How did you come to work on Documentary Now?
I’ve worked with the line producer, Scott Sites, on several productions in the last 14 years, including MADTV, Betas, Camera Cafe and Workaholics. When the show wanted to make a change for season two, he gave me a call.

What can we expect to see from makeup in season two?
Characters in a “mockumentary” should have an element of realism to them, unlike sketch comedy where a character’s look tends to be a bit more broad in order to hit a joke quickly. Mockumentaries give the viewer time to engage with the characters. Documentary Now gave me the ability to collaborate in creating believable characters who said outrageous things in often absurd situations. I hope the audience will see the characters and the makeup will only enhance their believability.

What about prosthetics, tattoos, teeth, and so on?
You know what they say, a little paint can make you what you ain’t. We relied more on paint and less on prosthetics. Bill Hader and Fred Armisen were aged six decades in Mr.Runner Up: My Life as an Oscar Bridesmaid, using only Pros Aide eye bag transfers and a silicone neck in the final stage of Bill’s character’s aging. There were many secondary characters in this episode representing famous actors over the years. Fred played an actor, Enzo, in Mr. Runner Up. As Enzo the actor, he wore a mustache when filming, but not when the actor was off-screen. Other facial hair was used on the Last Supper apostles and on various actors throughout the series where it enhanced their characters. Most of the hair was John Blake or Frends’ Beauty brand, Stilazzi.

Every episode has such a different look and style, influenced by actual documentaries. How do you approach the makeup design?
Realism was the primary focus. We wanted our characters to…>> See the full On Set DOCUMENTARY NOW + DAVID WILLIAMS interview in the Fall 2016 issue.