June 3, 2016

Meet Westwood Makeup Artist: Tracy Rosen

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tracy Rosen.

Tracy’s story is movie worthy. Below, we share an edited excerpt of our interview with Tracy.

Tracy, can you tell us your story – how you got to where you are today?

Throughout my upbringing I faced a multitude of challenges. While some were self-inflicted, many were luck of the draw. With an immense passion for makeup, and limited opportunity, I did what any aspiring makeup artist would do. I applied for a position at Yogurtland. After four years as a manager, I worried that my passion and my talents were slowly being extinguished, as I was trapped in the typical 9-5 workplace.

That sounds pretty miserable. So – how did you go from Yogurtland to where you are today?

With a lot of luck and a little recklessness, I decided to test my fate in Las Vegas. My rent was paid and my bills taken care of for the month, so I took it upon myself to dip into my savings at the Baccarat table. Thinking I was going to Las Vegas for a good time, I had no idea that I would be taking a vital step to transform my life. In less than two hours I won $4,000. I decided that while I was on vacation, I would not spend a dime of the money. It was on my drive home that I made a promise to myself to invest my winnings into my future. With this money I was finally able to afford to go to makeup school. Little did I know at the time this would change my life forever.

Ah-mazing. So then what happened?

Immediately upon graduating makeup school, I met another makeup artist who offered me a department head position on a low budget independent movie. I was fearful of taking the job (thinking I was under qualified) but my friend assured me it would be a great learning experience. Up for the challenge, I took advantage of the weeks leading up to production researching and learning everything I could about makeup for film. The film involved special effects makeup as well, which I did not have a lot of experience with so I used Youtube to teach myself the basics of special effects. My first movie was a success, and is still streaming on Netflix!

Incredible – we’ll have to check it out! So did you continue with films or take detours along the way?

From there, I assisted on films as much as I could, never turning down any position or job in front of me. It was after this first movie that I knew I wanted to have a future in makeup for film, and was willing to go to any lengths to turn my dream into a reality. I decided that no job was too little or too large, and if I continually said “yes” to each opportunity in front of me, I would learn the techniques necessary to become a seasoned makeup artist. Since my first feature film, I have worked on over 25 movies and been the department head makeup artist for 10 of those. Never in my wildest dreams did I think taking a chance with makeup school would lead me to the fulfilling career I have created in just three years. I currently work full time in the makeup industry. My jobs vary day to day from film production, to print campaigns, and looks for events. I receive product support from brands such as Makeup Forever and Smashbox. It is through this kindness that I am able to use products that evolve as technology improves, and trends shift. My work has been published in various magazines, and books internationally. With my constant hard work paying off, it has set my sights forward. I have accomplished a lot so far with my career and I do not plan to stop anytime soon. My goals for this year are to join the makeup union, Local 706, so I can broaden my knowledge of makeup for film. In addition, I am actively pursuing agency representation for my craft.

Such an incredible story – but it all sounds so picture perfect. Was it really so smooth?

Although makeup may be glamorous, being a makeup artist is not quite as glam. I believe that the entertainment industry is difficult to be a part of, and presents its own set of challenges. I had a very quick and fortunate introduction to the industry, and have put in a lot of hard work to maintain my connections. Primarily, I work on feature films in the Los Angeles County, and let me say that making a movie is not easy. The days are long, the hours change from one day to the next, and sometimes I don’t know when the next job is coming. However, this is the only job I’ve ever driven to smiling. There is truly no way to put into words the feeling of gratification that comes with being able to do what you love for a living. I see the art of makeup as a tool to enhance and empower the beauty in others. Seeing my work recognized on billboards, in magazines, and reading my name when the credits roll is only the beginning. I am incredibly grateful for everyone who has helped bring my dream to fruition. I hope to one day have the opportunity to help others follow their passion, and be able to give back what was so freely given to me.

That’s really inspiring. What are your plans for the future?

Right now my attention is geared toward joining the makeup union. It’s an arduous and expensive process, however I have faith that the ends outweigh. I am not certain of what lies ahead, as I could have never envisioned where I am today just a few years ago. I trust that everything will work out the way it’s supposed to, and I try to stay in the present moment. I recently completed a Mercedes Benz commercial, which won out of hundreds of submissions at their festival in South Africa. I’m excited for the opportunities that may come from this success. I am also actively seeking agency representation. I have been freelance for three years now, and I think that an agency could bring me to an undiscovered platform in my career.

Great. Let’s go a little deeper into your story. In particular can you tell me about the hardest time in your career – why it was hard, how you found yourself in that spot and how you got through it.

One of the most difficult aspects of being a makeup artist is inferring the vision of others, and letting go of your own ideas in the process. I find that the majority of the time, plans and ideas change last minute and it’s important to be prepared to handle those situations. Many of my jobs require quick improvisation skills, because something as simple as the weather can change the entire shoot day.

A perfect example of this happened on the last movie I worked on. The story is based on real events of a teenage couple becoming addicted to drugs. I spent weeks prepping with the production team and the actors, discussing the looks and sharing reference photos. When we began shooting, all of the planned ideas went right out the window. This wasn’t because they were wrong; it was just that the vision took on an original shape. The script was continuously being re-written up until our final days of shooting. I believe each department on this film endured lots of last minute changes, but we came together as a team and prevailed.

The director wanted the characters to look as authentic as possible, so by day 2 of shooting I was applying eyeliner on known established actors with pointed Q Tips, and messing it up further with globs of makeup remover. Smudgey unblended eyeshadow became the focus, foundation was used sparingly, and for many of the scenes I handed the actors makeup remover and asked them to be bare faced on camera. It was during this film that I had to divorce myself from my conventional makeup techniques, and learn to apply and think about makeup as if these characters were doing it themselves. I didn’t have time to study or practice; I was put into a situation where I needed to figure it out right then and there with someone asking “How much longer till so-and-so is ready?” The looks needed to be changed to reflect simplicity and imperfection, and applying makeup badly is not as easy as it sounds.

On this film, I had an assistant and hair stylist working under my direction. As a department head artist, it’s also my responsibility to ensure that their focus was driven to this idea for the characters. I wouldn’t necessarily say this was one of my most difficult experiences as an artist, but it’s a good example to showcase the importance of the ability to adapt to change. I think the difficulty lies in learning how to be malleable while maintaining confidence. Working freelance, each job I do is different and proposes its own set of challenges. It’s important to not only be prepared for last minute changes, but also have the willingness, and more importantly belief in oneself, to roll with the punches to make the directors vision come alive.

Can you also share a little more detail about any moments/experiences where you felt like “wow – my career is really starting to work out that way I dreamt it would?”

As an artist working in the industry, my work is constantly improving. I like to remain teachable, and surround myself with others who have more experience than myself. Makeup is creative…there’s no right or wrong way to do something, there’s no textbook explaining the methods because each face is unique. Back in makeup school one of my dreams was to have a billboard on Sunset Blvd. I used to drive down this street everyday during my commute to school and was in complete awe by how beautiful the billboards were. I would fantasize about my makeup being up there one day, but the goal felt like a pipe dream.

In January of 2014, I was the department head makeup artist for a horror film starring Vinnie Jones, Daryl Hannah, and Christa Campbell. This movie was one of my toughest jobs, and I’m not sure if the reason is simply because I had less experience than I do now. I worked for less than minimum wage, with no overtime, and hardly got more than a handful of hours of sleep a night. I knew that I was just starting out, and these experiences would aid in my growth as an artist. In all honesty, I was so thrilled to be a part of something bigger than myself that none of these elements really mattered. Low and behold, about a year after shooting the film, a billboard appeared on Sunset Blvd advertising the movie. I was in complete awe, less than 2 years into my career my dream of having a billboard was alive literally overnight. It is experiences like that which I reflect on, and use as strength to be the best makeup artist I can be every day.

There it is folks – Tracy is a true diamond of LA.

Pricing:

Pricing is individually based depending on the intensity of the project, and job duties. I am always willing to work with any budget to make affordable arrangements. Please feel free to contact me for further details.

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