Contour Your Career: 5 Reasons To Train In Hair And Makeup For Film And TV
The National Film and Television School (NFTS) is excited to be joining forces with the prestigious Iver Makeup Academy to deliver a brand new MA in Hair and Makeup for Film and Television. Could you become part of the first ever intake of 10 students beginning the course in January 2027? Read on to find out more!
A forward-thinking response to an identified skills gap in the industry, the unrivalled practical training opportunities at the NFTS combined with the Iver Makeup Academy’s specialist industry expertise offers a qualification grounded in real-world experience.
Bringing years of industry expertise to the NFTS as course leader is Liz Tagg, Principal of the Iver Makeup Academy, and BAFTA and Emmy nominated Makeup artist: “A key part of the programme is balancing creativity and practical industry knowledge, so we will encourage students to experiment, take creative risks, and develop their own artistic voice, whilst understanding how these ideas can be delivered successfully within professional production environments.”
Course leadership and tutoring will be delivered by award-winning makeup and hair artists whose credits include Star Wars, Avengers, Black Mirror, Ghostbusters, Supergirl, and Nuremberg. These are practitioners who continue to work at the top of the industry alongside their teaching roles, which means the knowledge they bring into the room is current, relevant, and grounded in the realities of professional production.
The 2027 cohort of this exciting new course will be among the first to set up shop in the NFTS's newest addition to its Beaconsfield HQ, the Cubby Broccoli Building. Students will have access to a fully equipped hair and makeup studio, alongside other world-class facilities, and will develop their craft in hair, makeup, wigs, and introductory prosthetics while working on NFTS student productions. Alongside practical projects, the programme develops the leadership, budgeting, and collaboration skills that senior departmental roles demand. Every student will complete a Master's portfolio, graduating with an industry calling card and a set of professional capabilities that reflect genuine readiness for senior responsibility behind the camera.
1) Train on real film and TV productions!
Master's students train within real filmmaking environments. Working on NFTS productions alongside directors, producers, cinematographers, and production designers, students operate within professional workflows from the first week. The skills developed here are tested against the demands of actual productions, not simulated scenarios.
2) A Pathway to Supervising and Designing Roles
The step from junior artist to supervisor requires more than technical skill. It demands budgeting awareness, team leadership, and a clear understanding of how hair and makeup departments collaborate with costume, VFX, and production. This programme is built specifically to develop those capabilities, giving graduates the professional foundation to pursue senior roles with confidence.
3) Accreditations and Industry Recognition
The NFTS is a BAFTA awarded School and has consistently appeared in The Hollywood Reporter's Best International Film Schools list for 15 years. Student-made productions are consistently recognised with key awards, and the School is one of only a handful of schools globally to have had students nominated for Academy Awards based on the films they have made as part of their studies. The Iver Makeup Academy is the only independent makeup academy whose students have received multiple BAFTA Scholarships. This partnership brings together two of the UK's most respected screen training institutions, ensuring that the MA qualification students complete carries genuine professional weight with employers across film, television, and streaming.
4) Fill a Critical Skills Gap
The NFTS plays a leading role in addressing skills shortages in the industry. This course addresses a key gap between technical training and professional industry practice in a way that is currently unmatched in the UK. Upon graduation, students will leave with superior skills and knowledge, not only in the craft of hair and makeup, but also the knowledge and experience of filmmaking processes.
“By the time you graduate, our aim is that you'll leave not only with advanced specialist skills, but with the confidence, professionalism, and creative mindset needed to thrive within the screen industries.” Course leader Liz Tagg.
5) Collaboration is the key to success
Collaboration is one of the most important parts of the filmmaking process. During your time at the NFTS, you will collaborate with a broad range of students across multiple disciplines. You will be working closely with student directors, producers, cinematographers, production design, costume design, and visual effects teams, and these are the contacts you will graduate and move into the industry with.
“At the NFTS, you're building lasting relationships with the NFTS community, and creating connections. I have many stories about working with student directors who have then gone on to be Oscar winners, BAFTA winners etc, and who do they want on their team? They want the team that they've worked with since they started. So that collaboration and that networking goes on for the rest of your career.” Course leader Liz Tagg
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If you are ready to take the next steps and advance your career in hair and makeup, applications are now open for this exciting new 1 year MA.
Hair and Makeup for Film and Television MA
1 year | Full time
The NFTS has a strong track record of supporting British students through scholarships and bursaries, and funding information is provided directly to successful applicants by the NFTS funding team. If funding is a consideration in your application decision, we encourage you to apply and explore the options available to you at that stage.