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Make-up is a big deal in film production
What you need to know:
Remember the days when all it took was applying chalk to someone’s head to make them look old or red colour in the forehead to show blood or a wound? Well, make-up has come a long way. Today, make-up and styling are as important to the story as the cast, sound and cinematography.
Make-up in art is one of the most underrated departments. With their ability to create magic, change people’s appearance, and touch emotions, they are a big part of the teams that make art believable or have power to evoke emotions. Make-up artists age and de-age actors; they are responsible for making us feel sad about a character because of how they make them appear. They appeal to how we approach actors through appearance.
In genres such as period dramas and biopics, makeup enhances realism and authenticity in character portrayals. Make-up is bridges the gap between the audience and the on-screen world by ensuring characters appear as they would in real life or during a specific period. In Uganda, make-up has come a long way.
Remember the days when all it took was applying chalk to someone’s head to age them and some red colour in the forehead to show blood or a wound? Of course, much of this was because film producers took such a long time to appreciate most of the departments that make a film complete besides cinematography.
Many thought, that the moment they had one of the best cameras on the market, they were good to go. They would then proceed to hire the sound department and on the day they are meant to start the make-up and costuming department.
Almost every professional in the sound or make-up department has received a call from a panicking producer requesting them to abandon everything they are doing to go and do their make-up and styling.
“Most of the people making films do not entirely understand how film works, they do not understand that make-up and styling is as important to the story as the cast and cinematography,” says Ras Kasozi, a fashion designer who has worked on different films as well.
Some producers believe that a costume designer or stylist is only there to make the cast look good and nothing else. They do not know that outfits contribute to the story as well,” Kasozi says.
Kasozi was speaking at The Villa in Kampala where make-up artist Esther Nakaziba was launching her annual exhibition, Karakta which is rebranding from E-Nakaziba Exhibition, the name it has been known by for the past two editions.
“When we are working on films, we deal with characters given to us by the writers and the script. The make-up artist’s work is to turn these characters into reality and sell them to the public,” she says.
A self taught make-up artist, Nakaziba has taken on a leadership role for making up and styling actors, a job or role that has been underlooked for years. She is vocal about the need to have make-up artists awarded.
For years, festivals and award galas existed, the cateogory for the Best Make-up in film award is usually forgotten. In fact, the award was first given out in 2023 in the iKon Awards while in the Uganda Film Festival, the award was first given out in 2024.
Despite this, Nakaziba has been at the forefront of training other makeup artists with three cohorts under her belt to perfect the art. This year, during the Karakta exhibition, some of her former trainees will showcase an array of looks. But this is not an exhibition about Esther Nakaziba.
She is inviting other film make-up artists and stylists to showcase and help people understand what they do and where else their works can be applied. Besides the exhibitions, there will be trainings and conversations aimed at fostering collaboration among both make-up artists and other professionals within the film industry. Other exhibitors outside make-up artists will include costume designers, Ras Kasozi, Latif, Xenson, and Black IGC, Tazibone Solomon.
Ice Kenny will showcase hair, while Kenyan make-up artist, Grace Murema and Nakaziba will showcase make-up. The past editions of the exhibitions have been held at Motiv and among many things have celebrated and shone a light on Uganda’s make-up artists such as Michael Wawuyo Sr, also a self-taught artist believed to be the God-father in this craft.
Outside organising this exhibition, Nakaziba has a credit on projects such as TV series Prestige, 27 Guns, Netflix short film, Katera: Punishment Island, Boundary Mwisho, Jimbi as well as credits in theatre such as Adungu Tales, Namukwakula and Lloyd Lutara’s The Rope, among others.
Last year, Nakaziba collaborated with Jennifer Zide, a make-up artist for films such as, The Knife, Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer-led Nope, Barbie, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, and Marvel films, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Captain Marvel for a once in a lifetime workshop, where they taught different aspiring Ugandan make-up artists.
