MAKE-UP artist Melanie Doyle's job is usually to make TV and film actors look their best.

So it must have felt bizarre doing the exact opposite while working on the film, She Who Brings Gifts.

The Glazebury resident made actors look gruesome as zombies in the upcoming thriller starring Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close and Paddy Considine.

Melanie, who runs MelVicMakeup Academy in Bank Quay House, Sankey Street, said: "It’s a post-apocalyptic zombie film where the people become flesh eaters.

"The director is Colm McCarthy who did the TV series Peaky Blinders. I’ve been working on the zombie make-up which involves applying and colouring the prosthetics.

"What my students have been doing is dirtying their arms and fingers and making their hair look lank and greasy to make it look like they have been living in the overgrowth for years.

"It is the complete opposite of what I’m usually doing.

"A lot of the time I do fashion stuff so the other week I was with the students at the International Tennis Tournament in Liverpool.

"We were doing fashion make-up for the models who were doing a catwalk show on the centre court.

"I did a film a few years ago with Preston University and their filming department and that was zombies so I do a mixture.

"My preference is definitely fashion and beauty make-up but it’s good to do a bit of blood and guts now and again

"Sometimes it’s more difficult when you’re trying to make someone look really dirty. It’s not that easy to make it look realistic."

Melanie set up MelVicMakeup, specialising in media make-up, in March this year.

She previously worked as a teacher of make-up and beauty therapy in various colleges for about 14 years.

"Students need to be taught in an environment where they can learn but I also think that they should be out there in the industry as well," added Melanie.

"One of students who came to Liverpool with me said she was really glad she did as she didn’t realise what you have to do backstage.

"She said there were clothes flying everywhere and you’ve literally got about 30 seconds to get the model ready.

"You’re not put in that kind of environment in the classroom so the students love it and get so much more from it.

"In my opinion it makes the students more employable as well. They can go on to get a job in the industry so much more easily."

Melanie and her students even had the chance to go on set at Downton Abbey to help with hair and make-up for major scenes in the final series.

"It is such a big drama so it felt very surreal," said Melanie.

"Downton is shot with four cameras so every angle is covered meaning every aspect of what you do has to be triple checked.

"It’s very intense and the sets are amazing as well.

"I’ve worked on a few different sets like in Oxfordshire in the middle of a field and Lacock where they filmed Harry Potter.

"It’s a quaint village owned by the National Trust and there are no aerials on the roofs or anything like that so you feel like you’ve stepped back in time.

"We also filmed in a members only hotel in London and that was amazing as normally I wouldn’t be able to set foot in there.

"I got to see behind the scenes and the people that hang around in there. I had to familiarise myself with that period so I had to do a bit of research on the 1920s.

"Downton was the first big drama I’ve worked on.

"But I have worked with the Coronation Street, Hollyoaks and the Emmerdale team on make-up for the awards as well as the England Women’s team."

Melanie now hopes to continue working on major TV series and films and giving her students as many high profile opportunities as possible.

She added: "I just wanted to get into the television so I wrote to people working in the industry like Alyn Waterman who is the personal make-up artist to Joan Collins.

"I hounded people for work experience and that’s how I did. I just love the excitement of it all."

- For more information about Melanie's academy visit melvicmakeup.com

DAVID MORGAN