Full Class Description:
How does a makeup artist from Pittsburgh—with no entertainment-industry contacts—come to Los Angeles and build a decades-long career working with celebrity clients?
It is the number one question celebrity makeup artist Brett Freedman is asked, and in this candid career-focused class, he will take attendees behind the glam to share how it happened.
Brett will revisit the beginning of his Los Angeles career in 1996, the opportunities and decisions that helped move him forward, the advice that proved invaluable, and the advice that didn’t. He will also discuss an important question every artist should consider: What is your “propellant”—the force driving you to pursue celebrity work?
Is it the money? The recognition? The bragging rights? Or is it the opportunity to collaborate with people who are operating at the very top of their fields?
Brett experienced that realization while glamming Lisa Kudrow for the Friends reunion specials. Looking around the soundstage, he recognized that everyone involved—from the publicists and photographers to the caterers and glam teams—was working at the highest level of their profession. It was a powerful reminder that a celebrity makeup career is not simply about who is sitting in your chair. It is about the skill, professionalism, collaboration, and trust required to earn your place in that room.
Drawing from decades of experience, Brett will share his perspective on developing and maintaining long-term client relationships, including clients who have remained with him for decades. He will also speak honestly about what happens when a longstanding client relationship comes to an end, how to navigate that loss, and how experience can bring valuable perspective to an ever-changing career.
The class will also address the practical realities of establishing yourself as a working artist, including money, survival jobs, and how to recognize when it may be time to leave a secondary job and fully commit to your makeup career.
Created for both emerging and established makeup artists, this class offers an honest look at building a sustainable career, earning trust within the entertainment industry, and preparing yourself for opportunities with high-profile clients.
Topics will include:
- How Brett began his Los Angeles career without industry connections
- Valuable advice he received—and advice that did not serve him
- Identifying your personal “propellant” for pursuing celebrity work
- What working with high-profile clients is really like
- Building trust and maintaining long-term client relationships
- Handling the loss or transition of an established client
- Money, survival jobs, and knowing when to make the leap
- Professionalism, collaboration, and career longevity
- Live audience Q&A with Brett Freedman
