Hair Designer Nikki Gooley Shares Her Experiences on The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
The name of the dreamy yet dastardly Coriolanus Snow has been on everyone's lips since the release of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and we don't know about you, but we don't think the character would have quite the same impact if not for his hair.
We have Oscar-nominated hair designer and makeup artist Nikki Gooley to thank. She was pivotal in the creation of the looks of the new movie, further building the land of Panem, decades before the events of the original Hunger Games films, with her creative hair design. We had the pleasure of speaking with the artist to find out her process and what the film means to her, and you can read it all in the interview below.
Sweety High: What does the role of a hair designer entail? What does that team look like, and how long does it take to prep for a project as ambitious and enormous as a Hunger Games prequel?
Nikki Gooley: The role of a hair designer is to create a mood, period or change of appearance to an actor to transport the audience to a place in time. We have design discussions with the director to understand his requirements and how we can transform a regular person into a character. Prep time varies depending on budget, cast and the story—usually three weeks, but it can take up to two months, allowing time for wig creation for actors and stunt doubles as well as haircuts and colors.
SH: How is working on hair for an established franchise different from starting from scratch? How were the other Hunger Games films used as a template for the hair, and in what ways did you deviate from what was already established?
NG: There was no follow-on as Ballad of Songbirds is a prequel set 64 years prior to the first Hunger Games. The only thing we followed was establishing Coriolanus Snow as the blonde he is known as played by Donald Sutherland. We gave Tigris luscious hair as a nod to her later becoming a tiger.
(Photo credit: Murray Close)
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SH: How was The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes different from other productions you've worked on in the past?
NG: Every project is different—different people, energy, dynamics. BOSS was different because we had such a large cast and crew from all over the world and there was a background to some of the structure.
SH: What was the toughest thing about bringing this project to life? The most rewarding thing?
NG: The toughest thing was Coriolanus's hair. We cut and colored his hair, which needed to be maintained every two weeks, and sometimes, if there was not enough time to schedule in a color, we had to color it with makeup. Filming out of sequence has its challenges.
(Photo credit: Murray Close)
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SH: Is there one hair look you're proudest of in the film? What can you tell us about it?
BG: I think I love a few of them—Lucy's for her freedom, Tigris for her glamour and all the crowd with the period 1940s looks with a modern twist.
SH: Were there any specific products that were lifesavers while developing the hair looks for the film?
NG: Eleven Australia Volume Mousse, Leonor Grayl frizz control cream and Organic Suku Gel for our afro hair folks.
(Photo credit: Murray Close)
SH: Is there anything else you'd like to add?
NG: It was a great honor to be a part of the Games.
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