Horror In Fashion

Rather than just looking at the more obvious, gore side of horror I had a look into the fashion side. The side that sparks my interest. Out of the few images we were given I chose to look at Westwoods approach in her London Fashion week SS14 . The looseness of the marks interested me - you don't see it very often, hair and make up is seen as being precise and less expressive than it should be. It reminded me of just taking a brush to a canvas and simply getting lost in it - I liked it - It was different.

This was one of the looks in Vivienne Westwood's SS14 show, The make up was applied with sponges and sometimes a dense feather to create a dramatic look.

THIS WAS MY ATTEMPT

I am really happy with the way this has turned out however I feel some of my marks could have been a little bit sharper, for example around the eye. I also applied slightly too much black to some ares but quite frankly I don't think it particularly messes up the design at all but it's just not what the original looked like. I really did enjoy this lesson it showed us another route to go down if we were interested. I would of loved to go down a more fashion side I just don't think my idea would suit it all that well.

Quentin Ideas

Above is my second idea facechart for Quentin, I chose to make his face really drawn out and eyes really tired to show the extent of what Claudia has put him through, the lips will be chapped and cut with blood on them. Due to the method of torture I chose to use (Neck Torture - which is a metal device that has spikes on, it is tied round the neck, the person is ever so slightly suspended, toes just touching the floor, everyday the device is tightened causing more pain and more blood loss) the model will have cuts all around his neck, on my facechart I have illustrated that the cuts will be stitched up but I don't know if I will definitely do that.

As I had previously mentioned in my Claudia Ideas blog post, I linked my face charts with each other. I have decided to keep my Quentin ideas very similar and keep the fact he died from Neck Torture in both face charts, however in this one he had beaten and strangled Claudia until she died - which is why he has blood and bruising all over his knuckles. I think I am going to stick with idea number 1 on both designs because it seems more interesting and more complex.

You can see the similarity between Claudia's idea number 1, I really like this design because I feel it flatters both sexes which is what I want to achieve.

Same with design number 2. I feel this one would look really good and effective on the male - this sleek back, very cocky and skeezy man but also some what attractive. The only issue is is that I feel it doesn't look as effective on a female model as it does on a male. I want both models to look good so will most likely go for idea number 1.

'Awakening'
Again, I have decided to change the word to be more fitting to this idea. Previous it was 'Veiled' but I feel I have gone down a complete opposite road with this one. I chose the word 'Awakening' mainly because I felt that as Claudia was slipping away, the less power she had thus making Quentin more powerful and his power and strengths are being awakened.

Like I previously said, Quentin will be wearing a white shirt as will Claudia. 

Claudia Ideas

This is my second idea face chart for Claudia, I have chosen to keep it looking very realistic with drawn out eyes and skin with a pale face and chapped bloody lips. I have designed my look to have rope burn around the wrists and neck which is the way Quentin tortured her to kill her, this will be made out of liquid latex. The smudged make up on the face represents not only her fear but also her feeling of betrayal that has come from Quentins actions.

This is my 3rd face chart for Claudia, I found when I was designing my face charts that I designed them in pairs in regards to Quentin's as well, so whatever one I choose I need to make sure I am happy with both outcomes. I decided to go for a different death, this face charts shows Claudia being beaten and strangled to death.

Above is my first hair chart idea, again I chose to match Claudia and Quentin. I wanted to have everything completely sleek and strangely perfect, especially with what everything they went through when they died. It gives that weird aspect that American Horror Story  has.

I didn't mean for the top of the hair to look as backcombed as it does, I would like the hair stuck to the head and running down the back. I like this idea but to me is doesn't show my idea of having it completely perfect whereas because the design before has a parting, you could show the perfection through that as well as having everything neat. I think I am most likely going to go with deisgn number one because I feel it fits my idea better than this one does.


'Slipping'
 I have chosen change my word that I am relating my idea too. Previously it was 'Save Us' but due to the fact I have completely changed my idea I thought it would be best to completely change my word.
This time I have chosen the word 'Slipping'; it represents her now lack of control. Before Quentin's death she had him wrapped around her little finger, controlling his every move, what he wore, what he said etc but now I have this idea of her slipping out of control and slipping out of consciousness as she dies. This word is more fitting with this design rather than 'Save Us' and I am really glad I chose to change it.

In regards to costume I am making Claudia and Quentin both wear white shirts to maintain some continuity between both of them, everything about them will be in some what similar. Their hair will be parted and gelled in very similar ways albeit one has really long hair and my Quentin model has short hair they will both represent each other.
The reason behind me choosing a shirt was mainly taken from her interest into Saw, The Movies. Jigsaw, the leading character is particularly well dressed and she had taken inspiration form him. Not only in her attire but her distressing interest into torture techniques and different contraptions linked to pain and killing.

American Horror Story Character Development

As I said in my powerpoint presentation (below) I have chosen to do American Horror Story Series 1 (The Haunted House). Because my characters were too similar to characters already in AHS I have come up with a complete new concept. I chose to do American Horror Story because the whole show is very broad and you can be quite artistic with your ideas - however much I would love to do that I think I am going to stick with the more realistic approach.

My new idea still includes using Claudia and Quentin however, rather than being the main occupants of the house I have chosen them to be previous occupants of the house, ones that died in there and continue to haunt the current family that is living there right now. Concentrating on Claudia and Quentin's background, the story goes like this - As the brief states, Claudia is very interested in horror films, I specifically chose the Saw series. The reason being because she has an odd interest into torture techniques and wants to try some out. She tries these techniques out on her 'imaginary' (who the audiences assumes is real) boyfriend, one of her techniques (neck torture) actually kills him off. Despite her grief and sadness, Quentin comes back for revenge and eventually kills her, torturing her the way she tortured him. She is hung from her hands and her neck until she slowly dies. Not only is she in a lot of physical pain she is also mentally and emotionally hurt as she wonders why her boyfriend could do such a horrible thing.

I have to now create a new moodboard a new face chart and try and associate my word or a new word with each of my characters.

Below is the moodboard that relates to my idea as as a whole.

Ideas Presentation

Claudia and Quentin Presentation by AnnaField

After presenting my powerpoint to my tutor and my class I was told I had a lot of thins to change. My tutor felt my characters that I was placing into the series mimicked some characters already in there, so I have to think of a new way to include my characters into my story line, she also didn't like my facecharts and my ideas so I think I may have to completely re design my whole concept.

Women In Horror

Women have been in horror series and films as long at they began, all with the same character and the same ending, the victim that is saved by a fearless man who is then known as the 'hero' -helping them from the predicament that they themselves have got in.
Up until recently women have constantly been portrayed as helpless, however many modern horror visuals now show women as the villian. A strong, psychotic, persistent villian (I guess its better than the norm). Not only that but some women have been portrayed as the hero in these situations. An example is Annabelle and Gone Girl's Amy Dunne who was shown to be a complete sociopath.

Not only has the characters and positions of women changed but this idea of beauty as well. Initially majority of shows and films so these women and not only the victims, but the hot victim. A beautiful helpless girl that NEEDS a mans help. I understand that to attract a wide audience (males and females) the characters need to be particularly attractive themselves. These standards never really changed up until the last few years. From the start American Horror Story did actually cast attractive actress and actors (Jessica Lange and Dylan Mcdermott) but throughout the series, concentrating on the fifth series, Freakshow - these beauty standards were no longer. It showed beautiful people flawed, with physical mental and personal problems.










I like this idea of keeping the characters relatively good looking but with obvious ugly flaws. I think I am going to really relish on the concept of women overtaking horror and being in charge but also have a slight twist on it without making it too stereotypical either way.

Basic Character Analysis

CLAUDIA

QUENTIN

MRS LADERMAN

I decided to brainstorm the traits that were mentioned on the brief of each of the different characters just for some basic analysis and if any starter ideas would come from doing this. I am very interested in doing Claudia and Quentin as I have a few ideas that I could use as well as it fitting in well with my chosen series which is American Horror Story.