How To Make A Wig | Part One: Making The Foundation

I'M leanne lashbrooke and I work in the wigs hair and makeup department at the National Theatre. The first thing we'll do is to clear the actors hairline so that we can see it. So we need to secure the actors hair with its long. It will be wrapped and gripped or just ripped flat and then we'll put the stocking cap on to give us a nice smooth base. Here, I'm measuring the circumference just behind the hairline. I measure from the front hairline to the nape hairline ear to ear over the top temperature temple round the back and then across the forehead across the nape and the top of the ear to the nape. So that's seven different measurements there in total a head wrap. Some mold of the actors head it's made with tightly pulled cling film and sellotape, and its marked with all the information you need to make an accurate copy of a person's head. It takes about 20 minutes to do marking in the hairline will allow us to create a natural-looking hairline on the wig, so it creates a head of hair, not just a wig marketing. The eyebrows helps to balance certain hairstyles. Once the wigs been made. The white tape is there to help with mounting the head, wrap onto the block and supports the padding so that you get a nice shaped head and it doesn't lose shape. So then you've got a very detailed mold of the actor's head with all the measurements and the details that you need to transfer onto a mounted block and it's ready then, for the next stage.