Makeup for the Movies

By mid-afternoon Sunday, Katie Douthit’s class of future makeup artists looked pretty banged up. Bullet holes, abrasions, scratches — their faces were full of their own and their classmates’ newfound artistry.

“It’s a challenge,” said Gwyn Madeen, who works as an aesthetician but is considering a career change. “I’m used to trying to make people pretty.”

Douthit’s four-week intensive course, “Beginning Make-Up Artistry,” at Santa Fe Community College, is a hands-on class for training students to work in television, theater and film production. The course is part of the college’s continuing efforts to train students for the film industry. Douthit, who has worked in makeup and hairdressing for film and television in Los Angeles and New Mexico since 1983, also teaches classes for New Mexico’s International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 480.

She explained to the students that they have to be in New Mexico’s IATSE 480, or have permission from the union, in order to work on a film.

How does a fledgling makeup artist get in the union?

“It’s strongly encouraged to get involved in student films here at the college, which are overseen by the union,” said Douthit, explaining that it was a way for students to get the 15 days working on a film required to join the union. “If we have four or more major films shooting here at the same time, we run out of people real fast and need makeup artists.”

Douthit told the students that it’s much easier to get work as a makeup and hair artist in New Mexico than in Los Angeles. “There are about 58 people in hair and makeup in IATSE 480,” she said. “There are about 8,000 in hair and makeup in Los Angeles’ IATSE 706. “

And she compared the approximate cost to join the union in Los Angeles — some $6,000 — with the $600 or so it costs to join the union in New Mexico.

Andrea Busich, who was sporting a fake bullet hole in the center of her forehead, said she had started at Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque in the film technicians pro gram there. “But I’m dabbling in all the different areas now,” Busich said. “Makeup has definitely been fun. It’s one of the more creative areas.”

Jackson Birnbaum, 17, was serving as a model for Douthit on Sunday afternoon as she showed the students how to attach a beard on the left side of his face. On the right side, Birnbaum had applied his own creation. Although it looked like an abrasion from a motorcycle accident, Birnbaum said, “I was thinking, ‘fell asleep on the stove.’ ”

Birnbaum isn’t planning a makeup artist career, but said, “I like making independent movies on a low budget, so I thought knowing this would be a good way to save money.” Birnbaum has earned his GED and is taking classes at SFCC.

Xhevahire Krasniqy, who’s from Albania, is a teacher in Head Start and also a beautician, while taking classes in film at SFCC. “I came to this country to explore my dream — theater and the arts,” she said.

Kathy Tapia, a student in film at SFCC, said she’s exploring various areas in film. She was working on Dave Meyer, having already given him two bullet holes and deep scratches.

“Kathy’s theme was ‘a guy who was attacked by a wild animal,’ ” said Douthit. The final class in the four-week beginning course is next Sunday, and Douthit is asking for a theme project from each student.

“It could be the Joker from ‘Batman’ or Abraham Lincoln after he was assassinated,” said Douthit. “Or a highclass call girl or a heroin addict. Pretty much anything you can imagine.”

Upcoming Classes

Makeup and hair artist Katie Douthit is offering “Advanced Makeup Artistry,” 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sundays, March 22-April 12. For information, contact Sandra DuCharme, 428-1421, or e-mail filminfo@sfccnm.edu.