Welcome back, everyone! School started back up on July 28th, and we’re excited to be one month into our courses. The fact that August is already over is insane! Projects are going well, and keep it up everyone — midpoint evaluations on October 10th will sneak up on us!
Students are already hard at work in and outside of class too!
- Into the Woods – Harpeth Hall – Morgan Sutliff (lead), Ryanne Caldwell, Capri Biangardi, Kathlene Beam | Productions are September 22-24th, so get your tickets for this production here!
- Into the Woods – Belmont – Morgan Sutliff (lead), Ryanne Caldwell, Capri Biangardi, Kathlene Beam | Mark your calendars for this November!
- Broadway Vacation (Seattle) – Morgan Sutliff, Lilly Murray, Sydney Elrod, Capri Biangardi, and Connie to assist Liz Prince
- My Fair Lady – Carson Center in Paducah, KY – Sydney Elrod will assist Liz Prince
- Emily Sukolowsky joined a team and competed in the 48 Hour Film Project. Screenings of all the films created are on September 6th and 7th, and the awards ceremony is on September 20th! Grab your tickets for the screenings here.
Guest Speaker: Howard Berger
“I figured someone made the monsters for movies, and I wanted to know how to do that. And that’s kind of how I got started!”
Howard Berger is an Emmy Award winning Monster Maker and Special Effects Makeup Artist out of LA. He skyped in to chat with our students about all things monster makeup! He’s a co-owner of KNB Effects Group with Greg Nicotero. Berger has worked on an array of fantastic films such as Dances With Wolves, Hitchcock, Kill Bill 1 & 2, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, The Orville, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Make-up as well as a British Academy Award for Best Achievement in Make-up.
As makeup artists, a lot of times we start with nothing and work our way up. Berger is the perfect example of putting in the hard work and watching it all pay off. “We made monsters in our backyard,” he said. “Through the years you learn and you keep learning. I’m still learning! You never stop learning… and that’s all it is: you have got to keep practicing.” Berger drove home the importance of not only knowing your craft but knowing the history of your craft. We can challenge ourselves to learn more about what we do by knowing more about the people who came before us and what they accomplished.
And what they accomplished is available for us to be inspired by and improve upon! Great innovators are still in the making. Take the initiative to expand and better your career! “It’s a changing world out there. Everything is different than it used to be,” says Berger.
Thank him for taking the time to talk to our students by buying the book he co-wrote with Marshall Julius, Masters of Makeup Effects!
Invite a friend to visit!
Remember that October 15th is our Fall Open House! Invite a friend or two that might be interested in becoming makeup artists, wig stylists, and costumers. (Don’t forget that if someone you refer becomes a student here, you get a $100 gift card!)
Find more information and RSVP to our Fall Open House here!
Upcoming
The 48 Hour Film Project screenings are on September 6th and 7th, and the awards ceremony is on September 20th! Grab your tickets for the screenings here.
September 15-17 — USITT SE Reginal Conference in Asheville, NC | Some students have had success getting jobs while networking at USITT conferences! So many opportunities are available as long as you go for it!
Into the Woods performances at Harpeth Hall are September 22-24. Get your tickets here!
September 24-25 — AMUA Director and Wig Instructor Michael Meyer will be in Atlanta, GA co-leading a Local 798 Union Workshop with makeup artist Ellen Arden! Details to come. Open to all Union Members!
Happy September Birthdays!
- Ryanne Caldwell – September 2
- Stefanie Bone – September 5
- Jade Morano – September 7
- Katelyn Abney – September 15
- Ben Rittenhouse – September 20
- Katie Davis – September 25
