10 Things to Know About Working as a Hairdresser on a Movie Set

Working as a hairdresser on a movie set sounds like the dream for lots of budding session stylists, but the reality isn't all glitz and glamour. We recently caught up with Jan Sewell, the multi-award winning hair, makeup and prosthetics expert, to find out more about what it takes to make it in Hollywood. 

1. Be prepared to work hard "If you want an easy life, don't do this job. It's very competitive and you've got to like early starts - 4am is standard and I'm usually working for months at a time."

2. Keep learning "Don't stop doing courses, even when you've finished your initial training. Invest time in short courses in specialist areas; vintage styling, beard application - there are always things to learn. When I'm choosing a team, it's based on skill; so if it's period and there's lots of wigs, they need to be an expert with wigs. Don't miss out on opportunities by not being trained for them." [Jan's company regularly run hair and makeup courses here!

3. Know who you're applying to work with "Make sure you know who you're applying to work with and their body of work. For instance if you're interested on working in period films, make sure you find someone who does the same and not, say, horror. Research everything they've done and let them know you're a fan."

4. Don't be afraid of silence "You can't be uncomfortable with quietness. Some actors want to be involved in the hair and beauty process but it's often a very early start and they will just want to sit in silence and read their lines."

5. Be ready to network "As head of make-up, I talk to all of the other heads of departments so I know what's going on from their side. Lighting and post production can totally change what you've created, so it's important that you're involved. Same goes for the head of costume. When you're starting out, make sure you network with your peers and work on small projects with them - in ten years, they'll be the next generation of big names."

6. Be organised "I plot out the look for every single scene in detail and write it down and take photographs. Films aren't produced sequentially, so you need to know what the character looks like at every stage. "You also need to be physically prepared. Working on Everest in Nepal, we were on helicopters on the sides of the mountain just below base camp. We had to work out exactly what could be carried and precisely what products we would need. There's no option for forgetting things. "Organisation also applies to budgets - you need to work out exactly how much everything is going to cost from your side and be ready to rethink things if they decide to slash it."

7. Work experience is everything "Courses make you a great trainee, but spending time watching other artists is the absolute best way to learn and easily the most important thing you can do. Nothing substitutes for experience."

8. Do your research "It's nice to have as long as possible to research, especially if you're representing a real person. It can take me a good couple of weeks to prepare everything. You've got to get across a certain time period, mood or class in an instance - did all the men have short hair at that time? Was facial hair popular with the upper class? These are the things you've got to know. We filmed Wallis & Edward in Lithuania and the extras didn't look like high society British people in the 1920s, so I had to take boxes of wigs."

9. Capture the essence "If you're recreating a real person, it's not always about making the actor look exactly like them. Capturing the essence of a person is far more important."

10. Think about what the camera sees "Don't work for what you can see; think about what the camera can see. Actors do have a good side and angles that work and they usually know exactly what they are. This impacts where the hair is parted and what you do with the makeup, so make sure you're constantly checking on screen." Jan Sewell is a BAFTA-award winning hair, makeup and prosthetics designer who has worked on - amongst other things - The Theory of Everything, Les Miserables, X Men and the upcoming Everest. Her TV credentials include 15 years working with French and Saunders on their own sketch show as well as Absolutely Fabulous. She is also co-owner of Precious About Make-up, who regularly run make-up and hair courses.