Course Descriptions

Art Foundation Courses at AMUA

Drawing utilizes the formal principles of design to teach students how to draw. The first half of the semester only uses black, gray, and white. The second half of the semester introduces color. This class will focus on still life, lighting, and anatomy. It will also cover how to work from a grid to produce high quality images with minimal native talent.

Sculpting provides students with a strong foundation of knowledge and skills. They can build on this foundation in their future SFX courses. This course focuses on developing sculptural techniques. It also explains the tools of the trade. It covers various clay mediums and how to use and manipulate individual tools. By the end of this course, students will be able to express their ideas in three-dimensional form. 

3D Printing immerses students in the captivating world of 3D printing. It shows the profound relevance of 3D printing to the wig, makeup, and SFX makeup industry. The fields of wig design, makeup artistry, and special effects makeup are advancing. It’s essential to stay at the forefront of innovation.

Career Development Courses at AMUA

Minding your Business prepares students for self-employment. During this class, students build a professional website. They also learn how to create contracts and maintain tax requirements and bookkeeping. Students will leave the class with the skills they need to start their own businesses.

Portfolio Development focuses on essential photography and videography techniques. It empowers artists to document their creations. Students will delve into using social media as a marketing tool. They will use AMUA’s state-of-the-art studio equipment. Students will learn to become a storyteller from makeup to publication. They will learn whether working from a smartphone or DSLR camera.

Costume Department Courses

Intro to Costume introduces students to the fundamentals of the costume department. It covers all areas of practice. The emphasis is on building skills that are useful in the costume shop and wardrobe areas. Students also learn the protocols and etiquette of working backstage and behind the scenes. They also learn how to work with talent.

Advanced Costume Practice offers students more in-depth practice in advanced costume skills. This includes pattern making, draping, and advanced construction skills. It also introduces various costume crafts. These include distressing, aging, jewelry making, and accessories.

Intro to Design equips students with the essential skills to breathe life into characters across various mediums, from stage to screen. A foundational course that delves into the captivating realm of character creation. Throughout this immersive journey, students will unravel the intricacies of character design, mastering the art of visual storytelling.

Costume Design immerses the student in the practice of Costume Design in a variety of professional settings from live performance to film. Focus will be the design process, collaboration with other members of a production team and how to take a costume from “page to stage.” Fundamentals of budgeting for costume, script analysis, sketching and rendering and supervising fabrication of designed costumes will be included.

Costume Portfolio will provide professional mentorship in developing a portfolio of work through a series of projects and real world experience. Focus will be on establishing a digital portfolio of work as well as a social media presence for the costume design student as well as exploring other business and marketing materials and strategies.

History of Makeup & Costume offers a holistic view of how humans have been adorning themselves for the past 50,000 years. Students will explore how and why people have decorated their bodies. They will study each historical period and culture, and see how this has evolved due to technology and social change. This class examines how body adornment constructs identity, class, race, and gender all over the world and throughout time. “Students link hairstyling, makeup, body modification, and hygiene, recognizing their essential role in expressing ‘humanness.’

Makeup Department Courses at AMUA

Makeup Artistry I focuses on foundational makeup skills. It emphasizes manipulating makeup application for different media types. Students contextualize then apply makeup for various styles, periods, and character makeups. This class teaches proper sanitary and hygiene procedures. It aims to keep artists and subjects safe and healthy.

Makeup Artistry II refines all aspects of a student’s professional makeup artistry. More techniques will be introduced as students progress through character creation projects. The projects will connect each of the courses taught in the other disciplines. The focus of this course is to refine each student’s makeup application process to be better and faster.

Special Effects Department Courses at AMUA

Special Effects Lite prepares students for basic SFX work at an HD level. Students will create both two and three-dimensional out-of-the-kit SFX makeups. They will also learn how to build and prepare custom 3D transfers. These skills are invaluable for work in the entertainment industry. This includes independent films, theatrical productions, and haunted house attractions.

Special Effects Makeup I readies students to design and create human-based characters. It covers two-dimensional painting techniques and sculpted prosthetics. Students will make their own prosthetics, including mold creation and casting. They will always use current industry standard materials. You can adapt these skills to careers in the entertainment industry. These careers include theater, film, and television. They can also specialize in the medical and private business sectors.

Special Effects Makeup II fine-tunes and advances students’ skills. It covers sculpting, mold making, casting, prosthetic application, and painting techniques. Projects are bigger and more demanding. Students need to work with other classes to develop more complex characters. This keeps them in line with current industry standards. Prerequisite: Special Effects Makeup.

Hair Department Courses at AMUA

Wig & Hair Work Lite is for beginner wigmakers and stylists. It teaches the basics of working with wigs. This class introduces students to the basic uses of commercial wigs. It also teaches the necessary skills to work with commercial wigs. This includes wig handling and simple period styling. Students will also learn the core foundational skill of wig making. They will learn to ventilate by building and styling facial hair. This introductory course provides students with the necessary tools to accept work which requires some familiarity with wigs. This work might be in small local theaters or independent films and music videos.

Wig & Hair Work I introduces students to foundational wig making skills. They learn hand-laying and punching hair and fur. Students will not only learn to style wigs and facial hair but to build them from the ground up. You can use these skills in the entertainment industry. This includes theater, film, and television careers. They can also specialize in the medical industry or private business sector.

Wig & Hair Work II concentrates on learning the finest of wig-making techniques. Students will learn to build traditional wig foundations. They will also learn to construct full lace foundations and hand-tied wigs. These approaches are broad. They enable students to move forward in their careers. Students learn how to curate and adapt their wig builds for projects. You’ll also develop styling skills. There’s a strong focus on period-accurate wig styles throughout the centuries. Prerequisite: Wig Making & Styling 1.