Productions & Corporate · Tampa Bay · Chicago · Los Angeles
Production hair, makeup and grooming, staffed like a department.
Key artists and full teams for commercials, campaigns, headshot days, activations and stages. One contact, continuity through wrap.
Quotes within one business day · FL Talent Agency License TA1765 · COIs, NDAs and vendor onboarding
Credits include
- Fortune 500 productions
- CBS
- WGN
- Windy City Live
- The 3% Conference
- Budweiser × Lollapalooza
- Chicago Stars FC
- Snap-on
- K-Y
- Tara Brands
- AmeriLife
- American Girl
- Radio Flyer
- Nickelodeon
The Work
Four kinds of set. One booking contact.
Commercial, campaign & editorial
Key and additional artists staffed to your talent count, with the look held across setups and shoot days.
Corporate headshots & executives
Headshot days at volume, executive portraits and press readiness. Polished, and still like themselves.
Experiential & brand activations
Glam lounges, pop-ups and convention floors. Lollapalooza × Budweiser VIP: 50+ guests an hour for three days.
Keynotes, conferences & broadcast
Speaker prep, on-air talent and livestreams. Built for hot lights, long sits and no second take.
On Every Booking
One department, not three freelancers.
- A key artistOwns the look and is your one contact on the floor.
- Hair, makeup & groomingEvery skin tone and hair texture, HD and broadcast safe.
- Touch-ups through wrapBetween setups, after lunch, after the walk outside.
- Chair order on volume daysRun against your call sheet so first looks land on time.
- SFX when the script callsAging, wounds, prosthetics and character work.
- Paperwork cleared firstContract, COI with named additional insured, NDA, W-9.
In Their Words
“Everyone looked polished, confident, and still like themselves — which is exactly what you want for headshots and work photos. The team was professional, efficient, and great at working with multiple people while making each of us feel comfortable and listened to.”
“I loved my speaking engagement makeup, lasted a whole event and it was the boost I needed before being on stage.”
How Booking Works
Call sheet in. Number back in a day.
- 01Send the details
A call sheet, or date, location, call time, talent count and what it is for.
- 02Staffing and a quote
Artist count, day or half-day rates and travel within one business day.
- 03Contract and compliance
Retainer holds the date. COI, NDA, W-9 and vendor portal cleared first.
- 04On site through wrap
First looks, continuity notes, touch-ups and a clean load-out.
Artist days, half days and overtime
Quoted per artist. A half day covers up to four hours on location and a full day up to eight, including prep and load-out. Ten-hour production days are quoted on request, and overtime beyond the booked day is billed hourly and written into the estimate before you sign. For typical ranges, read the 2026 commercial shoot budget guide.
Key artist versus additional artists
The key artist owns the look and continuity and carries a higher day rate. Additional artists work to the key’s direction. We recommend the split; you approve it before booking.
Kit fees, travel and per diem
Standard production days carry no kit fee. One applies only for specialty product such as SFX, prosthetics, bald caps or airbrush body coverage, and it is listed with a reason. Travel, parking and per diem are stated up front for work outside the Tampa Bay, Chicago or Los Angeles metro areas.
Minimums, retainer and vendor setup
A two-hour minimum per artist applies on short calls; activations and volume days are quoted as packages. A fifty-percent retainer holds the date and the balance is due thirty days before the shoot. Send your AP team’s onboarding link on the first call.
Booking several productions a year
Prepay a block of four, six or twelve artist days at a preferred rate for calendar priority, the same key artist on every job and one master contract. How the preferred rate works.
Service Areas
Three home markets. Productions nationwide.
Tampa Bay & St. Petersburg
Headquarters. Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater and Sarasota, with statewide travel.
Tampa Bay →Los Angeles & everywhere else
Vetted local artists, placed and backed by City Lights, wherever the shoot is.
Brief us →Questions Producers Ask
Answered before you have to ask.
How much does a production hair and makeup team cost in Tampa Bay or Chicago?
Production work is quoted per job, because the variables that drive cost are talent count, call time, shoot length and whether you need continuity coverage through the day. We quote a day or half-day rate per artist, with overtime and travel stated in the estimate. Send a call sheet or a rough schedule and you will have real numbers within one business day.
How many makeup artists do we need for our talent count?
The working rule for a standard corporate or commercial shoot is one artist per three to four talent for first looks, assuming a normal call-to-camera window. Tighter turnarounds, wardrobe changes, character looks or grooming-plus-beauty splits change the math. Tell us your call time and first shot time and we will recommend the staffing that fits.
Do you do corporate headshot days in the office?
Yes. Artists set up in your office, studio or venue and move people through hair, makeup and grooming on a schedule built around the photographer. Tell us the headcount and the shoot window and we will recommend how many artists keep the line moving.
Is City Lights Beauty Agency licensed and insured for productions?
Yes. City Lights Beauty Agency holds Florida Talent Agency License TA1765 and carries general liability coverage. We provide certificates of insurance with named additional insured on request, sign NDAs, and complete vendor onboarding, W-9 and procurement paperwork before the booking is confirmed.
Can you provide production makeup artists in Los Angeles, New York or other cities?
Yes. Our teams work from Tampa Bay, Chicago and Los Angeles. For a production anywhere else, we source and vet local artists on your behalf and put our name on them, so you have one point of contact and one accountable team wherever the shoot is.
How far in advance should we book a production makeup team?
Two to four weeks is comfortable for most corporate and commercial work, and short-notice requests are often possible. Multi-day campaigns, large talent counts and activations during convention weeks should be booked earlier. If your date is tight, call (888) 619-0628 rather than email.
Do you staff union productions?
We staff union and non-union productions and will tell you which artists carry which status before you book. If your project has specific local union requirements, mention them in your first message and we will confirm compliance before quoting.
What do you need from us to quote a production?
A call sheet if you have one. If not, five things: date, location, call time, talent count and what the footage is for. Wardrobe direction, references and shot lists help us prepare but are not required for a quote.
Request a Production Quote
Send the call sheet. Get a number.
Real staffing and real numbers within one business day, with no obligation.
Short notice? Call (888) 619-0628.