Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Bailey.
Hi Emma, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My road to becoming a makeup artist for film has been quite a long one. I grew up in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a town about 40 minutes northwest of Chicago. When I was young, all wanted to do was to work in mental health and help people. My parents had dedicated me to the service of humanity, and I was determined to do so. I took the AP psychology classes in high school and planned to double major in studio Art and Psychology in college, and I did. Granted with an art scholarship, I went to Lake Forest College, a small school North of Chicago, and double majored. Once I graduated in 2017, I worked at a specialized mental health rehabilitation facility (SMHRF). I worked in the “activities” department doing therapeutic recreational activities with my residents. It was exhausting but fulfilling work. I couldn’t get enough of helping people, so after work and on weekends, I would volunteer my time and skills to Equestrian Connection, a therapeutic equestrian riding facility. Growing up, I was an avid horseback rider and was the team captain for my collegiate equestrian team. Marrying my love for horses and mental health made the volunteer work a dream. However, 2020 came along and the pandemic sent the healthcare system into chaos. The SMHRF I worked at became a closed facility, meaning the residents could not sign out and come back as they needed or wished, and residents were quarantined to their rooms. My work became 10x harder and the residents who were improving had sudden declines. In order to keep my family safe from possibly contracting COVID, I also quarantined myself. It became difficult to not bring my work home with me, and I struggled mentally. To cope, I delved into makeup. I tried everything I could order from Amazon, or that I could brew together at home. 2 years into the pandemic, I decided I was happier doing makeup. Mental health is still a love of mine, but I realized it wasn’t for me anymore. I applied to Cinema Makeup School here in LA, and when I was accepted to begin school at the beginning of 2022, I quit my job, said goodbye to friends and family, and moved to LA. Since then, I have never been happier. I have worked on amazing student films and short films, PA’d for the hair department on Lessons in Chemistry, did a close friend’s makeup for her wedding, and worked on numerous vertical dramas. The creativity I get to use on a daily basis has been so healing. I have made such amazing friends here who share incredible creative mindsets and skills. I’m blessed to work with them and learn from them. Although my makeup artistry journey started later than most and is still new and fresh, I am looking forward to learning more skills and becoming the best I can be to help tell fantastic and inspiring stories.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Yes and no. I started later and am older than many of the artists starting at the level I am at, but I feel that also helps me bring some maturity and life experience into my work. Finding work is always a difficulty, but I am also blessed to have a loyal network developed from classmates and a couple of teachers from makeup school that have provided me with opportunities. Finding work that qualifies for gaining union hours is a huge struggle that I know most non-union artists struggle with.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I pride myself on being adaptable to many types of makeup. I do beauty, character, and SFX makeup. SFX makeup jobs don’t come around very often, so I mostly work with beauty and character work. Recently, I am most proud of the work I did on a thesis film called La Cumbia de lo Pudo Ser. The story centered around the main character, who is a muxe. The makeup I got to do on that film was fun and integral to the story. It allowed me to be creative while also showing respect towards an important community of people. I hope everyone gets to experience the film. Aside from that, I also take pride in my timing. Although I love it when I get to take my time with a makeup look, many of the productions I work on are very fast-paced, and thus, I have developed a consistent and quick pacing with my work that still keeps quality.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
My attitude towards learning and adapting. I admit that I don’t know everything there is to do with makeup and I’m still just starting, but I am willing to learn from those who know more and adapt my techniques. I aspire to always learn more.
Pricing:
- $300/day – film
- $350-400/day for SFX makeup
- $200-250 – student film rate
Contact Info:
- Website: emmapagebailey.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmapagebailey/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm15283560/
Image Credits
Mike Spatola
Yukun Chan
Brandon Goebel
Alex Aljouni
