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Hair & Make-up Artist

Applies and maintains combined hair and make-up looks for cast on UK units.

Duties

• Read the call sheet and sides before arriving
• Maintain radio/set etiquette and H&S
• Hand over notes/kit status at wrap
• Application
• Continuity checks
• On-set touch-ups

Reports to

HMU Designer / Designer(s)

Works with

Designer, Assistants, Costume Standby, Script Supervisor, Camera

Career path

Trainee → Junior → Artist → Supervisor

Day to day

Prep cast to ready-time; maintain through the day; continuity photos; coordinate with Costume Standby; wrap kit hygiene.

Call times

HMU call is driven by cast ready-times — often well before unit. Prosthetic/ageing and crowd days need long early prep.

What to wear

Blacks; clean hygienic kit clothes; hair tied back; soft shoes; PPE/gloves for prosthetics as needed.

Tools & kit

Personal kit within production rules; sterilisation kit.

Tips

Confirm title, agreement, budget band, prep/wrap and kit fee on the deal memo before accepting. We never invent Bectu figures — check bectu.org.uk ratecards / your branch.

Software

• Continuity photo apps
• Script sides PDFs
• Face chart apps / Procreate
• Photoshop / PureRef boards
• Labelled continuity photo folders
• ChatGPT for period/reference research (Designer verifies)

Bectu rate cards for this role are in the app.

Related roles

HMU Designer

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