 Big Screen Ambition
Retail manager expands her horizons with the help of George Brown College
Karen Duggan was a familiar face when she arrived on the Toronto set of the short film Standing on Richards on a cold day in February 2011. The 31-year-old had already met quite a few of the cast and crew (including Colin Mochrie and Debra McGrath) as the full-time manager of a retail store on Queen Street.
But, this day, Karen was also the lead makeup artist – the realization of a career dream and confirmation that she had the skills to succeed.
“The filming was done in one day,” Karen recalls, “but it was the easiest long day I’ve ever had. That’s a testament to my comfort level with the cast and crew and to my training.”
That training took place at our Yorkville School of Makeup and Esthetics, where Karen earned the Professional Makeup Artist (Advanced) Certificate. She considers the Professional Makeup III to have been key to her success on Standing on Richards.
“If I hadn’t taken that course, I would have been out to lunch on the set,” she says. “I knew the proper terminology, and that made me feel more confident and professional. It was an enjoyable and comfortable work experience. We had a lot of fun.”
Although Karen’s journey to the movie industry received a big boost from Professional Makeup III, the seeds were planted long before.
“I’ve been interested in makeup since I was a little girl but didn’t know it was a passion until I started thinking about things I’d like to do on the side,” Karen says. “Since I’m an artist and have always been into fashion, a girlfriend suggested I pursue makeup. That was a total ‘eureka’ moment.”
Once Karen had settled on pursuing an education in makeup, George Brown became her preferred destination – due in equal parts to her previous experience with the College’s Continuing Education classes, the flexible schedules and the reputation of both the College as a whole and the Yorkville School.
“I had heard good things from friends who had taken courses at the School,” she says. “When I went for a tour, everybody I encountered was friendly, welcoming and obviously happy to be there.”
Karen started taking courses toward her certificate in September 2009 and balanced classes with her full-time work. She was nervous at first, but that feeling quickly vanished once she was at George Brown.
“I was older than many of the other students, and I was shy about going back to school. But there was a good vibe at the Yorkville School right from the start. A number of staff members have been my models, and I met one of my closest friends in class. It felt like family.”
For Karen, an added benefit of the School was the number of volunteer opportunities presented during class. Her learning was accelerated through those industry experiences, which included weddings, various fashion shows, MuchOnDemand and Ben Nye Makeup.
“Working with Ben Nye’s son Dana was a surreal experience. The chance to work with a legendary company in the industry was a defining moment for me, and the fact that the opportunity came from my school was even more amazing,” she says.
Now that Karen is a freelance makeup artist, she’s grateful for the wealth of knowledge she received from the Yorkville School.
“The general classes really help you figure out what you want to do,” she remembers. “They give you an opportunity to dabble in it all. Then the specialized classes help you get the skills to do what you want to do. For example, Special Effects Makeup came highly recommended to me, especially because I wanted to get into film. I knew employers would see my experience.”
Although working full-time and going to school meant Karen had many long days, she’s extremely positive about her decision to pursue an education at the Yorkville School of Makeup and Esthetics.
“It was a great chance to gain experience and to network and allowed me to develop relationships,” she says. “And the best part is that everybody was really pulling for us to be successful.”
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