By J.M.Jeffrey
January 2009
Goremaster.com
GoreMaster recently had the wonderful opportunity to interview makeup artist Kelcey Fry. In her nearly 30 years in the profession, she has worked as an instructor for the Joe Blasco Professional Makeup Training Center, on films such as “Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”, “The Pirates of the Caribbean”, and on television series such as “The Riches”. Kelcey gives us some very useful insights into the profession and reflects on an incredible career! |
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GM: What title do you like to refer to yourself as in the industry?
KF: I have actually had a marveled career where I have had the opportunity to department head, and design, etc. I’ve had all aspects of makeup artistry come at me in almost the 30 years that I’ve been a makeup artist. Eventually when you do department head you have then had the type of experience that then leads you to be more knowledgeable on how to man the ship so to speak. So I find it valuable in all aspects in doing my career I think that you can be more successful in completely manning the department when you know how all aspects of the department operate.
GM: Say you are a makeup artist who wants to stay busy in your “home town”…how do work with a production that comes in?
KF: Well, it’s ever changing now, in the past it used to be they maybe hook up in Hollywood and get their main department heads and keys together and as they go on location for budget concerns to avoid having to pay per diems, and hotel costs and living costs they’ll go and when they know they have some backgrounds that have not been established previously in the film, then they look for people within that area to help out.
Nowadays there are a lot of states that offer tax incentives so that people who come to work on a film or the production companies are motivated by extra tax dollars or tax incentives to try and employ as many people in that state as they can.
So I think that for people working in different states, they have to check their local film association or film commission and see what the state is offering. Usually if a film is coming into town the state film commission is aware of it in advance because they will have applied for those tax incentives and they will be already looking for locations. And usually those departments are way in advance of the production and the actual production team coming. You can get a step up if you know that a production is coming to your state and you can find out who the department head is and maybe forward your resume in advance.
GM: Is there a particular association that you recommend makeup artist to join?
KF: Anything locally helps you, for example, women in film, film associations or things that stimulate film production or film festivals where you can come into contact with people that are actually producers that are in production. I think that comes from the individual and how driven and motivated they are in seeking those things out.
GM: When did you make your decision to enter the field?
KF: I’m one of a very rare few that didn’t grow up dreaming of being a makeup artist. I started as a hair dresser. That was by the necessity and means I needed to survive my independence when I got out of high school. And when I did that I went into cosmetic sales, by doing that I got familiar with how to deal with the average consumer. I think that the average consumer can be as challenging if not more challenging than most actors. Because you have all different skin types and people are looking for what’s best for them and what suits them.
I was able to understand very quickly what worked best and what didn’t work best with people.
I just elevated and did more photo shoots. I started to understand about lighting in photo shoots. I just really absorbed anything I possible could. I took a small little freelance day job for a balloon delivery company so I could work during the day and if I needed time off I could take the day off and if I got a [makeup] job I could go do it.
Then eventually by the mid 1980s I ventured to Los Angeles. I loaded up everything and thought “…if I’m going to make it as a makeup artist I wanted to go to Hollywood.” That is where I learned that a professional makeup artist versus a beauty makeup artist is someone that can do beauty, aging, cuts and bruises, bald caps, beards, ear tips and noses and things of that sort. So I realized I had to further my education and that started the next segment of my career.
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