To upgrade or not?

At the Glam Academy we have a 90% upgrade rate for basic students. Many people book the basic part of the program not entirely sure what they are in store for and are able to see quickly that we give you a comprehensive tool set to become a well versed makeup artist.

In basic we provide a sturdy foundation for the student from both an artistic and entrepreneurial standpoint. With a collective 40 hours divided over five days—the focused and driven student can acquire a knowledge base that takes most years of trial and error. With the first two days jam packed with oral education and hands on activities it is no doubt that the lens which the individual understands makeup has been forever changed. The remainder of basic is higher interactive. The student leaves with three labs under their belt detailing a range of looks with incredible portfolio images. These images alone attest to the student's individual transformation throughout the program. More so, through the various assignments requiring the entrepreneurial spirit of the individual to awaken-- the student will leave the program with various platforms to show potential clients their capacity as an artist.

So why Senior? Why move forward?

Well the idea of Basic is to give just that-- what we feel is a great "starter set" of tools for the aspiring artistic. And while our basic is far more detailed than most other programs, our dedication to changing the definition of the modern makeup artist remains our driving force. We believe in learning the students existing goals and pushing past them. That said, our Senior program is reserved for the truly dedicated, passionate artist that wants to be nothing other than a sponge for knowledge.

In senior we build on this expansive foundation—introducing the student to their own capacity as entrepreneurs and artists. With intentional blocks of time between Glam Academy day’s—the student’s talent is not only a reflection of the 11 days of the Academy but the days between—ultimately producing an artist (based on the individuals drive and passion) that has been continually training for almost two months. With expectations of the student that surpass the hours of the program—the dedicated student will find themselves immersed in projects and assignments that reflect the real day to day activity of a working makeup artist and business owner.

"The attentive, focused student that craves knowledge and the ability to change their future will succeed." Alexa Prisco - The Glam Fairy.

Labs, Activities and Incentives for Senior Students

Airbrush Training, Lab, & Kit for Student

The most frequent request of any "bridal" makeup artist is airbrush. Airbrush is a testament to resilience, a match for modern technology, and a must have for anyone that wants to be taken seriously in the industry. The trend spiked many years ago however it is the Ugg boot of makeup. It somehow stays in. The Senior student leaves the program with their own airbrush compressor and gun. With a detailed training not only on technique but on the entire history of airbrush-- the students ability to upgrade their own clients from a standard application to airbrush will be a quick informed explanation away. Considering an airbrush machine is an investment in an of itself and the proper training is something that requires hands on interactive work-- the upgrade is justified by that alone. We allow the student to pick and choose which labs they lay the foundation in with airbrush so that their portfolio can show off this trademark talent as well.

Vintage Makeup

While the ability to do period makeup is necessary to a modern makeup artist's skill set-- the relevance is in having the ability to merge period techniques with modern day elements. With style changing by the season--makeup artists have to move with the trends and posses the ability to translate looks that pay homage to what is current. Ironically what is usually "current" is remnicant of period makeup. Keeping that in mind, the students create a vintage inspired look with an undertone of all the icons and artists that truly commemorate 50's style--Gil Evgren, Marilyn Monroe, Kevin Aucoin etc. With an attention to physical positions, style, and hair trends of this era-- the expectation of the student in this shoot surpasses makeup and has greater requirements. What physical positions were the 50's icons always in and definitely not in? What wardrobe will either be constructive to or contaminate the important fusion of this look? It is here that the students are truly in the control seat of their photo shoot. With a green light on our side to make this as detailed as they want-- the students are encouraged to be as involved as they want in the comprehensive vision.

Editorial Lab and Photo Shoot

Giving an outlet for the artist to combine all of their expertise and push the boundaries into a world beyond beauty-- the student can use this lab to explore a variety of themes and meanings relevant to their individual world. Everything and anything that would allow a face to truly be a blank canvas without artistic limitations is acceptable in this lab. By doing extensive preparation requiring the student to understand how other artist's have translated their visions through various relief techniques on the face-- they go into the process inspired with specific techniques and themes in mind.

Tattoo Coverage:

Tattoo coverage is a skill set necessary to an artist's arsenal of technique and ability. With an interactive lab presenting the class with a wide range of tattoo's, skin, and color-- the students will undoubtedly have to be in a creative, solution oriented mindset. Keeping an awareness of the skin's natural finish and patterns (freckles and beauty marks) the student learns how to create a finish parallel to what they are duplicating. By constantly taking their own flash photo's throughout the lab-- the artist can go into the photo shoot with a particular confidence of the patch's ability to absorb and deflect light properly.

Speed Makeup

Learning how to complete a full face in 20 minutes and work under the time constraints typical of runway shows, weddings, public demo environments, trunk shows, etc. is what makes or breaks an artist. Artist's are bought by the hour-- and their ability to manage time is an absolute reflection of their book. The artist who takes three hours on a bride is the artist that clearly has no bookings the rest of the day. People are attracted to exclusivity and un-availability. The more your schedule fills the more you have to be able to create your trademark look in a quick efficient manner. We go over the fundamental framework of a full face. We lay out our various processes as isolated skills. As if we need to pack a metaphorical "go bag" of techniques and take what we need to survive-- take what we need to get through a face. By eliminating those steps only obvious to a detailed artist and the "fluff" processes-- we can create a makeover that looks borderline identical to one we spent over an hour on. It is imperative that this ability is learned early on so bad habits are broken before they start. In this lab the students are timed and brushes go down at the 25 minute mark. After this point no adjustments can be made. I find it truly impressive to see fear and insecurity dissipate as a byproduct of not having enough time to engage in it.

Final Comprehensive Shoot

The final shoot of every Glam Academy changes-- as we try to work with the needs of each particular group. We have done final shoots celebrating the student's ability not only to design a makeup look, but a comprehensive photo design. Wardrobe, hair, trade outs, networking, out sourcing-- the final photo shoot is much more than makeup. This final opportunity is about presenting your ability to take the bull by the horns and control the outcome of a final image. Last semester our theme was "Dirty Bride." We casted models that have already been married and want a second opportunity to rock their dress. With a styling suite full of goodies from yours truly, the models were individually stylized by Karl Giant. From building custom turbans out of sequin leggings, to creating a gothic sash out of a vest-- the styling alone was such an inspiring process. The shoots-- well that was a once in a life time opportunity. To say you have worked with Karl goes far in the industry and to have your work in his photography-- well thats just a key in the door of your choice! That said, Karl has agreed to join us for Semester 5 of the Glam Academy. And while I like to just put in writing that the only person I can 100% guarantee is myself, I am confident your work will be behind his camera lens.

Demo's

While we are firm believers in the "no rules" rule of makeup. The ability for the student to extract the clients needs and create looks that meet the criterion of modern technology and still visually please the client at a basic level is imperative. Giving the students labs that challenge their ability to be an artistic chameleon will truly show their artistic range in their portfolio. Some school's simply just verbally present the looks however with our generalized skeleton that all looks can be applied to-- the students will have the ability to observe a detailed demo that Alexa performs for nearly every lab. By creating more body to the existing skeleton by detailing the needs of the look and having the students physically see the stages of the transformation, the finished product becomes more attainable and realistic.

Signature Look

Like any artist in any field there is an "intangible" element to one's work that make them identifiable in their industry. Be it a signature glow, product placement, or element of the work-- there is something about a face that can indicate who has graced it with their artistry. Through the students experience at The Glam Academy, they begin to learn what is a consistent element throughout all of their labs and use it as a selling point. Developing as an artist and having that signature "thing" about your work serves as a marketing tool in and of itself. Its important for the student to study their own work from both a transitional standpoint and at an elemental level-- isolating those pieces that are consistent and those that change.

“Be your own Billboard"

The title of the shoot alone speaks volumes. We are our own best billboard. The way we dress, the way we present ourselves, our personality-- all of these elements either will work with us or against us. At The Glam Academy I present students ideals based on the world we actually live in-- not the one we should be living in. That said I would be lying if I said clients don't look at our faces and use that as a barometer for our ability to translate their needs. Having an entire portfolio of beautiful professional images and a "selfie" for your bio pic is ridiculous. I incorporated this shoot so the students are able to test their new skill set on their own face and have a photo shoot that truly reveals everything they want to sell. They say a photo is worth a thousand words-- well this shoot gives your the opportunity to reveal those nuances about your personality that will attract the clients your looking for.

Full Working Business

When the student leaves Basic they already have a solid foundation of social media and tools to present themselves. In Senior we develop these tools individually and then merge them together. Creating a spiderweb of various platforms-- each strand supporting and suspending the next, we not only stress but make it necessary for all of these platforms to collide. We teach our students that fear is reasonable and expected, but not an excuse to not move forward. Through quick and not so quick homework assignments-- the student rising to their own expectations will leave The Glam Academy with a working business. Necessity is the mother of invention and as a person who hated to out-source any project, I truly believe that anyone possesses the ability to take time and learn the things they don't want to pay for. Why pay for a Ad Words when you can learn about Meta-tags, Word Rich Content, and all of the other ways to get behind the various social media tools and code them to work in your favor?

TFP SHOOT

<img data-cke-saved-src="images/upgrade6.gif" src="images/upgrade6.gif" align="right" hspace="right" "width="295" height="359" alt="time for prints">One of the most powerful tools necessary for an artist to burst through the glass ceiling is confidence. An artist's confidence is not something that only reveals itself in our body language and voice, but most importantly in our hands. Clients have an interesting ability to detect a persons level of experience by the way the artist moves across the face. While this challenge is something that can be slowly conquered at the Academy-- the true test is being in the field on your own, making your own decisions and have absolute creative control over an image. The TFP shoot allows students to again utilize all of the wonderful free resources out there giving them access to situations they only thought before they would have to pay for. Alexa prepares you for this by explaining the ways to network and gain access to these various tools. From there the student is expected to creatively direct, cast, and design their own photo shoot. By networking in being engaged at all the levels necessary to product a comprehensive vision-- we find that the students impress themselves the most with their own ability to control a specific outcome.

While taking the Senior portion of another semester is an option-- we like to stress the importance of upgrading in your own semester. Each semester has their own speed--so the breakdown of each day's activities is dependent on what has been learned in the previous. The comradery and team work of the Senior class is something that can only be developed by the time spent together as group in Basic. With information fresh in your mind, the learning process is more consistent and we find the overall outcome of a student upgrading within their own semester to be far more productive.

IMPORTANT NOTE

We only can legally confirm the instruction of those individuals that are direct employees of The Glam Fairy. We cannot control illness's or outside circumstances that would prevent guest instructors from participating. Please note that we CANNOT ensure the participation of any instructor other than Alexa Prisco.