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How do I Choose a Make-Up Artist School?

Carol Francois
Carol Francois

There are four items to consider when choosing a make-up artist school: accreditation, faculty, specialized programs, and reputation or ranking. This type of school is usually organized within a large community college or can be a specialized program within a theater arts school. Upon completion of make-up artist school, graduates can look for employment opportunities in the theatrical and movie industries. Make-up artists can also create their own businesses, focused on a specific time period or special effect.

Make-up artist school is ideal for people who are naturally creative, enjoy working with people, and are inspired to create on a regular basis. Candidates who report the greatest satisfaction with make-up artist school are focused on a specific career path and are willing to work in an environment where long hours are required. Make-up artist careers are very dependent on the local entertainment industry. Keep a close eye on the level of activity in this sector. When it drops, start looking for other cities to work in.

Woman with hand on her hip
Woman with hand on her hip

When looking for a make-up artist school, check the accreditation status of the school. An accredited school has been reviewed by an independent third party. This is especially important for a skilled trade, as many employers require movie production staff to have recognized qualifications before hiring them. Courses from an accredited school can be transferred to other post-secondary institutions and only accredited schools are able to offer students access to government student aid programs.

Review the qualifications of the faculty or course instructors with care. Most schools post biographies of their course instructors on their websites. Review this information and look for both academic credentials and working experience. Make-up artist is a skilled trade, so it is not uncommon to find instructors with more working experience that academic certification. In addition, many instructors take courses in adult education to become better instructors.

Look for specialized programs or internships. Many make-up artist schools have partnerships with the movie and television industry, local theater, and special effects companies. These connections provide relevant, up-to-date training and opportunities for job placements. Take advantage and learn as much as possible from these programs. They will provide the ability to make important connections and obtain references that will be very useful in your employment search.

The reputation of the school is very important when choosing the best make-up artist school. Talk with make-up artists and movie producers to get a sense of the reputation of the school. Ask the admissions counselor about speaking with former graduates or employers. Review their comments and look at the quality of work produced by these graduates in films, TV shows, and productions.

Discussion Comments

anon316231

Review the portfolio and client lists of all the instructors - make sure they are good and not crappy. If their work is not seen in Vogue, Zink and other major print media, run. There are so many teachers that are horrid and your learning experience is only as good as their reputation, so make sure they are reviewed.

If you're going into the film/tv world - try MUD or any major Los Angeles school. Stay away from small town schools. Go to L.A. also for special effect, but you had better be the best of the best, because the field is totally watered down and the salaries have dropped 50 percent or more since a decade back. There are so many makeup "artists" working free now just to meet people. This is a hobby for many. The profession is not what it used to be.

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