This week I’ve been up in Liverpool working on a Channel 4 Racing promo ready for the start of the Grand National. The production was huge. We had up around 250 extras to look after alongside the jockeys, stuntmen and other key characters that were to be featured on camera. With the main focus being the horses of course, it was just mind boggling to see them be put through their paces, dealing with different set ups and stunts that they had to ‘act out’. All the horses were fully trained ‘film horses’ that are used to such environments. You shout action and they perform!!
After thinking that I’d be in the Makeup Room a majority of the time, I was hugely mistaken. I was out on set by 6.30am in the freezing cold (albeit beautiful weather on one of the days, rain on the other), and on my feet all day until 5pm with the rest of the makeup team; tidying hair, touching up makeup and making sure all the cast were looking spot on ready for their milliseconds of fame as the camera flies past! Our brief was for them to look as ‘normal’ as possible. If they came with makeup already applied, our job was to literally make sure that they don’t have any unsightly smudges, that their foundation was as blended as possible and that they kept their faces free from ‘cousin It’ style hair so they can be seen clearly. However, baring in mind were were in Liverpool; So orange skin, scouse brows and jet black hair were a trend that I noticed featured heavily amongst the crowd. But time was tight… So orange was how they stayed (much to their delight I’m sure)!
They were long days but I can’t wait to see the finished edit in a few weeks time!
6.30am on set… The sun is a rising!
The horse and jockeys arrive,
Preparing for a stunt!
Running the streets!
Another man made set up… the pond!
Hazey days at the end of Day 1.
Thank god for Wellies!
Just SOME of the extras on set.
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