I have never made a storyboard before and I can safely say that my drawing skills aren't fantastic. After my practice run it was easier for me to visualise how I wanted the film to look and to put down onto paper what has been in my head. I have sent a copy of this over to my videographer to inform him on how exactly I want the final outcome to be.
This practise run helped me to refine my project before filming. It enabled me to test the make-up on a model, to see how well it stayed on the face and how the model coped with some of the discomfort. I could also observe how sustainable the make-up was under the lighting and if the movement of the head affected the make-up in anyway. Although the tape was not pleasant on the face as the features are stretched to take on different forms it did not hurt. It gave the exact effect that I wanted to achieve.
The layer of foundation in this practice was no where near thick enough. The next look worked out well and I tried adding eyelashes to the look to increase the ambiguity of gender. However I not that impressed with how it looks and think it is slightly distracting of the overall appearance. Plus when repeating the sequence on top of the mask the eyelashes may droop or slip which will look messy.
The dripping of the make-up worked well however I think I would have to film pretty quickly after application to see it drip down before it solidifies.
I didn't cover my models eyes in the practice as I wanted to get plasters to cover the lids to ensure nothing drips into the eyes. Also in this look the make-up application is not thick enough as you can tell when the model is scrapping it off.
I am pretty pleased with my practice and it has helped me a lot to feel confident and organised for the official filming.
The lighting set-up in this practice isn't right, it was slightly over exposed and didn't give it an eerie feel which is what I am hoping to achieve when setting up the lighting correctly. Also it was filmed on my phone, therefore the quality isn't great.
Madame Peripetie is a extraordinary artist, her work represents surrealisms, dadaism and is truly avant-garde. Her work displays and discovers various art forms such as fashion, architecture, and photography; correlating these aspects onto the human body and infusing her designs with her eccentric flare.
I was fortunate enough to discuss my ideas and designs with her, her knowledge is remarkable and has enabled me to look into things deeper instead of observing the shallow information presented to us.
The main thing Madame Peripetie suggested to me was to practice with various types of tape.
There are so many different types of tape so decided to have a play around with a few. I had to bare in mind that it had to be friendly to skin but was still strong enough to create the look I am going for.
Masking tape:
I have used this tape before when applying make-up as it doesn't hurt the skin, however it didn't work very well for this design due to the colour and its hold. Also it has a slight texture to it which did not work well when the make-up was applied over the top.
Magic/invisible tape:
This tape worked rather well but I actually liked it when practicing the looks before that the tape was visible, so decided not to use magic tape.
Cello-tape:
As previously practiced, due to its smooth surface the make-up it hard to apply to the tape also it is shiny which is a factor I personally didn't like.
Double sided tape:
The hold of this tape wasn't fantastic, it is always a little fiddly to work with too. Because of it being double sided the make-up worked quite well on it although its hold on the skin when the make-up was applied was also not very good as the glue would loosen.
Scotch-tape:
This has so far been the best, I have practiced the looks with this when I did my practice run and was happy with the outcome. It tends to hold quite well and shapes the features the way I want it to look. The make-up can also be applied to it well, so I will be using this when filming my project.
Madame Peripetie also gave me some further reference points such as Lucy & Bart's projects on body architecture; I previously researched Bart Hess and was intrigued by his work so it is interesting to see his collaborative work with Lucy McRae. As suggested I have also researched photographer Gillian Wearing and the film 'The science of sleep'.
Lucy & Bart:
Their work is highly innovative and experimental which is something I would like to achieve with my project. They manipulate the body and the expression of beauty which is another factor I am challenging in my FMP.
Their work is fascinating and discovers re-inventions of the human form, by often using usual object yet fabricating them to represent and alternate visualisation.
This is one example of their work, showing how simplistic materials can influence the human form. This is something I am trying to create by the use of tape and the face mask.
Gillian Wearing:
British photographer Gillian Wearing explores people's personas and private lives, often revealing a paradox. This is something I can relate to looking at my project, the make-up acts like a mask a concealment of who we are as the physicality's do not always portray inner-self.
This project is called "Me in My Mask", this project of Wearing really interested me, throughout this project Wearing takes self-portraits wearing rubber masks modelled on family members and of herself when she was younger. Hopefully just like my film, these images are queried by the observer questioning what they are looking at. It leaves you wanting to discover what is underneath.
The Science of Sleep:
At first I was a little puzzled why she recommended that I watched this film, but after analysing it properly there are a couple of factors that I can relate to in regards to my project. The film is based around his dreams and his creative and innovative mindset. Stephane talks about how dreams are influenced by relationships, friendships etc it shows how our minds are manipulated by these factors as dreams can be a creation from our subconscious which also shows that due to these manipulative factors we feel pressured to act or present ourselves in certain ways.
This film represents the overlapping of surrealism and realism and the distortion of reality which is also a large focus point of my film.
After practicing several techniques I had to draw up face charts to visualise a sequence for the film. It has to represent the message and it has to flow so the transition is as the tittle says a 'Dimensional Metamorphosis'.
After taping my face up several times, this face chart represents the placement of the scotch tape. It alters the main features apart from the nose, I did try taping my nose so that it would look crooked however when applying product over the top it would often loosen as there is too much of a gap between the skin and the tape as the nose is obviously raised. Also it was very uncomfortable and could cause problems with breathing when the clay mask is applied.
This will be the second look, where the face has a thick layer of foundation creating a sense of blank canvas in order to re-create facial features such as the brows.
Using grease based products, colour is added to re-create the brows, lips and cheeks.
Instead of smudging the make-up, as this would have irritated the tape I wanted the make-up to drip. Using the icing sugar technique I could create different consistencies to get it to drip a lot or just a little, this control was needed as I did not want it to get into my models eyes.
This look is the face mask that will be applied, I will be using fullers earth for this and will be covering my models eyes, mouth and ears. Special care has to be given to this so that the model does not feel too uneasy and is still able to breath properly.
The same sequence as above is re-created but on top of the clay the eyes, ears and mouth will also still be covered up by the fullers earth.
Here the make-up is dripping over the face, it can be of a thin consistency that it has a more dramatic affect and will run down the face.
The last look will be the model scrapping off the make-up making it look like they are scratching their eyes out and revealing their true identity, the revelation of self-worth and inner beauty that subsides the pressures and influences of society.
In this image, I am going to distort the face entirely by
changing the illusion of normality to a stereotypically distortion of what is
seen as ‘distorted’. Thinking about the comfort of the model, will determine
which type of tape is used i.e., cellotape, masking tape, magic tape etc. The
tape texture has to be considered also to make sure that it can be camouflaged
with make-up and the camera. Use
of grease paint could also affect the way the tape sticks to the face and could
result in the tape peeling off of the face leaving no distortion.
The tape is not only giving an odd feel to the performance,
but is leaving questions in the mind such as, what is beauty? What does the
film mean? The beauty of the film is that every individual person will walk
away thinking differently with different question about the film. There are no
set answers and it will be seen as different to every person. The tape really
starts the film perfectly, as you do not see the model’s features as he is, but
in fact distorted in a way that could be real. What is normality??
Thick layer of foundation:
This layer of make-up will cover the tape, it represent an extreme version of the concealment process many of us go through to cover up 'imperfections'. It creates a thick barrier and mask, changing our physical appearance. It gives a caged kind of feeling, a sense of hiding and surrealism due to its unrealistic appearance.
This look is created by mixing a tinted moisturiser with a regular moisturiser to get a thick substance.
Make-up:
This next looks is very theatrical and unnatural. The face
can be seen as even more distorted, layering the face with even more textures
and colours. The make-up used in this image is grease based, for example; the eyebrows
and lips are supracolours and the base is tinted and normal moisturiser. This
could be a potential problem for the tape as grease and anything oil based
results in the sticky part of the tape peeling away from the skin as stated in
the previous paragraph.
This look could put across a number of thoughts to the
viewers as it is potentially normal makeup used over distortion but with a
theatrical feel. The ‘caking’ effect will show up well on the camera.
I also thought of adding lashes to distort that balance between gender however this is something I need to test to see what impact it has on the overall look.
Smudging:
The smudging will add eeriness to the performance, making
the viewer’s question the sequences’ meaning more and more. The face will now
be completely unrecognisable and different to what we perceive to be normal.
Why is this? What is the message putting across to the audience? The issue with
this look again could be the grease base while smudging as it could irritate
the tape. The look itself will be completely ‘ruined’. The face will be busy
with different mediums of disfigurement. Make-up, features, textures and
colours.
Icing Sugar:
The next look could or could not flow with the previous
sequences. It shows much colour and again, an extreme look. The colours will
not flow in with each other but will have a dripping effect. The colours will
be vibrant and will fall into each other without fading. The texture will be 3D
and indented.
Clay:
The face will be covered fully with the clay and then have
the makeup (oil paints) be drawn on by myself and then the model will proceed
to smudge and scrape the clay off of the face throughout the course of the
video. The face will be completely distorted now, and completely
unrecognisable. This sequence may come across to the viewer as quite
disturbing. But one of the points of the video as I have said before is to
cause questioning and difference in opinion to broaden imagination so ideas of
what is being put across to the audience can be combined. It could also set off
in people’s mind; what is disfigurement? What is normal? There are so many
warped views of what is stereotypically normal, that this video crosses all
boundaries in order to make people consider different possibilities of what is
‘right’ and what is ‘wrong’.
I am still deciding on how to carry it on, I am thinking of creating the same sequence as above on the clay but instead of smudging it having the model scrape it off. I need to practice this on a model instead of myself to see what impact it has, and how they cope with having all these products on their skin as I know some of the looks are slightly uncomfortable.
Additional Comments: Marianne, an exciting proposal with
clear contextual and theoretical underpinning and something you are obviously
excited about – wonderful, make the most of this!
Ellis Faas is a great reference – I also advise you have a
look at Olivier de Saagazan – if you are not familiar with his work, he is
engaged with exactly the ideas you are and executes his work in a very
arresting visual and performative style. The model you have chosen looks very
interesting – will he be clean shaven so that his gender will be less clear?
Will you obscure his adam’s apple?
Your production schedule looks sound – I am pleased to see
that you have allowed time for testing and a practise run. Will you come to my
drop in and show me the results please? I am very interested in the subject
matter of this project! It is excellent to see that you have begun to
storyboard this – careful and detailed planning is the key to success here. It
would also have been beneficial to test one or two of the key looks for the
proposal submission – this would have been a substantial way to strengthen your
primary research and something to consider in future particularly if you
continue to work in the area of film.
Marianne,
the key to this project is the range of explorations in make-up and the depth
of product knowledge you have already managed to acquire. Your understanding of performance and
the rutalaisation of make-up application is an important area to consider and I
hope that this does not become lost through the filming and editing
process. While one of your
concerns was that you would be stepping out of your comfort zone, the range of
investigation you have currently appropriated suggests that this will not be a
problem. I look forward to seeing the end results.
Reflection:
I thought it to be beneficial to post my feedback so that I can look at it carefully and reflect on what to do next. It helps me to evaluate which parts of my FMP so far are strong and which parts need strengthening. This post is to add to my research and depict sections of my FMP to create a sound structure ready for filming.
As the make-up can be perceived as quite eery and unnerving at times I decided to go more with Ellis Faas' filming style as it is calm and shows of the make-up well. A thought has occurred to me to possibly have hands moving the head to represent the suppressing influences and pressures of society.
As suggested I researched Olivier de Sagazan, his work definitely puts you on edge but it has inspired me further and think this references will be a great addition to my FMP.
This film shows me different techniques that I could use and represents how he completely transforms himself. Its unnerving, shocking yet amazingly intriguing and innovative; these are key words that I would like to apply to my project also.
Furthermore, my model will be clean shaven so that the make-up can lay nicely on the skin as well as discerning his gender. I will not be obscuring his adam's apple as my focus is solely on the face and I don't want to disguise his male form completely.
I am aware that I am currently running behind on my production schedule however I believe that if all my ideas are structured sufficiently and practiced in advanced that I will be able to catch up and produce something of a high standard and to the desired effect.
Looking back at my 'Testing' post I re-evaluated certain ideas and aspects of my designs. After looking into female models as suggested by my tutor I decided to stick with my original concept as I stated in my previous post, I have written my dissertation on gender and think using a male model will add another dimension and aspect of confusion to my film. I was still questioning this but felt strongly that I had to go with my gut instinct on this one. I have decided to go with my tutors input of scraping away the make-up as I agree that it will be more effective.
I have carried out some more test shots on myself with the tape, as stated in my previous post I have now tested scotch tape. It worked much better and the make-up would lay on the surface of the tape a lot better too, it improved the overall look as scotch tape isn't shiny like cello-tape.
To see how the tape would stay when heavily grease based make-up was applied, I carried out the make-up look again. Although looking back at the image instead of going with the 'disfigured' shapes of the face I believe it would be more beneficial to create 'perfect' structures to ensure the message of re-creating 'perfection'. I am also considering to possibly have just a plain made-up face (just foundation) before this look.
I then tested added the addition of icing sugar mixed with powder and water, it was great fun to do and gave a really cool affect. Although I am contemplating if this look flows with the rest of the images, so this is something I will be reflecting on and may have to compromise.
After this look I took images of me scraping away and smudging the make-up, I also filmed this however I was not too pleased with the outcome as I think thicker application would be more effective for this.
After practicing this look I came up with the idea of smudging the first make-up look so below is a test shoot of this. I think this may be more beneficial and will present the balance of 'perfection' and 'imperfection' better than the look with icing sugar, it is something for me to think about!!
In addition to this, I have started to create my storyboard so that I am able to get the idea across efficiently to my videographer and have the right materials to carry out my practice run.
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