LYDIA BALDWIN
FINAL MAJOR PROJECT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
“THE DEVELOPMENT OF MAKEUP PRODUCTS AND TECHNIQUES USED IN THE PRATICE OF MAKEUP ARTISTRY WITHIN HORROR FILMS BETWEEN 1920 AND PRESENT DAY”
DIPLOMA IN FOUNDATION STUDIES (ART AND DESIGN) STATEMENT OF INTENT 1. NAME: LYDIA ELLEN BALDWIN 2. CANDIDATE NUMBER: 3. WORKING PROJECT TITLE: ‘The advances in the use of media makeup and prosthetics in horror films between 1922 and present day and how they assisted in the creation of monsters, demons and zombies’ 4. PROJECT AREA: Make-up design and creation Section 1 PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH UNITS 1-7 Since starting my Art Foundation Diploma, I have obtained and learnt many transferable skills and techniques that have assisted me greatly in improving my art work. These include expanding the range of media’s I use and experimenting more with each of them with confidence to create intricate and interesting work. I have also developed an eye for detail, colour, proportion and position. I am now able to create paintings, drawings and designs that resemble my ideas much more closely than previously and I now have the ability to bring my ideas to life because of this. I have learnt to further these ideas into physical form like in my 3D project in which I learnt the basics of sculpting, which will help me when designing and creating prosthetics as well as learning how to pair an inspired costume with a makeup look as I experimented within my fashion project. To assist my work and improvement I also learnt about photography and how to create good angles and use good lighting to enhance a piece of artwork but also to help highlight areas that could be improved such as colouring. When working on a piece I now take into account the proportion, detail and colours that would make the piece most effective and realistic as well as different ways I could create an image resembling information and research I have undertaken on physiological detail as well as on socio cultural factors. This has helped me explore various techniques, methods and outcomes before jumping in to the work at hand. Exploring these things individually before starting the final painting can really make a difference to the outcome which is evident from the improvements I saw in my work at this early stage. Section 2 PATHWAY CHOICES My chosen pathways were makeup design and creation. I chose this pathway for many reasons. I find makeup art intriguing, with a variety of characters, creatures and looks created within the various dimensions of makeup such as theatre, film and fashion. I am fascinated by the various different colours and textures used in creating a look and I find that the diversity of a makeup artist is something I would want in my own life. Whilst working on my pathway stage project I visited my chosen university, The Northern School of Creative Industries (Bradford College), for an applicant day. There I met many professional makeup artists who lecture there, with one being part of the makeup team that created the prosthetic makeup for the film ‘Mad Max’ which was up for an Oscar. I also met many students whose work was incredible and encouraged me to continue with this career path and passion. This made me appreciate how important detail and planning is when creating work and the impact it can have. My long term aspirations are to travel the world, meeting people and creating a variety of makeup for a variety of events such as fashion shows, theatre productions and films. I love learning new techniques and about
new products as well and exploring how they work and the effects they can create. I have been researching the likes of Pat McGrath (makeup artist) Alexander McQueen (fashion designer) and Karl Lagerfield (drawing type artist) to name a few to see how makeup connects and intertwines with some concepts of art as we know them as well as how makeup influences artists and helps accompany their work. This intrigued me into trying some of these techniques myself, hence why in my fashion project I decided to create my own makeup designs and work to accompany my textile garments. I also went on to, in my own time, researching makeup artists such as Jack Pierce and Greg Nicotero, who specialise in SFX and Prosthetic makeup. I found their work incredible and this inspired me to continue down this route and specialise in special effects and prosthetic makeup as I believe it has a more powerful and diversified effect on an audience. This is what inspired me in my final major project title which is ‘The advances in the use of media makeup and prosthetics in horror films between 1922 and present day and how they assisted in the creation of monsters, demons and zombies’. This will be relevant to my project as over the project I will be testing out products and techniques and pushing them to the furthest of their ability in a series of experimentation’s of looks and images. This will increase my knowledge and skill as well as widen my horizons in experimentation and knowledge. Doing justice to the title, I’m hoping to portray a variety of monsters/creatures, each consisting of different products and techniques to show the drastic difference of advances over the decades. Section 3 FINAL MAJOR PROJECT AIMS AND REALISATION I will research into a variety of past and present makeup artists and the techniques and materials they employed over their time in the industry as well as researching the overall effect of the makeup. I will research into different techniques myself by studying the modern day interpretation of older monsters/creatures created by the likes of YouTubers aswell as original interpretations and effects . I will explore with a variety of textures, colours, products, consistencies and tools in order to get everything I can out of my own primary research. I would like to see how different combinations of products combined create different effects e.g. compare a combination of wax and greasepaint to a combination of liquid latex and alcohol based paints. I will investigate modern makeup artists as well as past makeup artists and explore the techniques they introduced/created and analyse their contribution to the industry and monsters/creatures created over the years. I hope to go on to create my own interpretation of these beings, clearly showing comparisons and contrasts. I will also complete sketches of any ideas I have for designs and add colours to them to resemble my true ideas and plans for my final piece. I would present my outcomes in a series of photographs either in chronological order, subject order or in groups according to techniques/products/time. I think they would be presented against a black or dark background so that the light in the photos stands out. Section 4 EVALUATION I will evaluate my progress by the techniques and products that I discover and use. I will make notes as I progress through this section and I will evaluate the direction that my project goes when I begin and whether it is where I intended it to go and whether I am sticking to my project aims. I will review my final project on what I have achieved, whether I have used my time well, whether I have achieved what I set out to achieve. In this case that would be whether I produced an image showing advances in makeup, whether I have improved my work and learnt new techniques and my exploratory work within the section, and examining did I really go as far as I could think of and stretch my ideas out to their full potential.
Nosfer atu 1922
Cast:
Max Schreck as Count Orlok Gustav von Wangenheim as Thomas Hutter Greta Schröder as Ellen Hutter Alexander Granach as Knock Georg H. Schnell as Shipowner Harding Ruth Landshof as Annie John Gottowt as Professor Bulwer Gustav Botz as Professor Sievers Max Nemetz as The Captain of The Empusa Wolfgang Heinz as First Mate of The Empusa Heinrich Witte as guard in asylum Guido Herzfeld as innkeeper Karl Etlinger as student with Bulwer Hardy von Francois as hospital doctor Fanny Schreck as hospital nurse
Nosferatu was a film created and shown originally in 1922 in Germany with many remakes being created after. This film was on a very low budget, so essential elements of film couldn’t be invested in to a certain extent. Due to this being a very early film, the industry as of yet didn't employ makeup artists until the late 1920's so actors often designed and created their own looks with directors also helping out (especially due to the low budget of this film). Therefore Schreck would’ve done his own makeup with afordable products to create a convincing and at the time realistic appearance without breaking the bank.
The makeup used/created The look of Nosferatu is that of a sinister vampire, terrorising all he comes across. As the use of makeup has progressed, so has out image of what is ‘scary’. So in this early period of the creation of monsters and sinister beings this character is a lot diferent from what we would call scary nowadays, but it certainly scared those who viewed the film back then when Nosferatu was considered an un natural and scary being thanks to the contribution of makeup allowing the 1920’s definition of ‘scary’ to have characteristics. From observation and some research, there are many elements that are combined to help this monster come to life. One of these makeup elements is a bald cap which was used to cover Schreck’s hair to turn him into a sinister appearing character and totally change his appearance so he didn’t look like an ‘average’ man. This bald cap was stuck down using either spirit gum (which had been widely used and manufactured since the 1890’s) or liquid latex which was also around at the time. A much less developed version of what we know as postiche was used as Norferatu’s eyebrows, but without the knotting. Chunks of hair were
stuck (using perhaps a glue such as PVA considering the dangerous mix of liquid latex and human hair) on top of Schreck’s natural eyebrow with some more hair stuck outside the brow line to give an un natural and unique look to this character, however in some shots the eyebrows appear to be painted on with greasepaints. On both the ears and the nose there appears to be a build up of material to create a more unusual appearance and a character with a pointed nose and pointed ears, this look could’ve been created using a build up of what we know today as scar/nose wax which is mouldable yet sturdy, or prosthetics such as those made from silicone could’ve been used to create this, with liquid latex or spirit gum used to stick them down (useful for the longer days of being on set). This film was in the time when prosthetics were only just starting to be used and made, so they would be adequate for a low budget and low quality film but wouldn’t be near the standard we use and see in the media today. The fangs that initially give the indication that this monster is infact a vampire is a piece carved out of rubber or even silicone to give a grim appearance, with this prosthetic piece painted and being held in place with the actor’s mouth. The finger extensions which also add to the non human type appearance of the character could’ve been made out of, similarly to the nose and ear pieces, wax or silicone/rubber and simply attached onto the fingers using liquid latex. Finally, the look is finished of with a series of greasepaints to create a pale and ghastly look with hollowed out eye sockets and facial structure to add to the un human type appearance of this character The comparison/transformation between actor to character
On the left, we see the original actor Max Schreck and on the right we have the character he plays in Nosferatu. We can see that the makeup has led to many physiological differences such as the hair on Schreck’s head (it is gone) and the facial hair such as eyebrows (which has increased dramatically). We also see that his bone structure is more defined and chiselled and his cheekbones and eyes especially have more of a shadow surrounding them helping to look more defined yet sunken. The nose and ears are extended compared to Schreck’s original look which again gives an impressive illusion as well as other features such as his fingers and teeth being dramatically modified to create a character that is almost non comparable to a human.
Directed by: James Whale Produced by: Carl Laemmle, Jr. Based on: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Starring: Boris Karlof as Frankenstein Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein Dwight Frye as Fritz Mae Clarke as Elizabeth Lavenza Edward Van Sloan as Doctor Waldman John Boles as Victor Moritz
Frankenstein was a film created and shown to an audience in 1931 in the US. The film was of a reasonably high budget compared to previous films of it’s kind, with the film having a budget of $262,000 of which $10,000 was spent on special efects (both makeup and computer generated) which was an extortionate amount at the time, therefore money was available to hire artists to carry out this special efects work and unlike Nosferatu, makeup artists could be hired and used due to the availability of them increasing during the late 1920’s. Therefore the makeup in Frankenstein would’ve been more realistic and polished due to it being created by experts in the field thanks to the finances and budget of the film.
After the success of universal studios creating Dracula, they decided to go on to create Frankenstein and use a lot of their employee’s to do so, one of these employee’s being Jack Pierce, a makeup artist who happened to be the head of the makeup department at universal studios. Karlof (Frankenstein) and Pierce both collaborated on the design of the makeup for the film, with Pierce practicing for 4 hours a day on Karlof to achieve the most realistic and impressive look possible.
The makeup used/created in Frankenstein
The appearance of Frankenstein is a very realistic (at the time and I myself even perceive it as being very impressive considering the time period) and unusual, which is able to set an audience on edge just by viewing this ghastly creature. The image of Frankenstein is
of a modified/manipulated/mutilated ‘human’ who’s features have come from dead and therefore useless body parts (that were useless until Frankenstein was made, of course!). This would certainly scare an audience due to them seeing nothing like this ever before, therefore it is a very alien concept and would make the audience squirm in their seats.
From observation and research, it is clear that the use of prosthetics has advanced intensely from the 1920’s especially compared to films like Nosferatu. Much more professional materials and techniques were used to create the character of Frankenstein.
Pierce decided to, before performing the makeup and discussing it with Karlof, to research how a scientist would do this procedure using human parts. He decided that seen as Doctor Frankenstein was a scientist rather than a surgeon, he would do the procedure and cut the brain out by simply cutting of the top of the skull, therefore leaving Frankenstein with a flat top of the head. Hence why he is like that in many images/representations.
Pierce’s Frankenstein makeup consisted of many elements, the first being a bald cap secured on to Karlof’s head using either liquid latex or spirit gum to prevent any damage coming to Karlof’s hair and making it easier for Pierce to sculpt on top of his head. On the top of Karlof’s head Pierce mixed a build up of cotton, collodion and gum to create the tall, chunky head belonging to the character with the entire face and head painted with light green greasepaint which was painted on to make the character appear extra pale and creepy on screen. Karlof’s eyebrows were blocked out using glue/wax and painted over to give Frankenstein a non-human type appearance. Some textures were added to the face using perhaps cotton and collodion to give a unique appearance of this character and then painted over, to again, give an extra pale look. Postiche/a wig was used to create the black hair on the top, sides and back to show how Doctor Frankenstein has tried to make his ‘monster’ look realistic and give it a human appearance. Other exposed skin of Karlof’s would’ve also been painted green to match the head and give a pale appearance. Finally the bolt attached to Karlof’s neck would’ve been made out of plastic most likely and would’ve been attached on using spirit gum to keep its hold and Pierce would’ve created a texture around this bolt to make it look like it was really going through Karlof’s neck to create the most believable character.
The diference/transformation from actor to character:
There is a distinctive diference between the original actor and character. The diferences are that the bolt through the neck isn’t a natural feature of Karlof’s appearance and nor is the enlarged head with jet black straight hair on the top and sides. The colour and texture of the skin is very very diferent, with the face being pale and the texture of the face being rough. This makeup in all helps to enhance the unusual, unique character that is alien to the audience, therefore creating anxiousness within them when viewing the film. This makeup is efective in creating the character and a realistic performance of it on the big screen.
Cast:
Dick Foran as Steve Banning Peggy Moran as Marta Solvani Wallace Ford as Babe Jenson
Eduardo Ciannelli as The High Priest George Zucco as Professor Andoheb Cecil Kellaway as The Great Solvani Charles Trowbridge as Dr. Petrie Tom Tyler as Kharis Sig Arno as The Beggar Eddie Foster as Egyptian Starting Fight Harry Stubbs as Bartender Michael Mark as Bazaar Owner Mara Tartar as Girl Vendor Leon Belasco as Ali
The Mummy’s hand was one of the first films in the franchise and the film to actually kick of the following Mummy films. The mummy’s hand was a B movie, which was a genre of film at the time which was very inexpensive to produce and was often created and shown for entertainment through the vehicle of thrills rather than horror. Therefore perhaps the materials and techniques combined to create the makeup might not have been as advanced as the like of Frankenstein due to the lower budget, however due to the wider availability of makeup artists, they were employed for this film, with the key makeup artist being Jack Pierce who participated in a lot of monster making via the use of prosthetics throughout the mid 20th century.
The makeup for the main character, Kharis, in this film was designed by the chief monster makeup at universal studios, Jack Pierce. Pierce cleverly engineered the designs to make the look of Kharis easier to make by creating a mask for Tyler (the actor) to wear during long/far away shots so he wouldn’t have to go through the painstaking makeup process.
From observation, the makeup in this film for the character Kharis is very minimal. The lower budget really shows as the makeup I would personally say is even less impressive as Frankenstein, however this could be because prosthetics hadn’t yet reached the point
where it was possible to create a realistic ‘Mummy’ by using makeup materials or it could be simply the lack of finance and time that they had when creating the film. However this look is very minimalistic with costume being a key element in showing who the character actually is as unfortunately the makeup doesn’t provide us with as much of a strong image compared to other makeups created by Pierce.
The costume of the ‘mummy’ seems to consist of bandages wrapped round most likely Tyler’s thinly clothes body and then painted over with dome dirty pale brown body paint, this helps to signify the character and accompanies the makeup nicely. Tyler’s hair appears diferent in a variety of shots, in some shots it appears scraped back and painted over, and in others it appears that it isn’t there at all! This could show how Pierce often switched the original Kharis makeup for a mask he made that was similar to the makeup itself to make his job easier, therefore concealing his hair. From observation it appears that a base grease paint was used to conceal the flesh colour of Tyler’s skin, and on top of that textures created to give Kharis an unusual appearance, one that is un human. Also on top of this there would be a pale dirty brown colour (greasepaint) built up all over the head and on top of these textures, matching the rest of the body and to make Kharis truly look like he has been hidden and buried in sand or dirt and his flesh has withered away.
The transformation from actor to character:
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The features of the original actor aren’t changed but are slightly masked over by the makeup. The costume changes the masculine appearance of Tyler and masks his body, with the makeup covering his features, allowing them to still be distinguishable but changing them enough to make Tyler appear characterised. His skin is made darker with textures added to it, with his hair scraped back to take away some of his recognisable characteristics but not totally black out who he is due to the minimalistic techniques used.
Cast: • Richard Carlson as Dr. David Reed • Julie Adams as Kay Lawrence • Richard Denning as Mark Williams • Antonio Moreno as Dr. Carl Maia • Nestor Paiva as Lucas • Whit Bissell as Dr. Edwin Thompson • Bernie Gozier as Zee • Henry A. Escalante as Chico • Perry Lopez as Tomas • Rodd Redwing as Luis • Ben Chapman as Gill-man (land) • Ricou Browning as Gill-man (underwater) Creature from the Black Lagoon was a black and white horror film inspired by a myth the director , Alland, was told at a dinner party by Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueora which consisted of a half fish half human monster living in the Amazon river. This inspired Alland to, 10 years later, write a story in note form entitled ‘The Sea Monster’. Due to the realistic and detailed makeup/costume, it is clear that there was a substantial amount of finance available to invest into skilled workers and materials n the makeup department due to the impressive image the creature creates.
There were many involved in both designing and ‘making’ the creature, with Disney animator, costume maker and actreee Millicent Patrick originally designing the character both using illustration and sculpting into clay, with George Hamilton ‘Bud’ Westmore, part of universal studios makeup department, creating the actual conception of the creature in makeup form. Due to the exile from the makeup team at universal of Patrick In the film however, there was a makeup department of 2 very talented artists, one being the very highly regarded prosthetic makeup artist and producer Jack Kevan, who created the bodysuit for the character, and Chris Mueller who sculpted and carved the headpiece. Obj102
The cost of creating the creature was $12,000 due to the alterations that needed to be made of the appearance. The makeup artists researched and planned and had features of the original design , such as a large mechanical tail, deleted due to it making the underwater scenes difficult. The appearance of the character combined many diferent animals such as fish, amphibians and crustaceans. By observation, the bodysuit was a garment that was built on with prosthetic pieces which were each sculpted to a high standard to create a realistic scaly depiction of the character. The feet appear to based on a diving flipper that have been built on and made to look like large webbed feet which would allow the creature to swim in the lagoon. Heavy duty prosthetics would need to be used for this so they would stay in place both in and out of water and function like actual webbed feet. There seems to be a built up stomach piece to replicate the look of an amphibian. There is also webbed hands and parts coming of the arms made from prosthetics to enhance the surface area of the creature and help it to appeal more realistic and helping the underwater scenes to appear more convincing. The headpiece is separate to the bodysuit/costume and is sculpted to be very realistic with lots of detail and fins/gills to add to the appearance. The headpiece however isn’t very well constructed as the actor couldn’t see very well in the costume meaning other actors in scenes with the creature were getting injured e.g. when the ‘creature’ was carrying Julie Adams it scraped her head against a rock due to the actor not being able to see properly. However the costume and makeup is very detailed with an amazing attempt at realism and amazingly designed.
The transformation between the actor and the character:
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The physical diference between the actor and the character are drastic. There is no visible feature that allows you to see the actor himself as he is covered by the sculpted prosthetic headpiece and bodysuit. The entire appearance is diferent, with the actor being very much human and the creature looking similar to that of a frog/fish with scales, gills and diferent physiological facial features, the transformation is incredible
The Night of the Living Dead 1968
Duane Jones as Ben
Judith O'Dea as Barbra Blair
Karl Hardman as Harry Cooper
Marilyn Eastman as Helen Cooper
Keith Wayne as Tom
Judith Ridley as Judy
Kyra Schon as Karen Cooper
Charles Craig as Newscaster / Undead
Bill Hinzman as Cemetery Living Dead
George Kosana as Sheriff McClelland.
Russell Streiner as Johnny Blair
Bill Cardille,portrays a WIIC-TV, Channel 11 (a real Pittsburgh TV station) news reporter.
The Night of the Living Dead was an independent American Horror film based on Zombies, of which the budget was $114,000. It was one of the first films that emphasised and involved more realistic gore, for which it was criticised for. Many drafts were written containing a variety of ideas, the final draft was based on the novel ‘I am Legend’ in which the vampire type creatures (who are infected humans prey on the uninfected humans, this created the idea of zombie flesh eaters that Romero created and visualised. The small budget of the film dictated the quality of the film, with most production elements having little finance dedicated to them. The makeup for the zombies during the start of the film was very minimal, however as filming progressed the makeup got slightly more advanced and other materials came into place, obviously nowhere near the standard and amount of materials used on the zombies in TV and film we see today. Due to the black and white nature of the film, things could be done to make the film look realistic but not use up all of the budget, e.g. chocolate sauce was used as blood and squirted over the actors as the colour of it couldn’t be detected when shown on screen.
The makeup used/created: Through observation it is evident how the low budget influenced the makeup in this film heavily. At first the makeup was extremely minimal, with a pale white base over the face which could either be created with face paint or powder to drain the colour from the actor’s faces to make them look more deathly. Along with the face paint, a black substance, possibly paint or powder (e.g. eyeshadow) was used around the eyes to define them and hollow them out, creating more of a skeleton type appearance. Throughout filming, the makeup used became more advanced (obviously not too advanced due to the small budget) and the likes of scar wax were used to create wounds and therefore mimicking the decay of the zombies, adding to the effectiveness and the realism of the film. ‘Fake blood’ which was actually chocolate sauce was used as a makeup device to show characters and actor’s having their ‘flesh eaten’.
The transformation from actor to character:
The transformation from actor to character isn’t at all extensive, the image of the zombie compared to the actor, Rudy Rucci’s original look isn’t that much different apart from the skin tone seems to be a lot paler, proving that the budget didn’t leave room for extensive, impressive and realistic transformations
• Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil • Max von Sydow as Father Lankester Merrin • Jason Miller as Father/Dr. Damien Karras S.J. • Linda Blair as Regan MacNeil • Lee J. Cobb as Lieutenant William F. Kinderman. • Mercedes McCambridge provided the voice of the demon, Pazuzu. • Kitty Winn as Sharon Spencer. • Jack MacGowran as Burke Dennings • Father William O'Malley as Father Joseph Dyer • Vasiliki Maliaros as Father Damien Karras' mother. • Robert Symonds as Dr. Taney. • Barton Heyman as Dr. Samuel Klein • Arthur Storch as the psychiatrist. • Titos Vandis as Karras' uncle. • Eileen Dietz as a face associated with the demon, seen only in visions and flash cuts.
The novel based film, the exorcist, was one of the most terrifying and controversial horror films of its time. The film was based on a 12 year old girl who was possessed by demons who priests try to exorcise. The production of the film got of to an slow and scary start, with events such as chronic illness and family death’s/injuries happening to both cast and crew, causing many to suggest and believe that the film set too was indeed cursed.
The budget for the film was 12 million USD, and the budget shows in the film due to the variety of filming locations and the outstanding makeup efects used to create Regan (the
possessed child) and those around her such as the priest. These outstanding efects led to the film becoming popular and one of the most profitable horror movies of all time. The film contained many special efects all engineered by Dick Smith in which character’s appearances were changed dramatically and in some cases special efects such as ‘head spinning’ were achieved due to Smith’s sculpting and puppetry skills.
The makeup used/created in the film
The makeup efects within the film were all created by Dick Smith. There was intense makeup used on more than one character, Smith worked on Max von Sydow to make him appear 74 despite him only being 44. Smith first applied prosthetic/wax pieces onto the face to make the eyes and tops of the cheeks look saggy and wrinkly, similar to an elderly persons, Smith then applied liquid latex to Sydow’s face by first, stretching his skin so that when his skin was let go the latex would create wrinkles making him appear older. There may have also been some face painting involved to take away some of the bright tones away to dull the skin and make Sydow look older as well as his hair being tainted with either white hairspray, talcum powder or even alcohol paint. The makeup efects used on Blair (who played Regan, the possessed girl) were simple yet very efective, with Smith appears to start of by applying wax and moulding it into the shape of cuts and gash’s onto Blair’s face and then covering her entire face with white paint and powder to give a pale deathly look, with him then going around the eyes with a dark brown/black colour to hollow them out, followed by Smith filling in the wax gashed with brown and red to make them look bloody and inflamed, these elements of the face could be painted with face paint or alcohol based paint. The teeth were then also painted on to create a decaying appearance using most likely alcohol based paints, with contact lenses added to finish the look. This makeup worn by both characters was advanced for its time and therefore created an extensive illusion, sparking the further use and investigation of makeup in TV and film. The transformation from actor to character:
Linda Blair is originally a sweet little girl, who due to the power of makeup is transformed into a grotesque demon. The transformation is incredible with Linda’s hair being darker to match the darkness within her, her eyes changed colour to mask her real self and her face all pale and cut up. This transformation scared audiences worldwide and was terrifying for its time and may be terrifying for some still now!
Nightma re on Elm Street 2 - 1985
Mark Patton as Jesse Walsh Kim Myers as Lisa Webber Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger/Bus Driver Robert Rusler as Ron Grady
Clu Gulager as Ken Walsh
Hope Lange as Cheryl Walsh
Christie Clark as Angela Walsh
Marshall Bell as Coach Schneider
Melinda O. Fee as Mrs. Webber
Tom McFadden as Eddie Webber
Sydney Walsh as Kerry
This film was the second in the Nightmare on Elm Street series and was released in 1985 as an American ‘Slasher’ horror film. The film later become a cult classic amongst the LGBTQ+ community due to its said ‘homoerotic’ subtext in which many came to a conclusion that the character Jesse was infact a repressed homosexual. During the 1980’s, the majority of necessary prosthetic products used in films had already been created and therefore were available to use, and with a budget of 3 million dollars, finances were available to buy these products along with hiring a makeup artist who knew how to use them effectively to create a realistic and terrifying image of Freddy Krueger. The makeup and SFX team consisted of Kathryn Fenton, RaMona Fleetwood, David B. Miller, Mark Bryan Wilson, Louis Lazzara and Mark Shostrom with Kevin Yagher being the artist to do Robert Englund’s Freddy Krueger makeup. The application of the makeup took 3 hours and was a task to put the amount of makeup on Englund’s face to make it realistic but also to allow him movement in his face.
The makeup used/created: The Freddy Kreuger makeup, which is my focal point in this part of my research, was incredible for its time thanks to Kevin Yagher. The makeup consisted of a bald cap attached to the head with spirit gum/latex with 9 facial pieces on the head which were made thinner than in the original film to allow for extra facial movement. The teeth appear to be prosthetic pieces that have been casted from the actor’s mouth and then moulded into a ghastly shape with crooked teeth painted with alcohol pigment/paint painted on to make the teeth look mouldy and gruesome. The facial pieces placed and formed together to create this image appear to have been formed due to the use of foam latex hence the foam latex technician, Mark Shostrom, on set. These pieces
could’ve been stuck onto the face using either liquid latex or spirit gum and then the pieces would’ve been painted over with red alcohol based paint in order to ensure it stayed on throughout the entire filming process, then it appears that another layer was built on top of this layer with parts cut out of it to create a burnt and scolded face effect on top of the already inflamed appearance. Or it could’ve been one layer with parts sculpted out of it to make it appear like Kreuger had been burnt and injured with the crater’s in the foam latex piece painted in red to appear bloody and inflamed with the rest of the face piece appearing a pale fleshy colour. The same sort of texture was created on the top of the head, the ears, the neck and the hands to make the look appear more realistic.
The transformation from actor to character:
On the right we have a picture on Robert Englund in 1985 and on the left we have Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street 2. The physiological differences are drastic, with the blonde locks of Englund being concealed with a bald cap and various alcohol based paints and foam latex pieces. The facial features of Englund are distorted with the sculpted foam latex and the inflamed, scolded appearance of his skin meaning all of his own facial features were masked beneath this grotesque appearance, proving that this look is striking and thought provoking for the audience.
Tony Todd as Ben
Patricia Tallman as Barbara
Tom Towles as Harry Cooper
McKee Anderson as Helen Cooper
Heather Mazur as Sarah Cooper
William Butler as Tom
Katie Finneran as Judy Rose
Bill Moseley as Johnny Russell Streiner as Sherif McClelland
The film, released in 1990 was a remake of the original 1968 independent horror film in which many critics and fans were hostile towards. Nevertheless it was a spectacular film with a range of makeup and visual efects used to stun audiences worldwide making 5.8 million at the box office which amounted to 1.6 million profit overall.
The budget of the film was 4.2 million, which is quite a sum and therefore allowed for suitable and high quality materials and artists especially within the makeup department. The makeup department consisted of; Everett Burrell (SFX supervisor), Earl Ellis (makeup efects assistant), Greg Funk (Makeup efects assistant), Jerry Gergely (SFX efects artist), Terrie Godfrey (makeup artist), Jeannee Josefczyk (hair stylist/key makeup artist), Rachel Kick (makeup artist) and John Vulich (special makeup efects supervisor). This team worked together to create a realistic, more modern day zombie that still stayed true to the original film to not disrespect it and fans.
The makeup used/created:
The makeup efects in this film are good, but due to the artists not wanting to make the remake too dissimilar to the original, they held back, meaning the makeup wasn’t incredible for this time. In the image above is a prosthetic puppet created so that the
actor in the front could ‘beat it away’ without injuring anyone in the process. The puppet would’ve been combined with costume, silicone/foam latex and alcohol based paints. The zombies were created with much more advanced materials than in the original film. Each character was life casted, with their cast filled in with silicone/foam latex to create a prosthetic facial/head piece. These prosthetics were painted with alcohol paints to keep them on throughout the entire filming process, with bits sculpted into them and painted a dark red to give an appearance of decaying flesh. They were then attached to the face using materials such as liquid latex and spirit gum. Fake blood was used on some of the prosthetics to show the efects of eating flesh on their faces as well as white cloudy contact lenses to drain the life from the actor’s faces being used. This is compared to the minimal grease/face paint used in the original film, which wasn’t very efective and was on a much lower budget.
The transformation from actor to character:
Here we have the image of an actor Berle Ellis. The physiological diferences are drastic, with his hair ripped out in some areas, dirty and messy. The colour and life is drained from his face and eyes due to the contact lenses and the prosthetic, with his face transformed into a vulgar looking creature covered in blood.
Shawn Roberts as Tony Ravello
Joshua Close as Jason Creed
Michelle Morgan as Debra Moynihan
Joe Dinicol as Eliot Stone
Scott Wentworth as Andrew Maxwell
Philip Riccio as Ridley Wilmott
George Buza as Biker
Amy Lalonde as Tracy Thurman
Tatiana Maslany as Mary Dexter[4]
R .D. Reid as Samuel
Tino Monte as Newscaster
Megan Park as Francine Shane
Martin Roach as Stranger
Alan van Sprang as Colonel
Matt Birman as Zombie Trooper
Laura DeCarteret as Bree
Janet Lo as Asian Woman
Rebuka Hoye as Zombie
Todd William Schroeder as Brody
Alexandria DeFabiis as Zombie
Nick Alachiotis as Fred
George A. Romero as Chief of Police
Boyd Banks as Armorist
Gregory Nicotero as Zombie Surgeon
Chris Violette as Gordo Thorsen
Diary of the dead is an independent horror film created as part of director George A. Romero’s ‘Dead’ series. The film was about a group of students who had set out to create their own horror film, only to come across real zombies themselves. The film was filmed in 4 weeks in Toronto, with most of the actors having a theatre background. The film had a relatively high budget considering the film was an independent film, however it was evidently, from the shots, not enough finance to produce a film with outstanding and realistic special efects and makeup compared to the likes of today’s ‘The Walking Dead’.
George A. Romero, seen as he had a relatively small budget and only 4 weeks to film the entire film often used computer generated imagery so he could shoot quickly and add efects later. The film was filmed using handheld camera’s so the audience got the efect that they were either watching the film or were filming these events themselves. The film was successful making 5.3million USD at the box office.
The makeup used/created
The makeup department for this film, due to it’s nature, has got the biggest out of all of the films I have studied so far. The makeup department consisted of; Sid Armour, Chris Bridges, Daphne Esdaille, Norm Galloway, Kyle Glencross, Etheline Joseph, Tali Kalb, Mandy Ketcheson, Marika Latorcai, Jonathon Lavallee, Neil Morrill, Greg Nicotero and Andy Schoneberg. These artists were a combination of hair artists, makeup artists, special efects artists and designers.
The budget allowed for some realistic efects, but nothing special. Makeup was built onto the actor’s faces to show they are just an ‘infected’ version of themselves. The hair on the ‘zombies’ tends to be messy and ripped out in some places, with the face painted pale using either face or grease paint to give a deathly and lifeless efect. Alcohol based paints could’ve been used to build on the face to add details such as vains and gashes onto the face and arms. Wax also could’ve been used to build on the face to create a realistic injury on the face or infact anywhere on the body. Fake blood and coagulated blood would’ve been used on the body to show the efects of tearing up flesh and eating it and coagulated blood gel could’ve been used to give a scab efect within the wounds to add realism to the zombie flesh eater look.
The transformation from actor to character:
It was very difficult to find images of actor’s and their zombie selves, therefore I decided to compare physiological diferences between the actor and actor playing a zombie in this image to highlight the diferences created by makeup. The skin tone is a lot paler of the zombie, which helps to show how it is deathly and cold due to the lack of warm blood flowing around the body. The eyes are hollowed out using black grease/face paint to show the decaying body and the loss of weight from not eating ‘normal’ food and feasting on the occasional flesh. The fake blood around the mouth and arms show how the zombie must have been rooting through flesh and biting it to get in such a mess. This is compared to the actress who is clean of blood, with a normal skin tone and bone structure and perfectly curled hair.
World War Z
Brad Pitt as Gerry Lane
Mireille Enos as Karen Lane
Daniella Kertesz as an Israeli soldier known only as "Segen
Fana Mokoena as Thierry Umutoni
James Badge Dale as Captain Speke
David Morse as a former CIA
Ludi Boeken as Jurgen Warmbrunn
Matthew Fox as a U.S. Air Force Pararescueman
Sterling Jerins as Constance Lane
Abigail Hargrove as Rachel Lane
World War Z is an American Action/horror film based on the concept of an infectious disease which causes zombies to roam the land. The film was filmed over 2 years all around the world with it being released in 2013. The film was said to have had difficulty in the process filming and was therefore released late. The film was said to of had a budget of 190 million USD earning 540 million USD at the box office. The film had over 150 makeup and hair artists worldwide who took part in creating the realistic crowds of zombies on the film, proving that the big budget allowed expert artists and materials to be employed within the film.
The makeup used/created in the film The makeup for the zombies in world war Z was definitely a stop up from the other films, with an extremely large makeup team worldwide. The makeup artists often kept the zombie’s natural skin tone and used airbrushing techniques, airbrushing blue and black veins onto the actors to create a veiny and non human appearance. 3D transfers were also used to create an image and belief of the audience that the veins were standing out from under the zombie’s skin rather than the zombies looking like they had literally been painted. The likes of wax and prosthetic pieces were then built on top of this to create an image of cuts and injuries to mainly the face. In other images however the makeup appears to be a lot detailed, with full prosthetic faces sculpted and painted being applied. This shows how the makeup artists engineered their skills around how the zombies would be viewed, if there was simply a crowd of them, less makeup would need to be employed, however if they were being seen close up, more makeup would be needed.
The transformation from actor to character:
Here we have the actor Michael Jenn and his zombie self. We can see the drastic physiological differences between the two. On the left Jenn is a lot more hollowed out, especially around the eyes to show signs of decay and illness. Jenn on the left also has disgusting coloured teeth, that probably would’ve been painted with alcohol based paints. There appears to be a rough and uneven texture on the left compared to the smooth skin on the right, showing the effects of the disease. This texture could’ve been built with latex or a full prosthetic piece. The veiny dull coloured skin on the left compared to the normal skin on the right would’ve been created using airbrushing/painting techiques.
The walking dead – season 6
Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes
Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon
Steven Yeun as Glenn Rhee
Lauren Cohan as Maggie Greene
Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes
Danai Gurira as Michonne
Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier
Michael Cudlitz as Sgt. Abraham Ford
Lennie James as Morgan Jones
Sonequa Martin-Green as Sasha Williams
Josh McDermitt as Eugene Porter.
Christian Serratos as Rosita Espinosa
Alanna Masterson as Tara Chambler
Seth Gilliam as Gabriel Stokes
Alexandra Breckenridge as Jessie Anderson
Ross Marquand as Aaron
Austin Nichols as Spencer Monroe
Tovah Feldshuh as Deanna Monroe
ETC
The walking dead is an American Horror-Drama show that began in 2010. It has 6 seasons so far with season 7 set to come out in late 2016. The show is based on a virus that broke out in the USA causing zombies, or ‘walkers’ as they are called in the programme to walk the country and rest of the world. The show consists of survivors meeting one another, but there’s always something that goes badly wrong along with death and destruction within the show. This popular show features some amazing prosthetic and special effects makeup, as the zombies are realistic and truly terrifying. Due to the sheer volume of episode’s and series’, I will be focussing on the most recent one that aired between late 2015 and early 2016 and the makeup effects within it. With $2.5-3 million spent PER EPISODE there is clearly a lot of finance available for the makeup department and materials, shown by their incredible work on the show.
The makeup used/created: The makeup used in this season was designed and created in order to make the zombies appear a lot more decomposed than in seasons 1-5. The makeup consisted of a combination of foam latex and silicone prosthetic pieces on both the body and face to create a physiologically different appearance to your regular human and to enhance the decaying appearance of the zombie. These prosthetics would’ve been made from lifecasting the actor’s body, sculpting shapes in clay on top of it and then filling it with foam latex/silicone to create the prosthetic. On top of these, ‘earth’ type colours were painted on, with the likes of yellow and brown water based paints being used first, with different browns, dried blood colours and other muted colours being used for detail after. To create wrinkles and dents in the skin, the makeup team use a technique called ‘stretch and stipple’ in which latex is brushed onto part of the face which is then stretched and the latex is dried with a hairdryer. This creates the perfect creases and wrinkles. Sometimes contact lenses are used to take away the life and colour from the eyes, as well as dry conditioner being used to reduce the life and condition of the hair. Mouthwash infused with black/brown food colouring is swilled round the actors mouths to make their teeth appearing to decay. And finally fake blood is used a lot all over the actor’s bodies.
The transformation from actor to character:
Here is actress Tausha Kutcher and her zombie self. It is evident that the makeup is a step up from all of the others due to the physiological changes being massive between the two. Her face and eyes are a lot more hollowed out, this helps to reflect on the decay and weight loss of the zombie, with her skin painted pale colours with wounds created on top to create the lifeless and cold image compared to her usual healthy skinned self. Her hair has been filled with dry conditioner, compared to her usual bouncy and styled hair, to again, show the decay of the zombie over the 2 years of the epidemic. Finally, her teeth are a nasty colour, which is evidently not what the usual actress’ teeth would look like.
How the use of media makeup and prosthetics in horror films has changed over the years At the start of my research (1920’s horror films, Nosferatu to be specific) the makeup was very basic, with the profession of being a makeup artist not being recognized and therefore makeup artists not being employed for films. Therefore the actors tended to do their makeup themselves, and with their lack of skills they used only basic materials such as greasepaint and small prosthetics and small amounts of wax to change their image slightly to create a desired character. However there was no sculpting or materials such as foam latex used. This limited the extent to which a character could be created, however at the time designs were more simplistic due to the availability of materials and skill, so these materials and techniques were suitable for the time. However in the 1930’s when Frankenstein, talented make up artists such as Jack Pierce were employed, and with their skill and knowledge the materials and techniques used advanced a lot. Materials such as latex and wax were more readily used and the technique of sculpting for effect was carried out to create more realistic and impressive characters. In the film ‘The Mummy’s hand’ in the 1940’s, there was little advance in prosthetics but however texture created by the likes of liquid latex came into play. Despite the lack of prosthetics, this simple yet effective texture helped to create a character that would automatically help the audience to realize what the particular character is due to the stereotypical features being emphasized. Overall throughout time, there was minimal advance in the makeup performed itself and materials used, however makeup artists helped to introduce more techniques that helped to make the most out of the materials and therefore create more impressive creatures and characters. In the 1950’s, shown in my research on the Creature of the Black lagoon. This film specifically showed an absolutely huge advance in prosthetics, with a bodysuit and headpiece being created and sculpted by professionals who used materials like silicone and clay to create a realistic detailed and convincing character to scare audiences worldwide. Makeup artists introduced these techniques and products and therefore are the ones who really helped to push the boundaries throughout the decades. In the 1960’s the ‘Zombie’ craze as in full swing with many famous zombie movies starting to appear and be created. Therefore zombie makeup was also employed. Due to the uncertainty and lack of knowledge of physiological elements of the zombie, the first zombies we saw in films in the 1960’s were far from realistic, with the creatures being created out of a variety of types and colours of paints as well as some classic materials such as wax used to create wounds to add to the realism of the zombie. From my research so far it is evident that makeup and its techniques fluctuated according to the creature design from decade to decade, as some materials used seems to increase and decrease but I have come to the conclusion this is down to the character design and not the skill of the makeup artist. The jump in makeup from the 1960's film I studied to the 1970's film I studied is extremely dramatic. The 1973's 'The Exorcist' makeup was a masterpiece, with it heightening the value of makeup in films and horror and impressing audiences worldwide. There was an advance in textures and materials used to create a realistic image such as alcohol based paint, wax and flat mounds that asses to the ghastly, wounded effect of the main character as well as the realistic supporting character in which liquid latex and stippling techniques were used to create an elderly looking character which proved very effective. 1980's proved a decade where makeup even further increased in admiration and skill. The nightmare on elm street, featuring Freddy Krueger proved to be a film that terrified children worldwide thanks to the skill of makeup artists. 'Freddy' was life casted, his cast filled and sculpted into to give the desired freshly and uneven look. This look incorporated many tools to help sculpt and create texture as well as alcohol based paints. Going on from this, a similar skill was used in fils in the 90's such as night of the living dead in which prosthetic bodies were made and painted to act as
'puppets' so that characters could hit them away without injuring any other actors. Makeup such as fake blood, paint, wax and silicone sculpted life casts were used for a variety of other zombies within this film. This still shows advance due to the sculpted prosthetic bodies and skill of engineering and sculpting silicone and foam latex prosthetics which had only just been incorporated properly into the making of zombies. My fascination with zombies and the makeup used to portray them has grown since the beginning of my research, hence why the rest focuses on them. In the 2007 film diary of the dead a simple yet effective method of making zombies was employed, with the hollowing out of bones, the use of fake and dried blood and a pale face paint to give effect. This allowed the audience to see the zombies as infected humans rather than creatures, perhaps making the film more relatable to the present day. Again the prosthetics and makeup used depends a lot on the image the director or writer wanted to get across, if they wanted a zombie which could 'exist' in present day and not appear too far fetched, perhaps less makeup would be used. Since the use of makeup, many have been inspired to get themselves involves meaning makeup artists are on the rise along with new techniques. In the 2013 film world war Z expert techniques were used such as airbrushing and 3D transferring to create a perfect realistic and impressive image of a zombie. There was a lot of crowd zombie work used in the film meaning that a lot of makeup was needed. To make the makeup artists job easier but still create a good visual effect, simple airbrushed veins were created on some of the actor's face to show decay and make the overall crowd look more realistic. And finally, to present day. I decided to study the 6th season of the walking dead in which the makeup is incredible. Entire body length prosthetics were made to create a decaying appearance with bones on show, enabling for a realistic zombie image. Several new techniques such as stretch and stipple were used in order to create dents and add texture to the zombies and make them look like they were truly dead, unaware and decaying. Earth based colours such as brown and green were used with dried blood colours on top to take away the healthy fresh look of the actors and replace it with a ghastly, bloody tone. These techniques helped advance the appearance of the zombies and helped with the realistic nature of the season due to it showing the decay of zombies over the seasons and years. All of my research highlights how every decade new makeup artists with new specialisms and skills are employed, adding to the pool of techniques and materials used to create magnificent effects. It has come apparent to me through my research that makeup used often depends on creature design and directorial interpretation. However overall, makeup materials and how they are used have advanced dramatically between 1920's and present day, showing the development of fresh ideas and talent as well as helping to scare audiences worldwide. How my research of makeup used in film/TV will add to my project and help me progress: This research will widen my knowledge on the techniques and products that have been used throughout time in the makeup department within horror films to create certain effects. Learning about these techniques/products and what they can do will encourage me to try them myself to get similar effects and compare them with one another to show advances. This knowledge will also help me to compare the creation of appearances of certain characters over time due to the use of these techniques, allowing me to contrast images using differences from photos of horror film characters. This research will allow me to compare the potential of products as well as the increase in skilled makeup artists within the TV and Film industry and what they have brought to the industry in terms of products and skills. This research was a good starting point for me to learn about the advancements in the TV/Film makeup industry so I could start analysing, comparing them with each other, linking them to artwork and trying them myself.
Goya’s work can also link to the grotesque creatures we see in horror films due to the grotesque nature of the images. We see ghastly faces with facial expressions and images in dark colours, reflecting on the dark nature of horror films. Artists work compared to makeup work in horror films:
This piece by Hieronymous Bosch on the right could have inspired Nosferatu (on the left) due to the creepy figures with excentuated features such as noses and chins. These features help to enhance the already unusual image of close up faces taking part in perhaps a conversation. The people in this peace have a hollowed out bone structure which matches the makeup used to make Nosferatu look more skinny, weedy and creepy. The extension of the facial features also help to create an intimidating character which matches the facial features and structure of Nosferatu. Both the character and this image appear unusual and make you feel uneasy, helping them to both be equally as effective, leaving me to conclude that Max Schreck could’ve grasped some inspiration from Bosch for his own makeup representation of Nosferatu.
This piece on the right by Otto Rapp could have influenced the Creature from the Black Lagoon due to the combination of both animal and human features. The image on the left combines features similar to an amphibian as well as a human (with the upright stance and human type body). This shows close resemblance to the combination of features used in this creation by Rapp on the right, showing how inspiration could’ve been obtained from it.
The image on the left by Theodore Gericault could’ve provided inspiration for the original Night of the Living Dead due to the hollowed out bone structure we see in both images. Also both of these images have a ghastly, deathly air about them as well as showing the destruction of humanity committed by itself.
This image on the left by Francisco Goya could’ve inspired the exorcist due to the ghastly, unusual image we are provided with. Also the dark, solemn nature of the images are similar, with both focussing on the illness of a child. How this research will help me with my final project This research will allow me to take artists into account when considering my final designs, and use artists work as inspiration for tone, colour and composition. It will also allow me to grasp ideas and inspiration from monsters created originally using painting only.
NOSFERATU – A MODERN DAY INTERPRETATION
A modern day interpretation of Count Orlok from Nosferatu has been carried out by a makeup artist called Charlie Short on his YouTube channel (Pinkstylist) as a makeup tutorial. It is always good to compare and contrast modern day interpretations of older creatures to show the advancement in products and techniques. Despite Charlie Short wanting to make the look as authentic as possible, he added in various other techniques and products that he believed would create a more scary and realistic image compared to the real film. He still used the basic products such as a bald cap, spirit gum and liquid latex to minimise and rid of his hair to create the bald image. He however didn’t use wax to build on the nose or ears, he simply used latex prosthetic ‘elf ear’ pieces on the ears to give the Nosferatu look, and rather than building on the nose he contoured his nose to make it longer and thinner using greasepaint that was blended out. He also incorperated the use of tissue on the prosthetic ear pieces in order to help them to mould better to the ears, as they looked very stuck on and artificial in the original film therefore Short wanted to add realism to his look. Instead of just covering his entire neck, head and hands in greasepaint he used a product called ‘clown white’ which is a strong face paint designed for long wear, he mixed this in with other colours to create a deathly pale look. On top of this he worked with greasepaint to hollow out his face to give a skinny artificial appearance, one different from the original film due to makeup not yet progressing that far. To add further detail he used an alcohol activated paint just to add to the effect of this ghastly being. He then went on to use more, better made prosthetics for fangs as well as black tooth enamel to block out other teeth that may give him a less frightening human look. Finally he added black contact lenses to take away the life and colour from his eyes. Watch his tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhBg47iirZY
The physiological differences between the film and Charlie Short’s modern day interpretation is great with Short’s look being a low more detailed and hollowed out, really taking the makeup to the extreme and trying to make the character as un-human as possible without disrespecting the film and it’s original makeup.
THE MUMMY’S HAND/THE MUMMY – MODERN DAY INTERPRETATION A modern interpretation of the mummy from the Mummy’s hand was created, again, by Pinkstylist on YouTube (makeup artist – Charlie Short). Short continues to use bandages on his body to create the stereotypical image of the mummy, but sticks the bandages down with spirit gum to give a more professional effect compared to the original costume which was just bandages sewn/stuck loosely onto the costume, which often dragged along the floor and looked unprofessional. Short used a gelatin prosthetic which mimicked an ‘angry brow’ and a fake nose. He stuck this on with spirit gum to create a more sinister effect, blending the edges with witch hazel to add to the realism of the look. This is compared to the original look in which there was no prosthetics, just texture and paint. Short the used liquid latex all over the face to help the prosthetic blend into the skin as well as to give texture similar to that in the original film. He goes on to add further detail not only be using tissue on the face to add texture, but adding foundation and various different colours of paints and colours from a bruise wheel (such as brown, green and purple) to add colour and a dirty, decaying effect. He then went on to add colours from the bruise wheel onto the lips and face to give an injured, decaying appearance. He finally wrapped his head in bandages to add to the realism, unlike the original character. This is totally different from the real film as Short’s interpretation looked a lot more sinister and detailed, with a variety of different products and techniques used to create this look and make it more terrifying, therefore this helps to show the advance in products and techniques used. Watch his tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-M12T2gfiFs
The physiological differences between The mummy in the original ‘The Mummy’s Hand’ and Short’s version are insanely different. Short incorporates a lot more detail which helps to add to the realism of the image as well as helping to incorporate a stereotypical image of the mummy with a more sinister look.
THE EXORCIST – MODERN DAY INTERPRETATION Mykie (glamandgore on YouTube) has created a modern day interpretation of Regan from the 1973 film ‘The Exorcist’ after she is possessed by the demon. The first step she takes is concealing the entire face and blocking out her eyebrows in order to block out any colour and create a blank canvas to work on. She then builds pale white paint on top of this all over her face. She then uses simple products such as eyeshadow to hollow out the eyes, this is simple yet effective and differs heavily from the paints used in the films. Eyeshadow might have been used by Mykie due to it’s wider availability, colour and texture in today’s makeup world. To create the wounded effect of Regan, Mykie draws on with red cream where she wants the wounds to be and builds on them with a combination of liquid latex and cotton balls in order to create texture, one better and perhaps more realistic than the original wax used in the film. The skin illustrator was then used to add detail and murky, deathly colours to and around the wounds to give a more ghastly look compared to the monotone colour used in the original film. She then shaded in the wounds with a red colour from the skin illustrator in order to create an inflamed and bloody look compared to the dark green colour used in the original film which didn’t look necessarily realistic. She then added an interesting technique and a combination of products to create ‘vomit’. Liquid latex and zombie blood were combined to create this vomit and it was painted onto her chin to add to the ghastly effect, this was not however done in the original film. A wig was used in Mykie’s tutorial, followed by her wounds filled with scab blood to add to the realism. Finally tooth enamel was used to add to the ghastly image. The modern interpretation of the creature is true to the original, however different products and colours were used to create a more realistic and textured appearance.
Watch her tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=XvXw1Nm0rFs
The physiological diferences between the original exorcist and Mykie’s interpretation aren’t that great due to Mykie wanting to stay true to the film but also to add realism to the image.
FREDDY KRUEGER – THE NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET – MODERN DAY INTERPRETATION After trawling through a variety of different Freddie Kreuger makeup tutorials (From The Nightmare on Elm Street) I found that, again, Charlie Short’s interpretation topped them all.
I found that his tutorial was less professional, however he had tried to make the tutorial as easy and as accessible as possible for all, allowing everyone to mimic is but also to create a realistic interpretation. First short covered his head to give a bald, scolded look by using a bald cap attached by spirit gum. He then proceeds to cover his face in liquid latex in order to add substance and texture. Short then built upon this using tissue, moulding it into circles on the face and building it up to create craters to give a burnt, scolded and injured appearance. These craters are then outlined with blue and black to give them a bruised look, and then they are filled in with a blood red colour from a bruise wheel to give an inflamed bloody look. Short then proceeds to colour the rest of the face in a yellowish brown colour to drain all colour from the face and create a deathly and sickening look. The look is then finished with tooth enamel and contact lenses to create a unique sinister look. Watch Short’s tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFqanHuQAWg
The physiological differences between Short’s more modern interpretation and the original look isn’t that different. It’s mostly the textures and colouring that are different, however the original prosthetic does look a lot more professional and smooth as well as professionally put together using appropriate materials compared to the rough and uneven nature of Short’s interpretation.
THE WALKING DEAD – MODERN DAY INTERPRETATION The Walking Dead, despite it being relatively modern and first released in 2010, has still left scope for recreations of the zombies. Despite the makeup potentially not being able to be advanced by those at home, many have created tutorials using a variety of products and techniques to allow this look to be more accessible to those wanting to create it. I focused on KOFX’s tutorial. The first step was blocking out the eyebrows with what appear to be wax, she then covers them with liquid latex in order to blend the wax into the skin and add to the texture. Wax is then applied to the entire face in various different places and ways to add an uneven texture to the face that would prove to be quite ghastly. Dents are made in the wax/putty material to create an early stage would. On top of this, liquid latex is applied to help blend the putty into the skin and allow to solidify the putty. The liquid latex is then ripped slightly to create craters in the skin that can be made to look like injuries. Red cream paint is applied and blended into the sculpted out wounds to add to the inflammation., with other cream paints such as brown applied on to the face and blended out to create a dirty, decaying look. Tools with bristles are then used to splatter grey and brown paint onto the skin to add to the decaying dirty appearance also. Fake blood is then also added into the previously sculpted and ripped out wounds to show the injuries to the zombie. The hair is whitened using paint to create an old, dusty appearance. Finally contact lenses to create a lifeless, non human appearance.
Watch KOFX’s tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuKAg9_UJXk
The physiological differences between KOFX’s interpretation and the original is that KOFX tries to use products and techniques available for all to use rather than attempting to improve or replicate the original prosthetic makeup.
How this research will help me with my final project:
This research will allow me to compare and contrast products and techniques used between the times. This will provide me with further inspiration for my final piece and will allow me to recreate my own work with a wider knowledge of techniques and products. This will also enable me to perhaps create looks that are more accessible to the younger makeup art community and the next generation of makeup artists, to help inspire them like many makeup artists have inspired me.
INSPIRATION FROM SCULPTURE - GARGOYLES: After gaining a lot of inspiration from looking at art and how it may have inspired and influenced characters in horror movies, I thought the next step would be to investigate sculpture and look at the techniques used to create them to see if they could have also provided inspiration to horror creature creatures as well as hopefully providing me with inspiration. I decided that sculptures closest to monsters that I knew of were gargoyles. These sculptures were often put on the outside of the likes of churches to fend the ‘evil spirts’ and people away.
These sculptures were created in a way that combined simple materials but complex sculpting techniques, which Is useful for me to study in order to obtain some sculpting and carving techniques that could be useful in prosthetic makeup work.
Gargoyle’s are sculptures that are made out of materials such as limestone, terra cotta and marble, with casts being produced made of plaster and cement that are poured into a rubber/plaster mould to create a desired effect/creature. These materials are usually fully sculpted using tools such as hammers and chisels. The hammers are made out of iron or steel and usually the chisels are made into different shapes so different effects can be created.
http://www.stonecarver.com/teaching.html
The detail of these Gargoyle’s and the carving of them is immense, with each crease sculpted in to give the most realistic and terrifying look possible. This is the same with prosthetics, with detail being needed in order to create the most effective and realistic personification of a design. After researching the appearance and nature of Gargoyles on the internet I decide to create my own interpretations getting inspiration from other images, this allowed me to get ideas on the colouring and texture as well as original shape of these sculptures.
Around this information we can see some of my drawings intertwined with various coloured materials in order to help me work out which will be best in creating a realistic depiction within my designs and final work. Overall this research will allow me to focus on sculpting and carving and the detail and realism it can provide. This research also has the potential to give me an insight into further materials that could be used such as clay to add to the makeup or even give me an insight into how to colour certain creatures according to their nature.