Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist – Genn Shaughnessy

Stan T.

Day in the life of
Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist – Genn Shaughnessy

Genn Shaughnessy

My typical day

So my typical day starts the day before I actually report to set / or on location. The day before I review my call sheet and spend a few hours cleaning my kits, disinfecting products, and obsessively checking to make sure nothing was misplaced or finished. Often time I have to do some product runs / shopping.

On the day itself, I report to set prior to taken arrival to set up, usually a half-hour to hour before. I set up my stations and get my talent(s) bag ready based on the character development.

Once talent arrives I start their makeup and hair, if it’s for a commercial instead of a feature film, oftentimes we won’t really know until the talent gets there exactly what we’re doing for the shoot, so I’ll work with the director on their vision and directive.

Once talent is ready I’ll go to set and stay behind the monitor with the director to ensure makeup & hair, (and sometimes wardrobe) stays well, and keep an eye on talent the entire time. I typically go where they go and stay glued to the monitor.

My job is to make sure the talent is camera-ready, based on the vision of the director, producer, whoever has the final say, and ensure they stay that way.

I typically make sure there are no hot spots from lighting, no makeup is on their wardrobe, no hair is frizzy or out of place, nothing is on their teeth, etc. picture perfect is the goal.

Pros

I absolutely loooooooove my job. I was put on this earth to do it. The COVID pandemic really showed me that. I didn’t realize how much it fulfilled my life’s purpose until it was taken away from me during COVID and I wasn’t able to work for a year.

Cons

Honestly, the only con I can see is that it’s hard to do this job as a mom, especially when kids are small and require so much of you. I had a movie job I was really looking forward to, but my son was sick and was sick for like 3 weeks, and I had to call out so I lost the movie altogether and did not go forward on the next project as they kept my replacement. Completely understandable obviously, but it was such a bummer. So don’t ever call out unless it’s an emergency! ?

The hours are long, which I don’t mind. Some people can’t work for 10-14 hours, so that may be a con for some… I have zero issues with that.

I also love how you form close relationships with the people you work with in such a short amount of time. Some of my closest friends were made on set. I love seeing things from a production standpoint point and then seeing the finished product. It’s really really fulfilling.

Genn Shaughnessy

Theatrical Makeup Artists

apply makeup to performers to reflect period, setting, and situation of their role.

Salary: $99990
Salary Rank: A
Education: Post-secondary certificate
Becoming One: Medium
Job Satisfaction: Very High
Job Growth: Average
Suitable Personality: The Artist