Suzanne Armstrong
For this project I explored the dark allure of a succubus ( a female demon) translating her essence into a makeup look that merges fantasy with the Noir aesthetic of the 1940s. This story is depicted through images that end with a fatal encounter. The purpose of this project for me was to show a strong woman protecting herself and unleashing her rage against those who try to control her. What makes this unique is the combination of the primal nature of the succubus contrasting with with the clean cut image of film noir- compared with the typical imagery of film noir, this character is a complete shock to the senses.
I developed this narrative from complex themes of female rage and empowerment through the lens of a succubus set in the 1940s. She stands as a figure of vengeance, suppressed rage and frustration, things women at the time and women of today can relate to. In this project I intended to demonstrate period makeup skills with the addition of injury simulation and gore using a range of core discipline MakeUp skills and Prosthetics applications.
I created a storyboard through the use of multiple images to demonstrate my technical skills. This includes make up and prosthetic creation and application. While researching I learnt about the folklore of succubus and noir film genre and I combined the overlapping similarities of the femme fatale and the succubus, a character embodying seduction, subversion of gender roles, danger/destructiveness, independence and most importantly female Empowerment. In this project I made multiple prosthetics of different materials for both characters, the succubus and the detective. I developed initial designs in the creative process to final film ready character creations. By the end of the process I had created images of which I am very proud. While the initial concept and inspiration came from the mythological creature, my succubus design is creatively different from common adaptations and stands out a unique piece of work.
This thesis focuses on a story (Sweeny Todd) that has evolved over time,
and it explores how the original storytellers, creatives and production teams,
communicate the complex emotional and moral questions posed in the story
to the audience, in a way that aspires to optimise their engagement and
enjoyment.
The literature review explores the characteristics and contributions of the
three mediums used to tell the story. These mediums, which are the focus of
this thesis are the original Penny Dreadfuls; the musical adaptation; and
Broadway recording (1982) and Tim Burton’s 2007 film.
I conclude that the relationship between society, morals values, physical
appearances and behaviours is complex, and not simple cause and effect.
Also, human beings, as portrayed in the story are equally complex. Finally,
creatives and production teams play a key role in communicating complex
stories to the audience. Their deep understanding of the story and
characters assists the delivery of a truly gripping story.
I specialised in Character Makeup Design on the Design for Film Course. At IADT I've been able to expand my love of designing characters and MakeUp when working with actors and changing them into various characters. I’ve worked on student films and on Theatre productions and Opera and I plan to continue expanding my work in Theatre and Film and also for Photoshoots. I’m also keen to expand my knowledge in prosthetics - an area in which I would love to gain more experience and work.
