Professional Make-up Project
Kate Garrett
Case Study - Sweeney Todd.
Here I have looked at musicals and how they have been interprited for stage and film/TV. I am looking for the key differences, if there are any, and what sort of impact the makeup has i.e. is it thickly applied or barely noticeable?
Sweeney Todd.
Charcater: Sweeney Todd
Here there are three interpritations on the character Sweeney Todd's apperance. The left one is Jeff McCarthy for a reccent theatre production then compared to the middle image which is of Len Cariou, who is the original cast member on broadway.
These two theatre makeups are completely opposite in a makeup asspect.
* They both have pale un warmed skin
* Cariou has very orangey/red, large, bold colouring around his eyes. Is this to represent his evil temperment?
* McCarthy's hair is alot greyer and shorter fitting in with the more contempoary hairstyles rather than historical accuracy
* Cariou's hair is alot longer, smoother, wave running throughout, more of a historical influence portrayed
Film's Interpritation.
* This has a historical influence that is noticeable
* Face looks more angular and less fuller
* Colours used make you feel uneasy about his character, grey around the eyes, hints around the nose and jaw line
* Hair looks very similar to Cariou's but with alot more movement and texture running througout
Impact on the audience.
Cariou : Here I feel he looks very friendly and is a happy temperment character due to his fuller more kept apperance. He has a almost ghostly quality from the paling out against the lights so the makeup is fighting its context slightly.
McCarthy : I visually connect with him in a way I would an older man in the street, he appears very contempoary looking and in a street context would not be out of place. However on stage I feel he personality could be more portayed visually.
Depp : He has a familiar almost friendly approach but from his skin and unatural coloured shadows make you feel untrustworthy of him which is more appropriate for his character and the film context.
Image 1.0 - Theatre vs Film Sweeney Todd
Character: Mrs Lovatt
Here I am comparing the main female role Mrs Lovett and interpritations of her in film and Theatre.
Theatres interpritation.
* The skin has been wrmed up not paled down
* Blood red colour used on the lips and strong bluch colour
* Styled hair but with a unkept and messy twist
* Heavy black eyes
* Old and weatherd skin
Films interpritation.
* An innocent feel about her apperance
* very pale almost white skin
* Sunken dark eyes with a more grey than black toned colour
* Very large and wild hair with a hint of childlike bunchies
Impact on the audience.
Theatre :
This is inital look at the character already makes you not trust her just by her apperance. The harsh colours and unblended eyes indicate to this untrusthworthy characteristics. Which fits in well with the theatre context.
Film :
Although she looks intally odd with such pale skin and un natural conoutring and colours used the more you look at her the more a childlike ressembalance is revealed very subtlty, this may be linked to her wanting a family as revelaed through the film.
Image 1.1 - Mrs Lovett Theatre
Image 1.2 - Mrs Lovett film
Visual comparison - Theatrical
Image 1.3 - modern interpretation of Sweeney Todd
Image 1.4 - modern interpretation lead characters
Image 1.5 - Drury Lane scene
Image 1.6 - Character close up
Image 1.7 - Mrs lovett and Sweeney Todd
Image 1.8 - School production
Image 1.9 - School production, leads
Visual comparison - Film
Image 1.10 - Street scene
Image 1.11 - Film still 1
Image 1.12 - Film still 2
Image 1.13 - Sweeney Todd Trailer
Here is a collection of images from stage productions of sweeney todd to give me an overall interpriation of how this musical has visually been adapted for stage. each production has a very different take on the characters and how to portray them yet there are common themes throughout such as Mrs lovett's inital un-nerveing impression.
The trailer above demonstrates how all the visual components work together and translate into the film. This is really good for me to identify how makeup should look and move on film. Below are still from the film. The whole film has a enhancement of the grey tones thoughout so this will affect how the makeup appears on film.