"How long does it take to put on the makeup/prosthetics?" "Is it easy to apply?"
The answers to these questions could be as simple as, "It's takes as long as we are given" and "like anything we humans do, everything gets easier the more you do it". So just as these almost seem like non-questions to this professional, so my answers would be non-answers to novices everywhere.
After more than 13 years in this industry (special effects, movies) it is hard for me to NOT understand how this system works for the various channels and how little of the "work" is actually the putting on of the makeup. However that is the tip of the iceberg that most people see, so these are the questions that get asked most often. And I can still look back at my naivete at the beginning and see that I had the same blinders.
It is less about the art itself, and so much more about the group of people bringing it about and the way they interact with each other. Its about patience and hard work and knowing as many OTHER people as possible. About not being a dick, or being too quiet/hidden/weak.
Back up, back up far enough away to see that it isn't the paint color you are choosing but a delicate balance of interactions that have accumulated (sometimes over many years, or a lifetime) to the creation of each completed image.
Why are you asking these questions? How does it relate to you? Why these questions? Do you believe these answers will allow you to become a better artist? What is it really about special effects that interest you? (if you have any answers to this, please contact me).
"Monster" Midian
P.S.
Okay, so it isn't just a cheap way to get out of answering the questions, here is some less philosophical answers. -
"How long does it take to put on the makeup/prosthetics?"
NOT a simple question. I've done makeups in 3 minutes and I've done 6 hour makeups with a group of people. So it boils down to what is the project? What budget do they have? How many people need made up vs how many artist we have and how much time we have to both apply AND how long we have to remove. Many actors have a set # of hours they will work before it becomes VERY costly to keep them longer. For example, if it takes them 2 hours in makeup, another hour in hair and wardrobe, add 90 minutes for breaks and lunch, and hour for removal, and production is left with only 5.5 hours to shoot out of a 10 hour day and that is if you have no commute to and from set. It is a breakdown process that starts with discussion between the artist, the production team, the director and (sometimes the production designer) wardrobe and hair folks. We need to know what the lighting will look like, what the makeup should be expressing as far as the story elements and then we work out something that makes both the creative and executive areas of the production as happy as possible. It is almost always a compromise, as there is rarely enough time or money to do EXACTLY what you would like to do.
"Is it easy to apply?"
What they say is true, "if it were easy, everyone would do it". Over time there are basic makeup techniques that become easier. Doing anything over and over will make you better at it. Mostly it seems you get faster and better the more you do of any one aspect. Usually it requires many people along the process to create a prosthetic makeup. Simply the APPLICATION process alone has many steps and products. Prosthetics are made from primarily 5 different materials; latex, foam latex, silicone, bondo transfers and gelatin. They ALL have their pros and cons. Different materials require different application techniques and products to look good, stay on and perform. Some are more difficult to apply than others. I would say that transfers are the easiest to apply (but can be harder to remove) and maybe foam latex being the hardest to apply and paint (compared to ENCAPSULATED silicone). It is all a process of familiarizing yourself with different products and processes.