SFX Department Head · Prosthetics Artist · Educator
Ian Massa-Harris-McFeely
An award-winning artist and creative leader whose work brings together transformation, performance and the exacting craft of believable character.
Film · Television · Theatre · Education
For Ian, makeup is not decoration. It is character made visible.
Ian works across hair, wigs, makeup, special effects and prosthetics, combining a deep command of materials and processes with an instinct for story. Every ageing effect, injury, creature or character must belong to the world of the production and remain convincing under the scrutiny of camera, stage and audience.
His parallel career as a performer gives him an unusual understanding of what happens on both sides of the makeup chair. He knows how an effect must move, feel and support performance—and how technical decisions can help an actor inhabit a role with confidence.
“The illusion works when the craft disappears into the story.”
From lifecasting and mould making to final application and continuity, Ian teaches every stage as part of one creative decision.
Prosthetics · SFX · Casualty
Building believable worlds
Ian’s specialist practice encompasses lifecasting, sculpting, flat moulding, fibreglass cores, prosthetic application, casualty simulation, airbrushing and body painting. Technique is always grounded in anatomy, continuity, safety and the demands of production.
Performance · Storytelling
Character from both sides
His extensive work in opera and musical theatre informs an approach that connects physical transformation with dramatic intention—helping artists understand not only how an effect is made, but what it must communicate.
A career shaped across feature films, television, opera, theatre and live events.
Ian’s credits include Love Without Walls, The Knowledge, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Creatures, Lady M, Rock Band vs Vampires, Down, Bertie and numerous independent productions.
He has designed and supervised makeup, wigs and prosthetics for a wide range of theatrical and operatic productions, while his commercial work has included the BBC, ITV, Sky, Amazon Music, Oreo, the Elton John AIDS Foundation and government campaigns.
His collaborators include Sir Ian McKellen, Imelda Staunton, Samantha Bond, Alison Steadman, Amanda Donohoe, Eleanor Bron, Christopher Biggins and Gok Wan.
Education grounded in the realities of production.
As SFX Department Head at Seventa Makeup Academy, Ian leads specialist training in prosthetics, character makeup, casualty simulation, creature effects and professional working practices.
His teaching takes students through the complete creative process—from interpreting a brief and developing a character to selecting materials, producing prosthetic pieces, applying finished effects and maintaining continuity.
Drawing on more than 26 years of professional experience and over 15 years in education, Ian combines current industry techniques with the practical realities of working on set, backstage and within a makeup department.
His approachable teaching style, exacting professional standards and understanding of performance help students develop the technical ability, creative judgement and confidence required to become resilient, industry-ready artists.
Explore SFX Makeup CoursesProfessional practice supported by education, performance and industry engagement.
Alongside his work at Seventa Makeup Academy, Ian is Programme Leader for the MA Musical Theatre at the University of Chichester Conservatoire. He lectures in Acting for Film, Special Effects Makeup and Prosthetics, Acting Through Song and Performance Practice.
This combination of makeup, prosthetics and performance expertise enables Ian to approach character creation from both the artist’s and actor’s perspective—connecting technical transformation with movement, emotion and dramatic intention.
Ian is a BAFTA Connect member, a former BAFTA Crew participant and a member of the BECTU Hair, Makeup and Prosthetics Branch Committee. Through these professional networks, he supports developing industry standards and mentors emerging creative professionals.
Imagine · Construct · Transform
Technique creates the effect.
Story makes it real.
Ian’s work is united by a belief that technical excellence must always serve character, performance and story. At Seventa Makeup Academy, he passes that understanding on to artists preparing to create convincing transformations of their own.
