Working The Makeup Dept Budget With Desired FX

In the world of film and TV, budgets can be the biggest constraint alongside time, to the creative process. For the makeup department often this means we have to search out cost-efficient options to create a particular look or downgrade the process to fit the money available, thankfully, there are services like Desired FX that can help with this and give you a budget-friendly, professional add-on to your kit that will push the department ahead.

From silicone wounds to scars, tattoos including bruising and standard designs, Desired FX offers up a range of products that will work for most scenarios and even offers a studio custom service to allow further scope for creativity on a budget.

With increasing options in the digital market from Amazon to HOD TV (Horror on Demand), the indie film sector has never been so popular with the on-demand film/TV sector becoming bigger year on year, but budgets being tight in the circuit, having the option of a team like Desired FX who can provide cost-efficient options for the FX department, there is scope to bring a different dimension as a department head working smart with the available funds.

To learn more about Desired FX or to purchase see:

Desired FX shop ( 10% off on all products with the promo code "JamesClark10")

Desired FX Instagram.

Desired FX Facebook.

Updates From The Creative Sphere

Over at the Lost Creatives home office, we have been plugging away at our work and will have some project announcements and cast/crew requirements going live very soon. While this is being worked out, we have some announcements that as a team we are really excited about and wanted to share.

As creative director and head of makeup, JamesC, has been instrumental in the development of his new site and working on a consultation basis, for Sons of Adonis makeup (it will be added to his working kit), as part o this a limited edition brush was created featuring his logo and the brand: available from the Sons of Adonis site.

In terms of production and editorial, we have decided to add to our site holdings and will be launching a separate photography site that will feature the work of JamesC both his commercial work and the behind-the-scenes stills on film and TV shoots. The reasoning for this is to allow an expanded sense of his creative work and offer a different perspective on the work of a makeup artist.

Lost Agency is being formed and set around the needs of the main business and will handle the overall marketing, banking, and other elements of our work as an umbrella creating an in-house and full-spectrum setup that is own, controlled, and managed for the needs of the Lost team.

Over the next few weeks, we will be releasing additional details on what is happening and casting/crew opportunities for smaller festival entry projects.

Sideshow IPA Palettes by The AFX Company

The Allied FX company is widely known for their professional-grade IPA (Isopropyl alcohol activated) palettes under the name Bluebird FX and their latest addition to the family: Sideshow, an affordable, quirky, high-grade palette that since its launch in February has in short order become a go-to for makeup artists across the spectrum of the creative fields.

“With a clever mix of old favorites and brand new colors, the sideshow palettes are stealing the show for their cost-effective quirkiness. “

Currently, a range consisting of 7 palettes (with other elements being added soon) each with its own unique color set and vintage style cover image, the palettes are designed carefully to suit a particular requirement and has the savvy of a team who are working artists themselves looking to make not just their jobs a little simpler but also a little more fun, beyond the quirks you can see what is a genius move for the Allied FX Company, opening the door to a whole host of new clients from students to professionals the Festival range is perfect for those working in the low to mid-range budgets of film and TV (with the increasing use of internet services such as HOD TV, Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Streamlette, this will be a welcome addition to a makeup kit) and carries over the larger, high scale budget productions, a professional palette that transcends its price range of $59.10 in Australia (in the UK £36) and puts a whole new slant on character work and development.

• Body art: designed for body art and tattoo creation.

• Bruiser: a unique and carefully structured palette suited to its name, bruising.

• Dark Ride: a series of day glow shades that come to life under blue light.

• Dead-Alive: Perfect for zombies and illness, the death pallor look of haunted houses and Halloween.

• Gore: for the creation of scratches, cuts, and wound filling a box of tricks that is worthy of note.

• Gothic: aethereal and suited to those deeper, more cool tones looks (think vampire).

• Rouge: designed for breaking down and creating crusty characters and drunks.

For us at the lost creatives, yes we can see a use for the whole set but standing tall in this are 2 in particular that we are adding to our working kit via creative director and head of makeup JamesC, to match the work and styles of shoots we have planned for TV and print: Bruiser and Gore, which will be perfect additions to our work and will see multiple uses with the possibilities of this range being endless and others coming into play with projects in development (early stages of scripting).

In what is a market-led move, the Allied FX Lab are tackling and offering up quality products at a lower price point without compromise, the AFX company are amongst an elite of the profession and are pushing the boundaries of the makeup world giving us what we need to create the most realistic (and surreal when required) and putting the prosumer at the heart of their thinking.

The Festival range fits perfectly with a wide array of requirements and situations including:

• Students.

• Film and TV production professionals.

• Haunted House.

• Halloween artists.

• Cosplay.

To learn more about the range or to purchase see:

The Allied FX company website.

The Allied FX company Instagram.

The Allied FX company Facebook.

Project Planning With Nepal Productions

We really do owe a debt of gratitude to our team in Nepal especially Digbijaya Bharati from the Nepal Film Production team, who has been patient during the lockdown and happy to continue working via Whatsapp so we can as a team which gets our work moving forward, not just with media but other elements and promotional avenues we are exploring. As our regular readers will be aware our plans are geared toward Intenet TV, in particular, the horror and Thriller genres with a sideline in the editorial market to boost marketing via social accounts and strategic placement of ads.

For us, it has become planning and strategy that allows us to focus our energies in new areas of business and develop further as a business although at heart we still love makeup work and our creative director JamesC is part and parcel of the ongoing plans, we are all on board with changes being made to the business and have some smaller elements such as the facecharts being brought back in (the JamesC facechart will be available again via his site soon).

We already have several scripts in play for development in the realm of TV and will be working on a range of new images and behind the scenes work while the weather is good and allows us flexibility, the new guidelines for production work will be a big part of how we move forward ensuring everyone involved is safe and the work is handled carefully.

As our previous blog has stated we are going to also look at skills development for our in-house team to allow us to multitask and keep the crew requirements to a minimum and safe.

*Change in how the media and fashion industry will be massive and we are doing all we can to ensure that our staff is safe, the team (both the UK and South Asian) are up to date on the latest changes.

Starting The Ball rolling

The last few months have been a creative dead end for many in the arts and now we are starting to see a relaxing of the rules and feel that we can open up a little more our core UK team has begun putting together small shoots and will continue building up a whole new portfolio including videos for an upcoming new site and as a part of the current slate of Lost Media work, all headed up by creative director JamesC. At the moment we do have a small amount of work that is being edited (inhouse) being prepped for submission to a very specific selection of magazines and we are looking closely at the options for creating our own logo and branding around the Lost Concept that will expand our reach further into the future.

Naturally, we are still working with our South Asian contacts especially Nepal Film Production who has been instrumental in the most recent changes to what we are doing and helping us with details like our web presence which we are extremely grateful for.

Keeping the flow of work going has been difficult but thanks to a combination of social media like Instagram, Facebook messenger and of course Whatsapp, we have been able to continue working and the Lost Project, in particular, has been really gathering attention and support thanks to our resources and contacts in New York at the Sarah Gargano Agency, who are a fantastically professional team to work with.

Overall, the ideas that we had to set up our own small studio and continue have been shelved instead we are going to focus our energies on a more mobile version of this with our main work being done on the computer anyway from the running of the various sites and social accounts we have to the editing work for our shoots it has become more about practicality as we think of ways to minimize our footprint and give us the freedom to travel, move quickly and of course provide a service.

Lost In The Horror

We are in the midst of what would (and most likely will be) the source of many new thriller and horror film and TV plots, the lockdown is the start of a refresh of the industry which we will be taking full advantage of and have been in all honesty planning around for a long time as Horror is the genre of choice for us both artistically and commercially, more than ever with the support of the HOD TV team (submit your films here).

For us and our partners, Horror has all the potential we need to feel fulfilled as an artist: our actors can play the character and develop the narrative, the writers are loving the scope of the human mind for fear, for our creative director JamesC, it’s about the makeup and of course our remote teams it’s all about the locations (our Nepal production contacts are delighted with this idea). There is something in this for each of us to get our teeth into and we have room to work together as a collective to push an agenda that suits us and it does also open up other potential aspects that could be realistically deemed vanity projects with a slight commercial twist.

With many magazines and film festivals dedicated to the Horror and Thriller genres, we can easily utilize different suppliers and resources to keep the costs down while maintaining the gore and chills.

Talking of Keeping the costs down, it is fairly straightforward and can be augmented by companies like Monster Fx or the supply house Red Carpet FX (who stock our favorite IPA palettes from Ripper FX).

The future is in our hands and we are taking our own direction on this with plans in motion to do both editorial/print work in this darker style and of course TV projects that will be at the heart of the work, a commercially driven but still artistically driven venture.

MonsterFX Supplies

Founded in 2014, MonsterFX has become a staple of artists kits worldwide.  From its humble roots in a spare room to a respected and loved brand of character appliance suited to the film, TV and print market.  

Created inhouse and developed by UK artists, the brand has gone from being an intellectual exercise and Halloween sideline to a cottage industry with global reach that has seen the product range increase to the now 40+ prosthetics including classics such as “the mummy” to the more contemporary “zombie” with the most commonly required casualty sim pieces.  

A horror artist dream when working to a tight budget the team is happy to talk terms and will even create custom pieces and orders when required.  The inhouse sculptors all bring something unique to the table and have built a stellar reputation both for their work with MonsterFX and within the industry. 

From a professional artist whose work goes across various budgets and constraints, the scope and potential of the MonsterFX range is epic and offers a creative playground that will not only add dimension to film and TV projects but save cost without compromising on quality.  

With the constant changes and innovations in the market, the company is excelling in the character field and giving artists of all stripes access to the best possible products and materials making the work of a makeup artist a little simpler and creating happy productions with the depth of horror required to offer thrills, chills and on Halloween a dimension of fear that will be unrivaled at parties.

To learn more about the Monster FX range or to purchase see:

MonsterFX Website.

MonsterFX Facebook.

MonsterFX Instagram.

MonsterFX Youtube.

MonsterFX Twitter.

Westmore FX

Something that is often missed when talking about the Westmore’s as a brand (and a Hollywood family) is that they were also part of the FX revolution that for the film and TV industry has helped shape the film industry in particular character work in the horror and sci-fi genres.

Westmore Effects SilicONE Adhesive

Split into 8 distinct areas the Westmore FX range of glues, removers, and primers for FX work is a savvy and well-curated range designed to fit the needs of most situations:

1. SilicONE Adhesive

2. SilicONE Thinner

3. SilicONE Matte Adhesive

4. SilicONE Adhesive Spray

5. DEUX Adhesive

6. SilicONE Remover

7. PrimeONE Surface Prep

8. NEXUS Bond Enhancer

Developed alongside the Westmore Families’ own work in the industry, these are the products that have become staples of the smart FX artists working kit and are recognized for their pro-grade and homegrown industry credentials. Independently owned, the range is a standout in the profession with a heritage that goes back over a century making it not only a legacy brand in its own right but a must for those specialists who want a tried and tested range that will stand up to the rigors of the professional arenas of film and TV FX work.

With the pus points of being a vegan, USA made and cruelty-free the Westmore FX range is one of those professional ranges that is designed, manufactured and tested within the industry to the highest standards.

To learn more about the range or to find a stockist see:

Westmore FX website.

Westmore FX Instagram.

Westmore FX Facebook.

Westmore FX Twitter.

The Lost Creatives in 2020

In a short space of time, The Lost Creatives has become a major part f the Lost Narrative and we are really proud of what we have achieved to date. In 2020 we are looking forward to what will be a clean slate opportunity and taking the more strides toward achieving our creative goals.

We will be working on new and exciting projects with our affiliates and partners across the globe and making a concentrated effort to increase our marketing, expand on the narrative of professionals in the media sector. Our creative director is reopening his website as a portfolio only site and will continue in his capacity as the resident beauty blogger for The Lost Project and as our primary blogger as well as.

Expansion of the Lost Narrative is being worked on and we will be looking at bringing online (over the course of the year) an additional site that will become our home for film and TV, management services are also being addressed for the new year which will allow us a higher degree of control over how and where we are pushed as a brand.

Part of the expansion will include an increased and focused drive to work closely with our partners Nepal film production and of course HOD TV.

Both of whom we are really proud to be associated with on the film and TV side of our business. It is also worthy of note that World Fashion Media News will see more of our work in print and have exclusive access to the creative team for profiles etc.

In the coming year, The Lost Creatives will be pushed heavily and we will continue to work The Lost Narrative to showcase not just our creative team but the creativity and ingenuity of the media sector as a commercial entity.

The Office of Lost Creatives

We have been really working hard over the last few months designing, meeting with stylists and wardrobe staff and negotiating contacts that will come into full effect in the new year. Much of the work has been done in our home office with emails, WhatsApp messages and our social accounts being heavily used for international calls and messaging.

There are some really big announcements to come as our continuing work Nepal Film Production and they're associated businesses along with plans to shoot a TV series here in Scotland mid-2020.

Portfolio wise, the JamesC mua site will be reopened for the new year and we are working with James on updates and script choices for festival entries (micromania film festival we are coming). Naturally, we will be looking at the Himalayan film festival as well.

Something we are focused on getting done is more of the out of the box fx work to update our books and give some depth to the upcoming shoots we have planned and of course there is our beauty work which will be tied to creative director JamesC webstore with My Beauty Brand.

We are really excited about the prospects for 2020 and so grateful to all our supporters.

Refreshing The Lost Concept

In the last month, we have been working really hard on the creative and more solid business elements of our work and we are really grateful to our partners for not only being in regular contact but helping with giving us a new direction and helping to define boundaries.

Over the next few weeks, we will be working with our creative director JamesC on what will be his relaunch, a new portfolio website and shop with My Beauty Brand is being constructed to showcase his work and separate him from the more lifestyle and art-based work of the Lost Project.

With all the new doors being opened up to us with our new collaborative relationships and partnerships in place with companies such as Nepal Film Production and HOD TV, whos horror and thriller distribution service we will be making good use of, we are really gearing up for the new year as the starting point of a whole new and fresh business year.

Lost Project will continue as an art, beauty and lifestyle blog with a new element of travel (which we are really happy to take on) with efforts made toward creating new work for that site around its current themes.

Lost creatives as a site is going to expand and we will have a new banner for production coming soon, with ties to our current team members here in Scotland and some more options coming to the fore with our partners overseas.

Overall, we are happy with our new direction and will continue to push boundaries with our team and media partners.

Out of Kit Prosthetics

Out of Kit Prosthetics was an interesting Instagram find by our creative director who was researching options for upcoming projects including a TV series and several shoots which will require Prosthetics. What caught our attention as well as his, was the potential of the range and selection. Built around film grade materials (silicone and top quality skin-safe adhesives), the Out of Kit range is a film artist dream for cost-effective and high-grade materials that will revolutionize the indie film sector in particular.

Image courtesy of Out of Kit

What drew us into the potential of the out of kit range was this quote from the website:

“When you’re being crushed by production deadlines, there’s no room to do anything but react. You can only run around putting out whatever fire is burning brightest.”

As we are working with the team from Nepal Film Production on PR and project development, this has the potential to be a real asset to us long term and the catalog of items on the website have already got us thinking about how and where these items can be used to add depth to our character for the TV Show we have planned for 2020. Standing out for us is the fighter kit (available in 4 different skin tones), which would fit perfectly with one of our planned stills shoots).

Out of Kit offers a bespoke service (details available via the site below) as well as their premade items and collections including trauma, old age, fantasy, and character.

To learn more about the company or to purchase from the range see:

Out of kit Website

Out of Kit Facebook

Out of Kit Instagram