F r e q u e n t l y
A s k e d
Q u e s t i o n s

The Complete Track is a 28-week program that includes all nine courses offered at Cinema Makeup School. The Master Makeup Program is an 18-week long program consisting of 4 courses. All courses included in the Master Makeup Program are included in the Complete Track.

We are not a title IV school and are not accredited. However, for better educational purposes we have chosen to be non-accredited and we are approved by the California BPPE (Bureau for Private Post-Secondary Education) to provide programs and courses that are designed to equip you with the necessary skillsets to be as prepared for a successful career in the industry. Our Complete Track is approximately eight months, accredited schools are often required to offer two years worth of programming. Makeup Artists and SFX lab staff are not required to possess any sort of licensure or degree and therefore successful career outcomes for this sector and field of profession does not require graduation from any sort of accredited program.

No prior training or experience is necessary to attend Cinema Makeup School or to take most courses. The only requirement is a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent certificate.

Courses that have prerequisites are as follows: Advanced Beauty Theory requires completing High Fashion or the submission of a portfolio, demonstrating prior beauty experience. Advanced Lab Techniques requires completing Prosthetics or the submission of a portfolio, demonstrating prior lab experience.

We are not eligible to receive financial aid, but we do offer an internal payment plan option. Payments can be spread over a 5 to 36 month period with a down payment. We also do in-house financing and provide longer-term financing with an outside private lender. We are also eligible to receive veteran's benefits for education for certain programs. Our admissions team will be happy to go over all these options in detail with you and choose the best one for your situation..

Yes, we accept international students and will help them through the visa process. We are able to provide an I-20 form so the student can obtain an M-1 student visa. Please see our international enrollment page for more detailed information

Classes normally range from 6 to 20 students. Class size generally depends on the time of year with August being the busiest month for starting a program.

Classes run from 9AM to 4PM PST on average. Classes such as Advanced Beauty Theory and Advanced Lab Techniques are from 9AM to 5PM PST.

No, you do not need a license to practice makeup in the television or film industry, but you would need certifications to do makeup in a salon. To work in a salon, you would need a cosmetology or esthetician license. We do not provide this because as a makeup artist you do not need a license to work in the industry.

Many of our students are! Courses at Cinema Makeup School are designed for artists of all skill levels. No prior knowledge is required.

Yes. We provide all the materials you need. Kit costs are included in the total cost for each course or program

Students will be provided with a list of some additional items they may need for their program or courses. Examples include, but are not limited to, hair styling tools, avant-garde props or decoration for beauty makeup designs, and human or synthetic hair pieces (if taking the Advanced Lab Techniques course).

Students will apply makeup to their classmates. A partner list will be provided, including every student in the class, which allows each student to rotate through different partners. Knowledge of different skin tones, face shapes, and skin types is essential for careers in various makeup-related industries. There are some days that students are required to find a model. Those dates will be assigned in advance, according to your track, program, or course.

Yes. As stated above, students will work on each other for the entirety of the courses. This means you will have makeup applied to you frequently. It’s just as important to be able to apply as it is to know what it’s like to be applied to! If you have sensitive skin or allergies to any products, please inform the administrative staff beforehand.

Our instructors are working professionals and each one specializes in a certain subject. Students may have multiple instructors for their classes.

If the class number is odd or some of the models are absent, students can get approval from their instructors or the administrative staff to bring a friend or family member to practice on. Models and guests are not allowed to stay during instructor lectures or demonstrations. Some courses will require outside models for particular assignments.

That depends on the course or program you enroll in. Students will be eligible to receive either a certificate of completion or diploma upon graduation. Please see Diploma Programs and Certificate courses for more information.

Yes, certain makeup brands and stores provide both student and pro discounts! Please read the different terms and conditions for each company as they are subject to change and are not affiliated with Cinema Makeup School. Typically pro discounts require a production call sheet with the makeup artist’s name and a government ID. Some stores will allow you to register for a student discount in-person.

All photos captured by the school are uploaded to SmugMug for students to access within 1-2 business days.

We have new start dates for each program and course every month. Please visit our schedule page for upcoming start dates. Please contact our admissions team if you have additional questions.

Students have the right to cancel the Enrollment Agreement and obtain a refund of charges paid through attendance of the first class session or the seventh day after enrollment, whichever is later. If you withdraw from the course of instruction after the Cancellation Period, CMS will retain STRF fee paid and remit a refund less a registration fee, (not to exceed $250) within 45 days following your withdrawal. You are obligated to pay only for educational services rendered and unreturned equipment up to 60% of the course or period of enrollment. After you complete 60% of the course or period of enrollment, there is no refund. The refund shall be the amount you paid for instruction multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of hours of instruction which you have not received but for which you have paid, the denominator of which is the total number of hours of instruction for which you have paid. Due to sanitation concerns, makeup kit costs cannot be refunded unless the student cancels his/her enrollment prior to being issued his/her materials on the first day of class. If the amount you have paid is more than the amount that you owe, then a refund will be made within 45 days of withdrawal. If the amount you owe is more than the amount that you paid, then you will have to make arrangements to pay it.

CMS offers a specially-tailored job listing email that incorporates both beauty and practical effects-based, on-set and in-shop career opportunities, which are sent out to students and graduates daily! We also have an alumni network and our administrators frequently reach out to talented graduates to involve them in special projects. Please note that Cinema Makeup School does not provide automatic job placement upon graduation.

Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world. There are many incredible opportunities for those interested in on set or SFX lab work, and opportunities in many other related fields as well. Our job emails are a great starting point for creating a network of contacts, which is incredibly important in this sector. When it comes to getting a recommendation from the school, we are looking for students that have consistently showcased unwavering effort, dedication, high quality work, and professional conduct while attending our educational programs, seminars, and workshops

CMS graduates can apply to be lab assistants here on campus. Other internship opportunities are currently in the works. The recent pandemic and film and television industry strikes have complicated our previous internship program. We are currently restructuring with the help of our stakeholders, so stay tuned!

Upon graduation, please leave your resume and cover letter with our Office Manager. We will reach out in the event that there is a position available in our lab.

Makeup artists can have long, successful careers whether or not they are union! Union makeup artists belong to I.A.T.S.E. or the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. Here in Los Angeles, union MUAs would be part of Local 706, which covers makeup artists and hair stylists. Getting into the union can require a lot of time and documentation on paid productions. Certain production houses or networks have contracts with Local 706 and only hire from the union. Please visit the Local 706 website for information specific to Los Angeles.

Makeup artists that are not in the union, can work on all kinds of projects that do not have contracts with the union. There are pros and cons for either pathway, and Cinema Makeup School’s mission is to prepare students for either one!

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Cinema Makeup School! If you are a current CMS student or graduate please email our Events Coordinator at [email protected]

At CMS, we are always looking to expand our network of talent! If you are a current student or graduate of Cinema Makeup School, please email our Events Coordinator with your concept design, sketches, and current portfolio to [email protected]. Some of our annual conventions we attend are Comic-Con, Monsterpalooza, Son of Monsterpalooza, and more!

If you are not receiving our job listing opportunities, please email our Front Desk Administrator at [email protected]with your full name and email address. We would be happy to get you added onto our listings page!

Thank you for your consideration regarding hiring one of our talented graduates! Please fill out all the required information on our Job Listings form and click “submit”. If CMS feels the proposed position you are seeking is best suited for our makeup artists (MUAs), we will post it to our official listings email, which is sent out daily, to our student and alumni network. We would like to note that all listing opportunities are left up to alumni discretion and not all job submissions will be contacted.

Thank you for taking the time to review one of your talented graduates! To leave a review, please click here.