Initial Ideas for Liner Advertisement Shoot

For our Digital Image project we as a group had to come up with concept for an make-up ad with a chosen makeup product to advertise. We chose MAC Blacktrack liner to advertise and we first brainstormed our ideas to get an idea of what we wanted to create and how we were going to do it. 

We decided to go for an oriental themed shoot and started looking at different liner shapes we could create and use on our model. The bottom design on the second image became our liner look for the shoot which we changed slightly by just adding one line underneath the eye. We spoke about using a floral jacket also with a high wrapped ponytail inspired by Thai Gold headresses and also Chinese warrior culture. 

We tried out the hair, makeup and styling at home with our model shown above and below. I edited the above image into black and white to show how our finished image might look after the shoot.

On the day of the shoot we prepared the model with me as make-up artist, Kyomi Best as Hair Stylist, Amy Curtis as Photographer and stylist and Sylwia Mazur as Photographer and Stylist also. 

After we prepared our model in the studio: above.

Here are some unedited shots from our shoot: above. We tried using different props as well during the shoot to see what worked! One of my favorite shoots so far!

Image Reference: FVSTORE.COM (year not known) FVSTORE [online] Available from: http://www.fvstore.com/TRADITIONAL-THAI-GOLD-HEADDRESS-COSTUME-VINTAGE-RAM-THAI-DANCER-CROWN-CRAFT-ARTS/p1182719.html [Accessed: 27.2.15]

Death Masks

Death masks date back to the Ancient Egyptian times when masks would be made to celebrate the dead and to sometimes represent and show the likeness of a person's face. In Egypt the masks would be created for preparation for the dead to the afterlife and actual masks made from face castings go back as far as 4.000 years which is how we, people of today can remember the faces of many famous people such as Queen Elizabeth 1. 

They were also used in the renaissance period and later went on to be used in TV and Film to create prosthetics for characters and at some points was used to measure the shape and form of the skull and face. 

I created my own death mask by shining a light above my model's head and observing the natural light and shadow that was created. I then used this light and shadow to create a death mask look on her and above was the outcome! 

Below is a picture of my model and Amy Jane Curtis's model Sylwia Mazur together for a very convincing photo!

Michigan State University (year not known) Mask: Secrets and Revelations, Michigan State University, MSU Museum A Smithsonian Institution Affiliate [online] Available from: http://museum.msu.edu/Exhibitions/Virtual/Mask/dialog/Life_masks-%20death_masks..html [Accessed: 27.2.15]

Continuity in the Film and TV Industry

Continuity plays a big part in a makeup artist, hair stylist and stylist's role in TV and Film. Without continuity films and TV series and programmes wouldn't make sense! The audience like to see the characters and the production as real life so if the continuity doesn't reflect that, that's where they start to question the quality of not only the film but the make-up artist themselves!

Many people take notes to record continuity and others take photos so they can physically see what they have created and be able to duplicate that look again if and when need be.
Ive created a rough a little chart in my notebook of something handy when it comes to continuity and might actually create my own continuity journal!

So here I would store all of my notes on the make-up that was applied, the hair and also the clothing that was worn with that make-up and hairstyle. The pictures would be a handy thing to have to show me exactly how the makeup was on the day of filming for example. A way to think of it is, if someone were to read your notes and see your pictures of what you created would they be able to recreate it? So the notes need to be pretty thorough as you may be asked to shoot a scene again that you did months ago so you need to look back and be able to understand what was going on at that time!

The theme of betrayal and revenge....

Me and my partner Kyomi decided to brainstorm a few ideas on Miss Havisham and themes that we relevant to her and her life that we could recreate on a face. I made the brows big bold and wild, also quite angular also to make the face appear angrier and resentful. 

For the skin I made my model appear pale but with a grey tone to it so it appeared dull and colourless, much like Miss Havisham's life. 

The flick on the eyes were to reflect the browns, so big and out of control. On the lips I used cool toned eyeshadows to make them a blueish purple shade and added the same colour to the cheeks to make them appear blue and lifeless. I was really pleased with this outcome! I've since adapted my idea however and made the look alot more simple and traditional but it was really fun playing around with themes and its surprising the ideas you can come up with just by brainstorming words and themes! 

Inspiration

When racking my brains for how I want to portray Miss Havisham I did some research and came across Gareth Pugh an English Fashion Designer who's work really captured my eye when I came across his Autumn/Winter 2013 Runway show. The show features ghost like model's with a gothic like set, runway and lighting. The fireplace and chandelier also add to the Gothic mood with large doorways and cold hard floors for the runway. The model's eyes seem to be very sunken with what looks like a purple shade and the hair disheveled falling onto the face. This is similar to how I envisioned creating Miss Havisham. Gareth Pugh has captured the Victorian era and experimented with a gothic theme with the use of whites, greys and black fabrics, I love how the model's skin and eyes make them appear spirit like the hair on the face made me think of Miss Havisham and how she wants to hide away from the world and also might show her to be a bit self conscious. At the start of the show a white dress is shown with what looks like branches growing up from the hem. I immediately thought of the white wedding dress that Miss Havisham would have worn and how old and damaged it would be, branches or moss could be something that I could add to my Miss Havisham design.

Here is a facechart I've been working on to plan my Miss Havisham design, it still needs developing but I've been working on the skin to get the right colours and contours.

I also tried out my design on myself to see how the colours worked on skin and what I could adapt. 

I wanted to make the lips look quite dry and dehydrated but from what I've learnt today I've decided to use duo glue to create the dryness on the lip and then add colour to make them appear to be peeling. The brows I'm going to make a lot more wild and grey but brushed up and away from the eye in a randomness as Miss Havisham surely didn't have them threaded in all that time at Satis House! Very slight wrinkles are going to be added also and I'll create a new facechart showing my changes as well as practice! 

The Gothic, Grotesque, and Uncanny...

There are many things I think about and feel when I think of Great Expectations and the feeling of uncanny is one of them. Miss Havisham has completely baffled me in terms of her personality, social anxiety and fear for love. It makes me think what she must be thinking when all alone in that mansion with only Estella to keep her company and her own past horrors to reminisce upon. I'm sure all women can relate to being heart broken or let down by love so looking at Miss Havisham from that perspective you can feel what she must have felt all those years ago when she was jilted by the man that she loved and trusted. I see Miss Havisham as a once beautiful woman turned sour by heartbreak, her face would appear still with her wedding makeup on but hair disheveled from the tossing and turning in her bed at night from the nightmares of her past, I imagine her skin to still be very clear as she has not been outside in the sunlight for quite sometime but her hands to be old and withered from a nervous fidgeting that occurred overtime,

Miss Havisham brings a grotesque element to the book, film and tv series because thinking of it, she's been living in a huge home for a very long time without cleaning or showering. There was no electricity so large candles made from lard would be burning leaving a mess everywhere. I think the fact that Miss Havisham has no intention of keeping clean or keeping her house in a fit state makes the audience cringe in disgust at the thought of entering such a home, Satis House itself brings the Gothic feel as it's dark gloomy windows look like eyes from which ghosts and mysetrious things watch you and the layer of mist and fog surrounding it would make you think twice about entering! The colours that the book makes you imagine also creates a picture of fear, black and grey without any brightness makes you feel like everything has been drained from Satis House andsurely nothing that dwells there could be happy?

I took some pictures myself of some strange uncanny places from different angles and levels to see what effect they had.

High Definition Make-up

High Definition make-up can put pressure on make-up artists as they need to insure that their makeup skills are up to par with the high quality filming that they will be shown through. Through research I found this video by experienced TV and Film make-up artist John Woodbridge who talks about HD airbrush make-up and other techniques within HD make-up and also tips for artists.

John Woodbridge describes that certain products look good in HD whereas others do not and I think a good knowledge of this is needed and alot of practice also to ensure that the best outcome is achieved for in front of the camera.

Emmy award winning professional make-up artist Marie Delprete says:

'HD shows all the imperfections on a face – every wrinkle, asymmetry, blemish or scar – because it intensifies surface textures. In standard definition, these imperfections were less evident and the measures we took to correct them were less apparent. The biggest problem makeup artists face today is being able to correct the imperfections while hiding all the steps it took to do it. We need to find ways to confuse the all-seeing eye of the HD lens. A good Director of Photography (DP) can help with lighting, camera filters and settings, but today’s makeup artist must be able to assess every variable affecting the makeup. In this time of transition, camera tests are an essential tool. Insist upon them.' 

She says that a Satin finish on the skin is what artists should think about achieving as a matte effect appears too flat and heavy on camera and a dewy finish will appear 'too shiny'. Another good tip she has is for grooming to be well kept as the camera will pick up on everything including small hairs! HD picks up on all hard lines also so blending to perfection is a necessity!

HD make-up is still evolving but as make-up artists we must experiment and try out new products to educate ourselves on what looks good on camera and how we can improve our skills!

Youtube. (2012) College of Production: make- up tips for HD [online] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eE31kqdoYBg . [Accessed: 1/2/15]

Temptalia. (2006) Temptalia [online] Available from: http://www.temptalia.com/mac-in-high-def-collection-qa-with-marie-delprete-emmy-award-winning-makeup-artist [Accessed: 1/2/15]