The 2007 Los Angeles International Make-up Tradeshow was held in the Pasadena Convention Center on the weekend of June 23. Two days full of seminars, school shopping, demonstrations and product introduction. Just in case you haven’t gone to a make up tradeshow before, allow me to give you a visual. As many make-up artists as the eye can see in one huge room lined with vendors of every kind trying to attract your attention with elaborate make-ups or amazing new products. This is bargain country; most vendors have sales on their products or just giving away samples, either way you walk out with your hands full!

In the middle of the tradeshow floor was an exhibition of several Oscar-winning make-up artists doing demonstrations of their favorite characters. Ve Neill, who won three Oscars for Beetlejuice, Ed Wood, and Mrs. Doubtfire, applied a beautiful Madame Butterfly make-up on an Asian male model. Todd McIntosh, who keyed the whole Buffy the Vampire Slayer series (1997-2002), payed homage to Star Trek with his application of the character Spock. And I would have to say the most impressive make-up was applied by the actor/make-up artist Xander Berkley, who applied a complete old age make-up on himself, including a wig, facial hair, and prosthetics.

During all the other action going on, theres two student competitions on the grand floor where the seminars are held. Beauty/Avant Garde is one category, this year’s theme was a Venetian Carnival, and needless to say there are a lot of masks!! The winner applied a beautiful Queen of Hearts make-up, which was alluring and poetic. The special effects competition was a spectacle of colors, images, and interesting characters. The theme was Narnia, students are supplied prosthetics by the tradeshow and they must make a character around those guidelines. The winner did a cross between human and what looks like to me a catfish. This part of the program shows the new up and coming talent for the next year.

All the Keynote speakers were wonderful and full of information. Francesca Tolot, who keyed beauty make up for Dreamgirls, discussed her career, her success, and the nature of the business. World renowned body painter Joanne Gair spoke and displayed all the amazing work she has done in her career. Partners Alec Gillis and Tom Woddruff Jr. who own Amalgamated Dynamics Incorporated (ADI), a character effects studio that’s responsible for such creatures from Alien Resurrection, Death Becomes Her, The Santa Clause, and my personnel favorite Alien vs. Predator because I worked for these two gentlemen on this film. They discussed their career from working under Stan Winston to opening and running their own shop in this rat race business.

All in all I would have to say the tradeshow was a success. I recommend going to the tradeshow for three reasons. One, if you are interested in going to make-up school, then this is the place to see all the schools and get a feel for each one. Two, if you’re a professional and you need to do some shopping. Three, to keep up to date with who’s hot in the make-up world, the hot new products, and to meet, greet, and network with others in your working community.

-abby lyle

AddTime:  2007-07-03 21:15:52
Count:  1220
Keywords:  makeup, tradeshow, imats, convention
Average Rating:  5