Three years have past since I left CBMA and what a roller coaster of a ride it has been. Where to start? After a shaky start (where my class graduated at a time when not a lot of the big films were being filmed), I couldn't get much work experience let alone any trainee work. With much perseverance, a lot of hard work and quite a bit of after care from yourself things began to happen for me. Firstly I was getting daily trainee work on Gulliver's Travels and then I got asked to go to Tenerife on the remake of the Clash of the Titans. It was an amazing opportunity. After which I met some lovely designers and other make-up artists. I went on to do small bits and bobs but nothing major. One thing you learn about this industry is that you must always keep on trying to make contacts and stay in the people’s minds that you meet. If your doing your best then the make-up designers you work with will always remember you.

I decided that I needed to get some experience in theatre and was very lucky that a lovely lady (who also became a very good friend) took me under her wing to build up my confidence. She helped me to get a wig test at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden which I passed and have luckily been freelance there ever since. Over the next couple of years I got dailies on films as a junior and slowly but surely I was getting asked to be on some main teams for the odd projects such as Horrible Histories and Threesome.

I've met the most amazingly talented people on my way and have learnt so much from them. I did lots of unpaid work, that even though they were unpaid, the experience and the things I learnt from the kind people who were eager to pass on their tips and tricks were invaluable. Now I am getting work as a full paid daily work on some big budget films. One of which is Wrath of the Titans because of the theatre experience I got. So to have worked on the previous film as a trainee and then to go on to the second film as a full daily feels a great sense of achievement and that other hair and make up artists see me as a full daily too is a great feeling.

The journey still continues and it WILL continue to be bumpy but hey when does life run smoothly and if it did it wouldn't be a roller coaster ride, it would be a train ride.... boring!

Sylvia Atkins

I graduated from CBMA summer 2010 and since then I've been lucky enough to get involved in several varied projects, training and assisting on two contemporary feature films, horror film Truth or Dare, thriller Twenty8k as well as working on period comedy, Austenland ( which was so much fun). After that I worked on BBC period series Mystery of Edwin Drood which will show on BBC2 on 1st and 2nd of January 2012. In this role I've been heavily involved in getting the crowd ready each day as well as helping with the main cast which involved full Victorian hair and make up for men and woman, so lots of dirting down including setting, dressing and applying facial hair, where I've gained lots of experience. In between that I also worked on two short films and two music videos.

I have to say that CBMA and lovely Petar really helped me in getting some of this jobs, so I would like to say a big Thank you to Petar for always being so kind, helpful and having time to talk and everyone at CBMA for opening so many doors for me.

Take care and see you all soon.

Karolina

I left CBMA in June 2010, and since then there have truthfully been many ups and downs along the way!!

For the first year I did a variety of different jobs mainly unpaid student films, which are a really amazing way of meeting people in the industry and learning on the job, because you really do get thrown in at the deep end with directors suddenly deciding they wants litres of blood (and having to run to Sainsbury’s for ingredients to try and create it)!!! All of which is scary and intimidating at the time but really is the best way to learn and gain confidence.

Then in June 2011 (after being recommended by another CBMA trainee I met while doing days on Sherlock Holmes and 47 Ronin) I became the crowd room trainee on Dark Shadows the new Tim Burton film. It was the most amazing experience learning the whole process from fittings to the huge crowd days, in which I met so many amazing hair and makeup artists in the crowd room.

I then went straight with Julia Vernon (the head of the crowd room) onto Great Expectations which finished December 2011. Another amazing film to work on because it was set in the 1800s, I have never seen such amazing, detailed hair styles. I really learnt so much from these two jobs, little things like techniques for applying facial hair, dirtying down and how to sew a wig on when somebody has to be filmed in the water. I consider myself so lucky to of worked with and been taught by such great hair & makeup artists while being paid. It doesn’t quite seem right!

I’m currently on holiday in Australia, but when I get home my real aim is to try and get into the West End, after doing a days’ work experience on a show and being advised by EVERYONE to do so, I think it’s the best way to learn and really become good at hair which is SO important.

CBMA is the best decision I’ve ever made, and I think reading things online Christine said about her job really prepared me, it’s not easy, it’s not glamorous, and you do have to set your alarm for 3am but I’m so glad I did it because I can’t see myself doing any other job!

Sorry it’s so long but it’s hard to fit so much in!!!