Unit Evaluation

I really enjoyed the ‘New Elizabethans’ project, but I loved this project. I have always loved theatre and art, so I was really excited when I found out that this project enabled me to combine them both.

I always find it interesting learning about different eras and their beauty ideals, so I really got into the first part of this project. I had only ever really learnt about the Victorians in primary school, so it was really good to extend my knowledge and learn about their fascination with death. I found the Victorians to be quite boring and dull at school, but there is a lot more to this era than I previously thought. I had never read a classic Victorian gothic novel, and this unit gave me an excuse to do so. I chose Wuthering Heights, and I absolutely loved it- I really enjoyed all of the research as well as the designing. I was fascinated by the section of the book where Cathy ‘haunts’ Heathcliff, and wanted to create a look that portrays a mid-way point between reality and how Heathcliff sees her- perfectly beautiful as she was before she died. I kept the look quite simple for the continuity assessment, but I am really happy with what I have created.

I was even more excited about the second part of this unit, creating my own characters to fit into a horror series. I chose to study American Horror story ‘freak show’, as it was completely twisted and very quirky. I have always loved the makeup design in American Horror story, so this was another factor that helped my decision. I initially had to force myself to watch it as I found it to be absolutely terrifying, but I have now begun to watch the other seasons as I enjoyed ‘freak show’ so much. I chose the characters Claudia and Quentin, with ‘red rave’ being my inspiring word for Claudia and ‘save us’ being Quentin’s.  In my design, Claudia was a neglected soul who had developed psychotic tendencies, and loved to torture her imaginary boyfriend, Quentin. I loved creating make-up and hair designs to portray this. I had so much fun with part of the unit. I loved the first part too, but I feel like we had so much more creative freedom with the second part.

I have really enjoyed the technical lessons with sue, too. I discovered that special effects is definitely my forte, I can’t wait to specialise in it next year and expand my skill set. This term has taught me that I definitely want to work in film and TV in the future. I found creating my own characters to be very exciting and I am proud of what I have achieved this term. I am very passionate about combining my love for theatre and art and can’t wait to continue doing so when I return next year.