A special effects make-up artist

Fredrick Kariuki was born in Kiambu and raised in Nakuru. As a child, Fredrick loved to sketch, and would mostly sketch images of himself in a cassock and title them, “Father Freddie” – he grew up wanting to be a priest.

“I admired my catechism teacher, he was very inspiring and very kind and helpful to people, I wanted to be like him.”

But that soon changed after graduation from Giakanja High School, Nyeri County in 2007.

“I just didn’t feel like I had the calling to be a priest anymore. I can’t really explain why.”

That December, Fredrick had no idea that his life would take an unexpected turn. Following the Post-election violence of 2007/2008, his family was displaced from their Nakuru apartment. Were it not for a family friend who took them in and sheltered them for the three months of the violence in a safe part of the town, he probably might not be telling his story today.

Despite the horror of it all, Fredrick couldn’t get himself to sit and watch as others suffered, and so he joined the Nakuru County Red Cross team as a volunteer, where he distributed relief food and other provisions to displaced families at the makeshift IDP camp at the Nakuru Showground. By night Fredrick was a volunteer, by day he was a student at a local college learning basic computer skills.

“I empathised with these people; it was very emotional and tiring, but I learnt that material things come and go. It humbles you and you value life more.”

Fredrick volunteered for over a year at the IDP camp until the camp was officially closed in 2009. He then sought an internship as he waited to study hairdressing.

“My mother was doubtful of my choice of career. She thought I would change my mind.” Fredrick decided to show his mother that he was serious about it and sought internship at an estate salon.

“I was the shampoo guy,” he laughs. He did the job with dedication, his aim  to be trusted with other tasks.

He still volunteered at the Red Cross while interning at the salon. During a Red Cross Youth event in 2009, Fredrick confided in a friend about his dream to become a hairdresser. This friend encouraged him to approach the Director of Vera Beauty College in Nakuru County, which he did. He then applied for a scholarship and was fortunate to receive a 50 per cent waiver on his tuition.

In mid-2009, Fredrick began his 3-months course in hairdressing. While in school; he would volunteer at Nakuru General Hospital ward 7, the burn unit, twice weekly to redress the patient’s burn wounds. Upon graduation, Fredrick got a job at a salon in Nakuru Town, “I was still the shampoo guy,” earning just Sh6,000 a month. But he would occasionally take clients after hours and braid their hair. “I knew braiding would be Sh1, 200. If I got one client a month to braid, I knew my rent was sorted.”

FLEDGLING CAREER

He also ran a bodaboda, a bicycle taxi business, transporting people for Sh20-30 to raise extra money to live off.

After a year of work, Fredrick saved up enough and returned to Vera Beauty College to study beauty, covering makeup, skin and also reflexology and massage for six months.

On graduation, he applied to four media houses to serve as an in-house studio makeup artist for news anchors. He got the opportunity to intern at KBC for three months. They liked his work and hired him on a full time basis, where he worked for two years.

In 2012, Fredrick was approached by Alison Productions to serve as the makeup artist for popular TV soap opera, Mali. He turned it down though, unsure of his skill. “There is a difference between set make up for productions and studio makeup for news. I do regret not taking that job though.”

A few months later, he was approached to work on makeup for two low budget TV productions that only aired for one season on K24 TV.

After the productions, Fredrick sought work in salons around Nairobi. In 2013 he got another opportunity to work on a local production - he would occasionally fill in for a fellow makeup artist in the Spielworks TV production Lies that Bind - that was Fredrick’s first time to create a special effect. “It was a scene where someone had been burnt, I managed to figure out how to make it realistic with what I had,” Fredrick states. Jane and Abel, a TV series, which aired on Africa Magic on DStv, was his next production. After the six months of production, Fredrick went back to work at a hair salon.

His big break came along when he got the opportunity to work with Zamaradi productions in 2014-2015, when they produced 71 movies in six months for MNET.

“We worked in teams; I worked on around 50 movies for the special effects,” Fredrick enthuses.

He was also fortunate to work with US-based production company, Anarchos Productions, who produced the hit Netflix TV series Sense8 when they were shooting in Kenya in 2015, as a volunteer. “The makeup artists took their time with the makeup to get it right; they weren’t rushed the way I always am in some local shoots.”

Fredrick has worked in special effects make up for six years now; he is currently working on a new production with Zamaradi Productions. Before the commencement of any production, he receives the production script, breaking down each scene. A day before production commences, he receives a call sheet, providing time and location of shooting the production. He then takes note of any special effects required. “Special effects can also include sweat,” Fredrick points out. “The script doesn’t specifically say all the time what the special effects are, you should also analyse the script and consult with the director with your suggestions,” he points out.

INTRICATE ART

Once that is done, Fredrick will progressively do the special effects make up throughout the production day, from as early as 6am, making any adjustments where need be. He works very closely with the wardrobe team who make the costumes for the actors. “It’s a team effort.” Fredrick also points out that great special effects makeup artists’ work is most effective when the actor plays their role well, making the effects more realistic.

Fredrick is self-taught and admits to investing most of his life saving in buying professional makeup for special effects and top tier fashion makeup for new skills of application such as airbrushing. “Whenever I see something new, I invest. Now I am also doing temporary tattoos for photo shoots.”

Do you think your experience working with burn victims helps you produce realistic special effects of injuries?

You can say so, but I think it is just having the necessary attention to detail and creativity. Anyone can Google these images and do the same.

How often do you get these special effects jobs, considering movie production in Kenya suffers from funding constraints?

I still get work. Even people with limited budgets in need of special effects will call me for one-off jobs. That is, I only come in to do special effects for one scene in the movie and leave – they don’t hire me for the whole production.

What did you learn, while volunteering on the Sense 8 set?

Products. You need the right high quality products.

How much do you charge for special effects?

I charge from Sh15,000 onwards. I charge based on the scope of work. Like, if I was to charge Victoria Rubadiri, the NTV news anchor, for the makeup my colleagues and I did on an interview on the Trend last year, discussing special effects makeup, it would have come to Sh50, 000.  I applied facial make up, making her look gory. She had bloodied teeth, blood streaming from her mouth and a cut and some blood on her face; I also darkened the area around her eyes to make her look pale like a Zombie. I also produced a burn effect on her hand.

What kind of materials do you use for special effects?

I use various products. Some I improvise from locally available materials and at times I have to import products. I use paints, special waxes and latex.

What challenges do you face?

Many don’t appreciate the work that I do; people don’t see the value of my craft and want to pay as low as Sh5, 000. At times, I go for shoots and productions and at the end, I am paid only half the amount we agreed on, only to be paid the rest in installments. The work is also not consistent, there are high and low seasons. The products are also very expensive and hard to get locally. I am passionate about what I do and that is what keeps me going.

Some entrepreneurs who struggle in such hostile industries at times create work for themselves, is that something you are doing as well?

Yes I am. PETANN driving school has now opened a college teaching hospitality courses. I have approached them and other beauty schools where I will be offering courses specifically focused on beauty, and more so special effects makeup. So far we have 15 students ready to learn and hope to get more.

How do you improve your skills?

I watch a lot of YouTube videos and have also joined online communities of special effects and makeup artists to learn from them. I even send images of my work to some of them to get their feedback. One of them is Germany’s top special effects company, Kryolan. They like my work. Their great response gave me so much motivation.

What are your hopes for the future?

To get a scholarship to study in Germany to advance my knowledge in special effects and start a special effects school in Kenya.  Right now the only place closer home to learn this is South Africa.

On average, how long does it take you to apply the special effects make up?

It depends on the extent of work needed; it takes from 20-25 minutes. And that is because I work closely with other makeup artists. It also depends on what we want to achieve and the product I am using, it is faster when using a special wax and latex.

How much does it cost you to buy the special effects products?

They are quite expensive. You can spend like Sh20,000, only to buy three products - that’s on the lower side. Being a real makeup artist, whether studio and fashion, which I also do, and special effects is a real investment. I am organising to purchase a makeup kit, which is like a mobile pop up makeup studio, which is quite costly.

What’s your advice to young people who want to get a career in special effects?

You need to be passionate about it. And if you are, start small, use wheat flour and even toilet paper or serviettes to begin with, and go online and learn application. But if you have the money to spare, you can buy the special effects products and try them on friends.

You also need to be patient; it isn’t very easy in the film industry. Not many film producers understand the work we do, some think that it is time wasting, delaying production when you take time to create the effects. You also need to consult with the director to ensure that what you envision from the script you are given is also what they also envision.

Do you offer classes on special effects?

Yes, I do. I have partnered with a friend, together, we offer weekly training. We charge between Sh30-40, 000 for one week’s training - three hours daily for a week. I also teach people how to airbrush. This is great when applying makeup for weddings and fashion shoots.

Who is the special effects artist you admire and want to be like?

I look up to Kevin Yagher, who did the makeup for the character, Freddy Krueger in the movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street.