Creativity, colours, & imagination …if these three words have always excited you then a career in 3D & Theatrical makeup is for you. As the name suggests, 3D & Theatrical makeup typically refers to makeup with special effects, where you work with hair wigs, silicone prosthetic, body paints, and makeup to create unique, unconventional and unseen looks. Think aliens, monsters, vampires, zombies and pirates – you will be bringing all these characters with their peculiar features alive on the stage or screen – with the help of special effect makeup.
From science fictions to superhero movies and horror stories to historical sagas, the work arena for a 3D & Theatrical makeup artist is vast, exciting and challenging. With excellent makeup skills, you need to combine your imagination with innovation. For those spectacular on-screen transformations, you need to experiment with technique, tools (material) and technology. In-Depth knowledge of these three is a requisite for a successful career in this profession. There are several makeup institutes where you can enroll for a 3D & Theatrical makeup course, also popularly known as “media makeup course’.
Anyone who has the passion for makeup and a desire to explore and experiment can go for this course. Though no specific educational qualification is required for this course, it is always helpful if you have done your schooling. It will help you understand the theoretical part of the course as well as gain some technological knowledge. If you are already an established makeup professional, then this course can be a terrific add-on to your portfolio.
Bharti Taneja’s Alps Academy offers a Diploma in Photographic and Media Makeup. The duration of the course is 55 days and the fee is Rs 40,000. The course offers a great blend of organizational skills required and technical processes involved in media and special effects makeup. As a student of 3D & Theatrical makeup course, you will be experimenting with latest tools and techniques in makeup, and learn how prosthetic and makeup can be combined with 3D computer graphics to create some spectacular on-screen transformations.
Imagination and ideas make all the difference in this highly creative and competitive field. A curious mind is always a big bonus as it will always encourage and enable you to push the boundaries of special effect makeup. The creativity will inspire you to create an illusion of reality. From demons to superheroes, your skill combined with your imagination will help you bring characters to the screen that look straight out of a storybook. And it’s fun too! Think Halloween Parties.
The course opens up the doors to a whole new exciting world. Once you successfully complete your course, you can apply to production houses, media houses, studios, ad agencies, fashion houses, theatre companies, etc. From big-budget movies to extremely popular TV shows, you can aim big here. You can either work as a freelancer or apply for a full-time job with any of these. A freelancer earns around Rs3000-Rs5000 per day, whereas a long-term contract (for movies & TV shows) can fetch you as much as Rs 2-3 lakhs per project. The remuneration depends on your expertise and experience.
The thumb rule for success as a 3D & Theatrical makeup artist is simple – the more your work, the more you learn and the better you perform. As soon as you enroll for the course, start working on developing your portfolio from Day 1. Internships are a great way to gain some on-job experience. Apply for an internship with photographers, magazines, ad agencies and established makeup artists. This will not only add good work to your portfolio, but it will also help build contacts and learn tricks of the trade. Besides these, soft skills like communication, knowledge of social media, time management, and team working are also needed for success & fame in this profession.
