September 12, 2016

Meet Downey Makeup Artist: Natalie Mier

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Mier.

Natalie , please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I always loved movies since I was a child, and I was amazed by special effects makeup, and the time and dedication my favorite artists like Dick Smith, Rick Baker, and Guillermo Del Toro, put into their work. At the time I didn’t know that being a makeup artist was an actual job one could get, and it wasn’t until my teens that I began to divulge in makeup application. It was always a hobby, something I loved to do, but I was too self-doubtful to peruse it professionally. I grew up in a rough neighborhood in Los Angeles, Compton to be exact, so the idea of being an artist, let alone a makeup artist was not something I saw in my future.

While in college studying marketing, I befriended a now close friend of mine, and we bonded over horror movies and film. He mentioned he was working on a student film, and I told him that I dabbled with practical FX. He asked me if I could come on board as the makeup artist, and I agreed assuming he’d forget. He did not. I had never worked on any kind of set before. I had taken a few intro to film classes, but nothing would prepare me for what I had gotten myself into. We were shooting for two weeks in the Orange County. I had to create 3 different looks for the actress, inspired by the bride of Frankenstein, and each one was of her face progressively decomposing, all of which had to be done in under an hour. I was very fortunate that the people working on this set were very kind. I mentioned to them that I’d never been on a set before, and two girls there, Kelly and Crista, who are now also good friends of mine hugged me and welcomed me. From that day on they were my “go to” people if I had a question, and they guided me through the entire process of what my responsibilities were. I worked 10hr days, in the summer heat, with no pay for two weeks, and they were the best two weeks I ever had. I realized right then and there that this job was not easy, but I loved it so much. From that point on I started getting people who wanted me to work on their projects, and I decided to quit studying marketing to pursue my dream. it’s been a fun and chaotic adventure ever since.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. I most certainly struggled at the beginning not knowing anything about the industry, and pretty much was thrown into it without any knowledge of what all my responsibilities were outside of just doing makeup. As I continued working I learned and improved much like with any other job, and I’m still constantly learning. In addition to this, in the summer of 2015 I had a decline in work due to an incident between myself and a male crew member that happened to be friends with everyone I networked with. It was an extremely unpleasant situation that had to be taken to court, and I began to lose a lot of work because of it, as well as people who I thought were friends.

I have always been well aware that being a woman makes you more prone to discrimination, but this time, it severely impacted me because this was affecting my passion. What I received from once mutual friends/crew members was this horrible stigma that because I was a woman, because I was just another “makeup artist”, I was not to be taken seriously. That my voice, my well being, my feelings did not matter to them. So, I was kicked off productions I was previously put on board to work on without any notice. It was very painful to take all of that in when I was just starting my career and to see it all go to nothing because I stood up for myself. I learned first hand how truly sexist and prejudice people in this industry can be. I had to rebuild everything from scratch, which in this line of work is not easy. Still, I don’t regret standing up for myself, and I never will. I have since built new connections with wonderful individuals who respect me, and appreciate my work and work ethic.

What’s the hardest part of your job?
By far, the hardest part of being a makeup artist is the hours. Unlike traditional jobs where you have a 9 to 5 schedule, when you’re working freelance on a set, you could be working anywhere from 12 to 16 hours in not so pleasant environments. For someone who’s never done it before, it can be tedious work, and it does get easier the more you do it, but it’s never easy. That’s for sure.

What are you striving for, what criteria or markers have you set as indicators of success?
Success is your end goal, and this can change from person to person. But essentially, it’s obtaining what you’ve worked so hard for, and wanted for so long. For me, it’s always been small success that helped me to continue my path. When I first started that was getting a position as a makeup artist on a film, then it went to having my first paid position, to getting credits on full-length features. It’s always wanting to move up on my own terms, not by anyone else’s definition.

What are your plans for the future?
Prior to becoming a makeup artist I was studying psychology but decided to put it to the side to pursue my passion. Now that I’ve gotten a feel for it, and hands-on experience, I have slowly come back to finish what I started and will be working on obtaining my BA in Psychology at Cal State Los Angeles. In addition to this, I plan to eventually extend my knowledge of makeup, and learn more about prop making and life casting to further my career withing the film industry with a focus on special effects makeup.

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