Makeup Design for Film + Television
Gain hands-on experience in the world of production makeup.
You are committed to the art of makeup for film and television. You’re obsessed with the hands-on aspect of the craft. Your creative process begins with a script – and where other people might simply see monsters or beauty queens, your artist’s gaze and detail-oriented design will culminate in a meticulous execution that gets you hired over and over again. You will continue to refine your technique on set or in the lab, and work with other passionate professionals who value your singular vision and dedication to shaping audience experiences. You are a Makeup Artist.
An Education in Makeup Design for Film + Television
Terms 1 and 2
Focus on the foundation of your makeup education, including the study of the makeup industry as it relates to film, television, and print.
Terms 3 and 4
Delve deeper into the fabrication side of makeup, as you explore the responsibilities of a Makeup Artist as part of a film production team.
Program Breakdown
BASICS, BEAUTY + BEYOND: Learn the fundamentals of beauty makeup, while building a solid understanding of products, colour theory, and facial anatomy.
GLAMOUR + OUT-OF-KIT FX: Recreate classic decade looks and adapt them for contemporary application. Explore hair-styling, out-of-kit effects, and alternative glamour.
CHARACTER TECHNIQUES: Learn to define character through hair-laying, wig application, bald caps, advanced airbrushing, and age makeup.
3D MAKEUP TECHNIQUES: Pour yourself into life-casts, sculpting, and mold-making, to create three-dimensional prosthetics.
ADVANCED CHARACTER CREATION: Fabricate full-head masks. Create, apply and paint foam latex appliances, and master ventilated hair pieces and human-hair, lace-front wigs.
FINAL PROJECTS + PORTFOLIOS: Focus on your final portfolio project, and prepare for your career as a Makeup Artist by covering the fundamentals of résumé building and union standards.
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program length
12 Months
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Time spent with instructors
1400+ Hours
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IMATS wins to date
50
- A Diploma in Makeup Design for Film + Television
- A comprehensive portfolio
- Access to the VFS Alumni Directory and Job Board
Student Work
Hyeonuk Chu
Pirate
This character make-up by Hyeonuk Chu was created with gelatin prosthetics and a hand-laid beard. The prosthetic appliances were designed, sculpted and molded by Chu, and then applied and painted to look like human skin, aging his model and changing her gender as well.
Blake Armstrong
Abstract Fantasy
Makeup designed and painted by Blake Armstrong. Painted entirely by hand using powdered pigments and acrylics, Blake finished this piece off with a wig constructed of dyed cotton.
Myley Burger
Zombie
Foam latex pieces designed, sculpted and created by Myley Burger were then applied by her and painted to simulated decayed, dead skin. The illusion is enhanced by careful hair punching into the forehead piece to create a false hair line.
Key Faculty
Our Makeup instructors come right from the industry, and offer an unparalleled education based on decades of real-world experience, designed to give students the skills, contacts and confidence to kick start their careers.
Stan Edmonds
Head of Department
Stan has been a motion picture Makeup Artist for over 30 years. He worked with Clint Eastwood on his Academy Award-winning film Unforgiven, and has served as Head of Department on films like I, Robot, and The Butterfly Effect.
Elissa Frittaion
Instructor/Curricular Manager
A member of IATSE 891 since 1996, Elissa has been a makeup artist for over twenty years. She helped design and currently manages the Makeup Design curriculum, and has guided more than seven hundred students through to graduation.
Charlie Grant
Instructor – Prosthetic Construction Techniques
Charlie has worked on over 70 film and television productions, and has enjoyed every one of them. He is currently in three departments at IATSE (Makeup, Props, and SPFX), as well as a Puppeteer in UBCP. Charlie's credits include Jumanji, The X-Files, and The Fly 2.
Linda Gill-Crone
Instructor – Makeup Technique
Linda has worked in film for over 35 years (including nine at VFS). She is a member of IATSE 891 and worked on The Black Robe, Alive, Christopher Columbus (with Marlon Brando), and Adventures In Babysitting (with Elizabeth Shue).
Anya Ursula Ellis
Instructor – Makeup Technique
Anya has enjoyed a freelance career as a makeup artist and hairstylist for over 25 years in Canada, the US, and Europe. She's worked in fashion, film, television, and commercials, with artists from Isabella Rossellini to Aerosmith.
Amy Van Wormer
Instructor
Since completing her makeup diploma program in 2003, Amy has had a steady career. After starting out on small theatre productions, she began working in film and television in 2005, with credits including Fear The Walking Dead, Star Trek Beyond, Arrow, Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters, and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Amy’s experience on both big and low-budget productions has given her an approach to makeup artistry that is based on collaboration, improvisation, and an overall love of the craft on and off the set. A complete list of Amy's credits can be viewed on her IMDB page.
See more Instructors and staff
Faculty Career Highlights
Campus Life
As a Makeup Design student, you'll spend your year at our three makeup campuses (including a fully equipped FX lab for fabrication). You'll have access to the campuses, Resource Centre, and computer labs after school and on weekends for additional practice time or outside projects.
Program Events
Guest Speakers
Gain valuable career insights from industry guest speakers who will give demonstrations or answer questions about their specialties. Recent guests include Oscar winner Bill Corso (Deadpool 1 & 2, Star Wars; The Force Awakens), Oscar winner Lois Burwell (Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan), Doug Jones (Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth), senior MAC artist Caitlin Callahan, and Emmy-winning Makeup Artist Thomas Suprenant (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, X-Men: The Last Stand).
Expert Demos
Our students and grads get to watch exclusive demos from some of the industry's best Makeup Artists. Recently, we welcomed Emmy-winning Makeup Artist Thomas Suprenant (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, X-Men: The Last Stand) to demonstrate his skills and bring a Klingon to life.
CAREERS IN MAKEUP DESIGN
As a VFS Makeup Design for Film + Television graduate, you’ll be highly qualified to perform in a variety of roles on professional film sets, fabrication studios, and live event environments.
Production Makeup Artist
As a professional Production Makeup Artist, you’ll work on films as they are in production. You’ll do script breakdowns, source materials needed for the show, and apply makeup to the actors in the makeup trailer and on set. You’ll need to have a broad range of skill sets.
FX Lab or Shop Artist
When you work in the more specialized field of FX Lab or Shop Artists, you’ll work on large scale projects (prosthetics creation, prop creation, etc.) that cannot be handled on set. This includes face casting, sculpting and mold making.
Freelance Makeup Artist
Working as a Freelance Makeup Artist will offer you the most variety in your career. Yo can work on set, at photo shoots, live performances, and weddings. You have to be able to do everything and be ready to go where the work is.
Alumni Success
Vancouver Film School grads are some of the most successful professionals in the film and television Makeup industry. Take a moment to browse some of their accomplishments and achievements. The Alumni Success Stories feature tales of triumph and fame, and will open in another window to take you to the VFS Blog page. Grad Career Highlights offers a glimpse at some of our amazing alumni credits and contributions to the industry.
Alumni Success Stories
Grad Career Highlights
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Amy St. Jean — Makeup Artist
Frida Norrman — Special Makeup Effects Shop Technician
Michael Nickiforek — Prosthetics and Fake Body Fabrication
Underworld: Awakening
Andrea Dulmage — Special Effects Makeup Technician
Jonathan Berezan — Lab Technician
Karen Uhthoff Jimenez — Special Makeup Effects Artist
Tomorrowland
Frida Norrman — Special Make Up Effects Shop Technician
Michael Nickiforek — Silicone Prosthetics and Bodies Fabrication
Testimonials
Your Professional Makeup Kit
Included in your tuition is a comprehensive makeup kit, worth thousands of dollars, containing products that are specific to the film and television industries—this means they are generally more concentrated, and with considerably more pigment. As a result, they are longer wearing, better for the wearer's skin, and conform to the technically exacting criteria set by advanced lens-based technologies.
- Makeup case with wheeled caddy
- 30+ brush set
- Skin care products
- Blushes
- Cake and crème makeup palettes
- Eye, lip and brow pencils
- Eyeshadows
- Lip palette & glosses
- Crème foundations
- FX Colour Wheels
- FX Crème Colours
- Gelatine
- Blood
- Bald Cap materials
- Crepe and human hair
- Powders
- Prosaide & Spirit gum adhesives
- RMG Palette
- Sculpting wax
- Skin Illustrator palettes in custom designed VFS colours
- Green marble sealer
- Pax paints
- Special adhesive removers
- Hair scissors
- Tools such as steel palette, tweezers, stainless steel spatula
In addition to your makeup kit, you will also have access to everything you need during your year to create an extensive variety of makeups and makeup effects, such as curling tongs and ovens, gelatine, hair lace and needles, human hair, mold-making cements and silicones, platinum-cure prosthetic-grade silicones, polyester resins, airbrushes and compressors, wig and beard forms, sculpting maquettes, assorted paints, dental acrylics, quality four-part foam latex kits, slip-casting latex rubber and urethanes.
Admissions Info
To make sure you have accurate admissions information please select your region based on country of citizenship.
Tuition
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Start Dates
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Requirements
You will be asked to submit one of the following along with your application. Your advisor can help with selecting the best option.
Send us a letter, along with your portfolio, that shows your dedication to Makeup Design. We’re looking people with talent and a single-minded passion. Tell us about your background, your potential, and what’s driving you to become a Makeup Artist. You'll find information on how to send your portfolio in the application form, or you can ask your Advisor.
When you talk to your Advisor, let them know that you've completed the Foundation program and they will put a copy of your diploma in your file for you.
For more about language requirements and other information for international students, visit the International Students page.
We Can Help
We’re here to help you submit an application that best reflects your abilities, and gives you the best chance of being accepted. We've helped thousands of people complete a successful year at VFS by answering questions like these:
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