Transformative Makeup and Costume Designs: How Characters Are Brought to Life

Iconic characters like Edward Scissorhands, Morticia Adams, and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie come to life during make-up and costume design. These characters are instantly recognizable due to their hair, makeup, clothing, and costumes. 

Subtle changes to makeup and costuming can drive the narrative and help audiences understand characters on a deeper level. Slight differences to K’s jacket in Blade Runner 2049 help audiences understand the struggle Ryan Gosling’s character has been through, while bold changes to Gerwig’s Barbie costuming brought Margot Robbie’s performance to life. 

You don’t need a big budget to benefit from a greater understanding of makeup and costume, either. Indie filmmakers who invest in makeup and costume design can quickly improve the quality of their final product and bring their characters to life while spending less than a hundred dollars at thrift stores and utilizing a few tricks of the trade when applying makeup. 

Character Through Costume Design 

There’s a reason why fans gush over superhero capes and action-hero outfits. Put simply, a character’s costume reflects their inner state and values. In days gone by, this is why directors of Westerns cast the good guys in white hats while the antagonists often wore black wide-brimmed stetsons.  

Costuming also sets the scene for moviegoers. For example, the decision to dress Tom Holland in graphic tees in Spider-Man: Homecoming told film watchers that they were watching a coming-of-age story, as well as an action thriller. This approach set up the wider narrative arc and contrasted against future installments of the world’s favorite superhero. 

Finding the right suit, coat, or cape for your protagonist can be a real challenge if you work with a limited budget. You probably can’t afford to buy an entire wardrobe and will need to keep your clothes in pristine condition for continuity purposes. When planning a custom costume for a character, use collaborative brainstorming programs to develop designs that will serve your film. Effective brainstorming can: 

• Encourage collaboration with other stakeholders like actors, set designers, and producers; 
• Keep a clear record of who will be wearing what when on set;
• Provide visual aids to help facilitate new ideas for character creation. 

Sharing your thoughts is a great way to identify any issues, too. For example, if you plan to produce a movie set in a particular historical period, sharing a visual brainstorm with a historian can help you avoid any potential inaccuracies. 

Make-Up on a Budget

Professional hair, makeup, and prosthetics can set you back between $3,000 to $10,000. When budgeting, make sure to cover the costs of professional artists and that you can put forward characters that look like they belong in your film’s world. 

However, if you’re a producer working on an indie film, you probably can’t drop several thousand pounds on hair and make-up. Instead, you’ll need to make use of a few tricks of the makeup trade, including: 

• Skin: Ensure your actors are following a skincare routine. This will improve continuity, as they won’t show up to work with unexplained acne or baggy eyes. 
• Foundation: Applying a foundation gives you a blank canvas to work on. Doing so is crucial if you have big plans for bold make-up choices down the road. 
• Eyes + Lips: Making lips look hydrated is a must in most settings. Use a little pop of color to bring fullness to your character’s lips, and avoid using bright colors when choosing eye shadow; overly saturated hues read badly on camera. 

• Hair: Hair is hard to do right. Loose ends are constantly flying in the wind and small differences in the appearance of your actor's hairstyle can undermine continuity. 
• Time: Hair and makeup take more time than you’d think. Give yourself plenty of time to work through issues and polish the look before you put characters in front of the camera. 

If you’re working with a lot of makeup, be aware that your actor’s skin could show signs of stress. Makeup can cause acne breakouts by increasing the risk of blackheads and papules. You can counteract this damage by prepping your cast’s face before applying makeup and ensuring each actor has their own set of products. Doing so reduces the risk of spreading acne and infection and means your cast will always look their best in front of the camera.  

Costuming and Narrative Development 

Consistently re-creating your characters' looks is key to your film's continuity. Your lead actress can’t have wavy, shoulder-length hair in one shot and a bob in the next. However, that doesn’t mean your costuming should be static. Instead, consider using costuming to further narrative development. Costuming can be used to show: 

• Growth: Superheroes get their suit when they’re finally ready to step into their role, while characters like Andrea Sachs (from The Devil Wears Prada) get makeovers to symbolize their growth. 
• Hardship: Costuming like Andy Dufresne’s prison clothes (from Shawshank Redemption) symbolize the characters' hardships. Even subtle changes like ripped clothing can speak volumes. 
• Climaxes: Characters tend to wear their most iconic outfits at a movie’s climax. Danny Zuko dons his leather jacket and black pants when singing “Summer Nights,” while Jules Winnfield sports his suit and skinny tie at a high point of tension in Pulp Fiction. 

Aligning your costuming with your script bolsters your efforts to create a cohesive experience for audiences. When done right, the capes, boots, hats, and jewelry you purchase for actors are unnoticeable, yet further your aims to create a believable, moving narrative. 

Conclusion 

Makeup and costume are easy to overlook when producing your first film. However, they are pivotal to your efforts to bring characters to life in a way that feels authentic. You don’t need to blow the budget on costuming and prosthetics, either. Sometimes, brainstorming with your team can help you find the perfect cardigan, coat, or chain for the character you are trying to bring to life. Just be sure to take proactive measures to protect your cast’s skin health when applying makeup, as acne and papules can undermine your continuity.