Download Hair and makeup

KS4 Drama – Design Skills: Hair and make-up
Design skills:
Hair and make-up
Icons key:
For more detailed instructions, see the Getting Started presentation
Flash activity. These activities are not editable.
Accompanying
worksheet
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Web links
Teacher’s notes included in the Notes Page
Practical
activities
Extension
activities
2006
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Learning objectives
Understand how stage hair and make-up differs
from everyday designs and why
Take budgeting and practicality into consideration
Plan hair and make-up designs for a production of
Theseus and the Minotaur
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Hair and make-up
Hair and make-up are important aspects of completing a
character’s look. Make-up is used to highlight features which
could be lost under bright lights. It can also be used to
exaggerate an actor’s features or to change their appearance.
The way in which an actor’s hair is styled portrays certain
things too, and can also be naturalistic or exaggerated.
Hair and make-up should be in keeping with the rest of the
production design.
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Getting started
Hair and make-up need to be appropriate to the characters.
They also need to fit into the overall design aesthetic of the
play. The hair and make-up designer will need to work very
closely with the following people:
the costume designer – to ensure they are both following
the agreed style. They will probably work together quite
closely to make sure the colours work, the style matches,
and also to think about things such as whether there are
any costume changes, and if this affects the make-up
the director – to ensure they fully understand the vision
for the play
the lighting designer – to make sure that the make-up will
still be visible under the lights.
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Ancient Greek hair design
To design the hair styles for a production of Theseus and the
Minotaur, you will need to know a little bit of information about
ancient Greek society and hair.
Women had long hair, which would
often be worn up so they could work.
Wealthy women, however, could
spend more time having their hair
put up in elaborate designs, often
with tiaras, material and ribbons.
Boys usually had long hair, which
was cut short when they became
men. Old men would often have
long hair as well.
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Wigs
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Stage make-up
It is important that all actors, including males, wear stage
make-up. Even when designing naturalistic make-up, it is
important to exaggerate it far more than normal make-up.
This may look strange close-up, but seen from a distance
and under lights, it should look right.
This photo is from a production
of The Country Boy by Big Telly
theatre company. Here we can
see that the make-up is applied
quite heavily, however this
method helps the audience to
see and ‘read’ the actor’s face
more easily.
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Basic stage make-up
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Ancient Greek make-up
To design the make-up for a production of Theseus and the
Minotaur, you will need to know a little bit of information about
ancient Greek society and make-up.
Make-up was worn in ancient Greece, but only by the wealthy.
Rich people wanted to look pale and smooth, to show they did
not have to work outside. Natural ingredients such as plants
were used to create rouges and lip colour. Eyeliners and
shadows were made from soot.
How does this information help you plan what you
need? How would you make up the chorus? How would
you make up the main characters?
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Useful weblinks
Careers website for further advice
http://careersadvice.direct.gov.uk/
Information about wigs from the National Theatre
www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/38480/wigs-ampmakeup/wigs-overview.html
Article about choosing make-up design as a career
www.independent.co.uk/student/career-planning/azcareers/makeup-for-film-tv-theatre-and-fashion671961.html
Theatrical make-up online shop
www.screenface.com/
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