We had the good fortune of connecting with Kala Kannisto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kala, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
Being a makeup artist in the film industry is tough! The amount of thought and planning that goes into designing a look and matching what the character is experiencing at that moment in the film is extremely important. It helps sell the overall mood of the film and takes the story to the next level. For example, if the character has just had a difficult event happen, we add stress to the face with makeup, if they are doing difficult physical labor, we add sweat and even just a short shot of a special effects makeup has a lot of factors to consider like “how was this character injured?” “from what direction?” “how old is the injury?” A lot of times scenes are also shot out of order so we have to take great notes to recreate makeup later on for continuity.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am not your typical makeup artist, I love building creatures, applying prosthetics and creating colorful works of art with makeup. One of my favorite makeup creations was an alien I built for a photoshoot with a local photographer. The makeup took over 4 hours from start to finish and included a bald cap, two pieces around the eyes, a forehead piece, a nose and hands. Even just thinking about the fact that I was able to build all that blows my mind because just a few years ago I wouldn’t have even known where to start. I got to where I am now by slowly teaching myself by watching other artists online on social media and YouTube, then I took classes with 3 time Academy Award winner, Ve Neill in LA to fine tune my application skills and am continuing to learn from the online Stan Winston School for Character Arts and my mentor, Naomi Bakstad.

My biggest lesson is that you have to be okay with trying things, even if it’s scary. If something doesn’t go exactly the way you envisioned, it’s okay. I try my best to take mental notes and try something else next time. I’ve also learned that there are multiple paths to get to success and you have to find the path that works best for you.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Charleston is full of so many great places! We would probably take a walk downtown by the battery and up Church St to see the beautiful historic homes, churches and cemeteries. I’d take them to get coffee at my favorite little spot, Harken on Queen St and then to the Robert Lange Art studio. (The BEST art gallery in the city!) I’m also a Latin dance instructor so I’d find a place like Forte or The Elks Lodge where we could dance salsa and bachata. As for food, we are so spoiled in Charleston. There are so many great places to eat! For something more casual I love Bon Bahn Mi, Rancho Lewis or Rodney Scott BBQ. For something a little nicer I’d take them to Stella’s for Greek comfort food or Basic Kitchen for something healthy and delicious. Some other fun spots are The Pour House for live music, Edmund’s Oast for Drag Brunch or Theatre 99 for an improv show.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I can’t pick just one! I want to shoutout first to my best friend, Georgia. She has been my biggest cheerleader as I’ve become established in this career and encourages me always. My husband has also been a huge loving support, he’s helped take photos for my portfolio and even flew out to LA with me to be a model for my prosthetic application class at Legends Makeup Academy. I also have to thank Naomi Bakstad, she is an Emmy and BAFTA nominated makeup artist who has volunteered hours of her time to mentor me through the Last Looks Podcast Mentorship Program. She’s shared a wealth of knowledge with me about this industry and offered a lot of support and encouragement over the last few months.

Website: https://www.artistryavecharleston.com

Instagram: @ArtistryAveCHS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555342306423

Other: TikTok: @artistryavechs

Image Credits
Amy with Pink Chair Photography, Victor Garcia, Tanya Boggs, Christine Hamrick

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