# Hair and makeup

Source: https://storiara.com/glossary/hair-and-makeup
Last updated: 2026-09-14
Author: Nick Harty, Storiara

> Hair and makeup (HMU) is the department and breakdown category covering how performers' faces, hair, and skin look on camera, including everyday character looks, period styles, wigs, tattoos, aging, injuries, and blood. In a paper breakdown hair and makeup notes are marked with an asterisk, and special makeup such as prosthetics is flagged separately.

## Reading HMU needs from a script

Most scenes have no HMU notes beyond "character look," but the ones that do add real time and cost. From a single script:

| Sc. | Script says | HMU note | Chair time impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Maya, end of double shift | tired look, hair falling from bun | small |
| 22 | Polaroid: Joe, 25 years younger | aging down (photo shoot in prep) | prep day |
| 42 | Maya in rain | waterproof makeup, wet hair continuity | resets between takes |
| 64 | Ana sweeps Cole's legs | Cole: fresh graze on cheek after | added mid-scene |
| 66 | EXT. HOSPITAL | Cole: graze, bruise day 1 | continuity with 64 |
| 90 | crash | Maya: head wound, blood; stunt double matched | SFX makeup, long |

The Polaroid in scene 22 shows how HMU notes reach beyond the shoot days. Aging an actor down for a still photo needs a makeup test and a photo session scheduled in prep, well before scene 22 shoots. Note it on the [breakdown sheet](https://storiara.com/glossary/breakdown-sheet) so it lands on the prep calendar.

## Injuries and progression

Wounds heal on a timeline that the story sets and the schedule ignores. Cole's graze in scene 64 (story night N4) has to look fresh in 66 (D5), scabbed in scene 95 (D6), and faded by scene 102 (D12). Those scenes could shoot in any order. The [key makeup artist](https://storiara.com/roles/key-makeup-artist) builds a progression chart keyed to [story days](https://storiara.com/glossary/story-day), with photos, and the [script supervisor](https://storiara.com/roles/script-supervisor) cross-checks it on the day.

Injuries from [stunts](https://storiara.com/glossary/stunts) also have to match between the actor and the double. The double gets the same wound, wig, and sometimes skin tone makeup, so their HMU time goes on the call sheet too.

## HMU and call times

Makeup time drives actor call times. If Maya's head-wound look takes 90 minutes and the shooting call is 7:00, she needs to be in the chair by 5:30, earlier if the set is a drive from base camp. The [2nd AD](https://storiara.com/roles/second-assistant-director) builds those times backward from the first shot. On days with heavy prosthetics, the 1st AD may schedule that actor's scenes later in the day, or shoot other cast first. See [call time](https://storiara.com/glossary/call-time).

Background can also need HMU: a crowd of wounded soldiers, a period party, a hospital waiting room. Add the counts and looks to the breakdown so the department can bring extra artists for those days.

## Mistakes

Missing hair notes is common, since writers mention "her hair's cut short now" once and the breakdown catches it once. Missing the removal time is another: blood and prosthetics take time to come off, and that affects turnaround. And people forget that [wardrobe](https://storiara.com/glossary/wardrobe) and HMU work as a pair. A wet costume means wet hair, and a bloody shirt means blood on the skin under it.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does HMU mean on a call sheet?

Hair and makeup. The call sheet lists each actor's HMU time, when they report to the makeup trailer, which comes before their set call. Actors with longer looks get earlier HMU calls.

### What is the difference between makeup and special effects makeup?

Regular makeup covers the character's everyday look. Special effects makeup involves prosthetics, wounds, burns, aging, creature work, and anything applied or sculpted beyond cosmetics. It is usually handled by a separate artist or shop and takes much longer in the chair.

### How is hair and makeup marked in a script breakdown?

The traditional symbol is an asterisk beside the relevant line. On the breakdown sheet, notes go in the makeup/hair box by character, for example 'Cole: split lip, bruise left cheek (progression 2 of 3)'.