triumph of mine was that neither of them were actually sunburnt during 23 exterior days of filming. The next challenge was the script called for Emile (Mar) to be struck by lightning. I had brought Elmer's Glue for the chapped lips, but Emile said he didn't want chapped lips because he had that for Into the Wild, so I pivoted and used the Elmer's Glue mixed with blood powder for the lightning strike make- up mostly because it wouldn't bind to his body hair. Don't come for me, remember the budget AND I had to get it onto a plane. In the parking lot of a national park in Montana, I established the lightning strike make-up on Emile. I wanted it to look angry and singed veins, and Luc wanted it to be bloodied, and with the darkened spot exit wound. Luc also wanted me to carry the lightning strike look for the rest of the film. All of the make-up was also then covered in Green Marble sealer and then Telesis: Beta Bond for an additional protective water-resistant layer. The strike entered from his left ear, across his chest to the right shoulder. It was great to collaborate with Annette, costume designer as well, so that I could design the injury quickly on the day and when we shot the stunts. Total application got to 45 minutes for Emile. Again, I planned this entire film in 72 hours. It was the biggest day. We had the Alex's and Brett's cameos, EPKs, and falling on the car stunts with talent and stunts. One of the biggest FX that was needed was a mangled arm after falling onto a car. An arm had been commissioned. It was supposed to be a mangled arm that went over Emile's shoulder while he hid his real arm behind it. It wasn't going to work and Luc vetoed it immediately. Again, I had to pivot. At Nigel's, I had purchased a back-up foam latex piece that was going to save me. In the script, they had just been in a fight so they were beat up. But then they fall down another hill onto their car. Ginger and I had to escalate the injury look even more. I have a personal pet peeve when blood doesn't fall the direction they start bleeding in, so I was very particular about the look of that scene. Stunts were filming the car fall, while Ginger applied the falling down the hill cuts and scrapes Luc wanted to Emile and Ben, and I prepped, painted, and applied the arm break prosthetic on Emile. Then I prepped the blood to be applied on set for the fallen look. Emile was able to stay in character and act since he didn't have to hide his arm! Stunt teams were another major factor of the film and needed to match talent as much as possible. A lot of wigs were with me on the plane but two main hero wigs were primarily used. A big challenge for the river scenes was that the stunt teams weren't able to wear helmets during filming rapids. Since they would be in a live river in Oregon, I had to find a way to anchor it to their heads. And over Labor Day weekend, I sewed elastic straps onto the wigs like a helmet strap to prevent Ryan's wig falling off while he threw himself down a hill. Several times. However, the challenge of lack of helmet bothered me. Ryan, stuntman for Emile, suggested I use a hip pad under the wig to protect the back of his head while he fell on top of a car. Included is a photo of me with the hip pad sewing it onto the wig for Brandon, Ben's double. The stunt teams were very professional and I am grateful for their input in both states on how to best protect all the guys. Getting a chance to film in Montana and Oregon was a dream come true. And I would like to thank Giovanni Cosmetics, Dwjuan, Luc, and Emile for trusting me with this film. I am so proud of the work I did on this film and my strength in continuity and ability to communicate with the director Luc, and Emile who produced and wrote the script, effectively to manifest their vision on the spot. Thank you to Ginger for also agreeing to join me on this adventure with 48 hours' notice! Thank you to Vinny, 2nd AD who also broke down the script for make-up which I was able to use as the spine of my continuity! Shout- out to Nigel's for the hair department helped me pick out stunt wigs for like, an hour, and that's the wig I used! And for sending us back up 99 to Oregon in a hurry for us! Lol! And thank you readers! Take care of your actors, collaborate with locals, dream on a budget, and make sure you can get it on the plane! •

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