Back in grade school and high school I was one of those kids who’s “thing” was “making movies.”  My friends and I always had some kind of video project in the works but of course we did most of our filming in the summer.  And like most 14 year old screenwriters, we were mainly interested in stuff like monsters, zombies, aliens, serial killers and drunken clowns. (ok, maybe that last one was just me.)  We were shooting our mini-epics long before google or amazon so if we ran out of clown makeup or fake blood in July, we were pretty much screwed.  So every year I really looked forward to the week after Halloween since all the stores would sell their make-up, costumes and props for 50, 60 or even 90% off.  Come November first I would stock up on a year’s supply of stuff like this:

Unfortunately, the days of the “post-halloween” sale are pretty much gone.  In fact, I’ve noticed that some big stores start pulling their Halloween stuff off the shelves BEFORE October 31st!  The reason is that the Christmas season now officially begins on November 1st.  So the masks and costumes need to disappear fast to make room for all the fake trees.

That sucks for several reasons but the good news is that a lot of stores now start reducing the prices on their Halloween merchandise before Halloween. I almost never use effects make-up in my video contest entries so I haven’t stocked up on cheap Halloween make up in many years.  But recently I was in JoAnn Fabrics buying some hot glue sticks or something when I saw a small plastic box with different sized slots in it.

It was called an “Art Bin” but for some reason, when I saw it I immediately thought “this would be perfect for storing tubes of Halloween make up!”  It turns out that for the last 15 years or so, I had been subconsciously waiting for a solution to a problem I had when I was a kid.  You see, I always stored my Halloween makeup in a ziplock bag.  And I can still vividly remember how gross that bag got.  I’d open a thing of white makeup, use it and then toss it back in the bag.  So in no time the inside of the bag would be covered in cheap, greasy makeup.

So even though I have almost zero use for effects makeup, I had to buy that box and fill it with $1.00 tubes of fake blood, green and blue makeup and black nail polish.  When it comes to stuff like this, it’s better to have it and not need it rather than need it and not have it.  And actually, there are a lot of things you can do with the kind of cheap Halloween makeup you can buy at target or walmart.  For example, you could do what a lot of filmmakers have done and shoot your own Twilight or Zombie-themed contest entry!  And a little purple and brown makeup can make a pretty realistic bruise or black eye.  Oh you know what else is good to have on hand? A can of white hair spray.  It’s great for giving scientist or politician characters a little extra pizazz.  However you probably want to avoid featuring realistic blood, gore or injuries in MOST of your video contest entries.  I say “most” of your entries because every so often, I’ll see a video contest that kind of has a hardcore edge to it.  So if a contest is kind of edgy, you could push the envelope a bit and include a little violence just for the shock value.

If you actually try and put together a low-budget, effects makeup kit of your own, there are a few other items you should include.  If you see spirit gum and spirit gum remover in the Halloween isle, grab some.  That stuff can come in really handy.  And while your at it you might as well buy a few fake mustaches.  Why?  Because fake mustaches are freaking funny, that’s why.  To finish off your kit you’ll want to add some Q-tips, makeup sponges, and wet naps.  And or of course, you can’t forget the toothpicks!  Toothpicks are how the pros scratch themselves so that their makeup won’t smear.  But I bet you already knew that.

If you’re like me, once your $7 makeup kit is complete, you’ll look at it, feel proud for about five seconds and then you’ll shove the box into the back of your closet.  I doubt I’ll actually use any of the stuff in my kit but next summer if I find myself inspired to shoot a video contest entry about a mime or a vampire or a sports fan with a painted face, I’ll be good to go.