Speaker 1: Hey Last Looks crew, my name is Jamie Lee, a hairstylist who works in film and lives in LA. And today on this mini-sode of the Last Looks podcast, I am talking to you about how to work with high maintenance talent on film sets when you're a hair and makeup artist and how to stay professional and not let it affect you. Ok, so some quick reminders, I have our Oscar special episodes dropping on February 19th, I interview all 5 teams nominated for their outstanding work, so you do not want to miss those, especially if you're an academy member and get a vote. If you love the podcast and want a fun Last Looks sticker bundle sent your way, all you have to do is write a review for the podcast on Apple Podcasts, take a screenshot of that review, send it to me with your name and mailing address and I'll get those stickers out to you ASAP. Another way you can get stickers is by buying the podcast 3 or more coffees, you can find the link to do that in the show notes of any episode. And last but certainly not least, we have our live Q&As the first weekend of every month, so be sure to get your ticket, submit your awesome questions and if you can't make the live virtual event, it's ok, because all ticket holders get access to the recording. You can see who we have coming up or who we have had on the website last-looks.com, just look for the live Q&A page and it's all there. And now, a word from our sponsor.

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Speaker 1: Okay, so working with high-maintenance talent on a film set as a hair and makeup artist can be challenging, but it's essential to maintain professionalism. I have broken it down into 12 tips to hopefully help you handle the situation effectively. So number one, stay calm and patient. Keep your composure and remain calm, even if the talent is demanding. Taking a deep breath and maintaining a professional demeanor is crucial. I know myself, I have literally stepped out of a trailer before, just so I can take a quick moment away from the situation to keep it together. I had someone that had been difficult for an entire shoot, plus they had an incredibly sensitive scalp. So it was getting towards the end of the shoot, my composure was starting to fray, I had finished her makeup, finished her hair, but I had one hairpin I needed to put in. To a simple hairstyle that only required two hairpins, it was a continuity match and no matter where or how I tried to put that pin in, it was wrong. I simply said I'll be back in a moment, stepped outside, paced back and forth, fists clenched and probably muttering a few nasty words under my breath, did some deep breathing and stepped back into the trailer and luckily for both of us, the next time I tried to put that hairpin in, it was acceptable for all parties involved. So staying calm and patient, it's really at the end of the day, it's going to be helpful. It's better than packing a fit, stomping your foot and just making matters worse. So number two, listen actively. Pay close attention to their requests and preferences. Communication is key and understanding their vision will help you meet their expectations. The thing is, sometimes someone's bad behavior can simply be because they are not feeling heard. It can be a dangerous habit to get into thinking you know best, especially when it comes to other people's skin and hair. I mean, they know their hair and skin better than you, they live with it every day. I have heard actors say out loud that they have sensitive skin and stressed that no one ever believes them when they tell them that. And then boom, a few days later, something happens and they have a massive flare up and they're sitting there saying, I told you I had sensitive skin, but you still use that. So just remember, listen and you may not know all the past experiences that they've been through and what may trigger them into a negative space when not feeling heard. Number three, prepare and plan. Be organized and well prepared for each day on set. Have all your tools and products ready in advance to minimize delays. Everyone and everything is just going to be in a better space if you are organized. If your station is set up and ready to go before your cast arrives, this will save everyone time, including the person in your chair. You may also lose your actor's confidence and patience if they are constantly waiting for you to rummage through drawers, looking for your tools or products. It comes across as unprofessional, absent-minded and unorganized if you are constantly stopping work to search for things that you should already have with you set up. That goes for on set as well. You want to be able to have what is needed on set and not have to apologize that you don't have it, it's in the trailer, you forgot it or you need someone to run back and get it for you. There are so many things to forward to think about, it pays to consciously think about what is coming up and how you can best be prepared for it. Number four, set boundaries. Politely establish boundaries and let the talent know what's feasible within the time and resources available. Be clear about what can and cannot be done. I understand that it is a common practice to always say yes, but I will only do that if I know it is possible. If I am not sure, I'm going to say that. I will respond, you know what, I'm not sure, but I'm going to look into it and let you know as soon as possible or find out right now. I also like to offer options if applicable. Everyone is different, but I personally prefer honesty. Honesty presented in a positive way, a helpful way and a common sense way. In saying that also, sometimes you have to know when to say, okay, sure, do the thing asked of you, even if you disagree. Nine times out of 10, if they see it was not the best way to do it, you'll get to revisit the situation and change it to better work for all involved. Sometimes you have to try it their way, even if you know it is stupid, but you know, you got to just try it, do it their way, see, oh, it doesn't work, okay, I'll do it the way that I was hoping we could do it in the first place. But sometimes you just have to let that roll. You have to just roll with it. Number five, maintain confidence. Confidence in your skills can help reassure high maintenance talent. Let them know you're an experienced professional who can handle their needs. There are some actors that can smell uncertainty when someone is unconfident and they will cut you off at the knees. When I say this, I'm not suggesting you overcompensate by being cocky. It is just good to remember that they are people too. It doesn't matter who they might be. Try not to overdramatize them or the interactions in your mind. Stay grounded and keep them grounded in your mind. Of course, treat people with respect, but also avoid raising them so high in your mind that it makes you feel or appear nervous. Yeah, you may have Brad Pitt sitting in your chair, but at the end of the day, he's just a dude, you know. Treat everyone with professional respect and move forward with confidence that you know your role and your job. If you're feeling confident, they will feel it too. I worked with an actress once that would literally swat my hands away when I would go in for last looks. I am not one to go in for last looks if they are not needed and I didn't let it stop me from doing my job. I could have let that affect my confidence and shrink back into the corner and be too frightened to go in to do my job, but I continued to go in for looks when they were necessary. And I also remember telling her that I would only come in when I had to. So she also knew I had a purpose to be there. It only happened a few times and honestly, it was kind of funny because every time I turned around to walk off set once I had finished, there would be multiple crew members from various departments looking at me with mouths open and couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. So I couldn't help but kind of giggle about it. Number six, problem solve. If challenges arise, focus on solutions rather than dwelling on the problem. Offer alternative suggestions that align with their preferences. This one feels pretty self-explanatory, but it is a good reminder to not focus on the problem rather than work on the solution. This just helps to keep the vibe on a positive and when you're working closely with talent, we are a big part of helping to get them to sit in the frame of mind that they need to be to work in front of the camera all day. Number seven, stay flexible. Film sets can be unpredictable. Be adaptable to changes in schedules or last minute requests without becoming flustered. This is a great one and kind of bounces off the last one with trying to keep things positive. You really have to be able to go with the flow and not fight every change thrown your way. That's where your problem solving will help and actors will always appreciate someone that seems to be able to handle whatever is thrown at them. It makes them feel the day is possible. It can easily become a bitch fest when things keep changing, but staying with a positive attitude is going to help keep your actors positive too, which in turn means a more pleasant working relationship for all of you. Number eight, delegate tasks. If possible, delegate tasks to assistants or colleagues to ensure that everything runs smoothly, especially if your talent requires a lot of attention. Yes. Now, I have said this in other mini-sodes, ask for help when needed. Communicate with your team members to let them know what's going on so they can help you. You can't tackle this all by yourself. Number nine, stay positive. I think that's a recurring message in this entire mini-sode, but keep a positive attitude even if the talent is difficult. Negativity can affect the overall atmosphere on set and there it is. Sounds simple, I know, but it can be difficult. I know for myself that I really have to watch. I don't slip into a full negative Nancy vibe. It's easy to do and when I start complaining, I'm sure it's exhausting to hear every five minutes. So, check yourself. You don't want to feed into this vibe if you have an actor in this headspace as it will generally result in a horrible working experience. I know not every situation will call for you to respond in a super positive way as that can be frustrating for an actor that is maybe just needing a moment to have a negative event about a situation. So, learning when to listen and let them be heard and understood, going back to tip two, listen actively, can be just what they need. But be sure not to feed that negative monster more. Number 10, seek support. If the situation becomes too overwhelming, discuss it with your supervisor or production team. They may have insights or solutions to help you manage the situation better. I mean, you also just need to know when someone is being 100% unprofessional, unreasonable and out of control. We all have our own limits of the shit behavior we will put up with and for how long. So, if it is something that is not getting better, just getting worse and is a toxic situation that you no longer should be dealing with, do speak to someone that can help. At the end of the day, it's okay to step away from the situation and allow someone else to give it a crack. Just be sure to do it in a way that keeps your professionalism and integrity intact. Eleven, self-care. Don't forget to take care of you. High maintenance talent can be draining, so make sure to get enough rest and manage stress effectively. It's that classic notion that to take care of others, you need to take care of you first and this is no different. If you're not looking after yourself and thinking about your well-being and mental health first, it becomes very difficult for you to be able to look after others, especially an actor that demands a lot of energy and attention. And finally, number 12, learn and grow. Use these experiences as opportunities to improve your skills and professionalism. Each challenging situation can be a chance to develop resilience. So much of what we do, surprisingly, has nothing to do with hair and makeup, but more about interacting with and managing people. So try to move forward with patience and integrity when on the other side of a difficult situation. Take a moment to reflect on what worked or didn't work and think about how you could deal with it differently if the same issue arises on another project. It is always great to ask yourself the question, at the end of a job, what did I learn from this project? Okay, and remember that working with high maintenance talent can be part of the industry and your ability to handle such situations professionally can set you apart as a skilled and reliable hair and makeup artist. Also try not to take it personally. Nine times out of 10, if you watch their behavior with everyone around them, you'll see it isn't just you they are being difficult with. Okay, Last Look's crew, that is enough of me talking at you. I hope I've said something helpful today, something to think about, something to help you next time you find yourself in a tricky spot with a tricky person. That's a wrap on me, Jamie Lee. I'll chat you later.