Dramatic Contexts
By Kate Garrett
Case Studies.
Curious Case of Benjamin Button
2008
For this film there was 57 people that made up the makeup team, they created, made and applied the ageing prosthetics and wigs that created Brad Pitt's character Benjamin Button. I have focused on his charcter as I want to study old age makeups before designing my own.
My view on the sculpt.
I like the layers of wrinkles that follow the way the skin has been dragged by gravity over time and that is no area that looks too over or under textured as it isn't really obvious it looks very realistic.
I like the focus of the frown lines around the top of the nose makes me think he has been enquistive and pulled harsh faces as much as he has smiled (indicate by the depth of the crows feet. The whole face is very symmetrical but not identical giveing it tha appearance that he has aged and not that it has been placed and sculpted out.
Figure 10.0
Age sculpt of brad pitt: The curious case of benjamin button
Vincent Van Dyke age makeup applied by Thom Floutz
It shows the silicone piece uncoloured, coloured, hair applied and applied to the model. You can see the build up of work needed after the casting process and how alot of the shadows and highlights are obvious before even placing any colour, this is because of a good sculpt and a good mold.
Even though I am not going to make my sculpt into a prosthetic piece again I thought it was improtant to look at an example of the stages of colouring and applying if it was to be cast out. This may influence factors of my sculpt if I had any skin conditions that would be visiable and I would need to forward think to how it should appear in the final result.
Figure 10.2
Before and Afters.
Here I have chosen some images of actors before and after old age makeup looking at a range of ethnicities and ages; these factors are very important as different types of skin react to daily, enviromental and lifestyle factors. I think studying others makeup will show me the depth I need to be aiming for when sculpting myself.
Influencing my work.
I am only creating myself around 60 so the first and third set of images are too aged for where I am aiming but it is good to see the development and how even with heavy wrinkle and folds in the skin how people look similar even when such a dramatic makeup is used. Which is equally important as I still want people to recognise the sculped piece as me.
Figure 10.3 Figure 10.4
This is Alexander Siddig aged to look 100 years old for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode. The makeup has been done by Michael Westmore's team at paramount.
I think this make-up looks very heavy and harsh on the face from this image it seems there are very deep furrows and then lots of small lines but not many of the medium between the two, so when I look at it I feel that something isn't quiet right.
Figure 10.5 Figure 10.6
This is a transformation done by Todd McIntosh for a Jaoanese beer advert.
I love the attention to detail in the make-up the little veins on the forehead and the folds in the skin breaking up the jawline. However I don't really like the area around the in eyes, the nose looks like it has come in too small at that point in comparison to the rest of the face the proportions don't look right in my opinion.
Figure 10.7 Figure 10.8
Gordon Tootoois was turned into a century old native american by Gordon Smith for Legends of the Fall.
I love this transformation I think the wat that you can still see Gordon Tootis within this make-up, the wirnkles and dropped jowles and much more subtle compared to the others I have looked at but I think it looks the most natural out of this collection.
Figure 10.9 Figure 10.1.0
Tony Leung has been aged by Matthew Mungle.
I think the way they have kept his ethnicity through the make-up and aged him works really well, it is the subtlest look I have looked at but the impact it has is one of the best , in my opinion.
Figure 10.1
Brad Pitt in aged prosthetic pieces
Figure 10.1.1
Still from the film
How this is going to influence me.
Being very new to sculpting my main focus is to try and make it look as natural as possible rather than looking like I have hacked away at it. I am going to try and make an element of my personality to be the focus as I feel this piece has, I want to empahsis the lines and wrinkles created from a happy person to show my personality through my sculpt. I want to try this layering technique to produce a texture that looks so natural on my piece that is similar to this.
Text Key:
Purple - how it will influence me
Blue - My opinion
Black - Fact