In addition to the bridal industry and luxury salon setting in which makeup artists are most often found, Alabama has become a hotspot for film production. Professionals working in Alabama’s film industry, including makeup artists, are enjoying the perks that go along with being a part of this burgeoning industry.
If you want proof that Alabama’s movie industry is bigger and stronger than ever, you need not look any further than Mudbrick Media Studios in Mobile. This 40,000 square foot production space—and other similar studios throughout Alabama—has reaped the benefits of the State’s Entertainment Industry Incentive Act, which was passed in 2013 to encourage tax breaks and other incentives for production companies. For makeup artists, this spells plenty of opportunities.
During the 2012-2013 period alone, the film industry in Alabama has generated more than 3,200 jobs, including nearly 900 production-related jobs, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. In 2013, two powerhouse movies, 42 and Space Warriors, were both shot in Alabama, with 42 alone taking in more than $27 million in its opening weekend.
In 2012, production companies spent $33.5 million on entertainment projects in Alabama, an increase from $22 million the previous year. A total of 31 projects were filmed in the State in 2012. Professionals in the industry, including makeup artists, are therefore enjoying better job opportunities than ever before.
Makeup artists in Alabama, whether they work directly for the production companies found here or as independent contractors (freelancers), must come to the table with a key set of qualifications in order to experience success, not only in the film industry, but in the salon, theater, and fashion industries, as well.
Makeup Artist Licensing Requirements in Alabama
If you want to work as a makeup artist in Alabama, you must earn an esthetician license through the Alabama Board of Cosmetology and Barbering, which requires the completion of an approved esthetician program of at least 1,000 hours or an approved apprenticeship that is at least 2,000 hours in duration. The Board maintains a current list of esthetics schools in Alabama.
You must also be at least 16 years old and have completed the 10th grade to qualify for licensure in Alabama as an esthetician.
An esthetician program includes study in all aspects of skincare, including facials, body waxing, makeup, and general esthetics, thereby allowing you to not only become an expert in makeup, but in overall skincare, as well. Within a comprehensive esthetics program, you can expect to complete study in areas such as:
- Professional Practices: Prevention of disease transmission, facility hygiene, principles of infection, etc.
- Professional Ethics
- Business Practices: State Board rules and regulations, confidentiality, etc.
- Sciences: Histology of the skin, anatomy and physiology, advanced skin analysis/diseases, conditions and disorders of the skin
Study in the art of makeup within an esthetician program often includes:
- Client consultation and skin analysis
- Contouring
- Application
- Color accent
- Camouflage makeup
- Lash application and extensions
Upon successfully completing either an esthetician formal program through a school of skincare or cosmetology or an apprenticeship, you must apply for an esthetician license in Alabama and successfully pass the required esthetician examinations for licensure, which include both a written and practical examination.
The Board currently utilizes the national esthetician examinations through the National-Interstate Council on State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC) to determine a candidate’s edibility for licensure. Professional Credential Services (PCS) is the company the Board has contracted with to handle all licensure examinations for esthetician candidates. You can read more about the licensure and examination process by reading the PCS Candidate Information Bulletin.
Like other cosmetology professions in Alabama, you are required to renew your esthetician license on a biennial basis.
Makeup Artist Jobs in Alabama: Career Options in Makeup Artistry
The film industry, as a major industry in Alabama, may provide a host of career opportunities for licensed makeup artists. Two of the largest production companies in Alabama include Mudbrick Media Studios in Mobile and the Alabama Film Office in Montgomery.
Alabama is also home to a number of popular film festivals throughout the year, during which makeup artists often make valuable industry contacts:
- Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival
- George Lindsey UNA Film Festival
- Alabama International Film Festival
- South Alabama Film Festival
- Montgomery Film Festival
- River City Film Festival
- Jubilee Film Festival
- Fairhope Film Festival
But it’s not just the film industry that is a source of major career opportunities for makeup artists in Alabama. There are a number of renowned theater companies throughout Alabama, including:
- Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Montgomery
- South City Theater, Alabaster
- Red Mountain Theater Company, Birmingham
- Alabama Theatre, Birmingham
Many successful makeup artists in Alabama also choose to practice their craft out of an established salon or spa. Luckily, there is a host of salons and spas in Alabama that perfectly fit the bill:
- Fusion Spa Salon, Orange Beach
- Nouveau Salon and Day Spa, Mobile
- Amplify Salon and Spa, Montgomery
- Indulgence Salon and Spa, Prattville
- Ambience Salon and Spa, Auburn
Alabama, thanks to its abundance of larger, metropolitan areas, such as Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Mobile, and Dothan, has a large number of local news stations, all of which often hire the services of makeup artists for its on-air personalities.
You may also want to focus your makeup artistry services on the flourishing bridal business in Alabama. From a brick-and-mortar establishment to mobile services for brides-to-be, your makeup career in Alabama may be the perfect fit with Alabama’s bridal industry.