Please HELP!

As you know, I have worked on several small shorts and the most fabulous of films, THE WISE KIDS.  And through these ventures, I have met people talented well beyond their years.  My dear friend, Justin Baker is directing a film called STRANGERS YESTERDAY about a woman dealing with her past while trying to be open to the possibility of love at first sight...

There are a plethora of little costs that go along with making great films however.  And this is where you come in...  Please take a second to help out STRANGERS YESTERDAY by clicking HERE.  Any little donation will help this project get started.  Also, you can check out the Facebook page for STRANGERS YESTERDAY by clicking HERE!

Thanks Y'all!!  :D

A Charleston Premiere of THE WISE KIDS!

Hey dolls!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with loved ones and yummy food. I certainly had my fair share of Grandma's cornbread stuffing and pumpkin pie - my favs! But Thanksgiving is about more than the feast and football. It is a time to reflect on the things we are most thankful for in life. And I am truly blessed with amazing friends and family, without which I would not have been able to fulfill one of my dreams recently...

After over a year of waiting, the Charleston premiere of THE WISE KIDS finally happened!! It was such a great weekend. I spent a lot of time remeniscing about the time I lived in Charleston, the countless hours spent making the film, overnight shoots, the delerium that caused friendships I will cherish forever, and the list goes on. There is just a certain charm about Charleston that will always have a special place in my heart. But being reunited with the cast and crew of THE WISE KIDS and seeing my name listed under "makeup artist" on a big screen (and I mean BIG as the premiere was at the Hippodrome in downtown Charleston) will definitely be filed under one of the coolest experiences of my life!

After seeing THE WISE KIDS for myself (twice), I can see why it has received so much positive press and won eight awards at festivals such as Outfest. The director, Stephen Cone had a vision of telling a story about the lives of faith-based Southerners and their struggles with daily life. So he gathered cast and crew from Charleston and Chicago to create THE WISE KIDS. During the filming process, it was hard at times to picture everything coming together so perfectly as each scene had to be broken down to consider every detail. Indeed, it did though. I have to admit that I was very proud of the makeup on this film. Everyone looked amazing!! All my worrying about makeup continuity throughout the film actually paid off! The joke remains: "Can we get Christien on set with sweat rags?" HA!! It was the middle of summer in Charleston and it was HOT! So I had to make sure the makeup didn't melt off and that the actors didn't appear sweaty even though they were dying at times!

I think the film is nothing short of amazing and for that, I am truly thankful to have been a part of THE WISE KIDS. To watch the trailer of THE WISE KIDS, click HERE!!!! And to see more pics, etc. from the premiere, click HERE!!!

with "THE WISE KIDS" (Tyler, Molly, and Allison)
with my loves, Justin (production assistant) and Tanesha (hair)

"Liberating Jessie"

Hey dolls!! Hope all is well with everyone.

So waaaayyyyyy back in 2009, I worked on a short film called "Liberating Jessie" with Trident Technical College in Charleston, SC. It was a fun experience and it's always cool to be on set doing what I love... MAKEUP!! The short is about a young adult ("Jessie") dealing with the existentialism of life.

And now, finally the efforts of everyone involved with this project are coming together for it to be shared with the world!! "Liberating Jessie" will be featured as part of a Special Screening of SC Short Films at Cinebarre in Mt. Pleasant, SC. For more info about this event, click HERE!

In the meantime, here are a few pics...

THE WISE KIDS

Well friends. A month has passed since I packed my brush rolls, loaded the makeup kit and headed to Charleston, SC to work on a little indie film called THE WISE KIDS. The writer/director, Stephen Cone as well as most of the cast/crew traveled from Chicago to work on this project. Dubbed a "labor of love" by Stephen, I think this film is something most everyone will be able to relate to. It's about three friends who deal with their beliefs, sexuality, and friendships the summer between high school and college. I can honestly say that I am proud to be a part of this film. The makeup applications were fairly simple and with a great looking cast, my job was never hard. For the crucifixion one scene, I got to have a little fun with blood and bruising but overall Stephen requested that everyone look real. So that's what I did. Along with keeping the sweat rags handy since we often filmed either outside in 90 degree heat or inside with no air condition. Overall though, great friends were made. A great film was made. And I got to spend a month in Charleston saying good-bye to one of my favorite cities. Onward to Orlando, FL now where I have established permanent residency and plan to continue doing great makeup! At least until my next travels...

Here are a couple pics from the movie that I love. I will add more to the website soon! In the meantime, Enjoy...

THE WISE KIDS - we're shooting a movie!!!

Howdy!! Hope the summer is going well for everyone. Don't let the heat rule and melt your makeup. Remember, less is more always and primers/waterproof makeups are your best friend when the heat index goes sky high.

I've been very, very busy working on a feature independent film titled, THE WISE KIDS. The director and most of the crew/cast hail from Chicago which is interesting considering the plot of the movie is about three teenagers who have coming-of-age experiences regarding their faith, sexuality, and relationships. Believe me, the script is really good!! It's exciting. There isn't much going on in the relam of makeups but I have definitely been busy. The main characters, BREA, LAURA, and TIM require at least something everyday. And today we shot all the beach scenes so it was entertaining trying to keep everyone (cast and crew) supplied with sunblock, shade, and bug spray. Anyhoo, there are less than 20 days of filming left I believe. We officially started on July 19th and are scheduled to wrap around August 14th. Check out the production blog at http://things.reallyreallynice.com/. There is tons of pics, videos, quotes and general info about the movie.

In the meantime...stay cool and pretty!!!! Love y'all!!!

"Liberating Jesse"

I just finished working on a short film being produced through Trident Technical College Film Department here in Charleston. The project was funded through the SC Film Commission and produced as part of the college's Production III Class. Trust me. Spend 5 minutes on a movie set and you will never look at movies again. SO much fun though!!

Here are a couple pics of the shoot and you can click here to see a few others from the set!