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Siobhán Harper Ryan Talks Make-Up Special Effects
06 May 2010 :
Sherlock Holmes
Irish Special Effects and Character Make-Up Specialist Siobhán Harper Ryan was in Dublin recently to host a two day Aging and Effects Make Up workshop for Ireland’s LA Make-Up Academy. IFTN caught up with Siobhán to talk career changes, drag queen make-up and working on ‘Sherlock Holmes’.

London based Siobhán Harper Ryan has enjoyed a varied and colourful career as a make-up designer and artist. In her career she has created the looks for characters such as Roald Dahl’s Mrs Twit, Medusa and The Gorgon Sister. She was behind the transformation of stars such as Mark Owen, giving him a ginger make-over for 'Bo Selecta', turning Davina McCall into a man and Russell Brand into a wolf for 'A Bears Tail'. Siobhán has also worked on ‘The Charlotte Church Show’, ‘Swinging’, ‘The Life of Charles Darwin’ and last year’s summer blockbuster ‘Sherlock Holmes’.
 
London resident Siobhán recently returned to Ireland to share her TV and film expertise for a two Day exclusive Special Effects Workshop at the LA Make-up Academy in Dublin. Between creating special effects such as bullet wounds, slit throats and wrists, burns and track marks, Siobhán caught up with IFTN.

IFTN: Siobhán, you started your career as a costume designer, why did you decide to make the move to make up?
Siobhán Harper Ryan (SHR): I was always fascinated by effects make-up. Also I felt the higher up I got working in costume the less involvement I was having with the whole thing – I never met with directors for example. So I started to lose a little interest. And I was coming up to the age of thirty and just decided I wanted a change.


Siobhan-Harper-Ryan in action

IFTN: Brave move!
SHR: Yes, and very scary. But I think it might have helped me – people see I’m no spring chicken and maybe that works in my favour in getting some jobs!
 
IFTN: Do you think your costume background gives you an edge as a make-up artist?
SHR: Yes, enormously, it’s helped me see the bigger picture. I understand what costume designers are going through and I can see things from their point of view. Also, where lower budget drama and documentaries are concerned I can often tie in the two which definitely gives me the edge.
 
IFTN: What did you study?
SHR: I started off by studying Millinery in the London College of Fashion and worked as an apprentice with a fashion designer. Then, once I decided make-up was my thing, I trained at the Delamar Academy of Make-up in London for a year.
 
IFTN: Are you feeling any pressure from the increasing number of filmmakers who are relying on CGI effects instead of the abilities of effects make-up artists?
SHR: It’s definitely something we’re all very aware of. We can make it work to our advantage though, I think. Obviously with TV we don’t face as much competition. At the moment I think we should fully embrace it. That said it’s still in its very early ages – come back to me in 20 years!
 
IFTN: One of the more alternative jobs you’ve had is being the effects make-up artist for Madame Taussauds. How does that work?
SHR: Well, they’ve actors in a lot of their venues like Warrick Castle and Alton Towers – they want to make the experience more interactive. So I go in, design the make-up and teach the actors how to create the look.


Barunka's Fun Bag

IFTN: One of the key areas you have worked in is impressionist make-up, do you ever have any reservations about some of the characters you are asked to create, for example Princess Diana in ‘Barunka’s Fun Bag’?
SHR: As a make-up artist you remove yourself. You are employed to help create a character so that's what I do. I love working with Barunka, she's a very talented and funny woman. I would however draw the line at doing a BNP commercial or campaign.

IFTN: A recent high point of your career was ‘Sherlock Holmes’ last August – how did that come about?
SHR: I was put forward for it like any other job. It was for the re-shoots, principal photography had finished the previous year. It was an amazing experience although my involvement was only small. The costume and make-up tents were vast, as is the case for most big budget period features.
 
IFTN: There was obviously a lot of pressure on set then?
SHR: Well, I was one of 30 make-up artists and we each had to get about 20 cast members (supporting artists) out on set on time looking the part. Hard work but great fun.
 
IFTN: Which do you prefer working on - films or TV?
SHR: I don't have a preference, I enjoy both. I like being HOD and to design but doing Sherlock gave me a chance to take a back seat as it were, all the fun of being a make-up artist without the responsibility of heading up the job.
 
IFTN: What’s been your favourite project so far?
SHR: I look back on ‘Tales of Uplift and Moral Improvement’ with great fondness, a 13 episode black comedy series spanning 400 years. Rik Mayall played the narrator as a Margaret Rutherford type character, it was enormous fun, he made it so easy. I was only out of college 6 months so it was quite a coo.


Siobhan gives Russell Brand a makeover

IFTN: What are you working on at the moment?
SHR: I’ve been working with impressionist Francine Lewis doing sketches for LivingTV. One of her best characters is Katie Price, she really could fool the public with it and its great fun for me because its almost drag make-up...but on a beautiful woman!
 
IFTN: Finally Siobhán, as someone who comes back to Ireland very regularly, can an effects make-up artist make it in Ireland?
SHR: I don’t have a very good idea of the TV industry here, but film-wise - definitely yes. The opportunities here for special effects make-up artists are definitely on the rise and especially with short films. And there is definitely a lot of skill here because I wouldn’t hesitate for a second in taking on any of the LA Make-Up Academy students I had this week on work experience. I was hugely impressed with the level of talent here.


 





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