Vinnie Ashton

How long have you been in screen production and how did you get started?

I started out hairdressing when I left school and did a four-year apprenticeship before working in salons for another four years. I went on to teaching hairdressing at a makeup school, which is where I started to learn makeup. A friend (Vanessa Hurley) was looking for an assistant for a music video (True Bliss) and I went on to assist her on Snakeskin, which we filmed in the South Island in 2000.

What genre(s) does your work tend to come from?

My work comes mostly from film and television areas of the industry but I do work on the odd commercial when I am between longer contracts. As a hairdresser and makeup artist I am lucky in that I don’t have to completely rely on the film industry for work, I also work for photographers doing stills and advertising, as well as weddings. The variation keeps it really interesting and I think is the reason I will never lose my passion for my craft.

How easy is it to make a living in this industry/how often do you work outside the screen production industry?

As long as you are good at what you do and have a good work ethic then you can make a living from the film industry. How easy it is, is dependent on the industry and how busy it is at any one time. There are a lot of fantastic makeup artists in the industry so a lot of competition, but that said I feel as though we all look out for each other and are happy to pass work around if we are unable to do it ourselves. It is really nice to feel as though we have a little community of artists who support each other.

How does your department work as part of the ‘whole’ that other crew probably don’t realize?

I guess one thing (and something we have in common with the costume department) is our relationships with the actors or talent. We have to be able to read how our actor is feeling and sometimes they may need a wee pep talk to make them feel great before they leave the chair or sometimes they may just need silence and time to think and reflect on what it is they are about to do. As a makeup artist you are in someone’s personal space so you have to be very aware of how your actor is feeling all the time so as they can perform to their very best.

How have your rates changed/improved over the years?

Makeup artists’ rates haven’t actually changed in the whole time I have been in the industry, they fluctuate depending on production budgets. I have a base rate that I won’t go below because I know my value. I like to think it sets an industry standard and gives some of the newer artists entering the industry opportunities. That said, I will do unpaid projects from time to time, this is a great way to support upcoming filmmakers and could always lead to something bigger.

What sort of changes have you noticed? Have you noticed any trends?

Thanks to The Makeup School we are seeing some well-trained and enthusiastic people coming into the industry. It’s really nice to know there is quality training available that installs great work ethics as well as technical ability.

What strengths do you think the New Zealand industry has / what could contribute to a more sustainable industry?

I think our ability to multitask as a department. I know in the US all departments are separate, i.e. there is a hair department and a makeup department and then prosthetics. Last year I was makeup supervisor on Evil Dead working under Jane O’Kane (whom I work with a lot). Our department covered hair, makeup and prosthetics, so we had a fantastic team of all-rounders who could do it all. The merging of all these departments is something that keeps budgets down and therefore would surely be an incentive for international productions to film in New Zealand.