Q WHAT training do I need to work as a make-up artist for films? How long does it take and what are entry requirements? What other career opportunities are there in this or related areas?
- Wicklow student
YOU have a few options. One is to take the national certificate in make-up for film/tv/theatre (DL005) at Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology. This is a restricted course, so you must apply before February 1st of the year of entry and submit a portfolio and be available for interview.
The portfolio should include selected drawings, art work, photographs, 3D work, photos of personal work involving make-up or hair design, a creative sketchbook or diary and a CV. Academic requirements are pass in five subjects in Leaving Cert to include English.
This course covers all aspects of the craft together with make-up special effects as well as prostheses-making and application, drawing, modelling, casting and photography. The course is 80 per cent practical and 20 per cent academic.
The intake is 20 every second year and, of course, it is in the free fees scheme.
Another choice is a BA honours course in costume and make-up for the performing arts, specialising in the make-up at the London Institute's London College of Fashion, 20 John Princes Street, London WIM OBJ - phone 0044171-5147400. You can apply through UCAS - closing date is December 15th each year.
Another possibility is to take a short course, about six months, in make-up for theatre and film in the BBC in London.
If you are interested in other areas of make-up, you could take the aesthetician (facial) module in a beauty therapy course run by one of the PLC colleges or private colleges.
Be sure the exams are recognised by one of these internationally recognised bodies: the International Therapy Examination Centre (ITEC); the Confederation of International Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (CIBTAC); the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC); and Comite International D'Esthetique de Cosmetologie, Zurich (CIDESCO).
Colleges like students to be about 17 years old starting. Education to Leaving Cert standard is required, but this does not necessarily mean a full five passes. It's desirable to have a science subject.
Biology is by far the most useful subject. Other useful subjects are chemistry, physics, art or home economics.
All applicants are interviewed so personality and grooming are important. There are no fees for the courses in PLC colleges such as Dun Laoghaire Senior College or Crumlin College of Business Studies, Dublin. There are expenses such as exam fees, equipment, text books etc.
Fees for private colleges would be about £1,000 for the facial module only or £1,800 for the facial and electrolysis module or about £2,900 for the full beauty therapy course, plus the usual expenditure on equipment/kit etc.
As well as work in film, there are employment opportunities in TV, advertising, the fashion industry, theatre, camouflage make-up and the cosmetics industry.
Q HAVING completed my first semester exams in college, I find I now have to start in to the next lot for May. I'm finding it very hard to get down to study again. Also, there is no time for social life or sport. Can I defer the exam?
- Limerick student
IT takes all students time to settle in to third level and I think, between the change in teaching mode from classroom to lecture hall and coping with the social life, you will find your next semester better.
It probably seems to you that you went from Leaving Cert to first semester exam to now gearing up for semester two.
It's very difficult to make time for college life when there is a semester exam due before Christmas or worse still, after!
In addition, the workload can be piled on by staff who have no idea what other staff members are demanding. First years can find this very difficult, you should organise a class representative even at this late stage. The total amount of work should not be any greater than it would be under the old system of end of year exams only.
Some colleges get around this by having no semesterisation for first years which gives them a chance to settle in. Others provide some continuous assessment in the form of essays, projects, multi-choice quiz etc.
So, although it's too late for you to influence the format this year, you should be able to organise a better system next year by informing staff of the difficulties involved.
Q MY SON has applied to the Department for an exemption from Irish. Should he, if he gets it, inform each of the NUI colleges to which he has applied?
- Galway father
WHAT he should do in the first instance is to send a copy of the Department certificate of exemption, signed by the school manager or principal to NUI, 49 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, as soon as it comes through.
Then once he has been notified that NUI is granting him this exemption, he should then inform CAO of this exemption from NUI matriculation requirements for Irish. If possible, he should include his CAO number, which he should have by March 1st at the latest if he has submitted his completed application to CAO by the February 1st closing date.
This helps to speed up the procedure by helping CAO to match his application to the exemption granted by NUI.
If the NUI exemption comes through before he has got an application number back for CAO, then he should inform NUI of his CAO number as soon as he gets it.
It's very important that he notifies the CAO of the acceptance by NUI of the exemption - otherwise he would be deemed to be ineligible for all four NUI colleges - UCC, UCD, NUI Galway and NUI Maynooth - and from NUI-recognised colleges - RCSI, St Angela's Sligo and NCAD. The CAO has no way of knowing if he doesn't tell them. There is no space on the CAO form for filling in details of exemptions.
Queries can be answered only through this column and not by phone or post. Write to Sile Sheehy, Education & Living, The Irish Times, D'Olier Street, Dublin 2 - or by email to education@irish-times.ie
