Get Your First Gig

(Without Selling Your Soul or Your Makeup Kit)

Everything they didn't teach you in makeup school - about how to actually get your first job on a film or TV set.

Even if you've just graduated, have no credits yet, and have no idea where to start.

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Today's Price: $57

↑ July 16th midnight: $77 ·

July 22nd onwards: $97 - permanently

I'M READY - TAKE ME TO CHECKOUT ↓

What's inside Get Your First Gig:

✔ The exact framework for finding and approaching the right people - I'll show you who they are, how to find them, and how to reach them properly.

✔ The outreach message that actually gets a response - most artists send messages about themselves. I'll show you how to write the kind of message that makes a HOD want to reply (and exactly what not to say - which almost everyone gets wrong).

✔ What to say when they ask about your kit - and why your tools matter far more than your product stock. You don't need an expensive kit to get started. You need a confident, honest answer. I'll give you one.

✔ What to say when a HOD actually replies - how to handle your first real conversation, the questions to ask, what not to say, and how to go from "thanks for reaching out" to "when can you start?"

✔ The follow-up formula that 90% of artists skip - and that consistently separates the artists who work from the ones who don't. Two minutes. Almost nobody does it. The ones who do - work.

✔ Thirty years of on-set experience - distilled into the practical, specific knowledge about how film and TV makeup departments actually work, what HODs are looking for when they build their team, and how you go from 'I just graduated' to 'I'm on set.'

✔ The exact words to use in your first message to a HOD - a fill-in-the-blank outreach template you can personalise and send this week.

Founding Members Also Get:

✔ The lowest price this course will ever be offered. Not a sale. Not a temporary discount. Once founding member doors close at midnight on 21 July, the price goes to $97 and stays there.

✔ A live Q&A call with me. Just you and the founding cohort - bring anything. Your situation, the bit you're stuck on, a question about your career. One time only, founding members only.

✔ Lifetime access to all future updates. The industry shifts. New dynamics, new etiquette, new conversations. You get everything I add, forever.

✔ A founding member testimonial slot if the course works for you. I'll ask once. That's it.

Everything in Get Your First Gig comes from 30 years on film and TV sets - the HOD relationships, the outreach strategies, the career navigation.

Not theory.

Not advice from someone who read about it. The real mechanics, from someone who has lived them.

Note: due to the digital nature of this course, all sales are final. That said - I am confident this is the most useful career investment you'll make as a new film and TV makeup artist. If you have any questions before purchasing, DM me on Instagram @themakeuprefinery.

I've just finished my makeup training - is this the right time to get this?

Yes - honestly, this is the ideal time. Everything in Get Your First Gig is designed for artists who are trained and ready but don't yet have a clear path into film and TV work. The earlier you know how this industry operates, the less time you spend in that frustrating in-between stage.

I've been trying to break into film and TV for a while with no luck. Will this actually help?

If you've been applying and not hearing back, it's almost never about your skill level. This course covers the specific, practical reasons most new artists don't get responses — and gives you a clear framework to change that. Many artists find that a few small shifts in how they approach outreach make an immediate difference.

What exactly is a Head of Department (HOD) and why do I need to know about them?

The Head of Department (also known as a Department Head, or DH) is the person who builds the makeup team on a film or TV production. They're the one who decides who gets hired - not the production company, not the producer, not the actor. Most new artists waste months approaching the wrong people. This course makes sure you know exactly who to talk to and how.

Do I need to live in a specific city or country for this to be relevant?

The framework in this course applies to film and TV production anywhere in the world. The specific people and credits in your area will be different, but the way departments are structured, how HODs hire, and what they're looking for is consistent across the industry globally.

How long is the course and how do I access it?

Get Your First Gig runs over 4 weeks.
You get instant access to the first module of the course as soon as you complete your purchase. It's a self-paced online course - and each module is released one week at a time. This way, you can work through it at whatever speed suits you. I've designed it to be practical and direct, not padded.

My kit is small and I don't have much experience yet. Will I still get value from this?

Absolutely - this course is specifically for makeup artists who are at the beginning. One of the things I cover is exactly what to say about your kit when you're just starting out, and why not having a huge kit matters far less than most people think. Confidence and professionalism get you hired. Not inventory.

How is this different from other courses about working in makeup?

Most makeup education focuses on technique - how to do the work. This course focuses on how to get the work. It covers the specific, practical mechanics of breaking into film and TV: who to approach, what to say, how to show up, and what to do once you get a chance. Thirty years of on-set experience went into it.

I'm scared I'm not ready enough. Is there a better time to do this?

The 'not ready yet' feeling is one of the most common reasons talented artists stay stuck longer than they need to. This course is designed to give you the information that makes you ready. There isn't a better version of you six months from now who would benefit more from this. The version of you right now is the one who gets to use it.

just fill out your info to get instant access to Get Your First Gig:

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Set Smarts

Set Smarts

What if you already knew exactly what to expect on day one?

[HIGHLY RECOMMENDED]

Get Your First Gig teaches you how to get hired.

Set Smarts is what you read the night before you show up.


This 20-page guide covers the things that catch every new artist off guard - the parking situation nobody warns you about, the crew hierarchy and exactly who to ask what (and who never to ask where the bathrooms are), what you'll actually be doing in those first hours, and the two-minute thing almost nobody does after their first day that the artists who do it consistently, work.

There are pull-out quick reference cards at the back. They're designed to live in your kit bag and come out the morning of every early job.

You're about to invest in learning how to get the gig. This is what makes sure you don't waste it when it comes.

Add Set Smarts to your order for just $17.00 

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