We recently connected with Saida Staudenmaier and have shared our conversation below.
Saida, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I believe integrity is the most important attribute when it comes to success. As a creative, my craft and ability to effectively execute the job I’m being paid to do is important. However, it’s my integrity that my career of 20+ years in this industry has been built on that precedes me. Being on time, working efficiently, loyalty, and the proverbial never writing a check I can’t cash is how I have built my reputation as an artist. I also take my work very seriously while I don’t take myself seriously. I think the attitude and atmosphere I help create on and off set is one of no drama, no rivalry, and respect regardless of position. It costs nothing to be kind so start with a good, honest intention and that will usually have an equal reaction. It sounds simple and it is. People think there’s some secret sauce when it’s just being a solid person.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I went to California Institute for the Arts at 17. I wanted to be an Art Director in film. That degree path did not exist. I entered the Theater Scenic Design program in 1990 with a fine art painting portfolio. During my four years at CalArts, I learned about scenic art (painting sets), carpentry, props, puppetry, welding, costuming, lighting, color, design, animation, filmmaking, model building, literature, poetry, and any side project I could attach to, I did. It was a time in my life that was less about the degree, and more about being a sponge, soaking up as many disciplines as possible. I left in 1994 with a BFA.
After graduation, I worked in animation as a visual development artist, freelance as a model builder and puppeteer, and in retail creating window displays. I lent a friend a hand who was photographing people and needed a makeup artist. It was a chance to use several skills I already had in my pocket but with a new medium. The stakes were fairly low. I gave it a shot and I loved the process. Something finally clicked. I got a gig working as a counter girl for a major makeup line and spent a couple of years training to learn their techniques. This was before social media and influencers so learning was by doing.
I built my portfolio doing small, then bigger, and more prestigious commercial editorial and advertising jobs started rolling in. Moving set to set wasn’t easy. Everything in the kit had to be mobile, I had to be ready for every type of skin, every contingency. It took a couple of years to complete my kit through trial and error, mostly from not having the one thing I needed and making it up on the fly.
I built a website, started my social media, and wrote my newsletter. One thing I have never let go of (even though having to take time to raise two kids, the ups and downs of the business, a global pandemic…etc) is MARKETING. I still send snail mail. It’s something that I know sets me apart. Sure, I post on ALL platforms. I update my website. I have a blog. But I work very hard at keeping in touch and keeping my communication with my contacts personal. Touches like thank cards after gig, personal texts to say hi, coffee dates, and blog posts keep me on the radar of the people who hire me or refer me to jobs. If you want to stand out in this industry, you have to nurture your contacts. These days, I am no longer as interested in art direction per se; I enjoy fabrication and painting primarily. I belong to a local art studio, The Hive, where I get my yaya’s out with mixed media art and teaching. We’ve built a clubhouse of artists and my work is again out in the world. It’s a gratifying balance of individual expression and community.
Now that my kids are almost out of the house, my makeup career is adapting again. I am working more in TV and film. I’m able to travel. The industry has changed and to meet my goals, I am changing too. My logo is my motto, Have Kit Will Travel. Those words are true now more than ever. I have learned that to keep working, I have to follow the work.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Almost every creative I know has landed where they are through non-traditional routes. Yes, we all draw upon the skills we learned to inform what we do in our chosen path. Me? I am at my core still a painter. I use the knowledge I gathered of color theory, theater lighting, film classes, story analysis, and countless hours designing as a makeup artist each time I place a product on someone’s face. You might not see it, but that breadth of knowledge is there. The most difficult makeup is glowing, natural skin, and a beauty makeup application that looks flawless on set. The talent this requires might not seem that advanced, but to the trained eye, knowing the product, skincare, and how the talent will look under the lights and on camera all come together to deliver a look so subtle, it’s something we highly value.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Sticking with a creative career, through strikes, recessions, industry contractions, and the like can be extremely frustrating. There is no linear path. It appears glamorous from the outside. But the “below the line” crew, such as myself will tell you, it’s anything but glamorous. A lot of success is luck.
The longer you can outlast, the higher your chances of success are. Surviving another downturn is not easy. I was a stay-at-home mom and freelance makeup artist for many years. While fortunate to have a spouse to support our family, I worked hard to keep my foot in the door and maintain a presence in the industry so I wasn’t completely disadvantaged. Many artists don’t have that privilege.
I am getting more work now than ever because I never gave up. I never bought the lie that there’s a cut-off age-wise for this gig. That’s in your head. If you want it, hang in there.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.saidastaudenamier.com
- Instagram: @saydionset
- Facebook: Saida Staudenmaier Makeup
- Linkedin: Saida Staudenmaier
- Twitter: @saydi
