A New Year in the life of an MUA!

Happy 2009 everyone!

It has been a little slow in the world of production for the past month, but I wanted to write a quick post mostly to let you all know that I am still alive and well and waiting for the phone to ring (ha, ha, but really I am waiting...)! Typically, January tends to be a tad slow for my business and I always seem to pick up in February and by the month of March I am booked and juggling a full calendar.

I have had the honor of being part of a few noteworthy shoots in the past few months. Most importantly, I worked with Tonya Mantooth, President and Executive Producer of Mantooth Productions on a 2009 commercial campaign for Anderson Plumbing, Heating and Air, which will run locally in San Diego.

Shot at the San Diego Production Center with an outstanding crew, these spots were all shot with white background in HD and utilizes many of Anderson's staff of professional plumbers (not actors)! Needless to say there were a ton of laughs because most of the big, burly men that are out in the field all day repairing and replacing pipes, were not used to wearing makeup! Some didn't even want me to touch them - flat out refused! Some sat quietly in my chair and were pleasantly surprised when I told them they would not feel a thing...makeup is painless and washable!

I like to use Nars Powder Foundation in these types of circumstances and with these types of clients. Especially when professional actors are not being used and when my clients are men or women who have never been on camera before or in a professional studio for that matter. Nars' products are easy to apply and provide high pigmentation which means I get results and coverage immediately. Also, Nars is a great product to use for HD because of the blendability and the application goes on smooth. When non-professional actors are in front of the camera, they tend to sweat much more than professionals and Nars' powder foundation cuts shine and holds up under the studio lights.

Overall, the shoot was great and we had a ton of fun! If you are looking for a quality sound-stage in the San Diego area, check out SDPC (click here to be directed to their website). They are a fully integrated media production company capable of producing a wide range of projects.



If you are in need of a seriously talented Executive Producer, Tonya Mantooth is the person you need to contact (via Lindiken). She is one of the most professional people I have had the privilege to work with in San Diego. What I truly appreciate most about Tonya is that she is able to direct and coach each crew member in such a way that we are all on the same page and working cohesively to produce her vision for the client. It is an honor to work with her and to be part of her crew!

Here are a few fun photos from the set! Enjoy!









2008 Update

It's been a long time since I have posted my current work on my blog and I am sorry for not keeping in touch - it's been very busy these past few months, so I thought I would combine some of my most interesting work in one blog post and get up-to-date!!!!

I have added several new clients to my resume including: Cisco Systems, Qualcomm, Ken Hansen Photography, Mantooth Productions, Waldorf-Crawford LLC, HSV Productions, Jenny Craig, CNN, CBS and Animal Planet. Most based in San Diego and Los Angeles, with the exception of CBS and Animal Planet based out of New York.

In early September I was invited to speak at the San Diego Filmmaker's Association. I had attended meetings in the past at the Groovy Like A Movie production house, but never spoke before so I was a little nervous. It was a very fun experience and it took me through a journey of the past and present. The board of directors asked me to also provide a visual portfolio of my work which played on a flat screen behind me during my talk. It was interesting for me to look at my past work and remind myself of what I had accomplished in the last 20 years! That term "time flies" is true. Looking at my portfolio felt like I had just worked on all of those projects yesterday! I spoke mainly about how to work with a professional makeup artist. What to expect from someone like me and how to get the most out of your makeup budget. I was asked a ton of questions about my past work on films like Terminator, Ailens, Invaders from Mars and what it was like to work with celebrities. I met and hope to see again several interesting and very talented individuals.



September also brought me CNN Headline News shot out of Coastal Media, which is a satellite company located in San Diego. Currently I have worked on several Headline News broadcasts hosted by Mike Galanos, the Nancy Grace Show and Larry King Live. This is an ongoing project and I am very proud and grateful to part of this team.



Ken Hansen Photography gave me the opportunity to work with Qualcomm for both Dr. Irving Jacobs and Dr. Paul Jacobs. Ken is an amazing photographer based in San Diego and shoots everything from corporate portraits to lifestyle magazine editorials to product advertisements. I am always learning and experiencing new opportunities in my line of work. I had no idea of the inner workings of Qualcomm and of their national and international status. It was humbling to be in the company of the Jacobs' family and listening to their world-changing accomplishments.



Tonya Mantooth of Mantooth Productions based in Solana Beach, California asked me to be part of a Maritime video she was shooting out of the San Diego Production Center. Tonya is an amazing producer/director and has a very talented crew who produce several commercials for MJE Marketing Services. I worked with Tonya for Aviatech on the New Car Dealer's Association commercial last year and blogged about it under the post - International Car Show October 2007 archive. At the end of October, Mantooth Productions also produced the 2008 commercial again for the New Car Dealer's Association which will air two-weeks before Christmas - keep your eye out! I created a 40's theme makeup for this commercial based on direction from Tonya and MJE Marketing.




October was filled with animals, computer technology turning "green" and special effects! First, CBS called and asked if I would be part of a new show called Behind the Clip airing on Animal Planet at the end of this year. Chris Leary is hosting and the first episode was being shot in San Diego.

Shot on HD by HVS Productions this show is based on fun YouTube videos of animals doing amazing "stunts" and how their owners or trainers get the animals to perform. This project gave me the chance to meet and work with Joan Embry. She has worked with and cared for many large and small animals in her lifetime and has devoted most of her time to animal causes. She owns 60-plus acres of land in San Diego, which she maintains for animals needing homes or that are rescued from their natural habitats. She is an ambassador for the Wild Animal Park and had the world's first "painting" Elephant named Carol. She brought her talented pet on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in the 70's and told us that Carol just "flung" the paint brush everywhere instead of painting on the canvas that was provided. At the end of the night, Carol had covered Johnny Carson head-to-toe in paint on live T.V.!




Ken Hansen Photography called again and asked if I would be part of a lifestyle shoot for a t-shirt company that was coming out with a new product line geared toward a very specific type of lifestyle. I was intrigued and when I met with the client they had initially asked me if I could do Zombie makeup, but I could tell that they needed more. After a few more questions, I discovered that they wanted me to create makeup based on Black Metal music. I immediately started researching this genre which I discovered started with Kiss and Alice Cooper, but has since blossomed into a type of lifestyle that band members, as well as everyday people live on a daily basis. It was cult-like and involves satan worshipping, but nevertheless, was intriguing to me as an artist. The t-shirt company called Visual Unrest has several incredible artists who create the most intense art for apparel. T-shirt lines include distinctive Military apparel to the Nightshades line (which is what I worked on with them).



Cisco Systems asked me to be part of their annual sales meeting held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Carlsbad. They sponsor the event and bring in several CIO's from major companies from all over the world. The meeting this year was going to be different in the fact that it was going to be totally "green." From the food to the set design - Cisco was going "green." I worked with the production team from The Horvath Group, which included the incredibly talented DP, Jimmy G to capture this historic event! Let's hope other major companies follow in Cisco's invisible footprint!

November had me up to my elbows in blood, positivity and how to eat right during the holiday season!!!!! First up was Jenny Craig and Waldorf-Crawford LLC. Producer/Director Marcia Crawford called and asked me to be part of a series of Jenny Craig webisodes airing in the next few weeks which will help individuals get started and maintain weight loss during the holiday seasons! This team was full of energy, talent and the amount of footage captured in a day was outstanding!

My friends over at DOP (Digital Outpost) called to ask me to use my Special Effects training to create a car bomb victim - complete with facial and body burns and tons of blood! I love all aspects of my career, but special effects is challenging and fun and I couldn't wait to get out my brushes and get started. This shoot was full of fire, explosives and the most talented DOP crew!





The past three months have been amazing and fun.......thanks everyone!!!!!

RedFire Branding...a hot day in the life of an MUA

Got a call from one of the most dynamic women I have ever met! Her name is Liz Goodgold and she is a writer, speaker, marketing genius and all around cool lady!

She asked if I could help out by providing makeup for a video/photography shoot she was doing to update her website. So glad I said yes because it was such a pleasure to meet Liz and we had a blast working together (for definition of "blast" check out the pictures below).

Shot on location at Ray Street Studios in the heart of San Diego, Liz brought together a fantastic team and because of her quick wit and infectious personality, this shoot was a great success.

Here is a little background on Liz: she has 25 years experience in every area of marketing, naming, branding, advertising and new media. Her clients include Quaker Oats, Macmillan Publishing, Times Mirror, Baskin-Robbins, Univision, and AMN HealthCare to name just a few. She has been seen on CNN, NBC, ABC and CBS. Liz has been published in The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and many recognize her from her columns in Entrepreneur magazine. Click here to go directly to RedFire Branding's website.





Bookmark and Share