Summer Project

When Southampton Solent accepted me to be a 2014' Make up & Hair student I was thrilled. The one place I needed and wanted to be had agreed to let me in.

Over the summer us future makeup students were set the task of "If I could... I would" which basically directed us into two tasks. One task was to create a mood board that helped visualise to a audience where at this current time we see ourselves in five years. The other task for basically to write two film reviews from a selection and to write what only a bit about the genre but to look further and see from audiences/our own views what makes the film a style inspiration within hair and makeup; places surrounding the film and the iconicity the films creation made within film and daily life.

From just coming from a Art Foundation getting from a creative year to a creative project within a task was exactly what I wanted. I love making things and getting my hands messy with a task. If a vision is incised within my head I'll aim to get there.

The first task I decided to do was the film reviews luckily at home we had a few on the list but in the end I decided to go with the classics "True Romance" & "Blade Runner". Within a 300 word format we had to write about each film. I watched the films. Never seen "True Romance" before but I loved it the 'You're so cool' Hans Zimmer sound track repeated through the film, that one song everyone has heard somewhere before and wondered what it was called. That song alone is completely iconic.

Anyway so I wrote a load of things that came into mind then I typed them up, I also researched into the films using IMBD and my brother (the biggest movie buff ever on the South Coast). Watched the films twice to properly watch them. These are the types of films you could watch over and over again.

The second part of the summer project was the mood board. I myself do love to make a mood board, full and interesting. Reflecting on the actual question 'If I could...I would'. Like a open book I haven't finished deciding where I can imagine myself in 5 years. For me within the field of makeup I'm like a baby learning all the processes, the next three years... I can't wait. Theatrical is something I love, going to London or to the local theatre is a treat, A magical thrilling experience. I also included film.

The mood board is based on theatre & film because so far thats where my interests lays, I see so much diversion a endless amount of processes I can take to create character. Ask me in a year it might be the same; might be different.

The board itself within the idea of theatre and where I want to be myself within living, looks was also meant to be included. The inclusion of the world was just a reference to the fact the world is in fact my oyster especially within my degree but also the university experience within networking, friendships, independence and getting the grades. In 5 years time I can't wait to see what happens.

The works Below, did take a while, I do like to waffle.

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Summer Project- Style Inspiration  

Amy Jane Curtis 

True Romance- Tony Scott written by Quentin Tarantino-1993 

The original DVD shot also movie poster

True Romance is a romantic crime drama it is tough to pin the film into one particular genre as it contains elements of several genres, typical of Tarantino to add multiple genre tropes to his work. If you had too though like your life depended on it you would call it a romance period.  

True Romance maintains a 90s style in the way the characters are dressed for instance the character Vincenzo Coccotti and the mobsters are tailored in a late eighties early nineties style with their big lapels and broad shoulders on their suit jackets. The suits are clearly Italian strengthening the ties these characters have to the mafia plus the fact that they are all dressed in dark colours we are made aware as the viewer that these are the bad guys. Clarence throughout the film is shown wearing sunglasses that are replicas of the ones worn by the king in many of his public appearances. These sunglasses expand upon Clarences early admission to the girl in the bar that he watched and wanted to “Be that hillbilly so bad” the hillbilly in question Mr Elvis Presley. The costumes worn mirror the style of 90s America as it was the early half of the decade the 80s influence is very much alive. Alabama's hair is blonde with dark roots her cut is very 90s with it being un-styled carefree and one length coupled with her blue eyes she has an angelic quality to her with her youthful fresh faced glow. Alabama’s style is loose and carefree she likes bold standout colours and clashing prints, her see through shirts where you can see her bras plus the straps on show are perhaps the most iconic accessory in the film. Alabama’s clothing is very 80s in its appeal and has gone on to influence many a modern girl, just head to Shoreditch on a sunny saturday to see for yourself. Alabama over anyone else in the movie has gone on to become a style icon as lots of clarences wardrobe was borrowed from over iconic leading men. The gun used by both Clarence and Alabama is a snub nosed possibly smith and wesson revolver. This gun is probably the most important accessory in the film because it is symbolic of the fact that they together are a sweet little bumblebee but they have a stinger they are not afraid to use.The gun comes up in conversation many a time and is shiny and pleasing to the eye like a broach or a ring. To further strengthen the point about the gun if you look at the dvd case the gun is held by Clarence and positioned in-between him and Alabama “It is better to have a gun and not need it, than need a gun and not have it.” 

Listed on IMBD within the credits for the head makeup artist on the picture was mua Ellen Wong who from research I’ve found out specialises within the field of film for her work, recently working on the final Pirates of the Caribbean series and a few big budget early millennium pictures. The makeup department for the film is divided into three sections the obvious Hair styling and Makeup artistry to Wigs after some research into the use of wigs on True Romance I learnt that not only did many of the actors use wigs to form a realistic character but they also use prosthetics such as Gary Oldman’s character of Drexl Spivey; Alabama’s pimp who has noticeable facial scaring and dreadlocks. The main hair stylist on the film was Ron Scott who also worked on The Truman show.

Blade Runner- Ridley Scott -1982 

A advertising theatre poster for the original cinema release 

Blade Runner is a dystopian science fiction film. Deckard is the Blade runner in question; A blade runner is essentially a defective who tracks down and eliminates replicants, androids who crime is pretending to be human. The film then follows the events of Deckard hunting down four escaped replicants who are looking to expand their four year lifespan. 

Like a few other futuristic 80’s films the vision of the future is extremely dramatic from flying cars to extremely powerful guns, the earth is seen as a abandoned waste land that only the unlucky few have been left on. 

The film is striking in its visual style mixing noir and sci-fi to create a dark unsettling atmosphere. 

Zhora’s death scene is iconic in the way she is dressed her plastic rain mac looks rather beautiful under the vibrant neon glare as she is shot down in slow motion, her death however graphic and  shocking maintains an ultra- stylish appeal. Deckard is kitted out similarly to the detectives in old 1940s noir pictures with a futuristic twist for instance the collar on his trench coat appears to be made of an unusual ribbed material while the rest of the coat is cut quite simply. To further emphasise the point that Deckard is modelled on a 1940s detective we need only look at his shirt and tie combination plus we can take a look at his love interest Rachael. Racheal is dressed like a classic femme fatale with her dark rolled hair style and red lips often seen with a cigarette between. Her clothing like Deckards takes obvious influence from the outfits of old while fresh new ideas are added for instance contrast panelling on her teacher looking outfit complete with neck bow.

Pris another replicant and the potential affection of Roy has a iconic death scene also due to her extreme makeup she wears, almost like battle makeup the heavy black line from brow to cheekbone has been created to repel the child like look of the character which was previously exhibited through body language and playfulness. The accentuate makeup could also be linked to the decade the film was released with pop acts becoming more comfortable with experimenting with makeup such as ‘Adam and the ants’ and his iconic white line across his face.

The head makeup artist on the film was credited as Marvin G.Westmore a successful mua who was nominated for many awards from the early 70’s to late 90’s Emmy’s to BAFTA in his prime Marvin was very successful in his practice. On IMBD his is listed as working till 2006 where I’m guessing he retired due to being born in 1934.

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All the photos within the Review are the old theatrical advertising posters for the original cinema releases. Found on google image. 

The Mood board in its completed work I showed my group that expressed the project "If I could... I would"

The First Day
22nd September 2014

So the first day loomed and it was time to meet the faces who would be my class mates for the next three years. We were told to bring in our summer projects as we would obviously be presenting them to the class, this turned out to be groups of 4 were not only did we reflect on our workings from the summer but also we spoke to our group and how we found the films and what we'd written. The only annoying thing was half the group had actually done the assessment. We did end up bringing the conversation more into the films and what sort of thing we enjoyed and how from the films we had actually seen before from the list and how the charactisation could be seen as iconic from the period to also the makeup created by the films makeup artists/hair stylists. We also discussed plans much like the mood board's theme which was extremely interesting. Beth was saying as she was from a hair dressing background when she because successful in the beauty field she wanted to open a affordable salon in Africa where she has extremely close roots; giving something affordable to maybe not a wealthy community. After speaking and finding a bit of background and aim of our little group we were told to present basically what we had found out about each other and one interesting fact about someone within the group. The fact that the entire course isn't full of 18 year olds is also refreshing; a mix of backgrounds and aims. There is so many different areas within the course we will be stepping into. I can't wait.