Dressed to the nines with pressed suits, glamorous evening wear, and perfectly coiffed hair, many from Hollywood tonight will walk the red carpet hoping to obtain the Holy Grail of television awards.
This weekend, however, it’s not the celebrities who will take to the crimson path, but rather the men and women who work behind the scenes, transforming vacant office spaces to look like a downtown precinct, putting together an ensemble of actors or creating historical or flashy costumes.
The Primetime Emmys, the ones most people are more familiar, will take place Sept. 23, but the behind-the-scenes creators will come together tonight at Nokia Live for the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Among them will be makeup artist and Woodland Hills resident Patti Ramsey Bortoli. Her nomination this year with the rest of the “Dancing With The Stars” makeup team, she said, is not only rewarding but a validation from her peers and the small screen industry that hard work pays off.
A makeup artist in print and television for more than 17 years, the busy mom of a 9-year old and 6-year old said it’s her children that inspire her to work hard.
“I want my kids to know that you can be anybody and do anything,” she said.
Calling Dancing With the Stars the “greatest show that has ever happened to me, ” Bortoli said “to be honored [with this nomination] is incredible.”
Bortoli allows her children to watch the show to include them in her work. Her daughter has even expressed interest in becoming a makeup artist “just like mommy.” Bortoli has also done make up on live shows like the Academy Awards, American Music Awards and the popular kids show, iCarly, in which she was nominated for her achievement in makeup in 2011.
The days on the set can be long, and working in tight quarters has its challenges, but the team—made up this year of department head, Zena Shyteysel, Bortoli, Angela Moos, Barbara Fonte, Sarah Woolf, and Nadege Schoenfeld—provides true artistic collaboration.
Dancing With The Stars has been nominated for Outstanding Makeup For A Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic) every year since 2007 and won the Emmy in 2008.
The team shares make up tips with fans of the show on its Facebook page, which includes behind-the-scenes pictures of pro dancers, cast favorites and the makeup artists at work.
Shyteysel, who has been with the popular live show for 6 years believes nothing compares working on the show.
“I’m creatively fulfilled,” she said.
She credits her success to the other artists she works with, creating new looks and working together on fresh ideas.
Shyteysel mainly works with pro dancer Cheryl Burke, who won the show’s second season with partner Drew Lachey of the boy band 98 Degrees and Season Three, when she partnered wit retired NFL football player Emmitt Smith.
She also works with host Brooke Burke and, in the past, has done makeup for celebrity cast dancers retired American boxer Laila Ali and Mel B from the Spice Girls.
Highlights from the Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be aired on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. on ReelzChannel. The 64th Primetime Emmy Awards will air live on Sept. 23 starting at 4 p.m. on ABC.
