What we do

We also offer a BITE SIZE day designed for new clients who would like to assess the suitability of our service and gauge student feedback for progression to a more comprehensive WBL or workshop to gain a commercially valued portfolio. ( No obligation to book anything after this ). Set up within a college room / hall ( or any location arranged through the college ) with us supplying a skeleton staff

of 2/3, and all the photographic equipment required to set a studio up for

demonstration and student involvement ( students would be set a task to

brief and would take a few shots under supervision with assembled shots

burnt to DVD at the end of the day - given to a course leader to distribute ).

Where do we start - there's so much to tell you !

We apologise in advance for parts of this site being so ‘wordy’, but we feel the need to try and get over as much information to enable the clearest view of what we can do

for you, your course or college.

Everything we do though is bespoke and designed around expectation.

Firstly, we visit you, your course / college and evaluate

how we may be able to help, establishing the groups ability, aims and desires falling in line with course structure and outline. We would be happy to provide a FREE presentation to students and H.O.D’s - with no obligations.

Before we go any further - we know what your thinking, this is going to cost a lot of money for our WBL and workshop packages..

Halve the cost you were hoping for and your there ! Read on for some quotation examples.

Fusion Waterside Studio, Vicarage Farm, Ivinghoe, Bed’s, LU7 9DY . England

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Most colleges do not concentrate on building a portfolio. There are only two others in the UK and 2 in the USA that we know of that mention portfolios - with no one doing what we do !
Media employers want to see the makeup artists true work. If they believed everything could be done with photo shop retouching there would be no need to hire a talented makeup artist. Luckily that is not the case. Photographers want to book a stylist or make-up artist

who will reduce the post production work required to gain flawless

skin and looks. Most of the student images found in this site

have limited or no post production ... Its all about getting it right

through the camera, use of lighting and makeover skills.

It can work out less than £8.00 per student for all our service, staff and kit !

This can only be achieved and not beaten as the true cost is subsidised by

Fusion - Waterside Studio Commercial division. We guarantee that no-one offers what we do at anywhere near what we charge - or the true value. View the slide shows lower down this page and tour the other pages of this web site to view all the information, displaying many more images and some video samples of students at work with us ( quick links are found at the bottom of this page ).

With the work place so competitive for even the most qualified - that extra helping hand is what will make the difference for students to gain access into their industry. Most students on the make-up, hair and fashion courses do not get the chance to gain commercial experience or able to display images which really promote

skills - snaps just wont do ! Everyone - even the ‘man in the street’ is conditioned to magazine and high quality imagery, so that's what students need to supply to get themselves That's where we come in. We have for a number of years now, run very successful courses, WBL programmes and workshops allowing students to achieve their goals.

We design days out for your students with full briefs, demonstration, industry staff who set up kit, overseeing the proper use and help with developing creative ideas to brief -while analysing and helping students with pre shoot work ( briefs are given in advance so course leaders can coach and practise skills required for the accepted brief - getting the most out of the day with us ) .... All of this would be explained at any presentation we would give free at the initial stages of interest. We supply all photographic equipment required ( showing any students who have their own camera how to get the best out of them ), and transport to any agreed locations, ( commercial facilities such as studios ) .... There's so much we are able to do - with student achievement and confidence running at a high.

Don’t worry about the weather - we always have a plan B in place, mobile marques and even huge mobile heaters run from generators should we see fit.

At all stages the students would work under commercial conditions and sometimes with real clients who expect the best results for their publication requirement ( these clients usually agree that students are able to contribute as its on a no or very limited, expenses only fee basis ).

These could include magazine, web, PR shoots and stunts along with TV live and recorded broadcast programmes and TV ad’s.

We can cater for any number of students in a group. They will get to experience the real world ‘out there’ which some students are sheltered from mainly due to nothing like this being available to them !

All of this is done while being lots of fun ! We operate various packages for college groups, some on location at great UK locations ( identified, risk assessed and booked where necessary by us ) ....They may have to get up at dawn and work till late - just like the real world !! The rewards will be there for everyone to see upon return.

They can be given image post production assistance and help developing a industry Z CARD, business cards, web site design should future involvement be requested.

To give you a better idea of what we do with a group of students, what documents and information we supply with a overview of what students need to supply - click here to see a location agenda and accompanying material for a Dorset shoot last year ......

BA Photographic Students agenda here ( this was booked this year by the whole group of Uni students who were on a media course )......

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Call Pete now and have a chat to see what we can do for you ........ 07800 894959

We supply actors, commercial print models, musicians,

entertainers and fashion models. We work hard to make sure

students have a variety of media looks to work on. We book

young and older, male and female models, and a range of

different nationalities and skin tones. We provide students with

as many real people and commercial looks as possible, as

well as high fashion, editorial models.

We try and cover the whole spectrum of media situations.

We then travelled to the planned location where the brief is worked out with more practical demonstration - putting into practice everything learnt and ideas created. Helpful guidance is given throughout as students get to work on make-up referring to their research and notes.

The gallery below shows a few images taken in June 2010 working with students for a second time on their NVQ 3 course based at West Hert’s College in Hitchin. This 3 day Work Based Learning exercise with a group of 16 students were taken to the beautiful Ashridge College, a historic medieval gothic style building where they had a room and facilities for application. Working to the brief of ‘Hammer Horror’ - an area of make-up which was researched but had no previous experience - but as you can see from the images in the gallery below - it was very successful. Various photographic sets within the grounds were assembled using mobile and studio type lighting. Along with this monitored set, students were given some mobile photographic kit to explore the grounds independently to see what ideas they came up with. They now have a much more comprehensive portfolio to take into a Foundation Degree Course

where most progress

or giving them a head

start in industry.

Participating on a individual and small team basis, with evening group evaluation of images, each student gained valuable location make-up experience. The main aim of this particular module was for students to become familiar working with photographers while learning camera operation and photographic techniques, visual creativity, location environment health & safety while understanding on camera make-up implications.

Students gained individual images illustrating their specialist make-up while developing new related skills. Most important of all, students gained confidence, get to project themselves above others of similar qualification and age within the industry, at interviews or while applying to further education - with their Z cards, portfolios and experience. Students from this make-up course have progressed onto media courses,

work on various films such as Harry Potter, freelance on top shoots for worldwide publications with some now professional photographers - not the aim of tuition in this instance but a nice by-product. All services, extra staff and assistants were supplied by us, along with make-up guidance and photographic tuition.

All equipment was also supplied by us. Accommodation, minibus transport, insurance and disclaimers was also arranged by us .....

The next gallery below shows an example of just one students work on a specialist make-up course over a one week period previewing varied applied make-up skills working with commercial briefs while

under controlled tuition during a structured work based learning

exercise based in East Devon.

The model was part of our staff team.

This student was part of one of the largest groups we have had

of over 90 Students ( plus 9 staff ) who were divided into 3

‘one week duration groups’ ( 21 days consecutive full time

tutoring - 20 hours a day input by staff ! ) during October and

November 2007. While students sleep at night, we are busy

charging batteries, sorting, arranging and packing kit,

evaluation of the days student images and attending to areas

of improvement and re planning.

View the students weeks images here ... This was the first time this make-up artist student had ever taken pictures other than using her phone or compact. After a couple of days of photographic and make-up for the camera tuition on location with us ( undertaken in a hired hall with overhead projection, a mobile studio and other facilities set up by us held in the Lyme Regis area, Dorset ), she went about taking these images. She experimented with off camera lighting in conjunction with the manipulation of applied natural light, discovered shutter speed and aperture control exploring the effects. She later used Photoshop and after only a few hours of tuition these are the results. Regardless of the day we have planned, it begins with a informal photographic talk which explains health & safety, expected equipment to be used with demonstration of use and handling with techniques and knowledge presented to the students- in a structured, easy-to-understand format to enjoy the day.

Make-up is progress mapped throughout application, then evaluated through the camera where the student takes pictures under guidance. Being on location raises issues and challenges not found in a ‘class room’ environment, students have to problem solve and think outside the box ! Any changes of clothing are made using a changing tent when on such locations.

They are also given ‘carte blanche’ where they are given free rein to explore any other ideas they may have while inspired by the location. Our main aim is to make to make it a fun experience every day. As long as students are enjoying the experience then they will take to learning, making what we do one of the most memorable highlights of their course - we guarantee !!!

Each day is concluded with

a critique of images taken

and screen viewed using

some images to

demonstrate Photoshop.

We are able to arrange

some very unique locations - this students Z card image was taken at a circus - and that was a real elephant !

Please take some time looking through these web site pages - and remember - images were taken by students who are not photographers or on any photographic / media course !

View more detail via the following links:

SEE SOME PRICE EXAMPLES HERE

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VIEW VIDEO CLIPS HERE

STUDIO

SERVICES

SPECIALIST GALLERY