Post-COVID Film Set: Through the Eyes of Terri Apanasewicz, Makeup Artist.
Terri Apanasewicz dipped her toes back into set life after COVID. Terri is a makeup artist with clients on America’s Got Talent and in that role, you’re up close and personal. So how does that work today? When do you decide it’s safe?
Deciding whether or not you’re ready for set in this environment is personal, Terri relayed. She comes locked and loaded — she wears a mask, a shield, glasses and sanitizes more than ever “my dry hands prove it.” She is working with people she’s known for a long time and she spends as little time on set as possible. She goes to their house, applies their makeup, does their hair, and then they go to set, where they are in the trailers by themselves and they stay outside as much as possible.
Terri flew out to Nashville for a music video with Delta since they’re honoring the middle seat to space everyone out. She joked, “ I wish flying was always like this — I loved the limited amount of people, having my space.” She wore an N95 mask, a shield, glasses “going, I did overkill and it hurt my face” but it was a necessary evil.
For set, she bought a 360 ultraviolet sterilization set-up and put everything she’s touched in a separate bin, not back in her kit. There used to be a lot of freedom and play in makeup design the day of, but there’s no longer the random blue eyeshadow since they have to keep every single piece in sterile individual containers.
The music video luckily had a COVID person on set, carrying hand sanitizer, spacing people out, and if you touched your mask, she offered you a new one. For Terri’s workflow, she tends to only be on each set a day to three days at a time so this wasn’t as bad.
Her friend who works in TV and is on set every day also had a COIVD person on set and she said it becomes a stressful environment. The COVID person, in the act of spacing people out, needs to break up anyone hanging out. We lose that beloved camaraderie of set
Right now as a freelancer in this world, long gone are the days where we pick up a gig the night before at 2 AM. For America’s Got Talent the whole crew and cast needed to get COVID tested before set, which as we know takes 2–3 days to get results.
“There’s really only so much we can do and for me, I have to be smart, responsible, and safe.” Terri has even said no to some jobs because you need to trust that the person you’re going to be face to face with is also being safe and someone’s version of safe is different than your own.
Terri’s biggest take away since COVID is that “it’s allowed us to slow down and not take every single job — and I don’t have to work myself to the bone.” Film production can hopefully have more of a work-life balance rather than this burn out culture.
We hope this article gave you some insight into the film set’s right now. Take care of yourselves and wear PPE; get a face shield like the one Terri is wearing ArtCube Market! To keep up to date on what’s going on for set or to find jobs, join ArtCube Nation!
About Terri Apanasewicz
Terri Apanasewicz , a celebrity and fashion makeup artist and hairstylist for more than thirty years, has a client list that includes Cindy Crawford, Kaia Gerber, Gisele Bundchen, Jenifer Lewis, Ming-Na Wen, and Miranda Lambert. A-listers aren’t her only focus, however. Terri is a beauty guru who wants to empower every woman, no matter her age or occupation, to look and feel her best. As a professional, a mentor, and an advocate, Terri imparts the message that confidence is key while sharing makeup tips and hair-styling tricks to enable women to highlight their own natural beauty.
She believes uplifting others benefits everyone. She has a wicked sense of humor, enjoys a good grilled-cheese sandwich, fosters abandoned pups when she can, and is the proud “mom” of three rescue dogs ~ Myla, Roxi, and Scout.
