Femme Filmmakers Festival Interview: An In-depth Conversation with ‘Makeover Movie’ Director, Sue Ding

Writer, director and editor of Makeover Movie (2022), Sue Ding discusses her pop-culture essay film. Makeover Movie explores the makeover montage that we see in so many Hollywood Rom-Com movies. From old Hollywood with Sabrina (1954) and My Fair Lady (1964). To classics like Pretty Woman (1990) and Miss Congeniality (2000). The makeover scene has been a prevalent storytelling feature in the Romantic Comedy genre.

Sue talks through her connection with film and the process of making such a research-heavy project. And how the makeover scene for women on-screen impact how female audiences see themselves off-screen. Makeover Movie (2022) is part of the selection showcase for the 9th edition of Femme Filmmakers Festival 2024. The film is showing on day four of the festival here.

Hi Sue, can you give us an overview on your movie background and how you started in film?

My entry point was visual art. I grew up painting and drawing. I was really into fashion and wanted to become a fashion designer at one point. But I was always very omnivorous in my interests. I think documentary was a way for me to unite my interest in visual storytelling with a curiosity about culture. And how we make it.

So, I started out after college. I didn’t go to film school. I actually went to school for art. Then I got an internship at PBS, New York that turned into a job. That was really my film school. That’s where I learned the fundamentals of filmmaking. I sat in on edits or assisted on projects. Gradually, I made the leap to primarily directing my own projects.

The editing is so playful and personal and I love the essay-style film. How did you come up with the initial concept for Makeover Movie? Were you watching a Rom-Com marathon and realised the connection?

I always loved makeover montages and watching these movies in my life. It was always a very fun moment in movies, and it felt very distinctive. I just really enjoyed them. There’s something primordially satisfying about them. I had always joked about making a super montage of makeover montages. It’s like making a montage of makeover montages. But it had just been a fun idea in the back of my head. And then COVID happened, and a bunch of my other projects were on pause. It was also a very dark time for everyone. What I have time and the emotional bandwidth for right now is to just marathon a ton of Rom-Coms. And work on this project that I’ve kind of joked about for so many years.

And for the editing, the style and the concept, I started watching movies and pulling clips. I wasn’t sure what the kind of narrative spine would be. But I knew very early on that I wanted there to be an additional layer of commentary. I didn’t just want it to be clips on their own. But I also didn’t want it to be overly didactic. Like just include a series of clips and a lecture about how they are bad and anti-feminist.

I wanted the film to speak to the very valid critiques of these films. I also wouldn’t have made Makeover Movie (2022) if I didn’t enjoy these films, these makeover sequences. Or if I didn’t find them compelling on some level.

So, I strung together an assembly of clips and then showed them to my friends over Zoom. Then I recorded my friends’ reactions and edited the friends’ reactions in a new cut. Next, I played that back for a different group of friends. I recorded their reactions and did it once more with each group of friends. It was very much a collaborative process that evolved with their commentary. They sometimes would bring up things that I didn’t necessarily think of. Or I would have an idea and kind of run it by them and they would riff on it. That was a really cool part of the process.

Are there any female filmmakers, writers and directors that inspire your style of filmmaking? And do you have any particular favourite films made by women that are a must-watch for inspiring filmmakers?

One big inspiration for me is Agnès Varda. I really love her sense of curiosity about the world and her creative experimentation. She will be very playful in her approach and play with reflexivity, stage scenes and interesting kind of visual puns. Her work is really inspiring for me in thinking about how we can tell stories in whatever way we want. Not limited to specific categories or styles.

Her work is very playful. It feels organic and very of her rather than following some sort of specific formal convention. Her curiosity about the world, her collaborative spirit and this sense of joyful creativity are really inspiring to me. I encourage everyone to check out her work. Les Plages d’Agnès/The Beaches of Agnès (2008). And The Gleaners and I (2000) are my favourite Agnès Varda films.

Can you share any hidden-gem independent low-budget Romance movie recommendations made by women that you love? Were there any movies that didn’t quite make the cut? And how did you decide not to include these films, if any?

Unfortunately, I cannot think of any off the top of my head. But if you have any great recommendations, I would love to see them because that sounds great. And then for the second half of the question, there were a ton of movies that didn’t make the cut.

There are just under a hundred films in the final version of Makeover Movie (2022). But I watched over 200 movies, and that was one of the biggest challenges of creating the film. One of the biggest challenges was just figuring out the form. How all these different components like voiceover, interviews, clips and animation fit together cohesively.

Another big challenge was figuring out what the parameters were for what to include. There are so many makeovers once you start looking for them. Obviously, there’s animated makeovers like Disney movies. There are superhero movies that are kind of makeovers – often when the person gets their superpowers. And there’s a lot of period films with makeovers, fantasy films, there’s action makeovers and spoofs.

A big piece of the film was figuring out, what are we focusing on? I really wanted to focus on mainstream Hollywood films that had a wide audience. That also focused on women, generally contemporary to the time. There are a few period films in Makeover Movie (2022) but they’re not super period, it’s not like Marie Antoinette (2006). I really wanted to think about the messages these films are sending to regular women. Especially about how they can and should behave. Whereas I think there is something more magical or even period about someone who’s becoming a princess.

We talk in Makeover Movie (2022) about the ‘Cinderella’. But some of those other more fantastical situations feel a little more separate from everyday life. Watching the films that made it into the movie showed everyone can go to the mall or get a haircut. These are things that feel aspirational. But are also within the realm of possibility, which is also I think why they’re so seductive.

I think there are a lot of movies that didn’t make the cut. Just because they didn’t fall into that bucket of mainstream American films about contemporary women. But then also a lot of films did fit those categories. But then maybe they just didn’t have as dramatic before and after scenes. Or show the whole process or missed a dramatic reveal. With Makeover Movie (2022), I really wanted to focus on films that revel in the sensorial pleasure of the makeover montage.

These films are really leaning into it as this pleasurable experience. Both as a viewer with the music and the way that it’s shot and the colours. And all of those kinds of movies that were making the makeover a dramatic moment. I think that’s how I picked the films. But it was really down to the wire. The day before finalizing I was thinking I can fit in one more. Or I really wish I had found a place for this one. Of course, now after the film, I’m still seeing makeovers and being like “I didn’t get this one”. So it never ends.

In your research for Makeover Movie, are there any movie examples that subvert the trope of the ‘makeover scene’? Where the protagonist actually has a makeunder?

Definitely, the make-under is also a trope. I think it’s definitely less popular than the makeover but it’s popular enough that there are a lot of examples. Frequently, what I found looking at make-unders, there is a nod to this in Makeover Movie (2022) – is when we talk about this ‘blonde girl’. The blonde ditzes, who get make-unders and become smart, like in Legally Blonde (2001) and The House Bunny (2008).

But what happens in a lot of the make-unders is that ultimately they’re policing women’s behaviour. Just as much as the makeover process. They’re often shaming the characters for being very made up. Or for spending a lot of time on their appearance, or for putting a lot of work into being conventional. Like dying their hair blonde, being presentable, “according to conventional norms”. These are all the things that in makeover movies we’re being told that’s what you should do.

Then in the make-under, usually they’re saying these people do this process too much. And so, they need to scale it back. They’re shown as being ditzy. Or just shallow which is a judgment on their character, not just on how they look. The make-under is having them scale it back. But just like the makeover, it’s with the protagonists where they try to ugly them up.

But they’re ultimately very conventionally attractive Hollywood actresses, who are attractive both before and after the makeover. It’s the same thing with the make-under, they scale down the makeup and wear slightly less over the top clothing. But they’re ultimately still conventionally attractive even after being made under.

They’re just scaling back their makeup a little bit. It’s saying the makeover and the make-under together really encapsulate the trap that women are in. Or placed in by conventional beauty standards and gender norms. We’re told you have to do all these things. Like spend all this time and money to look a certain way. But then if you do that, you’re considered shallow or superficial, not intelligent. It’s an impossible line to walk. That’s most of the make-unders I saw in conventional films. In mainstream Hollywood films, this didn’t feel more progressive in any way.

The social media ‘glow-up’ trends replaced the ‘makeover’. This is mentioned in the credits through Instagram inserts. Do you think the ‘makeover’ concept will always affect our lifestyles and how women view themselves through Hollywood movies?

Definitely, I think just the fact that it is so popular in social media. Between people getting plastic surgery and showing the before and after. Or just something more fun. Like a TikTok transition to a fun makeup look. It’s still tapping into that makeover energy and the makeover structure of narrative. I think the power of the makeover is tapping into this universal desire to be able to transform ourselves. And I think in some ways that’s very powerful. To feel empowered you can become whoever you want is inherently an empowering idea that we have that ability.

If we’re existing within these structures of patriarchy, sexism, racism. It’s how they are shaping what we think or who we need to become. And so, I think it’s a question of who are you transforming for? Transformation in and of itself is a very empowering concept but it depends on the aim. Are you transforming truly for yourself? And can you even say that you’re doing anything truly for yourself? We all exist. But none of us exist in a vacuum. It’s definitely a concept that has always had power. Even going back to the earliest Cinderella or Cinderella-esque stories and myths, like Pygmalion (1938) and things like that. I think just the ability to transform yourself is evergreen.

But in regard to Hollywood movies, and in social media. Hopefully I think the idea is not to say it’s bad to transform yourself. Or to follow societal conventions about appearance. But just to have a certain level of media literacy. To understand what structures are informing our preferences around these things. But not only what structures, but what intentions that the media makers have.

Whether it’s an influence or trying to sell something. Or a Hollywood film that’s trying to promote a certain status quo. I think it’s an evergreen concept. But hopefully one that we can have a deeper understanding and a deeper media literacy around. So that we can at least just contextualize it when we’re seeing these things.

Makeover Movie focuses on the ‘makeover scene’ in Rom-Coms across the eras. Does the ‘makeover scene’ still hold relevance? If so, how should Hollywood improve the ‘makeover scene’ for movies made today?

There was one in the Netflix film with Maya Hawke, called Do Revenge (2022). The film is nostalgic and was very much like a love letter as it gives nods to things. It’s hard to say if the makeover is part of that. But I think in general there are also just fewer Rom-Coms now than in the 90s and early 2000s. I don’t have any data to back that up. But with the focus on more big budget studio movies. And movies that will translate internationally. I think more low to mid-budget comedies in general are a lot less prevalent in today’s media landscape. I think they’re coming back a little bit, like Rom-Coms with streaming.

But in general, I definitely think there are fewer makeover scenes in recent films. I don’t know why that is. If it’s because people have realized the potentially undesirable elements or toxic messages present. And they want to avoid them, if it’s just less popular or maybe it’s migrated more to social media. But I think we do still see them, the makeover scene is great, and I still enjoy them. What makes it feel better to me, usually in films. It’s less leaning into the message of just “oh you should be hotter”. And then that would make your life better. I think it’s when movies have a more holistic transformation.

For example, in My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), she gets contacts and revamps her look. But she also signs up for community college. She makes other changes in her life to become a more independent and assertive person. So, I think the makeover scene in general feels better to me. Or I don’t know if progressive is the word. But it feels more positive when it’s part of a more holistic transformation in many parts of the protagonist’s life. Whether that’s education or career or their personal lives.

It’s not just the makeover itself and just changing their physical appearance that is going to change everything for them. But it’s the makeover and changing their physical appearance that are part of a larger change they’re going through. And an evolution in their character.

Finally, it’s obvious that so much hard work went into creating Makeover Movie. What was the process like editing all the movie clips together into montages? Do you have any inspiring wisdom to encourage female filmmakers to take the next step and make their own movies?

I talked a little about the editing process in the earlier question, talking about putting together the assembly of clips. And then playing that for friends and editing the friend’s narration in. So it was very iterative. Then I would record my own narration and add that. I would see if this is too much or scale it back. I think like all editing, there’s a lot of trial and error and figuring out what you really need.

There’s definitely parts of it where you have to kill your darlings. Or lose some segments that are interrupting the flow. I would say the music was a huge piece of Makeover Movie (2022). That was really interesting for me because normally, I think music is less present in documentaries or it’s more subtle. But because in many ways this film is creating. Or recreating the narrative of a Rom-Com and a makeover sequence, the music is a huge part.

I worked with a great composer, Josh Lim. He composed and compressed a version of an entire soundtrack for a Rom-Com. Like the moment, where you hit rock bottom and you’re really sad. The triumphant reveal moment. And the fun makeover montage music so that was really huge. I wanted to show that this trope is in hundreds of films. And show you an example of every single one of them. But then you realize when you string it together that maybe you don’t actually need all of them.

Even though you might want to show more but the concept can get across more efficiently. It was really fun to have that material to work with as well. I wouldn’t have made this movie if I only wanted to critique a type of film I think is bad. I wanted to make those critiques. But I also just really enjoy these films, and it was fun to work with the footage from these films.

In terms of wisdom, I think you’ve just got to do it. You’ve got to try it and see what works. I think it can be really easy to get in your head about this concept. It’s like maybe this will work, maybe it won’t. And I think really the only way you know is to try it out. The only way to learn is to also to do things and maybe fail. But even if you fail, you will have learned something in the process. You really just have to dive into making your own work and learn from that process.

I also encourage people to embrace collaboration wherever it makes sense in their processes. I think filmmaking can be really isolating and lonely, especially when in post-production and you’re editing all day. The more people you can bring in. Whether it’s just to screen cuts or to collaborate in different roles on post-production. Or to collaborate on the film in more substantial ways. It’s always great to have that collaborative creative process.

Watch Makeover Movie (2022) Here:

Watch Makeover Movie (2022) above or on Vimeo here.
Follow Sue Ding on Instagram.