Props, Costume and Makeup - by Abi

 Props, Makeup and Costume

Props

For my groups idea we wanted to include some sort of sequence involving a murder, and of course with a murder having a murder weapon is crucial and with that comes with cleaning up the scene too.....so here's what we came up with:

Weapons

Knife

Whether the serial killer was going to use a knife or a gun we are still unsure of, but a knife may actually be easier to work with. Our main source for this knife would most likely be to just use a large kitchen one however if the characters are performing this scene we must ensure they're safety. In one of the student films I watched for my research, I watched a fight scene play out between two different people and they used the correct hand movements, gestures and camera work to signify to the audience that a knife was being used without ever seeing one visually on screen. This was also done similarly in the infamous movie ''Psycho'' where once again a knife was used, although this time we could see it on camera if you slow down the clip frame by frame you can see the knife never actually pierce the woman's skin or even come close to her. My partner and I did have this idea to get our hands on some sort of pocket knife (possibly from amazon) but there are many way's that could also go wrong. 

So the plan is to use a kitchen knife in some future shots but when it comes to the actual struggle we won't use one of course but instead use the power of editing and acting to make it appear some what realistic. However whether we go overboard on the SFX or not will come later, but if we do use a knife creating multiple stab wounds on the victim may become tedious. 

Gun

The main reason my partner came up with the idea to use a gun for this scene was because she already had a realistically looking fake one back at home. A black BB gun to be specific. The Pros with this is that since this fake gun is plastic and light weight it's rather unlikely anyone will get injured. Using the gun I believe will make a more clean and short fight between the two as one bullet shot to the head and it can be left at that. Using SFX to make a realistic looking gun wound may be slightly more difficult then creating the cut wounds from the knife, however this could be solved if as soon as the gun is pointed to the victim's head we hear a bang before the screen goes black. Creating the sound effect of a gun shot also shouldn't be too problematic and I'm predicting that it will be one of the easier one's to make. Using this effect may be rather over done and predictable but it keeps the scene simple. 

Using the gun is just another possibility for the weapon and if it doesn't work or appear to be realistic enough when shooting, it's likely that we will just use Plan B and stick to using a knife. Finding a fake gun on Amazon however could be an idea if we really like the idea of using a gun and the original prop isn't working out.

Rock

As a last resort (depending on how our story goes) we may just use some sort of fake rock to finish off the fight scene. If our idea changes and we want the scene to be more natural, maybe in a splurge of the moment then the two people could be wrestling on the ground in a forest, a rock is seen in frame and the victim get's hit over the head with it a few time which would eventually end up killing them. This would possibly be the easiest option, I say this because to create a realistic looking injury we can just create an effect of fake blood dripping down the side of their face rather then putting much work in with the SFX. I had this idea that whenever the rock comes into impact with the victim the screen will have quick shot's of black, the camera could work as the person's point of view so the actor would have to pretend to hit the camera with the rock. This use of camera work could also potentially make the audience feel more involved as it's happening from their point of view more so. 

Depending on the story we go for, whether it becomes a struggle and someone fighting for their life and accidently killing someone or a serial killer intentionally looking for someone to strike then disposing of the body in either way of '' I can't believe I just killed someone '' or '' what's the best way I can get away with murder''. Will impact what murder weapon we eventually choose to go with.

Cleaning equipment

The location will also play a big part in the props we eventually use as there's a lot of thing's we haven't even thought about. Filming in an forest or an abandoned place will require a lot less props then if we filmed in a house per say. As within a dining room, kitchen, or especially a bedroom there tends to be clutter and I obviously can't name every prop that will appear in the background but props that the characters will use to help themselves out. 

Body bag

As this is a murder scene, the attacker must come up with a way to clean up after themselves. One idea was to use some sort of black bin-bag or body bag for them to dispose of the body. Going for a black bag could give off the illusion that someone is inside and being dragged a long without ever seeing a body. As of course putting an actor in a bag and tying it up could cause suffocation and other danger's which must be avoided so using one that's black and weighing it down some how should be able to connotate to the audience that this is what the killer has done with the body as it's been done many times before. Not to my surprise I couldn't find anything that remotely resembled a body bag that would be up for purchase, even on amazon so a black bin-bag will surely do fine if we come to use it. 

Mop and bucket

My first ever original idea included someone getting murdered on some type of wooden or tiled flooring and the killer mopping it up with bleach, water and a mop and bucket. With this scene I wanted to perform it in a way that as the fake blood is wiped away the credits is edited on top so as the mop glides past the credits do along with the blood. The one problem with this is that we'd need to use a lot of fake blood and also clothes as well as possibly flooring would be ruined in the making of this as I'm pretty sure fake blood wont come off nearly as easily as real blood will. If were having to do multiple takes of course this is inconvenient if we have to use a new set of clothing each time as we simply do not have the budget for that as students. However getting our hands on necessities such as a mop and a bucket won't be a problem as it's object's most people will find in their home. Bleach isn't exactly needed on top but could be added for extra effect and realism, however if bleach is used we must make sure to not include the label of the brand on the product or ensure it's out of frame at all times. This goes with any branded product.  

Sanitary products

One scene we had in mind was that our serial killer would shower to wash off all the blood. Of course it wouldn't be inappropriate but if our idea with the mop didn't work then our credit scene could take place in the shower with our killer. If they're showering of course products in the shower will be scene and potentially in the rest of the bathroom. Shower gels and shampoo will be used in the scene most likely ( non-branded of course). This will be partially important as the product's the protagonist uses could signify to the audience what type of person they are. Through making their tooth brush or perfume bottles pink and purple (which are feminine colours) we can indicate stereotype's etc. Through having a plain bathroom with little accent, we can demonstrate how the character has no taste for nonsense such as decoration. They're emotionless and won't appreciate a bit of art or colour so therefore instead of sticking to stereotypes that are distinctly masculine or feminine looking product's they'll be plain, black or white to represent a lack of self character and personality. 

Plates and cutlery

Before the sequence ended we wanted to potentially finish off the scene with the serial killer finishing off by eating a nice dinner with their family. Whether this family remains large or small at the table we still don't know, but if it does cut off with this scene we wanted the character to maybe hear police sirens in the background before locking eyes with a sibling ( as they know they're brother/sisters unholy schemes) before it cuts to black. Another way we wanted to do this was to show the serial killer laughing or smiling happily with the family at the dinner table before cutting to the basement where you see a tied up victim screaming for help although their mouth is taped. We wanted to do this to show the double life of them and to add a sense of realism, how often that psychopaths are manipulative and unpredictable. You could be in a room with one and you wouldn't know it because they're so good at pulling off a smile and acting in a charming way. The idea for this is that they'd just be served a plate of food by the female of the house and they'd eat whilst discussing and smiling silently due to the music in the background. 

Makeup and SFX

For this part my partner has a friend that does extremely good SFX as a hobby, so she could potentially help us out here if we wanted to create the illusion of an realistic wound, or we could have a go at it ourselves and see how it goes. I've seen many student films whom of which never went too overboard on the makeup and SFX and instead faked a bruise or a black eye at most. 

If we do end up with a dead victim at most, doing our best to mimic realistic makeup from something else we've seen could be a possibility.  Through my research on the movie ''The Shining'' I was able to appreciate the makeup used on the two twin girls in a particular scene of Danny riding down the hallways. To create an effect of the two girls looking rather dead their faces were made to be very pale and ill looking, with the only other colour on their skin being the dark circles around they're eyes. Therefore I would use this style of makeup to inspire me so that they look as if the colour in their skin has completely faded. But perhaps I could include a bloody scratch or some bruises to indicate that there was a struggle between the two people. 

If the psychopath uses a knife or gun then it's likely we will have to recreate the wound from that, more so with a knife. Creating a look for the dead person could just be extremely pale foundation and powder to add the effect with some sort of matted eye shadow to create the effect around the eye. If a shot is shown later on of disposing a body we could use contour to line areas of the jawline, nose and face to create a look that's skinny and fragile. To create the wounds we could purchase prosthetic wounds all the way to scar wax or cotton to bring them to life them by hand, but that would require more research on how to create those types of effects and flesh injuries. 

Fake blood will also play a big part, all of which we could purchase on amazon or makeup from a drug store. If the actors potentially own their own makeup then they may be more comfortable using that, which would be convenient as we'd have their correct tone and if actors are uncomfortable with sharing makeup for hygiene reasons or due to the recent pandemic it will save us more money. 

For the main protagonist applying very natural makeup is idealistic whether they're male or female as due to they're psychopathic traits they may not have much of an interest towards their appearance. However in later shots if they're sitting at the dinner table, we could make the makeup look more obvious so that it hides potential injuries of the fight from other family members. Maybe even showing the character covering them up if it doesn't take up too much time. (Possible quick shots of makeup pallets closing and squirting of foundation onto the back of their hand before briefly applying). 

For the other characters although they'll have minimal roles they could look a lot more done up with more colour even with the male characters that may be involved. So you are able to see a distinct difference between the psychopath and the rest of their family. The psychopath can look rather pale and dull whilst the female role ( the mother or wife ) will have a full face of makeup. if other characters are at the table it could show them blushing and what not. 

Costume