Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittanie Cruz.
Brittanie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Well, my story begins long before I was even born. My family is originally from Cuba and was uprooted and brought to the states. So, I am proud to say that I am a first-generation American of my family. They risked everything for a better future and I am forever grateful. My grandmother and my mother are a true inspiration and are my greatest supporters. Even with so many tremendous struggles, they faced they still manage to create such beauty.
In my early years of college, I felt like a wandering lost soul. I wasn’t really sure how to tackle life. I knew I wanted to pursue the arts. My mother was reassuring that medical school was a safe back up plan, but I felt I needed to take the path less traveled. Even with my mother’s concern, she still supported me through and through. Halfway through college, I decided to transfer and drop my Marketing Major in exchange for something more suiting. I attended Stan Winston School of Character Arts and took my first steps into the wild world of Beauty and Make-up Effects.
After a year of studying, I still had so much to learn, but I landed my first gig. It just so happened to be a film apart of the 48 Hour Film Festival. So, that meant teams who entered had 48 hours to create a film and I was about to experience film making for the first at the speed of light. At the time, I was working as a part-time cashier at a grocery store, so after my shift, I went straight down to Atlanta for my 10:00 pm call time. We wrapped around 6 in the morning and I went back to work a shift at the grocery at 8:00 am. From those hours alone, one might rethink choosing a career in film making, but I did not and I have no regrets. Regardless of the experience being good or bad, that moment of “lights, camera, action” stopped being a fantasy and became a reality for me. I know it sounds cheesy, but it felt like walking into a movie theater for the first time and feeling astounded when the lights dimmed and the sounds rumbled the chairs.
From that opportunity alone, I was able to meet so many wonderful people in the community. I gained more chances to hone my craft and build my resume. Six years later, I am now a full-time Make-up Artist for Film, TV, and Theater. I have been able to work for some amazing companies like The Fabulous Fox Theater, Nike, Latin America Vogue, Hallmark, Lifetime, IBM, Home Depot, Eurotard, BYUTV and many more. Just recently, I celebrated my first year being a sister of IATSE 798 Hair and Make-up Union. I have been able to accomplish so much because of my family, my brothers and sisters in 798, and my wonderful friends in the Industry. I still have so much to accomplish and learn, but I am so grateful for every opportunity that I have been given.
Has it been a smooth road?
I would be a liar if I said this has been a breeze. Of course, with every step I took forward, I felt I was taking five steps back. At the beginning of my career, I was working for many student films and other gigs for free. I was just trying to build my reputation and resume, all while trying to hold down a job at whatever retailer I was working for at the time. Working a part-time job and trying to work film hours is not for the faint of heart. I also did not have reliable transportation, so I took Uber/Lyft everywhere! To add more fuel to the fire, I was flat out broke. I had invested everything I had into my make-up kit and had no more than $50.00 in my bank account every month. You could imagine the stress I was under. I spent countless nights crying my eyes out because it seemed that everything I was doing felt frivolous. My end goal was being blurred by the image of what my life should have been like. But the reality is that your life is not always going to be perfect, everyone struggles along the way. I am glad I was reminded of that because I would never have pursued my dreams.
Eventually, I was able to break through and establish myself as a professional make-up artist, but even now I still face struggles. Joining the Union was not easy. I had many requirements to fulfill, and even still, I could face rejection before I could finally become a member. It was also the biggest investment I had made financially. My eyes fell out of my head, signing the $3000.00 check away. I do not regret it, but at the time it was a huge decision I had to make for the future of my career. Even being on set can be a struggle sometimes. With the long hours, producers, multitudes of personalities on set. You can easily become jaded and worn down to the bone. Recently, I had found out my beloved grandmother passed away while I was working on set. No one can understand how much pain I felt and no one on set knew, because I had to pick myself up and finish a 14-hour workday.
Not a lot of people understand what we do as filmmakers but I hope they understand the struggles we face and why we choose to persevere. We are skilled artisans and we love our craft no matter the outcome, no matter the struggle.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am a Professional Local 798 Make-up Artist for Film/TV/Theater. I have been a Make-up Artists for six years and I studied at Stan Winston School of Character Arts. I provide a wide range of skills within my craft and specializing in small prosthetic application and film beauty. I try not to limit my self within my craft. I always want to take new opportunities that will allow me to learn and hone my skills. But as far as what I know for, I would only hope to be known for professionalism.
I am most proud of being able to work with so many amazing companies here in the Atlanta area and establishing my self at a young age. I really hit the ground running when I finally decided on what I wanted to be. I don’t plan to stop either until I reach my goals. I love this industry and I love what I do.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
To be honest, I have no comparison to say whether or not it is or is not a good place to start out in. I was just lucky enough to have been living in Atlanta already when the film industry began its journey here. I will say there is a lot of work but with that comes fierce competition. There are so many talented artists in Atlanta that I admire and aspire to be. I’m sure with any industry, there comes the point where it does become saturated with employees and not enough work but don’t let that discourage you. Make your own path and do what’s best for you! If you are looking into moving to Atlanta to work in film, I suggest you do your research. Begin networking and find a group best suited for you. I will say that Atlanta is a very welcoming city and everyone I have met so far has been really nice!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.forevereffects.weebly.com
- Phone: 6786548986
- Email: brittaknee.cruz2@ymail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/forevereffects
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/forevereffects
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/forevereffects
Image Credit:
Photographers: Deelite Photography, Andrew Lee, Iris Ray, BYUTV
Models: Naomi Smith, Katelyn Studer, Danielle Bisutti, Drew Powell, Evan Hoffer, Joel McCrary, Caitlin Carmichael, Sloane Siegal. Lauren Goins.
Companies: BYUTV, Dwight in Shining Armor, Cinder, The Atlanta Opera
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