Premium Beat had the opportunity to have an in-depth discussion with Kaela Dobson and discuss her practices in personnel and projects.
makeup artist Carla Dobson’s resume is interspersed with interesting and challenging projects, such as complex designs. She created for Hulu "Wu-Tang: An American Saga", "Star Wars Night" "In the fortitude of reality, and the legendary superheroes of Luke Cage and Jessica Jones.
Jessica Jones (Jessica Jones). David Giesbrecht / Netflix Photography
PremiumBeat: Kaela, your work needs to be built on trust and intimacy. It is no exaggeration to say that you are a makeup genius! I can imagine that in addition to aesthetic ability, you also need excellent social skills. How to make actors feel comfortable?
Kaela Dobson: A large part of my job is to build relationships with people. I first try to start each makeup project by discussing my ideas with the actors and then letting them know that I fully accept any information or request. I think the attitude of the recipient plays a big role in making them feel comfortable and able to talk to me. I also hope they know that this is a collaborative process. Understanding their worries and thoughts helps me know what to pay attention to and their self-awareness, so we can build rapport. I also feel energetic. The radio stations in the trailer are colorful and beautiful, which helps set the tone.
"Wudang Gang Rising." Photo by Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu-©2019 Hulu
PB: What challenges did you face when making the list of Hulu's Wudang Gang? Because you are recreating the appearance of the original members, including the executive producer and founding member RZA of the show?
KD: Whenever I need to figure out his appearance, it is very valuable to have RZA as a reference, because RZA allows me to work. When I was taken to the project, we were in a state of frenzy. We had to make all the golden grills, figure out the facial hair appliances, and make a plan to cover all the tattoos of Dave East, who played the role of Method Man in the play. Not only does Dave have tattoos from head to toe, but he also has to wear heavy winter clothes, because the performance takes place in winter. His makeup needs to be flawless without any shedding before shooting, so as not to scratch or sweat in the warmer months. Another huge challenge was to find facial hair for Sha and Divine. They were all working on other projects at the time, and they had shaved their faces clean. This is something we cannot change. Both characters had very outstanding goatees in the 90s, so we ended up using hand-dyeing techniques to achieve this and avoiding the sometimes fake appearance of lace work. Before shooting, we conducted some tests on everything, and we were able to see what was feasible and what was not. Generally speaking, many things were completed on the first day of shooting.
HBO "The Night of Sin Night Run"
PB: Please switch from the Wudang Gang list, when you are dealing with more basic content every day (such as HBO's "The night of Sin Night Run"), in what way To create the look and feel of the character?
KD: When I transitioned from film to TV under the leadership of the amazing makeup designer Stephen Kelley, I was lucky to participate in "Sin Night Run". Looking at how she manages the department and design roles, this has inspired me a lot. A large part of the work I was responsible for in "Sin Night Run" was to help make tattoos in prison scenes. I have always studied makeup from the perspective of a character. If I were this character, how would I deal with my daily life, what kind of makeup I would paint (if any), and what small details I could incorporate into the design , To tell more character stories?
Luke Cage (Luke Cage). David Lee / Netflix Photography
PB: You have done a lot of work in the "Marvel TV" world. Are you looking for the previous method when creating key makeup for your beloved character? Still have a chance to try again?Maybe both?
KD: When I joined the Marvel family, I worked under the leadership of another department head who was responsible for designing all the original appearances for each character. I started working on the first season of Luke Cage full-time. I was able to help build some characters, but most of them were in the hands of my department head. Working with the actors every day, and following each script, allows me to truly understand them from the inside out. When I had the opportunity to design the second season, my understanding of each character's journey throughout the series gave me a new perspective on makeup design. I want to show the growth and changes of each of them, but also loyal to their appearance. I got a lot of inspiration from the comics and the personality and style of each character.
PB: For a person who just wants to sit behind a makeup chair behind movies and TV, what advice would you give them to guide them in their business and master their own technology?
KD: The best advice I can give to anyone who wants to join the film and television industry as a makeup artist is to be flexible, be prepared, and be open to cooperation. One of the best things I have learned is that when things are not ideal for you, replace a “no” place with a “yes” place. Being able to solve problems and deal with difficulties calmly makes you an irreplaceable wealth. And, when you fill up everything you need to know, you are ready for everything!
