Look Behind The Look

What does it take to create the striking world of Spider-Noir? In this episode, we go behind the scenes of the stunning Marvel series to explore the artistry of hair, makeup, and character design that helped bring this dark, 1930s-inspired superhero universe to life. Hair Department Head Theraesa Rivers, Makeup Department Head, Lana Horochowski and Prosthetic Designer Vincent Van Dyke, reveal how classic film noir aesthetics, vintage Hollywood influences, and comic book source material were blended to create a look that feels both timeless and authentic. From designing period-authentic hairstyles and weathered character makeup to developing the visual language of a world filled with mystery, shadows, and intrigue, we uncover the creative decisions that shaped Spider-Noir's unforgettable style. Watch Spider-Noir HERESpider-Noir ComicBut wait! There's more... https://linktr.ee/lookbehindthelook Get full access to Look Behind The Look at lookbehindthelook.substack.com/subscribe

Jayce wrote the episode, but I’m writing this… We know that we live in a world where emotions are fleeting- they roll through us like 2 second electric shock waves from distraction to distraction, but I STILL have not forgotten the night of June 5th where I sold my tickets to see Lorde at Gov Ball in exchange for a night in the presence of Madonna.It caused 2 days of silent treatment in my home when I sold the Gov Ball tickets and a mental health check since I LOVE Lorde. But… I also LOVE Madonna and am too old to “festival” anymore. In preparing for this Bite Sized episode on Madonna we played Confessions On A Dancefloor around the clock and I danced on air reliving my MySpace days. Even in getting ready to go to the event I felt like life was better and though giving up our phones was scary for exactly 2 seconds, I instantly felt like a new human being.I had an amazing discussion with my dear friend, David Russell, who is quite the music historian and a Madonna expert (that is the label I have given him, to be clear, he would never claim that title for himself), and I will share that talk later when Confessions II is finally released July 3. We talked about how BORING it is that there is so much that people are annoyed with about Madonna. Complaints about her age, her surgeries and her “need for relevance”… this actually bores me. The Beacon was teaming with people full of joy, acceptance, and unabashed expression. The talk was a display of Madonna’s vulnerability actually. She wasn’t a persona this night, she was a woman who had her best friend Debi Mazar in the audience with her celebrating her latest creation. This is the same woman who shut down Times Square the night before and performed in a skyscraper, for goodness sake. The woman on stage was both of these people. A full circle.So while Lorde was inspiring one generation (maybe a couple generations) at Gov Ball, I did not regret choosing to be at the Beacon June 5th to physically feel the decades of inspiration Madonna has provided us.The video is amazing and if you haven’t seen it yet, that’s crazy. Watch it below. You know by know that Kate Moss who looks better than ever is in the video, but it was a complete surprise to us as an audience and I screamed so loud that I scared myself when she came on the screen. Feeling that excited and young again… that was fun.For more on Madonna’s look for Hung Up, check out my interview from waaaaaaay back with the amazing makeup artist, Gina Brooke.00:00 Intro | Madonna Takes Over Tribeca 202600:28 Confessions 2 Arrives01:29 Why Confessions Is Madonna's Masterpiece03:20 The Making of Confessions on a Dance Floor03:50 Why "Hung Up" Changed Pop Music04:59 Inside the Making of the "Hung Up" Video06:17 Madonna Filmed with Eight Broken Ribs07:16 Why the "Hung Up" Video Is Still Iconic07:49 Tribeca Premiere & Madonna Q&A08:28 Inside the Beacon Theatre Experience09:16 Madonna's Emotional Conversation10:46 The Confessions 2 Visual Album Reaction11:35 Final Thoughts | Will Confessions 2 Make History? Get full access to Look Behind The Look at lookbehindthelook.substack.com/subscribe

I love any opportunity I can get to speak with Siân Miller, and what luck it was to have her on for "Wuthering Heights" to discuss all things wild... and contained. Braids for days, vacuum masks, intricate hairstyles only to never have film coverage, and yes... sigh... windburned cheeks. I have known Siân since she worked on Cyrano- a beautiful treasure of a film that many people might not know about, and we dug into all things Saltburn last time, but today we will talk about the film that has us all in the beauty world swooning. What did you think of Wuthering Heights? Have you tried any of the looks yourself?Siân and I also talked about where Hair and Makeup Falls on the priority list of time on shoot days- I’d love to hear from other craft departments about this topic. Makeup and Hair is often disregarded as a chunk of time allotted to vanity, when it is actually vital to the character creation and needs to be reestablished every shoot day. What are your thoughts on this as filmmakers and artists yourselves?Learn more about the products Siân used on-set here:ShopMy0:00 - Intro4:04 - When to Modernize the Story6:12 - Working with Emerald Fennel9:13 - Creating Cathy’s Hair12:41 - The Thought Behind The Skin Room14:17 - Matching Cathy to the Dining Room17:17 - The Making Of Siân’s Favorite Scene19:56 - Meaning Behind the Freckles22:27 - Makeup is an Underappreciated Art28:10 - Working with Jacob Elordi Again30:26 - Outro Get full access to Look Behind The Look at lookbehindthelook.substack.com/subscribe

To be fair, my interview with Miyako was before Marty came to our screens…. you’ve seen in previous posts my excuse for the dog eating my homework; I’ve been producing a film in Philadelphia and the timing is less than stellar. I was also waiting to speak to Mike Fontaine and Kyra Panchenko about their makeup work on Marty which has since been recognized by BAFTA, but Kyra is insanely busy and our schedules did not align. So I am finally releasing my talk with Miyako mostly for bragging rights that I, too was granted the honor of having this superstar on the show.Miyako Bellizzi is THAT GIRL that you want to friends with. She is impossibly cool and effortlessly chic, and above all, spectacularly talented. Josh Safdi's Marty Supreme is without a doubt a polarizing film, but the one fact that is undisputed is it looked flawless. The authenticity, detail, and style are deserving of their Academy Award Nominations and we all knew from the moment this film was released that Bellizzi would be among those craftspeople who were recognized during awards season. I spoke to Miyako early in the film's release so we talked about the press tour a lot. I am not ashamed to admit that I have all the Marty Merch including the Wheaties Box. So while you may have seen this beautiful woman and her extraordinary work in this film featured everywhere from Vogue to Vanity Fair, we had a great time speaking off the cuff about the excitement of the cultural influence of an A24 press tour. Enjoy!0:00 - Intro3:37 - Miyoko from Uncut Gems to Marty8:37 - Creating Gwyneth Paltrow’s Costume10:00 - Women’s Fashion in the 50’s12:13 - Individualizing Gwyneth’s Character14:09 - Morphing Dylan into Marty18:04 - Developing and Collaborating Looks20:31 - How Character Arcs Transform Costumes21:48 - Resonance with Marty’s Drive23:21 - Outro Get full access to Look Behind The Look at lookbehindthelook.substack.com/subscribe

Currently, Mike Fontaine is Oscar Nominated for his work in SINNERS, and his work in Marty Supreme is BAFTA Nominated. I loved hearing Mike talking about knowing what he wanted before he hit double digits and how he became a protégé of Dick Smith—the legendary makeup artist behind The Exorcist and The Godfather—who mentored him into adulthood. Mike shares his experiences collaborating with director Ryan Coogler and the challenges of creating authentic characters. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at the artistry and passion that goes into making unforgettable cinematic moments and learn about Mike's deep appreciation of nature and how it is reflected in his work.0:00 - Intro2:28 - Mike’s Origins in Makeup8:11 - Visualizing Sinners from Script to Screen10:06 - Reality of Creating Looks on a Budget12:09 - Authenticity and Realism in Creation17:03 - The Mountain of Work18:30 - Collaboration Is King22:40 - Magic with Releases24:25 - Mike’s Work on Marty Supreme30:55 - Outro Get full access to Look Behind The Look at lookbehindthelook.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Look Behind the Look, host Tiffany Bartok welcomes the dynamic duo Barbara Guillaume & Amy Komorowski , renowned groomers who have worked with Hollywood's elite, including Bradley Cooper, Adam Driver and Leo DiCaprio. Together, they unveil the secrets behind their innovative product, Circa 1970 face oil, a, gender-neutral skincare product, formulated with bakuchiol to serve as a natural, non-irritating alternative to retinol. The women are transparent with their challenges (thank you, ladies, we are not alone it seems:), and reveal why their (ahem) very famous clients pay retail to secure this magic potion for themselves. Entirely self-funded and deeply inspirational, Amy and Barbara tell all about this extraordinary product and how it found its way to the most elite vanities in Hollywood and beyond.I’ve used this magic potion and the smell alone is heaven-on-earth, not to mention the power of the product… and its two founders.Head Here for Circa 1970 Oil Get full access to Look Behind The Look at lookbehindthelook.substack.com/subscribe

In this holiday edition of Look Behind the Look, we unwrap the layers of Terry Gilliam's 1985 film Brazil, a retro futurist fever dream that cleverly disguises its incisive critique of bureaucracy and authoritarianism as a Christmas movie. Join us as we explore the film's rich aesthetics, from its elaborate production design to the campy hair and makeup, revealing how these visuals reflect the emotional machinery of a society struggling under the weight of conformity and denial. Discover how Brazil remains relevant today, echoing our contemporary challenges with digital systems and the normalization of crisis.0:00 - Intro 1:28 - Gilliam After Python: The Architect of Beautiful Nightmares 3:05 - The Look: A World Styled for Breakdown 4:12 - Camp as Survival & Bureaucratic Beauty 5:25 - Imagination as a Last Resort: Sam Dreams 6:18 - The Restaurant Scene: Elegance at the Edge of Collapse 7:05 - When Help Becomes Theater 7:41 - When Emptiness Becomes Violence 8:27 - The Christmas Setting: Festivity as Emotional Camouflage 9:36 - If Brazil Were Made Today 13:27 - Closing Get full access to Look Behind The Look at lookbehindthelook.substack.com/subscribe

I finally had the chance to have Frances Hannon on the show and yes, you have heard from her by now, but I know there are some tid-bits you will learn from our talk... perhaps you haven’t learned about John Chu’s bespokeiridescent blue for his horses...? How would you like to get your hands on that creation? And for those of you who aren’t besieged with Wicked in your feed, this may be the first time you are learning about Frances’ process working with Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, John Chu on this epic adventure of WICKED and WICKED:FOR GOOD. Get full access to Look Behind The Look at lookbehindthelook.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Look Behind the Look, I chat with makeup designer Sharon Tabb, who shares her creative journey behind the scenes of the hit series “The Lowdown” and the important film “Sarah’s Oil.” Sharon shared with me her origin story and while I always love a “how did you get here” exchange, this one is truly remarkable as serendipity and a leap of faith were powerful players in Sharon’s arrival to her career. If you are just getting started in your career, this episode is full of words of wisdom, and if you are far along in your journey, you will love hearing about what keeps Sharon motivated as I am sure you can relate. I was truly recharged after spending time with her and I know you will be too. Get full access to Look Behind The Look at lookbehindthelook.substack.com/subscribe

We’ve all seen Frankenstein by now and those who have seen it in the theater (hi!) have no doubt shamed those who watched on Netflix, but we can all agree that the film is GORGEOUS and we no doubt found ourselves confusingly (or maybe not so confusingly) attracted to The Creature. In this episode, Prosthetic Designer Mike Hill talks in delightful detail about every detail of the creation and evolution of The Creature and explains how Jacob Elordi, Guillermo del Toro and more all collaborated to bring this work of art to life. Enjoy! And let me know what you think as always…0:00 - Intro 2:44 - Building a New Frankenstein 8:15 - The Creature’s Bold First Impression 9:20 - Creativity Through Color 12:29 - The Rush To Get The Job Done 15:50 - Seeing The Creature Come To Life 16:50 - Response to Frankenstein’s Release 18:56 - Mike and Guillermo: From Monsterpalooza to Partners 24:29 - Victor’s Artistry And Influence On The Creature 27:33 - How The Creature’s Eyes Came To Be 29:49 - Jacob Elordi’s 10 Hour Transformation Get full access to Look Behind The Look at lookbehindthelook.substack.com/subscribe