I love any opportunity I can get to speak with Siân Miller, and what luck it was to have her on for "Wuthering Heights" to discuss all things wild... and contained. Braids for days, vacuum masks, intricate hairstyles only to never have film coverage, and yes... sigh... windburned cheeks. I have known Siân since she worked on Cyrano- a beautiful treasure of a film that many people might not know about, and we dug into all things Saltburn last time, but today we will talk about the film that has us all in the beauty world swooning. What did you think of Wuthering Heights? Have you tried any of the looks yourself?

Siân and I also talked about where Hair and Makeup Falls on the priority list of time on shoot days- I’d love to hear from other craft departments about this topic. Makeup and Hair is often disregarded as a chunk of time allotted to vanity, when it is actually vital to the character creation and needs to be reestablished every shoot day. What are your thoughts on this as filmmakers and artists yourselves?

Learn more about the products Siân used on-set here:

ShopMy

0:00 - Intro

4:04 - When to Modernize the Story

6:12 - Working with Emerald Fennel

9:13 - Creating Cathy’s Hair

12:41 - The Thought Behind The Skin Room

14:17 - Matching Cathy to the Dining Room

17:17 - The Making Of Siân’s Favorite Scene

19:56 - Meaning Behind the Freckles

22:27 - Makeup is an Underappreciated Art

28:10 - Working with Jacob Elordi Again

30:26 - Outro

To be fair, my interview with Miyako was before Marty came to our screens…. you’ve seen in previous posts my excuse for the dog eating my homework; I’ve been producing a film in Philadelphia and the timing is less than stellar. I was also waiting to speak to Mike Fontaine and Kyra Panchenko about their makeup work on Marty which has since been recognized by BAFTA, but Kyra is insanely busy and our schedules did not align. So I am finally releasing my talk with Miyako mostly for bragging rights that I, too was granted the honor of having this superstar on the show.

Miyako Bellizzi is THAT GIRL that you want to friends with. She is impossibly cool and effortlessly chic, and above all, spectacularly talented. Josh Safdi's Marty Supreme is without a doubt a polarizing film, but the one fact that is undisputed is it looked flawless. The authenticity, detail, and style are deserving of their Academy Award Nominations and we all knew from the moment this film was released that Bellizzi would be among those craftspeople who were recognized during awards season. I spoke to Miyako early in the film's release so we talked about the press tour a lot. I am not ashamed to admit that I have all the Marty Merch including the Wheaties Box. So while you may have seen this beautiful woman and her extraordinary work in this film featured everywhere from Vogue to Vanity Fair, we had a great time speaking off the cuff about the excitement of the cultural influence of an A24 press tour. Enjoy!

0:00 - Intro

3:37 - Miyoko from Uncut Gems to Marty

8:37 - Creating Gwyneth Paltrow’s Costume

10:00 - Women’s Fashion in the 50’s

12:13 - Individualizing Gwyneth’s Character

14:09 - Morphing Dylan into Marty

18:04 - Developing and Collaborating Looks

20:31 - How Character Arcs Transform Costumes

21:48 - Resonance with Marty’s Drive

23:21 - Outro

Currently, Mike Fontaine is Oscar Nominated for his work in SINNERS, and his work in Marty Supreme is BAFTA Nominated. I loved hearing Mike talking about knowing what he wanted before he hit double digits and how he became a protégé of Dick Smith—the legendary makeup artist behind The Exorcist and The Godfather—who mentored him into adulthood. Mike shares his experiences collaborating with director Ryan Coogler and the challenges of creating authentic characters. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at the artistry and passion that goes into making unforgettable cinematic moments and learn about Mike's deep appreciation of nature and how it is reflected in his work.

0:00 - Intro

2:28 - Mike’s Origins in Makeup

8:11 - Visualizing Sinners from Script to Screen

10:06 - Reality of Creating Looks on a Budget

12:09 - Authenticity and Realism in Creation

17:03 - The Mountain of Work

18:30 - Collaboration Is King

22:40 - Magic with Releases

24:25 - Mike’s Work on Marty Supreme

30:55 - Outro

In this episode of Look Behind the Look, host Tiffany Bartok welcomes the dynamic duo Barbara Guillaume & Amy Komorowski , renowned groomers who have worked with Hollywood's elite, including Bradley Cooper, Adam Driver and Leo DiCaprio. Together, they unveil the secrets behind their innovative product, Circa 1970 face oil, a, gender-neutral skincare product, formulated with bakuchiol to serve as a natural, non-irritating alternative to retinol. The women are transparent with their challenges (thank you, ladies, we are not alone it seems:), and reveal why their (ahem) very famous clients pay retail to secure this magic potion for themselves. Entirely self-funded and deeply inspirational, Amy and Barbara tell all about this extraordinary product and how it found its way to the most elite vanities in Hollywood and beyond.

I’ve used this magic potion and the smell alone is heaven-on-earth, not to mention the power of the product… and its two founders.

Head Here for Circa 1970 Oil

In this holiday edition of Look Behind the Look, we unwrap the layers of Terry Gilliam's 1985 film Brazil, a retro futurist fever dream that cleverly disguises its incisive critique of bureaucracy and authoritarianism as a Christmas movie. Join us as we explore the film's rich aesthetics, from its elaborate production design to the campy hair and makeup, revealing how these visuals reflect the emotional machinery of a society struggling under the weight of conformity and denial. Discover how Brazil remains relevant today, echoing our contemporary challenges with digital systems and the normalization of crisis.

0:00 - Intro 1:28 - Gilliam After Python: The Architect of Beautiful Nightmares 3:05 - The Look: A World Styled for Breakdown 4:12 - Camp as Survival & Bureaucratic Beauty 5:25 - Imagination as a Last Resort: Sam Dreams 6:18 - The Restaurant Scene: Elegance at the Edge of Collapse 7:05 - When Help Becomes Theater 7:41 - When Emptiness Becomes Violence 8:27 - The Christmas Setting: Festivity as Emotional Camouflage 9:36 - If Brazil Were Made Today 13:27 - Closing

I finally had the chance to have Frances Hannon on the show and yes, you have heard from her by now, but I know there are some tid-bits you will learn from our talk... perhaps you haven’t learned about John Chu’s bespokeiridescent blue for his horses...? How would you like to get your hands on that creation?

And for those of you who aren’t besieged with Wicked in your feed, this may be the first time you are learning about Frances’ process working with Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, John Chu on this epic adventure of WICKED and WICKED:FOR GOOD.

In this episode of Look Behind the Look, I chat with makeup designer Sharon Tabb, who shares her creative journey behind the scenes of the hit series “The Lowdown” and the important film “Sarah’s Oil.” Sharon shared with me her origin story and while I always love a “how did you get here” exchange, this one is truly remarkable as serendipity and a leap of faith were powerful players in Sharon’s arrival to her career. If you are just getting started in your career, this episode is full of words of wisdom, and if you are far along in your journey, you will love hearing about what keeps Sharon motivated as I am sure you can relate. I was truly recharged after spending time with her and I know you will be too.

We’ve all seen Frankenstein by now and those who have seen it in the theater (hi!) have no doubt shamed those who watched on Netflix, but we can all agree that the film is GORGEOUS and we no doubt found ourselves confusingly (or maybe not so confusingly) attracted to The Creature. In this episode, Prosthetic Designer Mike Hill talks in delightful detail about every detail of the creation and evolution of The Creature and explains how Jacob Elordi, Guillermo del Toro and more all collaborated to bring this work of art to life.

Enjoy! And let me know what you think as always…

0:00 - Intro

2:44 - Building a New Frankenstein

8:15 - The Creature’s Bold First Impression

9:20 - Creativity Through Color

12:29 - The Rush To Get The Job Done

15:50 - Seeing The Creature Come To Life

16:50 - Response to Frankenstein’s Release

18:56 - Mike and Guillermo: From Monsterpalooza to Partners

24:29 - Victor’s Artistry And Influence On The Creature

27:33 - How The Creature’s Eyes Came To Be

29:49 - Jacob Elordi’s 10 Hour Transformation

Go behind the scenes of Weapons as Look Behind The Look with Melizah Wheat, Leo Satkovich and Jason Collins. They reveal how the hair, makeup, and SFX team created the unforgettable Aunt Gladys. From the offset wig to the prosthetics and makeup that shaped her entire character arc, this episode breaks down every creative choice that brought her to life.

0:00 Intro

5:08 Meeting Aunt Gladys

7:12 Wig Creation

11:30 Makeup Design

15:30 Debunking Theories

17:55 Character Arc Through Makeup

19:55 Prosthetics

23:00 Origin of the Offset Wig

27:00 The Lasting Impact of Aunt Gladys

WATCH WEAPONS

But wait! There’s more...

https://linktr.ee/lookbehindthelook

#MiaNeal #TheSmashingMachine #BehindTheScenes

Get ready for one of my most favorite episodes ever.

Firstly, WHY HAVEN’T YOU SEEN THE SMASHING MACHINE? I saw this film on opening weekend as a #BennySafdi die hard, and was lucky enough to get to pick Oscar Winner, Mia Neal’s beautiful brain about the work she did in the Hair Department for it right after. Let me just tell you, I had NO IDEA what she was about to tell me. Holy Smokes, did Ms. Neal conquer some challenges- in fact, I believe the quote she ended with when I turned off the zoom was “I’m going to be in so much trouble when this airs”... You are going to LOVE this episode, the sound advice Mia shares and examples of sheer bravery she provides in this packed hour.

Watch THE SMASHING MACHINE HERE

0:00 - Intro

2:47 - What It’s Like Working With The Safdie Brothers

6:55 - How Dwayne Became Vulnerable For The Role

13:49 - Transforming Emily Blunt into Dawn

17:04 - The Secret Behind Crafting Biopic Looks

23:00 - How Mia Balanced Both Dwayne and Emily’s Wigs

27:00 - The Drama Behind Mia Being Denied Entrance To The Camera Test

31:20 - Stunt Double Wig Fiasco

38:35 - Disaster of A First Fitting

44:20 - Mia Perseveres And Saves The Day

49:45 - What It Took To Maintain Dwyane’s Wig

59:12 - Hair Is An Underappreciated Art

1:02:44 - Outro

But wait!

There’s more...

https://linktr.ee/lookbehindthelook

Presenting a new fest special. Jayce Bartok guest hosts to speak to the filmmakers of Pretty/Dirty which you can see at DOCNYC this year.

Filmmakers Jennifer Ash Rudick and Amanda M. Benchley speak on their new documentary, Pretty/Dirty, diving deep into Marilyn Minter’s provocative art, exploring themes of beauty, power, and the female gaze. Jayce, Jennifer, and Amanda discuss how Minter’s work challenges societal norms while simultaneously celebrating the intricacies of glamour and rebellion. Listen in as they share insights about the creative process behind the film, the challenges of documentary filmmaking, and the significance of Minter’s unique perspective in the art world. With an emphasis on the importance of chosen family and the impact of ageism, this episode reveals the layers of Minter’s artistry and the cultural conversations it ignites.

See PRETTY/DIRTY at DOC NYC November 20 in NYC.