I have also collaged together photos that represent my final images, expressing the emotions that I am portraying through a series of 3 photos. I have randomly put a series of photos together for some collages, but have also collaged the layout of a particular scene as I see it in my head, trying to represent the full idea for my final shoots.
Being inspired by the location is something that I have found regular within this project because I want to pursue some location shots. Therefore, considering images from fashion magazines that are shot on location, or generally collaging together a location has been an important thing for me to do.
Looking at fashion images from fashion magazines, I have been able to put together some collages and moodboards that represent my character through fashion photography. Since my images are for a fashion story, looking at high end fashion magazines will help me to portray this.
Collages create the mood, set up and emotion of the scenes and the character that I want to portray. I have looked through many magazines, in which I have found images that inspire me and remind me of my character. These inspirations have come from my first impressions and person opinion of my character and the way she is portrayed in the novel and the film. I have looked at landscapes, locations, styling and makeup - grabbing most my images from magazines such as Harpers Bazaar, Elle and Vogue.
Myrtle Wilson Fashion World - Inspired Photographs of The Great Gatsby
Researching the work of
other photographers and makeup artists who base their work on the idea
of fantasy has helped me think about the concepts I need for my final
images.
I have been able to create a storyboard of
my ideas for my three images. The scenes are each shot at different
angles, with different shot distances and lighting and use of props and
model composition. This is something very important for me to consider
because it shows the movement of my story through still images. I have
chosen to make the shots more distant as they go on as this is something
that Myrtle suffers throughout the novel. The drawings are very brief,
using only stick people and limited props, but I think the story I am
portraying is easily understood.
The drawings are basic, but I work better on note form than drawing, hopefully its still understood!!
Back to the grand narratives briefly, here are some video clips. These examples show the narratives we see and hear of regularly - this time not through photographers and makeup artists but through narrative in film.
^ Dorian Grey, 2009, Movie Trailer
He has a dark secret; he lives in a curse. He is youthful, unforgettable and most of all, he's 'perfect'. However, its not his true face, hes under an unimaginable curse that will cause him never to age. However, a special painting begins to unravel his true appearance, a fright for everyone to see.
^ Ellis Faas - A Family Affair
Fancis Bacon, Self Portrait with Injured Eye, 1972.
Ellis got the idea of this from the previous work she had seen of Bacon. She used the same idea, but with a different media to produce a different outcome.
^ Stardust, 2007, Movie Trailer
In a countryside town bordering on a magical land, a young man makes a
promise to his beloved that he'll retrieve a fallen star by venturing
into the magical realm.
^ Harry Potter Trailers 1-8
A grand narrative of magic and fantasy, where a young boy aims to defeat his enemy, but his enemy aims to defeat him once and for all.
People are no longer believing in grand narratives because we are moving out of a post modern world. Myths, fairytales and legends are just seen as what they are called, they are not longer referenced to a real life situation. Things are becoming too unrealistic, the hypermodern world is creeping in.
The way that transformation is portrayed through imagery is something that needs to be thoroughly considered for me as my aim is to portray a emotional change with 3 fashion images. Despite my outcome being images, its sill important to see the work of movement and consider how they would be seen as still images.
Here are some videos that show the transformation of a character or discusses how its happened. Some things picked up on are lighting, setting, camera angle, facial expressions, composition, body angle and film view - things that help to build up the mood of the scene.
^ George Transformation Scene - Being Human
^ Johnny Depp changing into the Mad Hatter - Alice in Wonderland
^ The Skin I Live In - Antonio Banderas
As we can see from these videos, transformation is a majo focal point in a film. However, there are different versions of transformation. In the first video we see George transfom into a waewfol, which is an actual movement of transformation happening to the character. In the second video, we listen and see how Johnn Depp transformed himself into the character, basing it upon research and practice. In the third video, Antonio Banderas explains how the transformation of set, makeup and props is important. He talks about the transformation of building up skin, for example skin graphs on burns and plastic surgery. He stressed how much the background of these types of operations were researched, finding real surgeons and getting them to help with making sure the information they provide and the process they show on film is correct. This expresses the transformation of a real life situation into a character, but keeping it real.
Each of these videos suggest how important transformation is. It explains that not only showing and performing the movement of transforming is a valid skill, but the role of transforming into your character. You have to relate to your character and become you character, behaving in every way as if you were them. A model also needs to have this skill when they get into character for a shoot. The job for them is to act still, getting into the character through expression instead of movement.
CHARACTER TRANSFORMATION
There are many actresses and actors out there who aren't necessarily recognised or remembered as themselves, but for the character they have once played. This is a great example of suggesting the effects of transformation, and the skill that it requires when you are tansfoming into a particular character. It is noticed though, that a main reason someone is so remembered is because of the hair and makeup and styling that has been used, making the character itself recogniseable. However, its interesting to look at the transformation between actor and character to see this skills develop and watch how someone has got into character.
However, its not just the makeup as styling that makes you recognise an actor/actress as their character. Sometimes they still look exactly like themselves, but its the way they portray themselves as a character that hooks you. This proves the importance of a actor/actress transforming into their character - almost using them as an alter ego.
Here are some famous exmaples of character transformation:
JOHNNY DEPP TO THE MAD HATTER:
JOHNNY DEPP TO JACK SPARROW:
HELENA BONHAM-CARTER TO THE QUEEN OF HEARTS:
ANGELINA JOLIE TO LARA CROFT:
PIERCE BROSNAN TO JAMES BOND:
DANIEL RADCLIFF TO HARRY POTTER
There are many, many more, but I am sure you will all agree that these are great examples of actor transforming into character, and character being a part of the actor.
