Creating Saturday Night Live: Makeup

Louie Zakarian, makeup designer and department head at Saturday Night Live, gives a behind-the-scenes look at how he and his team make TV magic happen. Tune in to SNL Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT on NBC!
Produced by Lorne Michaels, Oz Rodriguez, Matt Yonks, Chris Voss, Erin Doyle
Edited by Sean McIlraith
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[@nothanks5752]

That Cleopatra stamp is genius, but this man is a magician

[@melvina628]

Agreed!

[@Goblinkatie]

I need one of these. Eye makeup is my Achilles Heel.

[@Lumibear.]

That blew me away!

[@qwerttzizzi]

Where?

[@trentsc4929]

They work for satan. They cast molds, to produce broadcasts. It's witchcraft.

[@tori2dles]

I could watch a full documentary of this stuff.

[@danielthesantos]

@@sweetsalvation7143 Go away plz, thanks.

[@danielthesantos]

@@sweetsalvation7143 Typical human, thinking that somehow you have the magical ability to know what everybody else needs to do. That's your ego. We all have one, but you can either let it run your life (into the ground) or get control of it so you can discover the joy of humility. Once we think we're the "right" ones with "the answers" we can justify all sorts of things from being rude to people on the internet who are just expressing their pure joy, to dishonesty, fraud, violence and murder. Please don't be rude like that. I've been an angry, hateful person before as well. I like it a lot better feeling joy while looking for what's good in my situation instead of being blinded by only what is bad. Once I let that take over, it's not long before I'm trying to rain on any parade I see and just generally being a menace. The Universe has been doing just fine regulating evolution and such before I came along and it'll do just fine when I'm gone.

[@gavincampbell8037]

tori2dles right!!

[@ifiget100subsillstartmakin7]

@@sweetsalvation7143 I have one, what about you?

[@abernathymonsoon4638]

I'm right with you, tori2dles! I could watch a full documentary of this stuff, too! It's fascinating what they can do in such a short time. Definitely a real art!

[@jacksvlogs9924]

I’m getting stressed out just thinking about the time constraints every week. When do these people sleep?

[@RaymondHng]

It's New York, the city that never sleeps.

[@mahed5807]

Sundays lol

[@DJTiger-tp2kc]

Cocaine, baby!

[@not_lizza3274]

bold of you to think they sleep

[@brian554xx]

summertime

[@verdatum]

I've been a hobbyist special effects makeup artist for about 15 years now. This is the guy who seriously stepped up the game for SNL makeup. If you take a look, when he took over, things went to a new level very abruptly. He is the reason why we got characters like Kate McKinnon as Jeff Sessions and Melissa McCarthy as Sean Spicer. The speed at which he has been able to pump out beautiful custom prosthetics is absolutely astounding. He and his crew do brand new characters in one week that would take me three months.

[@supremepancakes4388]

give him and his crew a raise!!!! amen!

[@danielthesantos]

Cool verdatum, thank you for sharing this perspective! :) I know that something changed at some point (when I wasn't watching much), and this has enthralled me to see what they can do! EDIT: Yeah, and McCarthy got an Emmy for that Spicer. I love how there was this backlash against SNL using female actors to play prominent men and in response SNL just took it up as a new hobby -- BOOHAY!

[@RaymondHng]

Louie Zakarian has seven Emmy Awards and six Emmy nominations.

[@goombapizza6335]

@@RaymondHng He deserves more Emmys, IMO. His work is bonkers. The "Shud" face prosthetic is like WHAAAT

[@mtak160]

“Selling the character but not losing the cast member” is something they do so well because no matter what makeup Kate has I can tell it’s her

[@verdatum]

Six-minute bald-cap is mind blowing. I had always presumed that when they needed to quick-change to a bald-cap they would do the cap in advance and mimic the hair in a wig overtop. I hope this man has an Emmy.

[@RaymondHng]

Louie Zakarian has seven Emmy Awards and six Emmy nominations.

[@ahmeds.2290]

Man it’s cool to see how things have evolved since the show started. Probably one of my favorite behind the scene

[@DawnsLifeover40]

This job is underrated. So interesting to hear the process. Thanks for sharing!!

[@evadeness]

A lot of the jobs at SNL are underrated. Some of staff who make this show work have been working on the show more than any cast member. They are pros.

[@melvina628]

I wonder if makeup has received any Emmys.

[@dHolbach77]

Is it? I've always appreciated the great job they do making cast/hosts/guests look like other people. Without that, even the best impressions are much less funny, memorable, and lesser in impact.

[@berglettemom6045]

I wish this were a thirty minute documentary! So fascinating.

[@hayselgray4278]

I don’t understand how people are so good at this kind of stuff..

Haysel Gray - like a hunter in the wild that can loose their life in the act of getting food, a sense of self preservation keeps them evolving and dodging the tooth and claw of prey. The best cake, folded towel, nuclear warhead, or frappacino that was ever made was because someone felt their life was at stake. Try making a sandwich as if your life depended on it and taste the difference.

[@janwag6856]

Haysel Gray Practice practice practice ... after a while you get really good 🤩

[@ariamehr3339]

i'm sure you are smart enough to understand if you think for like 5 minute !

[@danielthesantos]

It's flabbergasting! Their makeup is a phenomenon of its own. Kate McKinnon as Giuliani was just genius!!

[@emic138]

snl crew must be at the top of their game! amazing!

[@janwag6856]

Laila K Must be? They ARE at the top of their game because they have been doing it live for so long. That’s professional at its best. Fabulous SNL!

[@valenciadale3506]

Genius!

[@furiousphoenix7526]

I wonder how much they get paid?

[@emic138]

Furious Phoenix i hope they get compensated generously! this schedule is insane! they obviously are all passionate about what they do, too!

[@ThePopushi]

This legitimately made me tear up. If any of you ever read this, just know you're fucking heros. You're the best of the best and work so hard together to make something so amazing. We see more than just the cast, we see you too!

[@iceanalytics]

Wh-what? How did this make you tear up? They're just makeup artists...

[@cherrysIushie]

I wouldn’t call them heroes but yeah they do a lot. Props to them

[@theredsketcher]

More BTS please! These ones are so interesting!

[@chapman_lil333]

ARMY?)

[@kogofoog572]

Katya Kim no behind the scenes. Gross

[@chapman_lil333]

@@kogofoog572 l am in Russia 😹😹😹😹😹😹

[@daeguboy8136]

@@chapman_lil333 they meant Behind The Scenes not BangTanSeonyeondan 😂 BTS are performing on SNL this April 12 tho

[@chapman_lil333]

@@daeguboy8136 понятно, i'm from Russia🌚

[@emic138]

i could watch an entire video on just that bald cap work!

[@RamSalinas]

His work is amazing! congrats to the makeup department for working great under presure

[@kyleclark4449]

Kate's got to be my favorite cast member in a long time. She can do literally anything

[@danielthesantos]

I have to keep repeating it. I think she's one of the 10 best comedians of the century, if not in the top 5. I can't decide on a favorite, but Giuliani and Kellyanne Conway (in the Broadway show piece) are up there.

[@AccessoriesAddict5528]

Wowwwww, i didn't realize how seriously they took their makeup!!!

[@janwag6856]

.AccessoryAddict. That’s the magic of live theatre 🎭!!

[@danielthesantos]

It's serious stuff! And it's amazing what they can turn their cast members into, even more amazing how quickly they do it.

[@kjamison5951]

Laugh as the SNL cast perform each show... Then stand and salute the army of people who work behind the scenes to ensure those performances work every show, music, cameras, prosthetics, make-up, and much much more. Thank you to the cast AND the crew of SNL for their great work!

[@mloftin6472]

Two thoughts. The time pressures they talk about stress me out. Kate has such a stunning profile.

[@heydayASMR]

Absolutely amazing, thanks for sharing this with us ! Kate and Scarlett as the blob and angler fish was one of my favorite moments in show history

[@AvaxPompea]

I’ve been an SFX Makeup Artist for almost 4 years now and the mere thought of only having 6 minutes to do a bald cap is absolutely mind boggling to me. I have so much respect for these artists to be able to do all of this with all these time constraints.

[@emic138]

that table read triggers my claustrophobia!

[@melvina628]

And my hunger. Can't really get to the food from the nosebleed section. I saw that someone brought their box of tissue for line cuts. LOL.

[@sennicgs]

Wow! I was looking for the ugly fish played by Kate!!

[@monitoler5721]

I used t o be so upset whenever they went on summer breaks but after seeing this , damn take all the breaks you need! They deserve it!

[@arorea]

For reference it takes 3 hours for a non-pro like me to do a baldcap xD MAJOR PROPS!!!

[@benbellino3596]

Yeah if you’re doing it by yourself. SNL has like 5 people working on 1 baldcap

[@danahughes2239]

Excellence...it really makes the difference. I've enjoyed SNL since I was a kid. Thanks for your hard work.

[@mrcereal5597]

You can tell this guy loves what he does, he’s having fun and passionate about it. Happy for him :)

[@richienoah]

seeing Kate in half-blobfish make up was so incredible and one of my favorite sketches!

[@b.valentine5283]

Ive always thought that the hair, makeup, and costume people on SNL must be hilarious themselves!

[@TheMetroDetroiter]

Wow! So much talent and skill! Do more BTS!!

[@sophiabranson5232]

when he showed the table read i got SO ANXIOUS like. dear lord

[@the_bookkeeper4709]

God I think I would have a mental breakdown working there with that amount of intensive make-up so quickly. GOD SO MUCH RESPECT TO THE TEAM

[@13killa69]

Wow I'm blown away! The SNL Makeup crew is the real MVP 🏆

[@cristinasolano6487]

They are the real champions!

[@princesshuddini]

It takes a village. This is wonderful and very insightful.

[@lizzieEray91]

Very talented people! Such hard work and effort from literally each member of the show! Love it.

[@pastelberru]

WOW!! I have so much respect for these artists on this show. :O!!

[@elsalee5794]

This shows you how much work you can put into a project and how spectators/critics will still be able to find flaws. Respect

[@matheolucic]

Great work! I am watching you from Croatia almost every day. Thank you for your hard and fun work. You make my free time!

[@isoldaooak]

Amaaazzing! We never pay attention to this HUGE detail - the art behind the (live) scene. You are the best.

[@keepcalmcarryon8178]

You and your crew are amazing artists! Incredible how you pull it off ..... thank you for your awesome talent and efforts to make this show one of the very best!

[@conniecurtis32]

So glad they filmed this because I had no idea and it just makes the SNL team THAT much more impressive! We need more

[@aerielcarlson5318]

I feel like the people who work behind the scenes at SNL deserve all the credit! This is insanity and yet the pull it off! I would love to watch a SNL documentary about behind the scenes.

[@sweetboo1022]

It always blows me away to find out how many people are in the back working their butts off for these things. As a viewer, I take for granted all of the amazing shows I watch. So watching these behind-the-scenes is just such a special treat. I hope they keep doing it and I hope that everybody that works behind the scenes knows how much the viewers appreciate them even if we don't always know that they're there. Cheers

[@Theyralltakenfu]

I love these videos. It's cool to have them in different segments like this, so much information in a short period of time. Thanks for giving us the background to a show many of us love, and wait all week to see. How else will I get the correct news, it's not going to be from Fox.

[@jcgeeky]

This type of work is so much better than CG. Prosthetic makeup just makes it more real then computer. When the prosthetic comes off it always make the audience laugh and satisfying. Kudos for makeup designers!

[@catielovett6801]

Love love love watching this behind the scenes stuff!! Would love to see one about the stage/production management madness that goes on! Scheduling, quick fixes and how they keep up!

[@g7003041]

Kudos to all SNLCrew. Awesome Job!!!

[@CaptNaptastic]

Lol I love that they drew on Tom Hanks’ cast as he sat there drying. Lol

[@emilymg1]

Wow!! This is inredible. Props to the people off screen who are working just as hard as everybody else. Seriously pulling the show together.

[@andrewkatz5689]

I always love hearing the behind the scenes of shows. I would love to see more videos like this.

[@GatCat]

I have been an SNL fan for 30 years, I’m 33. This video was great!

[@anrina]

Absolutely stunning. The heroes of SNL! These behind the scenes clips are simply gold. The fact that one as a viewer doesn't even THINK about it shows how seamless it all is. **standing ovation**

[@aggieaguilera4real]

Amazing to see how much preparation, ingenuity, creativity, and skill go into doing makeup for even one 3- to 4-minute SNL sketch. Kudos to you guys for your brilliant work.

[@samelCamelCase]

i absolutely LOVE seeing all the work put behind the show, it's wild man

[@contrapasso]

Thanks for all the work and love you’ve put into the show over the years!

[@shyamalima5710]

They do such great and hardwork.. admire them so much

[@Pamela-cn3pm]

This man and his crew are a wonderful form of amazing. Thanks for the peek into their genius.

[@seejaneread]

Thank you for this series, it’s great to see all the talent that goes into the making of the show each week. Shud was incredible! 🐡🐟💫

[@Xtheearthchildx]

Wow I love how much goes into this show. Very appreciative

[@teddyfran]

The dedication and hard work of these professionals is awe-inspiring. It’s only rivaled by their talent and their gifts. I hope they truly know how valued and appreciated they are and how without their efforts the show would not be as good as it is. True fans of the show can never express enough how much we enjoy their contributions and respect their craft and artistry. Thank you.

[@elizabethholis237]

When watching I always, "Wow they only have 6 mins to do that" well, this just confirmed it. Great stuff, and appreciated!

[@1LORENAMONGE]

Truly amazing team, such artistry and skill. Main reason I watch.

[@jasyn727]

Makeup is the toughest thing to do in a live sketch.. Hats off to this guy. You are a pro

[@Goblinkatie]

This was really interesting! I’ve wondered how they did the makeup and prosthetics; thanks for sharing these insights, SNL!

[@peacebangyoutube6203]

I would watch a whole series just on this. These people are SHAMAZING.

[@dezbegay4812]

I need more of this in my life. Come on SNL lets see the crew!!! MORE CREW

[@michelerich1590]

I want all of this. Please more!

[@Zsa786]

I've always wondered how they did it. Thanks

[@rubyruby7596]

These are true professionals at work. Awesome to watch

[@dylankrogers]

Love this behind the scenes stuff! I would love to see more!

[@VivaLaVaca2010]

I've always wondered about the Cleo one! So happy they talked about it. It's one of my favorites lol

[@kmart1396]

The Behind the Scenes work of SNL absolutely blows my mind, be it the fact costume and prosthetic builds have like maybe 3 days to be set and done to the speed at which some quick changes have to go, like y'all insane in the best, artistic, talented ways that I don't think I'll ever be able to comprehend but I'm okay with that. Some would call it magic, including myself!!

[@redlupo6193]

BRILLIANT!!! Makeup magnificently sells it every last week in real time. Such versatility and top-of-their-game talent I could watch another full show each week on *all* the various backstage crews alone. Everyone behind the scenes is a magnificent performer in their own field.

[@CJLOVE23]

If this was 10 hours I’d be watching it I love these videos! Thank you for posting!

[@TsetsiStoyanova]

Oh my goodness... i had no idea this was happening behind the scenes!

[@elShowdeJosefa]

this is soo cool! make more content about the makeup process!!

[@delciagarcia8287]

The unsung heroes of TV. Awesome job!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@swirligig]

I love these behind the scenes videos!!!

[@damnumonkeyballs]

This is so cool to see all the hard work you all put into this show

[@ShadowManV3]

I love BTS of Makeup this is SUPER Impressive. I give them alot of props

[@kittymaepackard4875]

More!!!!! This is awesome!!!!!

[@pollypocket2282]

WOW!!! Major props for these artists!

[@SubversiveStyle]

Freaking awesome! It’s amazing amazing what you do period, let alone in crunched time and live.

[@bri6000]

I remember seeing my king Harry’s beard falling lol

[@viceb7]

Love this!! The time constraints are insane

[@jenny9415]

i love these clips! keep em coming!!

[@Haiwennie]

this is seriously so interesting!! pls upload more of these :)

[@mummify911]

Love your work. I never knew the crew had so little time to do their magic. Two thumbs way way up.

[@c90sf]

hats off to these creative geniuses behind SNL! U make this happen! :)

[@Fubetuck]

Fascinating! These folks are magicians!!

[@uwu-pe2nt]

I love glimpses behind the scenes, even though they literally give me anxiety from just watching lol

[@kellym9301]

What an incredible makeup and hair team! What I wouldn't give to just be an intern for a year! Think of all that knowledge and skill-set! Bravo!

[@hannahrachelxo2281]

Please make an entire series about this!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@erxnga]

I never even thought about the behind the scenes stuff at snl... my respect for the staff and the actors just went ^^^^

[@arinaz318]

4:04 I seriously need this: for my 5 am shifts I will do the makeup at night, then press it on in the morning😂

[@rememberyj]

wow this was awesome to watch. i always wondered how they pulled the makeup changes. thanks for sharing this info.

[@kimberleebrackley2793]

Love your show, freakin amazing work, ya'll are so good the scarce mishaps of seen are all the more hilarious. I'm smiling now thinkin 'bout that Opossum! Laughing now gotta go find those, they were perfection

[@TheJakeWilkinson]

love the bts, thanks for all the hard work production crew

[@kooks9571]

That was really interesting! I enjoyed every second of it!