Work Experience with Burnistoun!

Last week I was a trainee in the make-up department on the set of Burnistoun & I absolutely loved it! As it was a sketch show I got to see different characters & how the make-up artists would organise all of the wig & make-up changes; which was great to see as it gave me an insight in to how TV make-up artistry works.

I observed the make-up artists at work & picked up alot of tips, it was also interesting to see different techniques being used, for example, I've been taught to pin curl hair or use anchor points with orthopedic bands when wrapping hair in preperation for a wig, however both artists used different ways to wrap the hair - one technique was to style the hair into a bun at the back of the head & pin this flat into the head (with lots of hairspray!) & the other was simply applying watered-down spirit gum onto the hairline which flattened the hair onto the head & made sure there was no stray hairs which may be seen once the wig has been applied. I also got to have a peek at all of the brushes, products & wigs/hair pieces that the make-up artists had in their trailer which kept me busy as there was so much!

Once the actor's were ready to be filmed, I then got to go on set with the make-up artists for checks - this gave me a chance to actually see how the wigs & make-up would look on TV & chat to other crew members such as the cast, director, sound & costume.

There was little filming in the afternoon so I got to stay in the trailer with one of the make-up artists & experiment with some different make-up products. She showed me all of the different palettes she uses & showed me how to use Third Degree - a special effects product - & allowed me to create some scars on myself.

When the actors had finished filming, all of the wigs & make-up had to come off! So I got to see how the wigs are taken off & I was also shown how to clean them.

I had an amazing day on set at Burnistoun, I wish it could have been longer! Working with the make-up artists & hearing their advice definitely gave me the motivation to work so much harder in college - it also made me realise that there is something that's worth getting up at five o'clock in the morning everyday for!! Hopefully I can find some more work experience over the next few months, I'm itching to get back out again! :)