Working as a makeup trainee
MAN: Hello and welcome to the film making podcast. In this week's episode, Claire Lemarre talks to us about how to become a makeup artist. Claire's been working as a makeup artist in the film industry for over 20 years and has lots of useful advice about how to get started.
WOMAN: Thanks Ian. Well, before you can become a makeup artist on films you have to spend about 2 years working as a makeup trainee.
A good place to get your first job would be on a low budget short film. Of course, this means that you'll be working for free. But it's often worth it for the experience. Make sure your transport costs are covered【Q11】 – and remember, there's very unlikely to be any catering provided, so bring plenty of food.
If you're lucky, you might start out on a big budget film where you'll get the most useful experience. On productions like this, makeup and hair styling are separate departments – so you won't need to bring your curling tongs! But you're likely to get the opportunity to work with a range of age groups, as well as different ethnicities.【Q12】 Doing makeup for special effects is highly specialised, so don't expect to be offered any practical experience in that.
One problem with working in the makeup department is that it's a high-pressure environment. There are very few times when you'll be bored or have nothing to do. It can be stressful but you'll see that the top makeup artists are very professional – even when they're having to work with directors who are impatient, or unhappy【Q13】 with the makeup artist's work. Follow your supervisor's lead and try to remain calm at all times.
I've worked with many very famous actors over the years. At first, I found it overwhelming and could hardly speak, I was so in awe.【Q14】 That's preferable, by the way, to becoming too excited and asking for selfies. Now meeting the talent is just a normal part of the job and to be honest most actors don't look that special without all the makeup!
Every makeup trainee will need a makeup kit, which they'll be expected to have with them at all times. Just the essentials【Q15】 will do for the kinds of tasks you'll be given – it won't be anything complicated. It's worth looking at what the other makeup artists have in their kits – but whatever you do, don't borrow anything without asking first.
It's very important to build your portfolio. You should take photos of all the work you do and ideally show the different stages of makeup application if you can. But remember you'll need to get approval【Q16】 from the makeup designer in charge of the department. As you'll be sending your portfolio digitally, you won't need to get photos printed.
WOMAN: So what does a makeup trainee actually do? You need to think about whether you're the right kind of person to do the job and whether you'd enjoy it. So, to give you some idea, here are some of the things you might be required to do.
You may be asked to help prep an actor ready for makeup. Some actors will arrive having already cleansed and moisturized their skin. But sometimes you'll need to step in and get this done without wasting any time【Q17】, otherwise the makeup artist will get behind schedule.
Trainees play a useful role in continuity. It will be your responsibility to take photos, log them digitally and print out a hard copy to put in each actor's file. This information needs to be kept in good order【Q18】 as a reshoot can mean replicating makeup months later.
General duties mean doing anything from getting the teas and coffees to putting on a wash. Having a positive attitude and being willing to do whatever is asked 【Q19】of you will help you get your next film job.
You won't be asked to apply makeup to any of the principal cast, only the extras. If there are dozens of extras involved you'll need to keep up a swift pace and not spend too long on each person.【Q20】 It takes quite a lot of confidence to be able to do this well.
OK now about terms and conditions....
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
听前预测：定位词 trainees、low budget short films，提示词 always expect to get。
题目解析：原文定位句为“A good place to get your first job would be on a low budget short film.”，意为“想拿到第一份工作，低成本短片是个不错的切入点。”定位到该题后，听到原文提到 this means that you'll be working for free，说明该实习工作是免费的，没有工资提供，因此选项 B（a minimum wage）为干扰项，故排除。接着答案句出现 Make sure your transport costs are covered，该句表明交通费是涵盖在内的，transport costs 替换选项 A 的 travel expenses，因此确认选项 A 为正确答案，故选取。随后原文提到 there's very unlikely to be any catering provided, so bring plenty of food，意为“大概率不会提供工作餐，所以多带点吃的”。该句中的 unlikely 否定餐饮提供，实习生需要自带食物，因此选项 C 为干扰项，故排除。
听前预测：定位词 big budget films、experience，提示词 trainees。
题目解析：听到“If you're lucky, you might start out on a big budget film where you'll get the most useful experience.”，意为“运气好的话，你或许能从大制作影片起步，在 那里收获最有价值的工作经验。”题干信息 big budget films 和 experience 原词重现，提示定位到该题。接着听到“On productions like this, makeup and hair styling are separate departments—so you won't need to bring your curling tongs!”，意为“在这类大制作剧组里，化妆和发型分属两个独立部门，所以你无须自备卷发棒！”可以判断选项 C 为干扰项，故排除。接着由转折词 but 引出答案句“But you're likely to get the opportunity to work with a range of age groups, as well as different ethnicities.”，意为“但你很有机会和不同年龄段，以及不同族裔的人共事。”该句中的 different ethnicities 跟选项 B 为原词复现，判断为正确答案， 故选取。接着原文提到“Doing makeup for special effects is highly specialised, so don't expect to be offered any practical experience in that.”该句表明特效（special effects）专业性极强，实习生不会获得任何实际经验，因此选项 A 被否定，故排除。
听前预测：定位词 problem、makeup artists，提示词 problem。
题目解析：本题定位简单，原文提到“One problem with working in the makeup department is that it's a high-pressure environment.”，意为“在化妆部门工作的大问题是，这里的工作环境压力很大。”准备听取。原文先提到“There are very few times when you'll be bored or have nothing to do.”，通过 few times 这一否定信息表明“几乎不会觉得无聊和无事可做。”跟选项 C 内容矛盾，故排除。接着答案句出现“It can be stressful but you'll see that the top makeup artists are very professional—even when they're having to work with directors who are impatient, or unhappy with the makeup artist's work.”。该句通过 even when 引导让步举例，解释化妆师面临的压力——directors who are impatient, or unhappy with the makeup artist's work（脾气急躁、对化妆师效果不满意的导演），其中 impatient 和 unhappy with… 为选 项 A 中 difficult directors（难沟通、难伺候的导演）的具象化替换，确认选项 A 为正确答案，故选取。接着原文提到 Follow your supervisor's lead（听从主管安排），全程没有提到“被主管呵斥”，因此选项 B 为干扰项，故排除。
听前预测：定位词 famous actors，提示词 speaker feel、for the first time。
题目解析：题干定位词 famous actors 原词出现，根据题干限定词 speaker，即说话者，因此原文中会通过代词 I 体现。答案句为“At first, I found it overwhelming and could hardly speak. I was so in awe.”，其中 overwhelming（令人不知所措的）、could hardly speak（紧张到说不出话）、in awe（心生敬畏），三者共同对应选项 very shy，因此选项 A 为正确答案，故选取。选项 B 的 proud 原文并未出现任何跟“自豪”相关的描述。随后原文提到“…to be honest most actors don't look that special without all the makeup!”，意为“……说实话，绝大多数演员卸掉全套妆容之后，样貌并没有那么出众。”该句确实能体现出失望（disappointed）的感觉，但这并不是第一次见面时的感受，跟题干限定 for the first time 不符合，因此选项 C 为干扰项，故排除。
听前预测：定位词 makeup kits，提示词 advice。
题目解析：该题答案句开门见山。“Every makeup trainee will need a makeup kit, which they'll be expected to have with them at all times. Just the essentials will do for the kinds of tasks you'll be given—it won't be anything complicated.”，意为“每位化妆实习生都需要一套化妆工具包，而且要求随身携带。应对分配给你的各类工作任 务，只备齐基础必需品就够了，不需要复杂齐全的全套装备。”该句中 have with them at all times 和 the essentials（必需品）分别替换选项 A 的 always carry 和 basic kit（基础必备工具），因此确认 A 为正确答案，故选取。此外，从该 句中的 essentials 和 won't be anything complicated 也可以判断跟选项 B 的 best products 存在矛盾，因此选项 B 为干扰项，故排除。原文随后提到“It's worth looking at what the other makeup artists have in their kits—but whatever you do, don't borrow anything without asking first.”。该句仅提到可以看看其他化妆师的工具箱，没有让他们帮忙检查的相关表述，因此选项 C 为干扰项，故排除。
听前预测：定位词 portfolio，提示词 advice。
题目解析：题干定位词 portfolio 原词出现，原文提到“You should take photos of all the work you do and ideally show the different stages of makeup application if you can.”意为“你应当把自己完成的所有化妆作品都拍下来，如果条件允许，最好能展示化妆的各个操作步骤。”该句只提到要拍摄所有作品的照片，与选项 B“只精选少量照片”直接冲突，因此选项 B 为干扰项，故排除。接着转折逻辑词 but remember 是给出关键建议的信号词，后面内容为答案核心——get approval（获 得许可），跟选项 C 的 get permission 为同义替换，因此确认选项 C 为正确答案，故选取。最后原文明确提到“As you'll be sending your portfolio digitally, you won't need to get photos printed.”意为“由于你的作品集将以电子形式提交，不需要把照片打印出来。”该句表明不需要纸质照片，跟选项 A 表述相反，故直接排除。
