My Experience as a Costume and Makeup Crew Member

When the production team announced the new project, I already knew where I wanted to be  the costume and makeup department. It is a place where characters are created, where ordinary people transform into the roles the audience will later fall in love with. I understood from the start that my job would be important because the way an actor looks can shape how real the story feels.

As soon as rehearsals began, I picked up the script and read it carefully. I wanted to understand every character, their personality, their background, and the time period they belonged to. This helped me picture the right clothes and makeup for each actor. I met with the director and other crew members to make sure my ideas matched the vision of the story. With my measuring tape in hand, I took measurements early, labelled costumes neatly, and started planning the makeup looks scene by scene.

Some costumes needed to be hired, so I made arrangements and treated each piece with extra care. I handled them as though they were fragile treasures, making sure nothing got damaged. I kept a small emergency kit by my side  needles, threads, safety pins  ready for any wardrobe emergency that might happen. For makeup, I arranged my brushes, powders, and products in order, always keeping them clean and prepared for quick touch-ups between scenes.

Of course, everything did not go smoothly all the time. There were moments when time seemed too short, or when the budget couldn’t cover everything I wanted. Sometimes actors were restless while being dressed, and at other times, fast costume changes made the backstage feel like a race. But I reminded myself to stay calm. With the help of my team, we pushed through each challenge.

At the end of each rehearsal day, I looked at the progress we had made and felt proud. I knew that with good planning, teamwork, and patience, the costume and makeup department would shine. My goal was simple  to make every actor look right for their role and help bring the entire production to life.

And as the performance day grew closer, I became even more confident that our work behind the scenes would help make the show truly beautiful and successful.