THERE is a saying that you can find a Bajan almost anywhere. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that there is a Bajan in the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences in the United States, the honorary membership organization of artistes and professionals that plays a crucial role in determining the movies that are up for Oscars in various categories.
Meet Marietta Carter-Narcisse, a Barbadian make-up artist who has worked with some of the top movie stars in the business.
It is because of her association with some of the top films, like Malcolm X, Ghost and Jackie Brown, to name a few, that Carter-Narcisse finds herself in this prestigious body. She has been a card-carrying member of the Academy since 1977.
In a recent interview with EASY from her home in South Florida, Carter-Narcisse, who still visits Barbados as often as she can, spoke of what it means to be part of the Academy.
She explained: “Each member of the Academy is issued a card with their name and an identifying number that is unique to them. We receive screeners of many of the movies released in Los Angeles County between January 1 and December 31 of that year. Each screener is individually watermarked and traceable directly to each individual member of the academy. This is done to avoid piracy, especially since there is a $250 000 fine and possible jail time associated with pirating any motion picture.”
She said members have to view the current movies. “You are encouraged to make a mental note of what you consider outstanding. Around October we start to receive screeners and we also start receiving letters from our individual branch listing movies that we might want to take time to see.
“For example, I am a member of the Make-up Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and we are encouraged to make a list of the movies that we have seen that contain outstanding make-up. This list is shared with our entire branch and we are encouraged to watch these movies for any outstanding achievement in make-up.
“The Make-up Branch meets and together decides on the movies that have noteworthy make-up and hair. Each individual branch of the academy nominates their own category except for film, where each member of the academy nominates the ten individual films chosen for best picture,” she explained.
The final ballot is mailed directly to PriceWaterhouse and only a number and not your name identifies it, she said, adding that each member casts a final vote for each category.
The final nominations, she added, are completed by mid- to end of January, and the final ballot had to be in by February.
For this make-up artist, she looks at the overall production value of the movie, more specifically how it was shot, the art direction, costumes, acting, make-up, special effects, sound, editing and computer generated images.
“I try to separate all these elements and see how they add or take away from the film as a whole,” she said.
Carter-Narcisse says this year was a difficult one to choose the best movies because there were so many she enjoyed. She admits that even today she is glued to her screen watching some of them.
“I loved Rabbit Hole and The Kids Are Alright, but The Social Network, True Grit, and my favourite The King’s Speech were at the top of my list. Even though The Social Network was a wonderful movie, the production value of The King’s Speech was superb. I also enjoyed The Black Swan, 11:20 PM, The Fighter, and For Colored Girls,” she said.
She returned to Florida from a trip to Barbados to celebrate her grandfather’s 111th birthday just in time to watch the Academy Awards last month from the comfort of her home, happy with the results on the big night.
Today, Carter-Narcisse is still busy in the business. She went back to school in 2009 to complete her master’s in higher education and is also teaching make-up for film, period make-up, and about the industry as a whole.
However, she admits that her main focus is family life and quality of life.
“I enjoy passing the baton to those who are new to the field and are interested in learning how to reach the top of their craft, the right way,” she said.
