mentioning Makeup With Michele Burke
put together in Dublin in 1959, Michele Burke emigrated to Canada within late 1970 where she began carving her career as a makeup artist. Working her way up from fashion assistant to key makeup artist on visible Hollywood productions, Michele has become by far the most versatile and innovative talents working in the industry today. The recipient of numerous accolades, Michele has won two BAFTA awards and has been nominated for the best Makeup Oscar six times, back again twice for Bram Stoker 'Dracula' (1992) And 'Quest for Fire' (1981).
You began your job working within the fashion industry, Can you tell us about how you started out?
I was inspired by enjoying television a makeup artist work. I had emigrated to Montreal from Dublin because when this occurs in the early 70s Ireland was in a terrible recession and there was no work, So I thought I should take action more and see what life can bring me. I was working with a friend helping her put on a fashion show and i had no idea that makeup was a career. it follows that, In comes this cosmetic makeup products artist and it was kindof like a lightbulb going off in my head I was like my God, This is actually a job you can do? I was always artistic and loved the idea of being an artist but my father always said do something practical because make any money out of it.
though, I was always intrigued by the cover girls in magazines and wondered how did they transform because I didn see those girls on the street. I met a guy called Joqulie Peltier and he told me about a course that you might which was real short a six week course, Three early evenings a week. in that time I had found my mission, My love, I ate it up and I preferred it.
So that began your job in the makeup industry, How did you progress from those beginning into becoming a makeup artist for film?
I found a job working for Revlon as a demonstrator in stores. In that time I did tonnes of faces and learned quickly how to do superior beauty makeup. Then I applied to a very tiny makeup boutique called Electa and Corrado, right at that moment it was the key place to go to for makeup, And I caused them for three years in their boutique. Not only did we sell makeup but we took consultations and did makeovers and gave them their face charts. It was the start of what is normal nowadays but back then it was very avant garde.
They sent me out on photo shoots and I did much fashion [-censured-=https://ukrainianwomenonlinedating.blogspot.com/2019/06/how-do-you-know-about-ukrainian-girls.html]russian women dating[/-censured-] spreads, Covers for magazines and plenty of the fashion shows in New York and Toronto. With Electa and Corrado I really learned the ropes and a lot about makeup but it was in that procedure that I realised I still didn know everything; effects makeup, approach to do fake noses, temperament work and ageing. They were strictly fashion so I found out about another Makeup artist in Montreal named Mickey Hamilton who did special effects makeup; She was an old timer and one of the few that did this. I called her and showed her my work and she said I could handle her for no pay, the standard routine, So I agreed and literally slept on to the ground of her house on a foam mattress and sleeping bag. She took me in and I caused her on three movies, I learned a lot about the movie business and how it worked and I learned a lot of special effects makeup with her.
So was it a conscious decision to transfer to film?
annoyed when someone wasn no. You moved between film and type, issue was one and there was no division. It was a just conscious decision for more info, that most of.
At the time Montreal was one of the places where movies from Hollywood could get great tax breaks to make their films. A lot of horror films would come up but the issue was they really didn have the crew to do a lot of these films along comes Michele.
I had enough experience to actually apply but I was doing work that was way above what was normal to do at that point in your career, But there was really no one else to do it. So by the seat of my pants I was learning on the job and I literally began building up work on lots of movies and that began my movie career.
And what would you say was initial big break?
One of the first films I did on my own was 'Terror Train', The horror film directed by Roger Spottiswoode and glaring Jamie Lee Curtis, browsing did 'Bad Dreams' and 'Visiting Hours'. Basically they were all slasher films but I learned a lot about having to think outside the box because at that point nobody really knew how to make blood. We had a number of recipes and makeup artists like Stephan Dupuis, Gordon Smith and I would share ideas and study from each other.
Was it a very exciting time to be in the makeup?
It was [-censured-=https://ukrainianwomen.home.blog/]russian mature women[/-censured-] completely gratifying but we were in a bubble. I thought in Hollywood individuals were doing this and more, But then I was actually one of the only women working at this. I was in a field of one and had no idea what other world was doing and then along came 'Quest for Fire' where I became Head of Department with Sarah Monzani and I won my first Oscar.
The funny thing about an Oscar is they are saying it the kiss of death. It changes yourself in two ways; one, Everyone thinks now you too big for your boots and you wouldn want to work on their little films so those people don call you anymore; And the bigger films think you booked up. because of this it was a strange silence after it.
Then I began to get lots of calls and over time I thought I should go down and face the beast in Hollywood. In europe, I was a big fish in a little pond but how would I fare in Hollywood? I came down and I kind of had to start up again. I started working on non union films and finally I got into the union and little by little I began to get some really good movies. i got Dracula, Which won me another Oscar which I felt was good because the first you think maybe it was a fluke? Then I started to get other nominations for 'The Cell', 'Cyrano de Bergerac' and 'Austin Powers' too.
Does that kind of award acknowledgment mean a lot to makeup artists?
Oh and also, Absolutely. It always a double edged sword when you win the like. First of training systems is as to acknowledge that you never win anything on your own, specifically in film because it such a team effort and you rely on your team as much as yourself. There is a lot of work you have to say that even though you designed or supervised it, And did the main friendly characters, The entire makeup and hair team also had a lot to do with it. You can ever think that it just you because then your ego is completely unchecked. It great and it a good feeling but you have to keep it in proportion with everything else else.
that is correct, And then there always the next job now?
That also that raises the bar because you are being watched and everything you do has to be amazing there is a lot of pressure.
finding comfort your early days, aside from the 6 week training did you do any other formal training?
No it was literally all learning at work. There weren any makeup schools but there would be a few of us, Kindof for instance a Rat Pack; Gordon henderson, Stephan Depuis, bob Caglione, Kevin Haney; but again it was just me and the guys kind of thing. We would just share ideas so there was camaraderie between us.
Did your background in fashion present you with the edge for doing beauty makeup in films?
Oh it did of. I always say to makeup artists that reveal be good, First perfect the beauty makeup. It the basement walls for everything. You quickly learn how to blend and about the subtleties of colour and what works on a face. proper you do character work you not heavy handed. I find when artists come from special effects and work back to beauty, Sometimes too heavy handed and they put far too much paint on. It overweight a makeup. however the they sculpture and prosthetics are good, When discussing painting they don have the finesse.
I have taken up oil painting and I primarily do faces just to go on perfecting the art of application. It a long term study and a long term passion really.
ya think you would have pursued the same career if you stayed in Ireland?
No because at the time I was not even close film or makeup or fashion. It was not in my field of vision the idea just didn really exist. Film was way outside things I knew about. I studied different languages, French and speaking spanish, And hoped to work alongside those skills. Moving to Montreal became available doors.