FilmMakeUp.co.uk :: Looking Great in High Definition

How will HD affect my make-up artistry?

HD is not just a change in recording and broadcast standards, it also requires a change in production standards too.

Many make-up artists are naturally concerned about the new broadcast standards and are worried by the some of the stories they’ve heard about working in HD.

If you’re old enough to recall the change from analogue to digital video recording, you may remember many make-up artists had similar concerns about this transition as they entered the “digital age”.

Do remember that the UK is not the first country to adopt HD, with make-up artists in other parts of the world already successfully working in this format.

As with any changes to our working practises, there will be new things to learn and possibly some challenges to meet along the way.

The fact that you are here, reading this web page, shows that you are taking steps to find out more about HD, how it will affect your make-up artistry and how it will impact on the most important people in our professional lives: our artistes - the people who work in front of the camera.

And speaking of our artistes, we must remember that their on screen image is their livelihood and, having first understood what we must do to work effectively in this new medium, it is our professional duty to reassure our on screen talent that, despite the increase in recorded definition, our skills will enable them to remain looking great and feeling confident when being filmed with high definition cameras.

Does the way I apply make-up need to change when I’m working in HD?

Not necessarily. Your work may look fine in HD.

It really depends on the standard to which you work.

Here is the real secret behind your artiste looking great on HD.

If you are able to work to 35 mm standard - if your make-ups look OK on film - you should have few problems with HD.

You wouldn’t leave stray hairs out of place when working on 35 mm... Your make-ups would be blended well... Your corrective work would be expertly applied... Your mascara would be applied cleanly and the lashes groomed to eliminate clumping... Your eye make-up would be well balanced...

In short, you’d take extra care and extra steps to ensure your artiste looked good on a big screen close-up.

You need to be able to work to film standard for HD television.

Make-ups conducted only to conventional “television standard” can look remarkably lousy on HD.

HD STANDARD MAKE-UP = FILM STANDARD MAKE-UP

Print that statement off the computer and stick it inside the lid of your make-up box - and you’ll seldom have a problem when shooting on HD.

Do I have to “raise my game” when working on HD?

Simple answer: Yes - assuming you’re not working to film standard now.

Many make-up shortcuts we could “get away with” on standard definition are now no longer viable when working in HD.

The two major problems you’ll encounter with HD are either:

a) if you aren’t sure of the difference between television and film make-up standards or;

b) if you are a new entrant to the industry who has been trained only to conventional SD television standards.

Don’t panic if you do fall into either of these two categories, you can easily update and refresh your make-up skills for high definition work.

Each year numerous make-up artists, from new entrants to industry veterans, upgrade their skills via our private one-to-one mentoring programmes. You can read what previous delegates have said about our training programmes here and find out about our unique money back satisfaction guarantee here.



So what are the major differences in the way we need to apply makeup for HD when compared to 35mm film formats? HD make-up trials suggest that some colours at the red end of the spectrum resolve more strongly and vividly than on film stock, SD video or to the naked eye. This can create problems with any uncorrected redness in your artiste's skin and also careful consideration should be given to your choice of blush and lip colour, particularly some "period authentic" shades which may look somewhat different on camera and hence require modification. With more than four times the sharpness and clarity of a conventional SD recording, make-up for HD needs to be blended extremely well - at least to 35 mm film standard. The demarcation lines from cosmetics that are inadequately blended are far more obvious in high definition.	Do I have to use an airbrush to apply make-up for HD? No, it’s not essential. But many make-up artists find the cosmetic finish given by an airbrush frequently looks better than that achieved by conventional application techniques when working in HD. Having learned how to work with the airbrush correctly, air-applied cosmetics can give a superior and longer lasting finish to the make-up, more quickly and easily than using traditional applicators. But, to reiterate the advice given elsewhere on this page, however you choose to apply your make-up for HD - what matters is that you work to film standard. To learn more about how airbrushing can help you in your make-up work for HD, click here.



The soft blending that is so quickly and easily accomplished with an airbrush has made it a popular applicator for HD work. But if you are adept at applying perfectly blended foundation and facial contouring conventionally and it looks great on film, you shouldn’t have too much problem creating make-ups for HD. Non-micronised setting powders are inclined to show on HD. Use a micronised powder and you should have few problems. Dusted off properly, the powder particle size is just too small to read on camera. A number of manufacturers produce such powders suitable for use on HD.		How can I reassure my artiste who is uneasy about HD adversely affecting their on screen image? Many artistes are obviously concerned that the increase in recorded definition may leave them feeling more “exposed” than when they were being shot on SD formats. Many of their concerns are valid and you may wish to browse the section of this website designed to answer many of the questions that artistes have about being recorded on HD.



It’s probable that most of the techniques and products you are currently using in the creation of your artiste’s look can survive the transition to HD but you may need to talk to your artiste about exploring alternative make-up methods if this would improve your artiste’s on screen image. At the risk of boring you by repetition - you just need to apply these cosmetics to film standard. (Did you notice the name of this website? FilmMakeup.co.uk is a big clue to the secret behind creating successful make-up for HD.) It’s important to make it clear to your artiste that you are fully aware of the differences between HD and SD recording - and assure them that they will still maintain a fantastic on screen image, despite the increase in resolution. Depending on who you’re working with and how much corrective work your artiste requires, you should be able to fully reassure them, if not whilst they are in your make-up chair, at least when they are on set and catch themselves replayed over the studio monitor.