From CBMA to Netflix 'The Gentlemen'
Learning the skills to become a professional Hair and Makeup Artist is only the beginning
At CBMA, graduation isn’t the end of our relationship with you. In many ways, it’s the beginning of the next stage.
Breaking into Film, Television and Theatre takes more than technical ability. You need professional experience, industry knowledge and an understanding of how productions actually recruit their Hair and Makeup teams. You need to know how to conduct yourself on set, where to look for opportunities and how to start building a reputation. Lastly, how to network.
And sometimes, particularly at the beginning of your career, you need someone who knows the industry to put your name forward.
That's why career support has always been an important part of the CBMA experience.
From the Classroom to the Industry
Our aim isn’t simply to train talented Hair and Makeup Artists and then wave goodbye on graduation day.
We want our students to understand the industry they are about to enter and to feel prepared to take those important first steps into professional work.
Before graduation, we work with students to understand where they want their careers to go. Film? Television? Theatre? Hair? Makeup? Prosthetics and SFX? Wigs? Or perhaps a combination of several areas?
We can help review CVs and portfolios, discuss individual strengths and advise students on how to present themselves professionally when approaching designers, supervisors and productions.
But the support doesn’t suddenly stop once the course finishes.
Helping Our Graduates Find Opportunities
Film and Television is an industry built heavily around relationships, recommendations and reputation.
A great deal of work isn’t found simply by searching a conventional jobs website. Designers and Supervisors frequently build their teams through artists they have previously worked with, recommendations from people they trust and professional networks developed over many years.
For someone just entering the industry, that can feel like a difficult circle to break into.
This is where being part of the CBMA community can make a difference.
CBMA has been training Hair and Makeup Artists for Film, Television and Theatre for more than 20 years. Christine Blundell is one of the most respected Makeup Designers in the industry and during that time, we have built relationships with working Makeup Designers, Hair and Makeup Supervisors, artists, productions and, importantly, generations of our own graduates who are now established within the industry.
When people within that network approach CBMA looking for trainees, juniors or artists, we can identify graduates whose skills, experience and professionalism are suited to the opportunity and put them forward.
We also share relevant job opportunities and industry calls and help graduates understand where and how to look for work themselves.
That might mean a first few days as a trainee, dailies on a production, an assisting opportunity or being introduced to somebody who could potentially employ them.
One opportunity can lead to another.
A first credit becomes experience. Experience builds confidence and contacts. A good recommendation leads to another production. Gradually, the person who once needed somebody to open that first door begins to build their own professional network and reputation.
We Don't Promise You a Career
We think it’s important to be clear about this.
No responsible makeup academy can guarantee that somebody will graduate and immediately walk into a Film or Television career; though this has happened on many occasions.
Ultimately, every graduate has to build their own reputation.
They have to be talented, reliable, professional, punctual and good to work with. They have to keep learning, make contacts, take opportunities and demonstrate that they can be trusted as part of a professional Hair and Makeup department.
What CBMA can do is help prepare you for that world and continue supporting you while you find your place within it.
We don’t want our graduates leaving the Academy with a certificate in one hand and absolutely no idea what to do next.
The CBMA Family
There’s another part of career support that is much harder to put into a prospectus: our alumni.
After more than two decades, CBMA graduates can be found working across Film, Television and Theatre at very different stages of their careers.
Some are taking their first steps as trainees. Others are working as juniors and artists. Some have progressed to become Supervisors and Designers themselves.
And that creates something very special.
The graduate who once needed an introduction can eventually become the person offering an opportunity to somebody else.
Former students recommend other CBMA graduates, contact us when they need trainees or juniors, return to the Academy, work alongside our tutors and become part of the professional network that the next generation of students is entering.
It is why we talk about the CBMA Family It isn't simply about the time somebody spends studying with us. It's about a professional community that continues long after graduation.
From Student to Designer: The Gentlemen
A perfect example of that journey can be seen in Netflix’s The Gentlemen.
For CBMA, The Gentlemen is particularly special because our connection to the production doesn’t involve just one graduate or one artist.
It brings together people from the CBMA community at completely different stages of their careers — from established industry professionals to graduates who began their journey at the Academy.
One step at a time.
Some of the people working at the highest levels today were once students themselves, wondering how they would get that first opportunity.
They gained experience, built credits, developed relationships and progressed through the industry. In turn, they are now in positions where they can help create opportunities for the people coming behind them.
With Series 2 of The Gentlemen filming, that CBMA connection continues.
For a student sitting in our Notting Hill Academy today, seeing graduates and members of the CBMA family working together on a major production isn’t simply something to celebrate. It demonstrates what a professional career can look like over time.
You don’t graduate as a Makeup Designer. You build towards it.
Find Out More And Join Us At CBMA Open Day. October 17th — 11: 00 AM
Your First Job Is Only the Beginning
Career support shouldn’t only be about securing someone’s first opportunity.
As graduates gain experience, the questions change.
How do I move from trainee to junior? How do I get more dailies? How should I approach a Designer? What should I add to my portfolio? What rate should I charge? Which skills should I develop next? How do I turn several individual jobs into a sustainable freelance career?
This is why we want graduates to remain connected to CBMA.
We can continue to offer advice, recommendations and introductions where appropriate, while our tutors and professional network provide something equally important: a connection to people who understand how this industry actually works.
Some graduates may also have opportunities to return to CBMA as paid assistants or Teaching Assistants, giving them another way to develop their skills, earn money and remain connected with working industry professionals.
And, as their careers develop, some will eventually return not as assistants but as experienced professionals with knowledge to pass on to the next generation.
The circle continues.
More Than a Makeup Course
When choosing where to train, it’s natural to concentrate on what you’ll learn during the course.
You absolutely should.
The quality of the teaching, the tutors, the facilities, the practical training and the breadth of skills you develop are fundamental.
But if your ambition is to work professionally in Film, Television or Theatre, there’s another question worth asking:
What happens after I graduate?
At CBMA, we believe an academy’s responsibility shouldn’t simply end when the course does.
For more than 20 years, we’ve watched students arrive at the Academy with an ambition to work in the industry and then followed their careers as they have progressed from their first professional opportunities to increasingly senior roles.
Not everyone follows the same route and not everyone progresses at the same speed.
That’s the reality of a freelance creative industry.
But our aim remains the same: to give our students excellent professional training and then, wherever we can, help them take what they’ve learned beyond the classroom and into the industry.
Because ultimately, that’s what the training is for.
Where could your CBMA journey take you?
(Author)
Bio
A highly professional director at the Christine Blundell Make-up Academy, Petar Agbaba brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his writing. With an in-depth knowledge of makeup courses and techniques, he crafts insightful, well-researched content that resonates with readers. Known for his clarity and authenticity, Petar is a trusted voice in the beauty industry, consistently delivering valuable perspectives through his work.