Create an original design for hair, wigs, make-up and prosthetics
Overview
This standard is about your ability to produce and finalise the design of hair, wigs, make-up and prosthetics for a production.
It involves identifying the characters and their required "look" from the script and understanding the appearance that is needed for different characters including: ethnicity, social background, state of health, possible injury, skin conditions, age or colouring according to the environment in which the production is to take place.
It will be necessary to identify how much work is required to change each performer's appearance to meet the needs of the production, and recognising when special requirements and effects are required to produce the design. The type of design might be dependent on the genre and could include historical, natural, contemporary, or sci-fi looks or images and how these should move, their durability and purpose.
It is about estimating the preparation time and resources needed and discussing ideas for the design with the director. It involves changing the design when this is necessary to accommodate the director's ideas and agreeing compromises about the design.
This standard is most applicable to the role of designers.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- interpret the scale and type of production you are working on and its overall visual style
- identify the hair, wigs, make-up and prosthetics requirements for the characters or performers for whom the design is required
- evaluate the director's suggestions and ideas for the design and take their creative preferences and their viability into account
- interpret the appearance of each character at the beginning and as the production progresses
- establish whether there are requirements for special hair, wigs, make-up and prosthetics design and physical special effects
- produce initial design ideas which are consistent with the script and meets the director's brief
- estimate and confirm the amount of preparation time, budget and resources required for the design
- present your design ideas to decision makers
- work with the director's concepts and the constraints of the production in your design where required
- explain the time and budget implications of the agreed design to the production team
- negotiate and agree budgets and timescales and encourage directors to agree to ideas which are within budget and are logistically feasible
- record the design idea agreed with the director
- keep account of all monies spent throughout the production and provide a final budget breakdown
- ensure that design requirements are communicated to the team
- liaise with relevant people to deliver the required design
- create and maintain a safe working environment for the hair, wigs, make-up and prosthetics team
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- how to undertake a script breakdown
- script breakdown, budget, and schedule for the design
- the type, scale, and visual style of the production
- the director's creative preferences and their viability
- how to accurately interpret the look and required appearance of each character
- the effect that story time may have upon the appearance of any character
- whether special make-up, hair design or special effects are required and who to liaise with for this work
- how to produce initial design ideas which are consistent with the script and sensitive to its characterization
- how to present your design ideas to decision makers
- how and when to compromise by changing your ideas to accommodate the director's concepts and the constraints of the production
- how to accurately note the agreed design ideas
- how to negotiate budgets and timescales for your work and with whom
- how to explain the time and budget implications of the agreed design with the production team
- who to liaise with regarding any issues which may arise for the hair, wigs, make-up and prosthetics department
- the health and safety legislation, policies and guidelines for the production and how to communicate these to the team
- how to ensure effective communication within the team