So we're planning a project where the principal cast and crew are all in their mid-20s. For most of us it's not a problem--but one of our guys has to look a good ten years or so older than he actually is. While there is plenty of information on doing gore effects cheaply online, I can't seem to find anything on simply using make-up (and clothing, lighting effects, etc.) to make somebody look older. If anyone can point me in a good general direction, I'd appreciate it.

Someone who is 35 instead of 25 is not going to look ancient by comparison, so you're going to want relatively minor makeup effects. Simply using more appropriate clothing for someone in their 30s might be enough.

For my current film the actor goes from mid-30s to mid-50s. I added grey hair and emphasized existing wrinkles on his face.

Yeah, I'm wondering the same thing... The actors I'm using are about 17 years old, and they're playing people much older... What are the specific techniques I would need to use? Thanks

The difference between a teenager and someone "much older" goes much deeper than makeup. You and your actors need to spend some time thinking about the subtleties associated with being an older person, such as their gait, the way they talk, the vocabulary they use, and like Evan said, the things they wear. Just slapping on some makeup isn't going to do the trick.

This kind of acting is really difficult especially for inexperienced actors which is why I always try to stick with plots involving youngsters to begin with.

The cheapest, most effective method: replace them with an appropriately-aged actor

The best example of 'fake-aging' I've seen is in Kobayashi's film Harakiri (Seppuku). Tatsuya Nakadai was in his early 30s at the time and is playing a character who is probably over 50 (old enough to have a son in his mid-twenties, as well as a young grandson). The makeup is quite good, especially for 1962, but what really sells it is Nakadai's performance. You never doubt for an instant that the character is who he is supposed to be.

I also recommend finding a story that is appropriate for the actors you have to work with.

In my case, I really couldn't wait twenty years before my film would be finished, so I had to use some effects.

I understand that getting actors who are actually the age they play is ideal, but my question was if there was anyway to make younger actors appear older using makeup and perhaps other tricks. Is there any online store that sells certain "aging" makeup. Thanks in advance

I also thought the aging makeup used in A Beautiful Mind was somewhat impressive.

Well, the clothes are a major part of it. It is more based on the performance. Yeah, if they're old you'll wanna gray out the hair and sink in the cheeks/under the eyes with some shading stuff, but the actor can't be cheesy, otherwise it all goes to hell.

For dramatic roles, of course the acting is going to have a lot to do with it in addition to the make up. But when it comes to comedy, a 20-year-old playing a 90-year-old acting like a kooky cartoon character is more concerned with comedic timing and how funny the script. In cases like that make up is used just to make the film look somewhat more believable. And when older actors are hard to come by, make up is the best you can do if there's only a decade or so of aging going on.

"is more concerned with comedic timing and how funny the script"

Personally I find actors that are trying to make a scene funny annoying and boring. My opinion is that actors should find a reason the character is doing what he's doing in the script.

Basically is the actor singing and dancing on one foot because it's funny, or because he's nervous and going through a breakdown about how he forgot to walk the dog? I see the difference between the those two as the difference between Jim Carrey and Will Farrell, but maybe that's just me.

In terms of acting an age however, if you show a "90 year old" cartoon slapstick style with some cheap bad make-up, I would be laughing at how rediculously cheesy it is and be completely lost on any jokes that were actually intentional.