Poster Test Shots

We tried out different make up on the face to find the kind of effect we wanted of decaying skin. We wanted to create shadow on the face to make the face appear more gaunt and also more threatening. Meg used her skills learnt in Art and Design to aid the group in exploring different techniques in order to find the more successful one.

This attempt used porridge oats, fake tan, black paint, flour and water, with a layer of face paint over the top in order to accentuate the black circles of the eyes and the lips. However we found that the mixture did not create the desired effect of flaking skin and instead went brown and sticky. It was also incredibly difficult to paint on without the paint being obvious. Emily's similar colouring to our main character meant that she was selected for the initial experiment of the makeup, while Meg tried different techniques.

This attempt used just porridge oats, flour and water as we thought that the last mixture may have combined too many ingredients. This mixture was also too runny, making it difficult to paint on without the paint running down the face and creating black streaks. The mixture went see-through in some places, making it appear less realistic as so many different skin tones were visible. It did however emphasise the black eyes, although they were perhaps too obvious and created a panda effect. The mixture was somewhat flaky in areas.

This mixture used the same ingredients as the previous test of flour, porridge oats and water, although less water was added in order to make a less liquid-y product. This worked as it made the skin appear more flaky and decayed. It also created an easier base to paint on as it hardened to become more solid. This is the mixture that we moved on to paint over as it was the most successful.

The face paint used over the top worked to accentuate the eyes without being too dark. It makes the face appear gaunt and threatening, reducing the human nature of the face. Some shadow was used across the cheek bones and mouth to create texture across the face and make it appear more decayed. The base mixture was especially effective as the face paint made it flake slightly, leaving some parts darker than others.

The face painting was continued and other colours were added in order to make the face appear more unnatural. The colours mainly used were green and purple, with the purple appearing almost bruise-like to connote ideas of violence and threat. Letters from the ouija board were copied onto the face in random places. We first spelled "Penance", but decided that it looked too contrived so used other random letters. We did not want to completely cover the face in order to maintain the effects of the face paint, but used enough to make it evident that it is important. We thought this looked effective as it appeared unnatural and hinted at the mysterious antagonistic entity.

We then began experimenting with the poses that would be used for the poster image, using the idea of the girl leaning forward out of the darkness towards the camera.


The end result of Emily's face makeup took a considerable amount of time to produce, something that definitely made this process necessary.

-Emily (post and model)
-Meg (makeup and photographs)

Horror Make Up

We researched the make up used to signify that a person has been possessed. Although for the trailer we want the girls to appear normal in order to contrast the unnatural things happening to them, we will use a shot that shows a girl to be completely possessed for the webpage and poster and for this we would like supernatural make up.

In 'The Exorcist', the possessed girl's face becomes pasty and covered in cuts and marks that appear like injuries. The girl has huge shadows under her eyes, which are completely white. We really like the idea of  changing the face to make it appear distorted and decaying so that it appears more shocking and unnatural. The injuries on the face suggest the power the spirit has and the fragility of the human, and we would like to incorporate this idea into the possessed make up. Making the eyes unnatural also appeals, as it really makes the image appear scary as the humanity is taken away from the victim to be replaced by something unnatural. The greasy hair of the victim also adds to the effect of making her appear no longer human. We would like to replicate this look, as it is haunting and stays with the audience even after the viewing of the film has finished. The unnatural nature of the look is especially effective because the character is a child, and we hope that this shock will also be created by a similarly unnatural look on a teenager. The contrast of decaying features with a normally youthful and healthy face acts to emphasise the disturbing nature of the spirit, and shows it to be a threat even to the life of the victim, as well as normality.


We were also interested in the markings on the skin that are used in 'The Haunting in Connecticut' [pictured right], and in two episodes of science fiction television programme 'Doctor Who', 'The Impossible Planet' and 'The Satan Pit' [pictured below right]. These are effective as they cover the whole body and reflect the nature of the spirit as they seem to communicate something about its past or what it wants. In 'The Haunting in Connecticut', the markings are carved into the skin, making it more shocking and                                          
upsetting to see and creating sympathy for the victim. In 'Doctor Who', the markings are instead unnaturally branded to the skin and only appear when the victim is possessed, being removed when the possessive entity is hiding. They are a different language, creating a sense of mystery as they cannot be read, but also emphasising the supernatural nature of the possession as the markings do not even seem to make sense and instead reflect a completely different species or culture. In 'Doctor Who', the face is also somewhat changed by red eyes and discoloured blue lips, making it appear even more unnatural. We find this idea interesting and would like to incorporate markings on the face of the possessed victim, as well as unnatural decay make up, in order to reflect the spirit's link with the world and hint at its past. We are going to use ouija board letters across the girl's face in order to reflect the manner in which the spirit was contacted and maintain the theme that the ouija board plays a large part in the events that follow. They also emphasise the gothic and supernatural nature of the film as they are in the same font used on ouija boards, which is decorative and old fashioned. We are also going to edit the victim's eyes to make them appear unnatural.




-Emily

Fake Cut Experimentation

We have started to experiment with creating fake cuts. Some of the techniques we experimented with were less effective as we have not yet experimented with fake blood, so they could not be completely finished.

To experiment with Method Two, we bought some Special Effect Wax from www.amazon.co.uk. This product is designed specifically for make up and special effect injuries. We had difficulty working with the wax because it was too cold to mould, and once applied took a long time to dry. When we tried to speed the drying process with the use of hand-dryers, the wax lost its shape and therefore became less effective. We will soon try again with hair-dryers so that a cold setting can be used in an attempt to dry the wax. The original shape of the wax once moulded looked believable however, so if we can solve the drying problem this technique may prove successful.

To experiment with Method Three, we used simple make up products. These were a black eye liner pencil, a red lipstick and some red nail varnish. We used some purple eye shadow as well, but found that it did not improve the cut experiments. The original method called only for the lipstick and eye liner, but we tried the use of red nail varnish for fake blood and found that it looked quite effective.

On camera the cuts looked dramatic due to the dark red, although they could have looked more like scars than fresh cuts so could not be the correct appearance for our teaser trailer. The colouring around the cuts looked quite effective, and the different shades of red in the congealed red nail varnish also looks pleasing. Nail varnish has become a possibility for fake blood if no other fake blood experiments are successful. Below are examples of the cut experiments.

   




As we have not yet finished experimenting with fake cuts, we have not yet decided on the technique we will use. However, it is likely that we will use the professional moulding wax so that there is a physical break in the 'skin', instead of colouring on top of it.

This is a further experiment with the Special Effect Wax, which again proved difficult to work with. We used a hair-dryer to dry the wax, although it still rubbed off easily which would prove impractical during long filming days. However, once we added bruising around the cut and some red bruising in the middle, it looked quite effective on camera. This has led us to the decision to definitely use the wax for fake cuts.
                             
Below are arms with comparisons of cuts and bruises.

                                                      




- Emily (post and makeup)
- Rhiannon (makeup)

Fake Bruise Experimentation

We experimented with the different techniques of creating bruises in order to choose the most realistic effect that could be achieved. 

To try Method One of creating bruises, we purchased a Bruise Wheel and Stipple Sponge from www.amazon.co.uk. These are designed to be used to create realistic bruises and are professional products. We found that the bruises we created looked quite good, and as we got more experienced with working with the colours and shading the effects became much better. The bruise wheel was easy to work with and the bruises did not rub off very easily, which would be useful when filming repeatedly. In order to please our audience, we checked a number of people's reactions to the bruises and many said that they looked realistic or even believed that they actually were real. Below are examples of the bruises that we created.

These are the first bruises we attempted. They were very dark which looks dramatic on camera but they looked less realistic. They do however look fresh, while some of the other bruises looked older due to their faded quality. If the characters had just received their wounds, the bruises would need to be quite red

and vivid.

                                                       

To experiment with Method Two, we used some normal marker pens from a stationary shop. These are obviously not specifically for make up, so the results are less realistic. They were quite easy to work with, albeit messy, but the end results were not as successful as with Method One. The bruises look dramatic due to the vibrant colour of the pens, so they would show up quite well on camera, but less detail could be achieved and they did not look like bruises as much as burns or stains. Below are some examples of the bruise experiments we achieved.

           

These experiments have led us to the decision that we will use the professional bruise wheel, or Method One, in order to create the bruises for our teaser trailer.




-Emily

Fake Injury Research

We have researched how to create fake injuries for the majority of our teaser trailer which will show the girls in danger and injured. The use of injury shots in teaser trailers is typical of horror films, so this will act to emphasise what the audience should expect of the narrative. Although there are a wide range of possible injuries that we could use, we have decided to just use bruises and cuts. We have decided this so that it is obvious that the girls are threatened and vulnerable, but their injuries are not supposed to be the main theme so they should not be hugely dramatic. We also do not want the characters to have any black eyes as this is typically represented as a more masculine injury, and females in horrors often do not obtain them. We have found a different techniques for each injury so that we can experiment before choosing the final technique we will use.
A useful website when deciding the injuries that we wanted the characters to suffer was www.blog.howstuffworks.com, with this List Of Suggestions .




How to create fake bruises
Method One:
We found this method on www.ehow.com, using this Video .

Step 1:
- Base colour of dark red using sponge
- Irregular pattern, al over area
- Darker in middle and lighter around edges

Step 2: 
- Use black stipple sponge and dark colour to add broken blood vessels around area












Method Two:
We found this method on www.wikihow.com, with this Step By Step .
- Start with the red marker and make a few strokes in the desired area. Take your finger and smudge it until it's completely dry. Repeat in this color until entire area is a light red/dark pink color and you can't see your skin tone anymore.
- Take the purple marker and draw a little line in the middle of your red area. Smudge that in. Instead of making one dark dot before smudging, make many light stripes to make it blend more and give it a realistic feeling. You may also do this step with blue or gray or any mixture of the colors. Just don't get too carried away. Remember, we're not making an art project out of your arm/leg/what ever. We're trying to make it look like a real bruise.
- Take your green marker and trace the outer line of the the red area with dashes all the way around. Smudge with your finger so you start in the middle and smudge towards the outside of the red area. This makes it so it blends better. Don't actually make a lot of green. We just want a light shadow to be there.
- Do the same thing with the yellow marker. This gives the bruise an older look like it started to heal. The absolute worst thing you could do is overdo the yellow. Or not have it blend. Then it really looks like your colored on yourself.
- If you want it to look realistic, go to a sink and run it under some water. This will blend the colors further. Don't try to smudge with your fingers while its wet. This might ruin it depending on what kind of markers you used. Take a towel or toilet paper and dab it - don't rub it - to dry your "bruise".


How to create fake cuts
Method One:
We found this method on www.ehow.com, with this Video .

Step 1:
- Use brush to make a red line down area where cut will be

Step 2:
- Use fake blood to go over the red line thickly












Method Two
We found this method on www.Youtube.com, with this Video .

Step 1:
- Make moulding wax sausage shaped
- Smooth edges on place where cut will be, more in middle and going to flat at sides - try to make it look less obvious.

Step 2:
- Use moisturiser to go over wax
- Use foundation to match skin tone
- Add red around edges to show inflamed area

Step 3:
- Use edge of something to make line across thicker part of wax
- Pull open very slightly if necessary, make jaggedy
- Smooth down inside to appear deep

Step 4:
- Use red eye shadow or bruise kit to go inside cut
- Run off sides slightly to look smudged
- Go over repeatedly to make dark

Step 5:
- (put fake glass in wound but not useful to us)
- Use fake blood to go over cut and around edges to create slight drips
- Can do more bruising around area if necessary

Method Three
-Wet the end of a black eyeliner pencil, and draw a line across the desired area of the skin
- Trace over the black eyeliner line wih red lipstick. A true red or brick red will work best. Using the tips of your index fingers, spread the lipstick out from the centre to the outer edges
- Blot one layer of purple eyeshadow over the red lipstick with a foundation sponge. This will create an "infected" look
- Place fake blood from a costume store down the centre of the cut, if a fresh cut look is desired




- Emily

School Girl Costume Experimentation

With one of our characters, we experimented with different ways of wearing her shirt to best show her personality. This is in relation to the private school uniforms post previously published, inspired by our research into private school costumes.

Experiment 1: 




We tied this shirt at the bottom, but thought that it looked much too 'pirate-y' and not at all like school uniform. It also did not seem stylish enough for the character to wear when they are supposed to be quite trendy.

Experiment 2:
We tucked the blouse into the skirt for this experiment, but we thought that it looked too simple and was not as flattering to our actor as it could be. The proportions of the skirt and blouse also look slightly wrong.

Experiment 3: CHOSEN SHIRT
We kept the shirt tucked into the skirt, but coupled it with a large belt. We thought that this looked good because it makes the uniform look interesting and stylish. It also shows the character to be confident.






























- Emily

Private Schoolgirl Costumes

The main ideas for the costumes of the characters in the beginning were white shirts, short black skirts, ties and long socks or black tights. We let the actors customise their outfits according to the personalities of their characters, and to what we felt looked best on each girl as they are all different heights and sizes. The characters' outfits do seem to fit in well with the stereotypes of a private school girl, or even just a uniform, so that it is clear to the audience that the girls are leaving school, and they do go to a posh/private school.

This is a group shot of our characters. They are all wearing their hair down and styled, showing their materialistic traits. They are all styled slightly differently to show their personalities and also give a sense of disregard for the school dress code. Their make up is natural with some eye-liner, so that they appear somewhat respectable. This will be completely changed when they leave the school and put on heavier make up (and carry out other corrupt actions), shocking the audience and revealing their characters. The architecture behind them shows large old fashioned school, setting against their characters.

This is the girl that we have made the leader of the friendship group. To show this we have made her uniform more obviously customised, and made her personal style more noticeably gothic. This is seen in her rosary beads, festival band and dark hair. The gothic styling will link to her character introducing a ouija board later in the narrative. Her shirt is tight to show her figure and the outline of her bra, suggesting a promiscuous and feminine nature. When her shirt is later unbuttoned, it naturally opens to reveal a black bra, linking to the idea of promiscuity and also her gothic style. She is wearing a tight pencil skirt, inspired by  'St Trinians'  style clothing, portraying her as stylish and attractive.

This character's costume consists of a loose fitting shirt that is slightly transparent so that a bright red bra is visible. The red colour is linked with sexual confidence, portraying her character as confident. This is also shown by her short skirt and large belt, making her uniform customisation obvious. We wanted this look for her because she is the louder and more assured personality in the friendship group. Her shirt is loosely tucked into the skirt and the sleeves are roughly rolled back, showing her to be secure and not care about how other people see her.

This character has a small quite loose blouse tucked into a tight skirt that shows her figure. The black thigh high socks are often linked with school girls and sexuality, and thus represent her as flirtatious. The black high heeled shoes accentuate her legs and show her to be stylish. Her small frame and thigh high socks could imply that she is child-like and vulnerable, which will be important later in the narrative.

This character is the one that we have chosen to survive the events of the narrative, and therefore we have made her more conservative in order to follow the Final Girl Theory. In accordance with this, we have also made her costume slightly more masculine to suggest that she could pick up some male traits later in the narrative in order to survive. Her shirt is loose and hanging out of her skirt so that her figure is not really shown. This reflects her more moral and modest character, and coupled with the shirt sleeves rolled up portrays an element of masculinity. Her skirt is short and black to still relate to the other girls in the friendship group and the idea of school uniform. Her hair is also less styled than the other girls, showing her to be less materialistic.

This character has a short black skirt that shows her legs, and a fitted blouse to reveals her figure. However, she also has a white vest underneath her blouse and her bra is not visible, suggesting that she is a more modest character than some of the others. She is wearing a dark coloured tie that reflects the private school uniform, although it is loosely done up with some shirt buttons undone to show a more laid back attitude. The white vest and tie could suggest that she is more willing to follow the school dress code than the others, who have all taken off their ties to emphasise that they are leaving the school and also do not respect it.












- Rhiannon and Emily 

Demonic Makeup testers

Getting effective makeup in order to fully represent the demonic possession featured in our trailer was high on our list of priorities. Meg began this task by using expertise from Art and Design and utilising these skills and practical knowledge to start to create a striking and memorable image.

With inspiration such as tutorials on home FX effects...

We became the long task to experimentation in order to achieve our desired effect. This process is explained in great detail later on in a post outlining the creation of our poster.

- Meg

Also see... Poster Test Shots

Test Shots of Actors

 

 

 

- Rhiannon