May 21, 2020

Meet Carmen Dianne, LA Based Makeup Artist

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carmen Dianne.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started doing makeup in college. I was always doing makeup on my friends, but I began to take it seriously after getting a part time job at a makeup counter. From there I just fell completely in love with makeup, and beauty. I started doing weddings, special events, and editorial work. I just knew I would end up in New York working in fashion.

At that time I was so green and I didn’t know much about television and film. I lived in Virginia, so there was not too much TV & film work, but I did begin to work on some local music videos, and local productions. The more I started to branch out, I began to learn about all the different opportunities in the makeup industry. After college I moved back to Maryland and I began to find more production opportunities in the DC area. I worked on one short film, that ended up being the catalyst in deciding to relocate to California. The short film required a lot of special effects makeup. That was my first time really getting into special effects and I decided that I wanted to learn more. I ended up moving to California to study makeup at “Cinema Makeup School.”

After “Cinema Makeup School” I continued my studies at “The Make Up For Ever TV & Cinema Academy” in Paris, France. I spent 8 months in Paris studying makeup, learning French, and gaining valuable life and work experiences.

Now I am back in Los Angeles, and I work primarily in production, providing makeup, male grooming, special effects, and hair styling for commercials, television, film, and special events.

Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road getting to this point. Moving across the country to Los Angeles presented many obstacles. Getting acclimated in a new city where I didn’t know anyone was difficult in its own right, but when you throw in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry, it becomes that much more challenging.

Before I was working consistently as a makeup artist I had to work many different side jobs to sustain myself. I was a waitress, I worked overnight at a hotel, I was a brand ambassador for various companies, and somewhere in between all of that I went to makeup school, and took any freelance makeup jobs that I could find.

Eventually I was able to phase out all the extra jobs & just focus on working as a makeup artist, but that still didn’t mean smooth sailing. Being a freelancer, in any industry, much less the entertainment industry, can be stressful. Some months are great and the jobs are rolling in, but sometimes you have slow periods. Nothing is more proof of that than our current quarantine situation.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Carmen Dianne – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am a freelance makeup artist. I provide makeup, male grooming, special effects, and hair for various TV, film, commercials, red carpets, and special events.

As a makeup artist working primarily in production, the scope of my work can be vastly different. I have a wide range of skills which include clean beauty makeup & male grooming, high glam, red carpet, editorial looks, special effects and prosthetic makeup.

I think that being versatile and always able to execute is what gets me hired. Television and film is all about telling a story. The story can be truthful & historically accurate, it can exist in any time period, it can be horror, It can be futuristic, it can be completely unrealistic, and involve aliens, zombies and other made up creatures. My ability to understand each story and meet each unique requirement has kept me working.

I always aim to produce work that I can be proud of, but I think it is the most rewarding when I get the opportunity to create unique characters. When I have the chance to take an actor and help them change into this completely different and believable character and help tell the story, I am always proud of that.

One project that I’m particularly proud of is “American Skin” by Nate Parker. I was key makeup artist on that film under the direction of makeup department head Abbie Alvarez (who I am so grateful for.) That film was such a beautiful experience for many reasons, first being the story. The story was powerful, thought provoking and unexpected. The cast and crew were all amazing, and it was a great experience to just observe them work, and add my contribution. This was gritty film so the looks had to reflect that. I mostly did a lot of tattoo cover, some prosthetics, and adding a lot of sweat. The film went on to win Best film at Venice Film Festival 2019.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I can honestly say that I love LA. As a transplant, that is not always an easy statement to make, but after 7+ years of living in this city, I think it is fair to say that I’m a fan. My favorite thing about the city is the opportunity for work in the entertainment industry. That is what brought me here and that is what has kept me here. I also really enjoy the different vibes that we can create & experience here. The weather is usually nice, we can hike in the mountains, we are close to the beach, we can get city vibes, and we can explore the culture of different neighborhoods.

I am not a fan of the heavy traffic & congestion of LA. I also really dislike the ever-rising prices of rent. There is a lot more for me to consider when thinking about buying a home here.

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