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Courtney Mulligan

Hello, I'm Courtney! I'm a character designer from Co. Monaghan. My interest in visualising and creating characters from stories, as well as transforming people with makeup, stems from my love of art and art history. I enjoy research and how it can inform and bring a story to life; combining research and creative skills to create authentic characters for screen is a unique challenge and honour. I'm now eager to gain real-world experience in the film industry, as well as to continue learning and expanding on the skills I gained at IADT.

*Thérèse* *Raquin* is a French novel written by *Émile* *Zola*. It was first published in *1867*. The four main characters are; Madame Raquin, her sickly son Camille, Camille’s friend Laurent, and of course Thérèse Raquin, who was adopted as a child by her aunt, Madame Raquin.

**Synopsis;** It's decided early in the novel that Camille and Thérèse will marry. After that, the family relocates to Paris to open a shop while Camille works for a railway company. For a while, the Raquin's are generating consistent income, they make some friends and organize a weekly 'get together'. One week, Camille comes home with an old childhood friend, Laurent. Thérèse and Laurent soon begin a passionate affair. No one is suspicious, but when an obstacle prevents them from meeting Laurent and Thérèse quickly come to the conclusion that killing Camille is their only option. They accomplish this while boating on the Seine, despite Laurent getting bit on the neck by Camille during the altercation. This is about a third of the way through the story; the rest is a fascinating and complex description of Laurent and Thérèse's mental torment following their crime.

**Madame** **Raquin** is Camille’s mother and Thérèse's aunt. She is controlling at the start of the story, only caring about her son, and is cold toward Thérèse. She arranges their marriage for the benefit of herself and her son, not for Thérèse. Camille's death causes her to deteriorate to the point where she is paralyzed and mute. As a result, she is unable to avenge the death of her beloved son. She is no longer seen as a person but as an object. Often forgotten about as if she’s not even there. *Alcohol* *palettes,* *cream* *palettes* *and* *concealer* *used* *for* *detailed* *ageing* *and* *covering* *tattooed* *eyebrows.*

**Camille** **Raquin** is an ignorant and egotistic character who was constantly sick as a child and coddled by his mother. Thérèse has no love for him. Described as a “sickly, spoiled child”. Camille displays uncharacteristic strength in his struggle with Laurent, biting him before being thrown into the river. Camille’s body is later found in the Paris morgue. The shock of his death causes his mother’s health to rapidly deteriorate. *Hand-made* *knotted* *moustache.*

**Thérèse** **Raquin** is the daughter of a French Captain, and a beautiful Algerian mother. Adopted by her aunt, Madame Raquin when she was younger Thérèse has grown up in her cousin’s shadow. Thérèse is described as having a "nervous" temperament. She’s obliging, always going along with what her aunt or cousin/husband wants, and doesn’t care much about anything. That’s until she meets Laurent and the two start a passionate affair where her fiery personality and lust for life comes through. Broken-down and beaten by Laurent when Camille’s ghost drives them mad and paranoid. *Alcohol* *palettes,* *cream* *palettes* *and* *scar* *wax.*

**Laurent** is an aspiring artist. He wants an easy life but as his father wouldn’t fund his lifestyle anymore he works at the Railway Company. He’s described as the complete opposite of Camille. Thérèse and Laurent have a passionate affair for months. Laurent murdering Camille is framed as being a need driven by animal instincts. After Camille’s murder, Laurent is plagued by hallucinations of the dead man. He shows no guilt about his crime but does gradually lose himself and falls deep into his paranoia. *Silicone* *flat* *plates* *for* *neck* *wound* *and* *scar.*

The main medical references from my research.

**Dead** **Camille** 1 Camille’s gruesome drowned body haunts Laurent and Thérèse, driving them mad and paranoid.

**Dead** **Camille** 2 "Camille lay looking at him, extended on his back, his head raised, his eyes half open... Laurent stood motionless, lost in unconscious contemplation, engraving, in spite of himself, in his memory, all the horrible lines, all the dirty colours of the picture he had before his eyes."

Thérèse Raquin is a French novel written by Émile Zola. It was first published in 1867.

According to Zola, his goal with Thérèse Raquin was to examine temperaments rather than characteristics... “Thérèse and Laurent are human animals, nothing more… There is a complete absence of soul.” This relates to scientific beliefs at the time which believed criminals were biologically predisposed to crime and that their criminality was visible through exterior signs. I did work on these pseudo-sciences for my thesis so I had an interest in the themes explored in the book, to begin with.

Thérèse Raquin provided opportunities to conduct period research and a challenge to create believable period characters. I used historical research and references, taking inspiration mainly from art at the time.

This story also gave me the scope to use medical research and references to design my characters and create realistic prosthetic pieces for believable wounds, injuries, etc.

Criminology and Surveillance in the Nineteenth Century: Western Theories and Technologies.

My thesis looks at Western theories on crime and criminality from the 19th century and how these earlier theories have directly impacted criminology as we know it today. I focus on the biological theories of phrenology, physiognomy, anthropology and eugenics. Looking at how these theories emerged in response to 19th century social thought on crime and criminality regarding race, class and gender. At this time, biology was seen to have a significant role in shaping human behaviour, particularly criminal behaviour.

I considered the work of early criminologists in Europe and the United States, such as Franz Joseph Gall, Cesare Lombroso, Alphonse Bertillon and Francis Galton. Incorporating primary resources from the time along with contemporary research on these topics. The discussion looks at how 19th century representations of criminals as animalistic and degenerate have influenced contemporary views of crime and innate criminality. Developments in technology, such as photography, impacted the way information about the criminal body was documented, stored and produced. I argue that these early textual and visual accounts of criminals continue to influence images of criminals today.

Character MakeUp Design

2021 2022 2023 2024

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