Costume and makeup

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Since a young age, I've always been fascinated with costume design and make up for stage and film. Halloween has consistently been my favorite time of year, and the more I got into movies and theater, the more my interest in costumes and costume make up grew. The first movie that I can remember sparking my interest in this field is Hairspray, the 2007 film directed by Adam Shankman, costumes designed by Rita Ryack and makeup-effects designed by Tony Gardner. I remember watching this film over and over again. I was intrigued by seeing John Travolta dressed as Edna Turnblad and found the transformation process extremely impressive. There's a scene in the movie that is set in Penny's (Amanda Bynes' character) bed room. If you look closely in the background at the bedroom's curtains, you will notice that in the final scene of the film, Penny shows up wearing a dress made out of that same material! Once I had noticed this artful detail, I became obsessed with watching the behind the scenes to see if there was anything else I missed. 

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I find that costume designers and costume makeup/effects artists are one of the more under-appreciated roles in cinema, and play a vital role in nurturing the intended atmosphere and aesthetics for a given dramatic work. The creative liberties costume designers and makeup artists take on set often lead to the enriching of the overall piece. Milena Canonero's work for Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (2006), brought classic elements of the Rococo period, such as extravagant hair styling and pannier hoop skirts, while modernizing and enhancing details to exaggerate and emphasize the Queen's outrageously expensive lifestyle. 

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I find it unfortunate that my university didn't have the facilities for this kind of department. Thus I only tend to be able to show my makeup skills and costume design skills during the Halloween period, during costume parties or in small amounts for performances. In the future, I aim to continue to hone my costume and makeup skills by attending workshops and practicing regularly.