Victorian Weddings

One of the main focuses in the book 'Great Expectations' is the wedding of  Miss Havisham that never was. I am interested in buying and finding a wedding veil or headdress for my model to wear for the timed assessment so that the whole image and sense of character is captured. While looking for  inspirational images of how to alter a non Victorian veil that I may buy, I came across interesting  information about Victorian Weddings.

Weddings were either held in a church or at home in the morning and were traditionally carried out in the bride's parish. It was in the 1800's where the tradition of the bride not seeing the groom on the day of the wedding before the ceremony was established. The weddings were usually small with only close family and friends, and before the ceremony bells would be rung to drive out the evil spirits and the rings would be dropped as it is said that it would release any evil spirits that were inside them. After the ceremony the bride and groom would sign the parish register in the vestry. It was tradition for the bride to sign with her maiden name. The food that was consumed after the ceremony was usually breakfast type food, due to the ceremony taking place early on in the day. One of the most interesting facts that I found was that any guests at the wedding who were in mourning would enter the ceremony and try to hide themselves amongst the other guest so that they would not affect the mood of the bride and groom. I found this interesting as I have been learning about how it was important for Victorians to respect the dead, this treatment of mourners is not respectful and unlike now there appears to be little sympathy for those left behind.

One of the main traditions of a Victorian wedding involved what the bride wore. Brides used to wear a wreath or orange blossom flowers. This was a very popular tradition and the words, 'to gather honey  blossom' eventually became to mean, 'to seek a wife'. Queen Victoria wore the colour white on her wedding and after this it was tradition for all weddings to be carried out in white, before this the bride was able to choose the colour of her gown and the colour she chose was said to influence the couple's future, for example if the bride wore red, she wished herself dead and if she wore blue the love would always be true.

This research has been interesting as I now think that along with a wedding veil I may also buy some orange flowers as it appears that they were a main feature of Victorian weddings. As I am trying to capture the decay and age of Miss Havisham's wedding attire I may try to distress the veil and flowers to make them look more aged. I think I may do this by staining the veil with tea, to give it a more yellow colour, as described in the book 'Great Expectations'. I may do this also to the flowers as well as ripping them. I will buy fake flowers so that for the continuity part of the assessment they look exactly the same in both.

A Victorian Wedding Recption
http://www.angelpig.net/victorian/ceremony.html

A Victorian Couple Signing The Parish Register
http://www.angelpig.net/victorian/ceremony.html

Queen Victoria With An Orange Blossom Wreath In Her Hair On Her Wedding Day
http://hrhprincesspalace.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/todays-princess-queen-victoria.html

http://www.victoriana.com/bridal/bridal-welcome.htm

http://classroom.synonym.com/victorian-era-wedding-traditions-7133.html

http://www.literary-liaisons.com/article003.html

http://www.literary-liaisons.com/article004.html

Hengistbury Head

Recently I visited Hengistbury Head, this is a headland located on the Southern Coast of England located in Dorset. It is a Ancient Monument as well as a Natural Nature Reserve. Hengistbury Head has many different types of geology such as grassland, woodland and wetland. During a walk I came across some of the wetland areas and I realised that they depicted what I imagined the moors to look like from the Charles Dickens Novel 'Great Expectations'. They also resembled the moor areas of Thornham Marshes in Norfolk and marshes in Essex where the BBC TV Series, starring Gillian Anderson and Douglas Booth, was filmed. It precisely reminded me of the scene where the convict Magwhitch is fighting with the other convict Compeyson.

On previous visits to this area the eerie and scary nature of it had not previously struck me, but since studying the book and researching more into the story the area became a setting that could be used as inspiration especially when you see it in misty conditions.

Hengistbury Head
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186262-d1141218-Reviews-Hengistbury_Head-Bournemouth_Dorset_England.html

My Image Of The Wetlands

My Image Of The Wetlands

My Image Of The Wetlands

My Image Of The Wetlands

Sources:

http://www.tvmaps.co.uk/where-were-marshes-great-expectations-filmed

Films With Early Victorian Hair

I have begun to research films and television series that were set in the early victorian era. I have done this is to get an idea of the hairstyles created and look at the accuracy within the films.

The TV series that I have chosen to study is the TV Mini Series from 2006 of 'Jane Eyre'. This series is set in the 1840's and1850's. The hair during this period ranged from an apollo knot with a centre parting and loop plaits with ringlets to a style where it was smooth on top with ringlets and was usually covered by a bonnet, Accessories were also being added such as flowers and ribbon. I decided to choose this series as I remember watching it when it first came out, it is interesting for me to study it now as I appreciate far more what society was like at the time and also the accuracy of the styles as well as how to create some of the looks. I like the hair designs in this series as I think they are very accurate to the time. They are also very beautiful especially the image below of Christina Cole who has very pretty and tight ringlets. I however would say that I think the hair looks too clean and healthy, in the Victorian era women rarely cut their hair meaning that after constant heat it would become very damaged. I also feel that the ringlets in the first picture are too short as Victorian women are famous for having very long hair and ringlets. I also think the bottom image is slightly too far forward in terms of hairstyles. I think that the hair is too loose and a style such as this would not be seen until later on in the Victorian era.

Hair With A Centre Parting And Ringlets
https://www.pinterest.com/eloise888/jane-eyre/

An Apollo Know With Loop Plaits
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/romantic-movie-moments/images/1621430/title/jane-eyre-proposal-scene-screencap

A Much Looser Hairstyle
http://thoughtsandstuff12.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/jane-eyre-2006.html

The Ageing Process

Learning the art of ageing someone's skin is important as it is a vital skill needed when working in TV and film as well as theatre. My knowledge of what happens to the skin during the ageing process is limited, and I felt it vital to me to research this so that I am able to create more accurate depictions on the skin depending on the stage of the ageing process.

The first main factor in ageing skin is that the regeneration of new cells becomes slower which causes a dulling effect on the skin. The production of elastin and collagen becomes slower and these are the two key elements which create plump and firm skin. As the production slows skin becomes looser and this results in the development of wrinkles. Wrinkles begin to appear in someone's 20's, become more apparent in the 30's and wrinkles become deeper and tend to appear in areas where muscle movement is high. In the 40's lines start to appear around the mouth, and can be more severe in people who smoke. When you reach your 50's wrinkles on the skin start to become their highest as the skin begins to sag. The skin becomes looser over time as our bodies begin to shrink, which can result in loose skin, for example jowls on the face. The skin becomes drier, which can cause itching, this is because the body produces less oils which causes less hydration in the skin.  Skin also becomes thinner because the fatty layer which is located below the epidermis becomes less, which means that the skin is more delicate and prone to bruises. The skin also is harder to mend, for example after a scratch. Veins also become more apparent as the skin is thinner.  As you age, photo ageing becomes more common, this is where sun spots, liver spots and freckles appear more frequently.

This research has been useful as I now feel more confident in my knowledge and ability to produce a more accurate aged face.

Sources:

https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/new-idea/a/15179307/skin-ageing-how-does-it-work/

http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/anti-aging/5-ways-skin-changes-as-you-age.htm#page=5

Miss Havisham On Screen

Whilst reading the book 'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens, I began to imagine and interpret my own portrayal of Miss Havisham in my mind. The descriptions of her character throughout the book are very descriptive and detailed which made it very easy to build up a picture in my mind. These descriptions and my thoughts made me interested to know how other people perceived Miss Havisham. For this project I will be designing my own make up look and interpretation of Miss Havisham, I am excited to do this especially after researching the previous portrayals of the character as I feel that they are all similar and I am looking forward to creating my own version. I began to research different films and television show versions of 'Great Expectations' and paid close attention to Miss Havisham. These are are some of the films and televisions shows that I researched.

1946 Great Expectations 

In the 1946 version of the film 'Great Expectations', the actress Martita Hunt played Miss Havisham. She was born in Argentina to British parents in 1899, and when she was aged 10 they moved to England. She was praised for her role and level of acting in the film 'Great Expectations' and after the film was released her popularity grew and she was consequently offered a wider range of more interesting roles. The 1946 film version was shot in black and white, I believe this adds to the effect in making Miss Havisham seem spiteful and bitter. From all the images that I have seen the shadows seem more prominent adding to the overall effect of age but also highlights her skin making it appear paler. In the film her make up appears to be minimal as if to reflect that she has given up and is stuck in the house and room where she spends most of her time. As the book was set in Victorian times the make up designer I imagine drew inspiration from cosmetics in that era which, from what I have researched, was very minimalistic and almost secretive. Her hair in the film appears to have been backcombed and is a half up half down style and almost blends in with the cobwebs that appear around the room with her. This type of hairstyle is currently very popular and can be seen on many different people including the celebrity Arianna Grande. This was interesting to me as it gave the film a contemporary and modern feel even though it was released over sixty years ago. The make up artists working on this film were George Blackler and Ernest Gasser. They are both English make up artists and between them are known for films such as 'Tommy' (1975), 'Stairway To Heaven' (1946) and The Dirty Dozen (1967). Martita Hunt died in June in 1969. I think that Miss Havisham's look captured in this film is the closest to that I imagined while reading the book. I think the age of Anne Bancroft is more what I imagined, I also think that the hair and the clothing is more what I had in mind.

Martita Hunt As Miss Havisham
https://www.pinterest.com/muirhewitt/the-grande-dames/

Martita Hunt As Miss Havisham
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/8907506/Gillian-Anderson-Helena-Bonham-Carter-and-Miss-Havisham-on-film.html?image=11

1998 Great Expectations

The 1998 film of 'Great Expectations' saw Anne Bancroft take the role of Nora Dismoor, who was the film equivalent of Miss Havisham. This film is a modernization of the original story and is loosely based upon the book. Anne Bancroft was born in New York in 1931to Italian parents. Her most famous film role was that of Mrs Robinson in the 1967 film 'The Graduate', she also appeared on Broadway for five years during a break from films. In the role of Nora Dismoor she wears very heavy make up and appears nothing like the original Miss Havisham. In the film she has a very pale face, which I believe was used to reflect the fact that she rarely goes out in the sun. The make up also seemed out dated and too young for her age, this helped to highlight the fact that she was stuck in a time of 20 years ago. The way the make up was applied also highlighted her aged as it settled into her fine lines and wrinkles, I also think that the make up made her look quite masculine as well as sad. The most famous and iconic outfits worn throughout the film were predominantly green which is said to have been the director's favourite colour. Interestingly the house name of Ms Dinsmoor in the 1998 film is ‘Paradiso Perduto’ which means lost paradise. I thought this was interesting as it continued with the theme throughout the film portrayed by Miss Havisham that she was longing for her past of love. She also wears pearls during the film, this is interesting to me as they resemble peace, and to me she is far from peaceful. Overall this portrayal is far from how I imagined Miss Havisham, this is however a modern version and my imagination is based upon the original.

Anne Bancroft As Miss Havisham
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/8907506/Gillian-Anderson-Helena-Bonham-Carter-and-Miss-Havisham-on-film.html?image=17

Anne Bancroft As Miss Havisham
http://rosamondpress.com/2012/04/06/great-expectations/

2012 Great Expectations

In the 2012  film version of Great Expectations actress Helena Bonham Carter played the role of Miss Havisham. She was born on May 26 1966 to a merchant banker father and psychotherapist mother. She has appeared in many films, with one of her most famous roles being Belatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter films. On the website Stylist.co.uk I read an interview with the costume designer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor who worked on the 2012 film 'Great Expectations'. She speaks of her processes in finding inspiration and designing the wedding dress and other costumes worn by Helena Bonham Carter in the film. In the interview she speaks of how she ‘consulted paintings and bibliographies from the Dickensian era’. She also says how she ‘tried to combine them with contemporary fashion shows for a fresh modern look.’ She also talks about how she also had a contemporary vision for the story. In the film Helena has very curly and frizzy styled hair which, like in the 1946 film, reminds me of the cobwebs that are hung around in the room. Interestingly the style of hair in this film was actually of gothic origin instead of victorian. This is due to the hair style being twenty years prior to the date the film is set, representing her being stuck in the past.  Beatrix Aruna Pastor also expressed in the interview that she wanted to have dramatic hair and make up to go with the costumes that she designed. Helena's face was pale in most of the pictures that I have seen of her with an ashy look around the eyes and other areas of her face. I think in this version of the film she looks far younger than that of the 1946 and 1998 films, I presume the thought behind this is the director's interpretation of the age of the character and Beatrix Aruna Pasztor's vision of the look of Miss Havisham being more fresh than previous portrayals. This portrayal to me is a good interpretation of the book but is however not how I perceived Miss Havisham to look and, like the TV mini series, I think that Helena Bonham Carter looks too young for the role. 

Helena Bonham Carter As Miss Havisham
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/9726621/Great-Expectations-Seven-magazine-review.html

Helena Bonham Carter As Miss Havisham
http://diymag.com/archive/first-look-at-helena-bonham-carter-as-miss-havisham

2011 Great Expectations BBC Mini TV Series

In the 2011 BBC mini series of 'Great Expectations', Miss Havisham is played by Gillian Anderson, an American actress born in Chicago Illinois in August 1968.  She has appeared in many films including 'The X Files' (1993) and 'Playing by Heart' (1998). Some people were critical of her role in the TV series expressing that they thought she was too young to play the role of Miss Havisham as well as her high pitched voice. On a BBC interview that I have read with Gillian Anderson, she discussed the process of turning into Miss Havisham. She says how she had two different wigs to wear which had three different stages of deterioration. In the beginning of the film her hair was set into tight curls at the front, but the back was messy and unkept. I think this was done to show that she was trying to keep hold of something of her looks but did not have the energy to fully complete it. At the end of the film however her hair is almost falling out, Gillian explains how she had to wear a bald cap underneath due to the lack of hair in the wig. Her make up in the film is very pale and dusty looking, she looks more ill and frail than the film interpretations. She almost has a grey undertone to her skin, her lips are also chapped and dry which reflect her lack of care for herself and her disinterest in life. This version is how I imagined Miss Havisham to look whilst reading the book.

Gillian Anderson As Miss Havisham
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/8907506/Gillian-Anderson-Helena-Bonham-Carter-and-Miss-Havisham-on-film.html

Gillian Anderson As Miss Havisham
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturepicturegalleries/8907506/Gillian-Anderson-Helena-Bonham-Carter-and-Miss-Havisham-on-film.html?image=1

Sources:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/great-expectations-feature

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/great-expectations-feature

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0309325/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr14

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0085716/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr13

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000096/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t7

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038574/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_45

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119223/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1836808/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1949720/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000307/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t16

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0402558/

http://www.stylist.co.uk/fashion/great-expectations-costume-design-interview

 http://vintagemakeupguide.com/victorian-look/

The Gothic

This unit will see me studying the gothic, which is sometimes referred to as gothic horror. I have decided to research the origins of gothic horror so I am able to have a greater understanding of its true meaning and understand more of the complexities associated with it. Gothic horror is a genre of literature which is the combination of both romance and horror. Horace Walpol is believed to be the man which invented the genre in 1764, after he wrote his book 'The Castle Of Tranto'. Architecture is also associated with the gothic. The gothic revival began in the late 1840's which was a backlash against the modern, clean and simple style of buildings. The gothic was a style that evoked extreme emotion, it created awe and the idea of the sublime, it was also about the excesses. The Gothic has also been described as an imaginative way to deal with contemporary fears and to prevent the future by bringing back the past. People had no idea about the future of the human race and it became popular to rely on spiritualism and the unreal.

 Gothic literature evolved over time; it started off being based on space but eventually began to move onto fears about the body, which made the stories more terrifying. Gothic literature is usually based in distant lands and distant times, it also included spooky settings such as torch lit monasteries. One of the most famous Gothic horror novels is 'Frankenstein', written by Mary Shelley published in 1816. Mary Shelley was born in London in 1797 and went on to write Frankenstein, a book which sees Victor Frankenstein creating a monster through the use of body parts dug up from graves. Although Frankenstein is not the first gothic novel it was the combination of both the romance and horror which made it unique. Gothic novels usually are undertaken in gloomy buildings and settings, this book is celebrated as, written by cliff notes.com, ' Frankenstein is set in continental Europe, specifically Switzerland and Germany, where many of Shelley's readers had not been. Further, the incorporation of the chase scenes through the Arctic regions takes us even further from England into regions unexplored by most readers.' This makes the book more interesting and mysterious to the readers as it left more to the imagination meaning more dark thoughts could be conjured. The book is also seen celebrated as being one of the great gothic novels due to its horrifying elements to the story such as the digging up of body parts from the grave. Sparknotes.com also writes 'Just the thought of raising the dead is gruesome enough. Shelley takes full advantage of this literary device to enhance the strange feelings that Frankenstein generates in its reader. The thought of raising the dead would have made the average reader wince in disbelief in terror.' This is a clever element of the story as it was an unexplored territory which would make the read even more horrific.

Gothic horror eventually began to be made into films such as Dracula and Black Sunday. Overall gothic literature is divided into two categories, the first being supernatural where people want to believe mysterious goings on, and the second category where natural explanations are given for events that occurred during a story.

Sources: http://www.slideshare.net/apalmer28/gothic-horror
http://www.biography.com/people/mary-shelley-9481497
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/frankenstein/summary.html
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/f/frankenstein/critical-essays/frankenstein-as-a-gothic-novel

Drawing Miss Havisham

This week I decided that I wanted to try and draw the actress Gillian Anderson in the role of Miss Havisham, this was one of my favourite depictions of the character in the screen adaptations that I have watched. I think this was a good exercise as it made me focus more on the character and the details used to create the overall look. I am pleased with the way that the drawing turned out, however I had hoped that it would have more depth and more texture to create a more dry and dull look. I also think the left side is better than the right.

My Drawing Of Gillian Anderson As Miss Havisham

Gothic Depiction In Great Expectations

I have been reading the book 'Great Expectations' and analysing the key elements of the book which could reference to the gothic era, the book however is not from the Gothic Horror genre.

Clashing time periods is a strong element associated with gothic literature, and one of the first things I noticed about the book as I began reading was that it was Pip in the future referring back to the past which left me questioning the validity of the detail and truthfulness of the story. During the beginning I feel that there is an uncomfortable element surrounding the language that Pip uses as I think that the language is very grown up and does not fit with the young character that Dickens is trying to portray, 'But at last I began, in a purblind groping way, to read, write and cipher on the very smallest scale.' Throughout the book there are references to Pip's new found intelligence and gentleman status as he recounts certain events from the past. Another element of clashing time periods within the book is the frozen in time Miss Havisham and Satis House. In the book Dickens writes, 'I took note of the surrounding objects in detail, and saw that her  watch had stopped at twenty minutes to nine, and that the clock in the room had stopped at twenty minutes to nine'. This stoppage in time clashes with the decaying and age gained by Miss Havisham herself as well as the surrounding objects in the room where Pip first meets her, 'I saw that everything within my view which ought to be white, had been white long ago, and had lost its lustre, and was faded and yellow.' The house has been metaphorically stuck in time but inevitable destruction has ensued by the the unstoppable. One of the main features of the Gothic era was the step back in time to put off future uncertainties. I believe in a way this is what Miss Havisham is doing by never leaving the house and keeping everything within it constant.

Strange places are also a key feature in Gothic literature. Throughout the story Pip finds himself in many strange places and situations. For me the strangest place of all is Satis House which is inhabited by Miss Havisham and Estella and the location where Pip receives his first encounter with both of them. When Pip first arrives at the house he describes it as, 'old brick, and dismal. and had a great many iron bars to it. Some of the windows had been walled up ; of those that remained, all of the lower were rustily barred.' This description instantly brings an air of mystery surrounding the house and leaves me asking question such as, are the inhabitants scared of the outside world? Is there a threatening presence in the area? Are the bars there to stop people getting in or out? As the story goes on I believe the first question to be answered, Miss Havisham is clearly wary of the outside world and the movement of time and change, she has almost imprisoned herself in her own misery experienced in the past. Much of the beginning of the book is set upon the marshes. Marshes have been a popular location for many authors who want to bring a feeling of uneasiness or terror to their readers. To me marshes are a strange place as the conditions on them can change quickly, they can feel eerie, and the uneven footing makes them dangerous. The marshes clearly makes Pip afraid as Dickens writes, 'the dark flat wilderness beyond the churchyard, intersected with dykes and mounds and gates, with scattered cattle feeding on it, was the marshes ; and that the distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing, was the sea ; and that the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry, was Pip.'

Sexual power features regularly in Gothic literature and throughout most the of the book Estella holds great sexual power over Pip, this power was instigated by Miss Havisham whom, on Pip and Estella's first encounter, encouraged him to focus on her for her looks and encourages him to come back because he thought of Estella as, 'pretty'. Throughout the book Pip is keen to become a more intelligent gentlemen to make him suitable for Estella, the power she has over him makes him willing to leave his home and change his future. I think Pip almost has an obsession over her because she made him question his life and upbringing and did not like receiving insults from her. He was drawn to her by her strength and pose.

There are many instances of terror created throughout the book, terror is an intense fear and apprehension over your safety and wellbeing. Terror which turns to horror is a key element in Gothic literature. I think there are two key moments in the book where Pip feels terror. The first time his terror is highlighted is the first encounter he has with the convict Magwich. Before they meet Pip is already scared of the marshes and close to tears, this premonition of fear makes the reader uncomfortable as, you also worry for him. The quick change from terror to horror when the convict grabs him and cries, ' Hold your noise!', is sudden which is also more terrifying as it catches you off guard. Another time where I believe Pip feels terror is when the soldiers come to the forge to investigate the disappearance of the two convicts. Dickens writes, 'And then they stood about, as soldiers do ; now, with their hands loosely clasped before them now; now, resting a knee or a shoulder ; now, easing a belt or a pouch ; now, openning the door to spit stiffly over their high stocks, out into the yard. All these things I saw without the knowing that I saw them, for I was in an agony of apprehension.'. This apprehension he feels towards being arrested for helping the convict is very tense, even for the reader.

Prosthetic Scars Used In Film

After attending the talk given by prosthetic artist Neill Gorton, I decided to look up and research the use of prosthetics in TV and Film. During this course I will be learning how to create scars using make up, but I wanted to research the use of prosthetics. Prosthetics have become an important part of the film industry, and their use can range from scars and warts to false noses and foreheads. These are more complicated to produce as they require a life cast of the actors face. Prosthetics are usually made out of soft materials such as gelatine, rubber or plastic. This means that they are able to be moulded more easily.

The production in making prosthetics usually begins with the creation of a mould or cast from an actor's body. The cast is then moulded into a lifelike model of the actor which acts as a base for the artist to work on, this is called lifecasting. Once the prosthetic piece is created it can take many hours for it to be applied, depending on the size of prosthetic and how much needs to be done in matching it perfectly to the skin.

Sources: http://www.delamaracademy.co.uk/the-make-up-artist/make-up-techniques/make-up-techniques-prosthetics

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-prosthetic-makeup.htm

Prosthetics In Action:

In the film 'Cake' (2014), the Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston has deep looking scars on her cheek, chin, neck and hands. In the film she plays Claire Simmons, a women who takes an interest in the suicide of one of the women in her support group, and goes on to develop a relationship with the dead lady's husband. On the website 'Eonline' it talks about the scar on her cheek, the website says 'It would appear that the scar is one of the lingering visible reminders of whatever accident or trauma that Claire went through to cause her such pain' The prosthetic artist in the film was Scott Stoddard who has worked on films such as 'Thor' (2011) and 'Pearl Harbour' (2001). I think the use of prosthetics in the stills I have seen on the film look incredible, they blend seamlessly into Jennifer's skin and I believe if you were watching the film you would easily forget they were false.

Jennifer Aniston On The Red Carpet
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/24/jennifer-aniston-oscar-dress-2013-photos_n_2755722.html

Jennifer Aniston In Cake
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a563139/jennifer-aniston-wears-prosthetic-facial-scars-on-set-of-film-cake.html

Jennifer Aniston In Cake
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/news/a563139/jennifer-aniston-wears-prosthetic-facial-scars-on-set-of-film-cake.html

Jennifer Aniston In Cake
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2599317/Barefaced-Jennifer-Aniston-displays-deep-scars-face-films-Cake-alongside-Sam-Worthington-Anna-Kendrick.html

Nicole Kidman in the film 'Hours' (2002) wears a prosthetic nose, the use of the nose made her almost unrecognisable as it completely changed the overall look of her face.

Nicole Kidman On The Red Carpet
http://www.ladiesliveandlearn.com/2012-golden-globes-red-carpet-rundown/

http://www.themakeupgallery.info/lookalike/writers/hoursnk.htm

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/feature/a572374/meryl-streep-nicole-kidman-robert-de-niro-do-fake-noses-equal-oscars.html#~p2GnDiTiGUDRkb

Johnny Depp with prosthetic scars in 'Edward Scissorhands':

Johnny Depp On The Red Carpet
http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/oscars/photos/0,,20174666_20180095_20413695,00.html

Johnny Depp In Edward Scissorhands
http://www.theroguedolls.com/2013/04/edward-scissorhands-making-of/

Johnny Depp In Edward Scissorhands
http://thefilmspectrum.com/?p=20283

What Is High Definition Broadcasting And How Does It Effect Make Up And Hair Artists

High definition (HD) broadcasting offers a far clearer and more lifelike quality to television productions. Some of the main television channels such as BBC1 now offer an HD channel alongside the analogue picture. There are two different types HD picture quality, the first being 720p and the second 1080p. The P stands for the number of pixels available. 1080p is five times more clear than standard television picture quality and to receive HD channels you will need to have an 'HD ready' television.

Although the picture quality offers a higher standard for viewers, it has brought up new challenges for production teams such as set designers as well as make up and hair artists. The increased picture quality means that errors and poor quality sets are highlighted and more evident once on screen. It is difficult to get away with dents and damaged props.

Make up artists have had to use new skills and techniques, as any errors that once were not able to seen, such as poor blending and cakey heavy make up, are now more noticeable making attention to detail far more important. It is now very important that primers and thin foundations are used as HD exposes imperfections such as pores and wrinkles. The use of primers helps combat this by making the skin look more smooth. Close up shots are also difficult for make up artists as there is nowhere to hide, especially if a female actress has hair on their cheeks as this is far more prominent in HD filming. Make up artists working on HD are now encouraged to use airbrush systems as this applies a light even coverage of foundation that dries quickly and sets to a matte finish. The coverage is also very full, but feels lightweight which is good for the actors on set as they forget that they are wearing make up. As written in the book, 'Broadcast Announcing Worktext: A Media Performance Guide', 'Less is more' when working with HD broadcasting. It is also now important for make up artist to do screen tests,  this is where the actor or actress stands in front of the camera and any errors or flaws with the make up are highlighted meaning changes can be made. It is also important to make sure that the monitors used for screen tests are set up for HD otherwise it is impossible to see what the make up really looks like.

When working with hair, especially wigs, attention to detail is extremely important as written on the website 'www.broadcastnow.co.uk'. It is important that the lace used to attach the wigs is not noticeable to the naked eye as, if it is, it will be picked up by the cameras. Frizzy and loose bits of hair also become much more noticeable under HD cameras so more sprays need to be used to keep fly aways smooth.

Sources:
Book:

Broadcast Announcing Worktext: A Media Performance Guide

http://www.which.co.uk/reviews/televisions/article/advice/what-is-hd-tv

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/hd-perfectionists-at-work/858852.article

Creating Wounds

Creating fake wounds is an important skill to learn as part of the TV and film industry. In this week's practical lesson we were learning how to create realistic wounds. When creating wounds you can use Sini Wax, Plasto and moulding wax to create a realistic look. Before you put down the wax you can apply spirit gum underneath to make the skin tacky and help the wax stick better on the skin.

The Method To Creating A Wound:

Apply some wax onto the back of your hand, this will make the wax softer and easier to mould and shape.

Roll the wax into a sausage shape and apply the wax onto the area where you want to have the wound.

Mould the edges of the wax into the skin, you can keep a tissue on hand with some cleanser to make the wax smoother.

Keep blending and moulding to make the edges of the wax so that they blend seamlessly into the skin.

Use a palette knife to cut the top of the sausage shape to act as the cut on the wound.

You can use a pin to rough up the edges to make the wound have more texture.

Use a baby bud and apply some latex to the wax, make sure the edges blend out onto the skin.

Use a hairdryer on the cool setting to dry the latex, dry it until it goes clear.

Use fingers and a sponge to blend out the fake blood onto the dry latex.

Make sure you apply lots of different colour to make the wound look more realistic.

You can add fibrous wound filler to give the wound more depth.

My Attempt At Creating A Wound:

I was quite pleased with how my work came out, I think that the wound does look quite realistic and gory. I think that the fake blood  I applied could have been done more carefully and not spread out so far onto the rest of the skin.

Before

After