Hair and makeup trailers are often mobile areas such as a production bus that are dedicated spaces for the hair and makeup artists to do their jobs in. As anyone who has ever worked in film or television production knows, hair and makeup are in many ways the heart of what happens behind the scenes on any film or television production. Every day, an actor begins his or her day by sitting in the hair and makeup chair, where he or she is prepped for the day ahead. Hair and makeup artists go to great lengths to create the looks that the actors will embody throughout filming of a film or television show. It’s in the hair and makeup chair that the foundation for the performance is created. The chair almost becomes “home base” for the actor, as it’s somewhere where he or she visits every single day and it’s where his or her character first visually comes to life,
A well made hair and makeup production trailer will offer a variety of features. Lighting, for example, is very important. Most hair and makeup artists like to have a choice between natural and professional lighting. Therefore, the mirrors in a makeup trailer are lighted, but there is often also a natural source of light – such as a skylight – available should natural light be necessary. Natural light is particularly important when preparing an actor for a performance that will occur outdoors, such as an exterior daytime scene.