American cinematographer (Jan-Dec 1931)

Make-up for Fast Film by JAMES BARKER Head of Makeup Department, Fox Studios. IT WAS inevitable that the introduction of the new "Fast Film" should be of almost as much importance to the makeup artist as it was to the cinematographer, for his work is of an almost photographic nature. It demands nearly as much knowledge of photographic technique as does actual camerawork. For the successful makeup artist must know not only the application of grease-paints, liners, rouges, and powders, and their photographic values, but the exact technique of each individual cameraman with whom he works. No branch of moving picture production can be self-sufficient: each must cooperate closely with every other branch, and particularly with the photographic branch, since after all the only reason for anything that goes into a picture is to be photographed. And if this close cooperation with the cameraman is important to the success of the other production departments, it is absolutely vital to the success of the makeup department. Faulty makeup work will spoil the best photography — and lack of understanding of the methods of the individual cameraman will often turn an otherwise perfect makeup into a bad one. The reason for this is that the success of a makeup depends upon its being accurately suited to the photographic conditions applying on the set. In other words, the makeup must not only suit the subject, but the film used in photographing that subject, the filters used (if any), and most of all the type of lighting used by the cameraman in charge of the picture. We have found through sad experience that we cannot give each player a standard makeup treatment to be used unchangingly: if, for instance John Seitz is photographing a star — say Janet Caynor — she must wear one type of makeup, while if James Howe, or Arthur Edeson, for instance, were to be assigned to photograph her next picture, she would in each case wear a considerably different makeup. Obviously, the cameraman and makeup man must work together as closely and understanding^ as brothers. For this reason, in my department we have a firmly established practice of having a makeup expert on the set at all times. It is his duty to see that all the players — from the stars to the "bit" people — are always made up properly for the requirements of the particular cinematographer who is in charge. This policy has proven extremely popular with the cameramen, for it frees them of the responsibility of supervising this important but often infinitely troublesome detail, and allows them additional time to concentrate on their primary business of securing the best possible photographic effects. Most first cinematographers can remember the days when, as there were no studio makeup departments, they had to personally check every makeup in the cast, and often fight unceasingly to prevent certain players from experimenting during a picture, and starting the picture with one face and ending it with another. But not only has this policy proven a time and labor saver to the cinematographer, director, and supervisor, but it has also given the makeup department a far better chance to keep in close touch with the preferences and methods of each individual cameraman — and accordingly to be able to suit the makeups more and more perfectly to the photography of each cameraman. But although makeup cannot be absolutely standardized, experience has shown us that certain basic rules can in most cases be followed. In the first place, we have learned that the general tone of the makeup must offer a definite degree of contrast with the natural coloring of the player. If a player is a brunette, the makeup required is not — as one might suppose — a predominantly dark one, but a light one, in order to display the dark hair and eyes to the best advantage. Similarly, a blonde requires a comparatively dark makeup, not only to accentuate her blondeness, but because the cinematographer almost always lights blondes in a higher key than brunettes, using "hotter" back-lighting, and necessarily a higher-keyed front lighting in order to balance things. Similarly, a cinematographer who works in extremely low key lightings — like Jimmie Howe, for instance — will get the best results if his players are made up in a relatively high keyin other words, if his players wear rather light makeups. This is because the lighter makeups will enable him to use less front light, and, accordingly, a lower key generally. By the same reasoning, a cinematographer who works in a higher key — like John Seitz — requires darker makeups to balance the greater intensity of light that he plays upon the actors. In this we have the key to the problem presented by the new film. In effect, the considerable increase in film sensitivity is the same as raising the key of the lighting. The secondary change in the film — its improved color-rendition — while it offered some new problems, proved to be vastly less troublesome than might have been expected. This is because we have been working with panchromatic emulsions and incandescent lighting long enough to become thoroughly accustomed to its requirements. We had solved the major part of this problem years ago, when the first panchromatic film and Mazda lights so suddenly displaced the old ortho stock and hard lighting. In those days, it will be remembered, the predominant tint in makeup was a reddish yellow, while reddish rouges predominated, and blues, greyblues, and even greens were used for highlighting. Then came Panchromatic film, with its radically different color-sensitivity. And with it came the soft, yellowish Mazda light. The problem was attacked concertedly by the American Society of Cinematographers and the Motion Picture Makeup Artists Association in the memorable "Mazda Marathon" held at the Roosevelt Hotel and Warner Bros. Studio, and, later, by the A.S.C.'s series of Panchromatic Makeup tests. Out of these evolved the present-day Panchromatic Makeup materials and technique. Essentially these consist of the use of a completely monochromatic makeup, predominately a brownish red throughout. The panchromatic cosmetics developed included a wide range of tones, all of this predominant shade, and so standardized that the recommendation of a given shade of grease-paint automatically indicates the proper accessories — powder, liningcolor, rouge, etc. Generally speaking, for panchromatic film, the average makeup for women would be based on No. 24 grease-paint, and for men on No. 26. With the introduction of the new Super-Sensitive Panchromatic film, however, our experience indicated that, since the increased sensitivity of the film was practically tantamount to a raised key of lighting, the obvious solution would be to go to a darker overall makeup. Just how much darker, however, had to be determined by actual experiment. Moreover, since the Fox Studio was the first to authorize a complete change to Fast Film (it did so within a few days after the announcement of the new type), our time for experimentation was severely limited, as there were several productions being delayed pending our recommendations. (Continued on Page 24)