Belfast artist is made-up with Thrones Emmy

Pamela picks up gong for final battle

A MAKE-UP artist has told of her “honour” after taking home her second Emmy award.

Pamela Smyth, from Belfast, picked up the gong for her work on episode three – The Long Night – of the final season of Game Of Thrones.

The acclaimed series, which was a massive hit around the world, scooped 10 awards at the prestigious ceremony in LA on Monday night.

Pamela, who worked on all eight seasons including the pilot, attended the glitzy bash with her husband Mark Lowry, an art director on the fantasy epic.

She said: “I feel so honoured to have been part of this amazing team on a show that is loved by so many.

“The show is over but it changed many lives here in Northern Ireland on many levels.

“Northern Ireland has grown so much as a result. New careers were spawned and I am so proud to have been a part of it.”

The Long Night features the final battle between the Army of the Dead and the armies of the living at Winterfell.

Director Miguel Sapochnik filmed the extended, 82 minute-long episode over three months of night shoots from 6pm to 4am.

The crew endured freezing conditions at the sets in Belfast, Moneyglass and Saintfield with the make-up team starting many hours beforehand to get the cast and hundreds of extras ready.

Many of those involved came through Pamela’s exclusive training school, The Make Up Dept, based in East Belfast.

She prides herself on teaching students the “unusual” requirements that fall outside the normal range and which proved essential for working on a production such as Game of Thrones.

These include focusing on dirt and skin breakdown, wounds and death – to Emmy-winning standards.

Pamela said: “Game Of Thrones has left a remarkable talent legacy.

“We have an amazing skill base here in Belfast who trained at The Make Up Dept. They have gone on to work on productions all over the world and have incredibly rewarding and creative careers.”