Claudia's Make-up in Dexter

I want Claudia's make-up look to be simple, yet feature aspects that show her character storyline. I thought that creating a bold make-up look would distract the audience from the most important parts. As a character, Claudia is not into wearing large amounts of make-up. She keeps everything very natural, because she does not want to draw any attention to herself. She wants her secret to be kept a secret and therefore does not want to stand out. 

A build up of sweat will also appear across her
forehead and in the front parts of her hair. This
will cause some of the hair to stick to the forehead.
I will use glycerin to create this and you a sponge
to apply this. After practicing this in class, I feel
confident in applying this and making it look
realistic. 

Using a flicking motion with a brush and also a small stippling sponge, I will apply fake blood to the face. I want this to look like it has come from the torturing of Mrs Laderman. This will also make the audience think about how Claudia and Dexter have tortured her. From looking at photos of blood splatters, the positioning is very random. This makes it look more realistic. Through using a brush and applying the blood randomly, I will hopefully achieve a realistic look. Applying the blood to the face will connect the two characters of Claudia and Mrs Laderman together and portray the storyline through the make-up. I want the whole look to be based around the blood on her face. Her eyes will be slightly red from both her hours of planning her revenge as well as her becoming mental. I want her to look like the psychopathic killer she really is. 

I wanted to create a fake cut on the side of Claudia's face. We were taught a technique to create this in class, however I found that this was sometimes rather tricky especially with the wax I had. It was sometimes hard to place it on the skin. Due to this I decided to try and find a new technique that I could try out. I came across this video that gave a step by step talk on how to create the cut. I tried this out and I found this a lot easier. This allowed me to come to the decision of using this technique in my final design of Claudia.

FAKE CUT - Video

References

BBC Blast (2010) How to fake a cut - theatrical horror make-up - by BBC blast. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-jdr1yQ8aI (Accessed: 29 March 2016).

Face charts - Claudia

As well as Mrs Laderman, I decided to create my face charts for Claudia. I knew that I did not want the look to feature much make-up. Her character is based more on her personality and the storyline, rather than how she looks. I do want her to be wearing some make-up, therefore I made sure that there was some aspects that conveyed her personality. In all of my designs she will be holding a bandage in her hand that will connect her and Mrs Laderman.

1. In my first design, I used a matte brown eyehadow and a darker brown in the crease. I did not want her to be wearing a lot of eye make-up but I wanted her to be wearing something natural. I want the focus to be on the red lips. The red conveys both her mischievous and evil side. I think this works really well with the overall look, which is both natural but also has a certain interest in it. I also want to add a small amount of splattered blood across the face from the ordeal with Mrs Laderman. I think would look really good when photographed and I really like the design.

2. In my second design, I have created a very natural look. I will use no foundation and just conceal certain areas of the face. I will add a pale red colour around the eyes to show tiredness. I want the main focus to be on the blood that is splattered on the face and the bandages that she is holding in her hands. When I photograph my look, I will feature on these main aspects and her expression rather than the make-up. Her character is not in to wearing large amounts of make up. I really like this design because I think it shows her character more rather than focusing on the make-up. I think the splattered blood will look really effective. 

3. This design features a lot more make-up than my other designs. I wanted to create a design like this to see what it would look like when using more make-up for her character look. I created a smokey eye to help show her mysterious and dark side. Again I featured a red lip that worked well with the smokey eye as well as conveying her evil side. To add something extra to the look, I added a small graze on the side of her lip where Mrs Laderman tried to get away and escape. Personally, I feel that this is my least favourite face chart design for Claudia. I do not feel that it portrays her character as best as it could even with the aspects I have included. I think I will use a red lipstick on the lips because it adds something quite mysterious to the look. 

4. In my final look I have created something similar to the look above, however the eye will not be as dark and will just feature a smudged liner or eyeshadow. I still want the make-up to look fresh and not that heavy therefore there will not be that much make-up on the face itself. Claudia's character is very natural and does not care too much about wearing lots of make-up. I do like this design however I feel that the look itself needs something dynamic about it, like the idea of adding splattered blood on the face. Featuring her hands holding a bandage will definitely add to the look, however I prefer my other designs more than this one. 

Face Charts - Mrs Laderman

After researching and planning my characters for the programme, I decided to design my face charts so that I have a better idea of how I want everything to look. I feel that when I complete my face charts, I have a set idea of what I am doing and feel a lot more organised. 

1. In my first face chart for Mrs Laderman, I wanted to create a look that featured Dexter's famous cut on the side of the face that everyone of his victim's receives. Due to Mrs Laderman being held hostage in in Claudia's flat, she will be sweaty and be very tired looking. The sweat will be across her forehead, dripping down her neck and above her lip. Her eyes will be red and purple from the lack of sleep and the pain she has had to endure. Her mascara will be smudged from crying. Her lips will also be bruised and slightly covered with blood. Around her neck will also be red and sore from where she has been bandaged up. I really like this look and think it will show my skills as a make-up artist as well as showing what I have learnt this year. The look is very complex, however I think it is effective in showing her storyline. I would think about not completing the red on the neck, because it may take along time to do and to a standard that I am happy with .

2. In my second design, I have completed something similar to the first design with the sweat on the face and the neck and the cut on the side of the face. I have added colour around the eyes, however made these more bruised looking by adding purples and blues to the eyes. I wanted to add props into my look, because I have never done this before. Across the mouth will be a bandage, which Claudia and Dexter will have put on her. I will also look at featuring her hands in the shot that will also be tied together with a bandage. My chosen word is 'Bandage' therefore this is how I will feature this. I really like this design and think it would look really good in photos. This look has less aspects to it than my first design, however I think that I will have to practice both to see which look I like the best. 

3.  In each design I have had to think about adding the feature of my chosen word 'bandage'. In this one I looked at placing the bandage across the eyes and photographing my character of Mrs Laderman in a chosen location and shooting her in the moment of her being held hostage. I feel doing this would make it more realistic to the audience. I would also feature a cut on the side of the face and add blood around the mouth and the nose. Due to the bandage being over eyes we would not be able to see the pain in her eyes, therefore I feel there needs to be added extra's on the face. I really like this design, however I feel that eyes show a lot in a photo and I want these to be visible. 

4. In my final design I wanted it to be simpler, but still to feature certain aspects. The bandage will still be featured, however it will be hanging around her neck as though it has been taken off her mouth or she has managed to loosen it and pull it down. She will have the cut on the side of her face and small grazes on her forehead and lips. She will also have very tired looking eyes. I would say that this is one of my favourite designs, because I feel that it shows what she has been through. I would also feature the hands which would be held together with bandages. I feel that all my designs are very in-depth however this is what I wanted to achieve. With no restrictions or time limits, I can create a very detailed look. 

Why Do People Become Psychopaths?

When thinking about why people become or are psychopaths, there must be something that has triggered their brains to make them act like this. Psychologists believe that they have been influenced more by nature rather than nurture. They have been effected more by their genes rather than their environment and what they have been taught by others. 

Psychopaths are thought to have varying personality traits which allows them to act and behave in such an extravagant way.
- Lack empathy
- Easily excited
- No fear
- Bad communication skills
- Increased amount of violent behaviour

All of these traits can cause a person to be more violent and partake in criminal behaviour. To have no empathy means that they do not care about anyone's feelings or what the effects of their actions can be. A psychopathic killer would essentially not believe that killing someone is wrong but more so they would not have empathy for the person or the people around them. To me it is clear that some people are more likely to become psychopaths than others, however I believe that something may have to happen in someones life for them to become so extreme in how they act.

I decided to look into why people become psychopaths and more about them, because my character of Claudia is a psychopathic killer. I wanted to see if there were any particular traits that could help me develop my character even further. The research I completed on this and the information I gained helped me to think about the personality Claudia and how I could think of the best storyline. 

References

Nauert, R. (2015) Why do people become Psychopaths? Available at: http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/03/17/why-do-people-become-psychopaths/12193.html (Accessed: 28 March 2016).

Victim Hairstyle Inspiration

As a victim of torture, they are not going to be looking perfect with neat hair and pristine make-up. I therefore knew that I was going to have to create a look that was slightly messy but yet still shows my skill as a make-up artist. I therefore decided to complete some research into hair and make-up for my character of Mrs Laderman who is the victim of both Claudia and Dexter. The images and research that I have found has inspired my final look  for Mrs Laderman. 

These three images really stood out to me when I was finding inspiration for my hair design. My character of Mrs Laderman has been kept in a room and been tortured. Due to this her hair would be messy and out of place. I decided to look for images that showed messy hair. Even though these images are fashion related and have been taken professionally, they still show the same style that I want to create. I will be backcombing the hair in random section to make it look less styled. At the front of the hair, I am going to add glycerin to the hair to look like sweat due to the sweaty environment she will have been kept in and add in fake blood to make it look even more realistic. 

I tried to get characer inspiration for my hairstyle from Dexter, however each character's hair is kept very neat and simple. I then tried to focus on looking at Dexter's victims. This was a lot harder, due to the hair being a small feature in each shot. The focus was on the actual victim and what Dexter was saying to them. This is why I then went on to find inspiration from other images online. 

Moodboard: Mrs Laderman

Mrs Laderman
In my moodboard for Mrs Laderman I have focused on influences of my chosen word 'bandage'. Mrs Laderman will come across as a very innocent yet powerful woman who sadly becomes the victim of Claudia and Dexter's evil ways. The word bandage is to be used in relation to her torture and the props that I will use when photographing and creating my character. Her appearance is normally very sophisticated and put together, however this will be disrupted by her being held hostage and tortured. She will become Claudia and Dexter's latest target when she sees something she shouldn't in Claudia's flat. 

TV Show/Theme Moodboard

In my moodboard that I have created to visualise the theme and mood of my characters, I have featured images that are related to Dexter as well as ones that are showing influence to my two characters and their storyline. For example, I have used images of the Miami map, a police badge and a set of flats. Dexter lives in Miami and works for the police department there. To show the theme and mood of my characters I have included a range of images. Both Dexter and Claudia are hiding secrets from friends and family. Claudia is a lot more reserved and quiet, however she has a secret love for horror as well as becoming a psychopath. 

Location Ideas

When creating a character it is important to think about every aspect. Location is key when you are photographing the characters as it brings together the whole profile. It should be relatable and bring everything together. When photographing our characters we can shoot just the make-up look or shoot the character on a location. I thought that it would be interesting to shoot on location for one of my characters as it is something I have never experienced doing. I feel that my character of Mrs Laderman would work best out of the two to shoot on location. 

She has been held hostage, therefore I am looking at shooting her in the room where she has been kept. I feel this would add an interest to the images and would help portray her character even more. I will either have her on a chair which she has been tied to, or have her sat down on the ground with her legs and hands tied together. I will have to make sure that the room is not too dark because I want the hair, make-up and styling to be visible. I may look at having just one light focused on her from above, however I will test this out to see what works best. I thought about shooting my character at a location, however I could not think of one that would work for my character. I feel that shooting her in a way that makes her seem like she is being held hostage is my best option. 

Claudia's character would be harder to shoot on location as nothing is completely relatable to her. I will focus on the styling, props and make-up for her character and not shoot at a specific location. 

Final Storyline

Dexter is successfully carrying on finding clues to his latest murder case, whilst also maintaining his secret life of a serial killer. Whilst leaving for work one day, he notices two new woman moving into his flat block. He greets them politely and asks where they are staying. Youngest of the two Claudia reveals that she is in fact Dexter's new neighbour and Mrs Laderman is living on the floor above. 

Living next to each other means that Claudia and Dexter see a lot of each other. They become close and realise they have a lot in common with all things horror. Dexter tells Claudia about his latest murder case in his job and is completely fascinated, however also feels comfortable informing her about his secret life. Whilst loving her new found friendship, she still visits Mrs Laderman every week to catch up. She tells Mrs Laderman about Dexter and how they seem to love the same things and have a lot in common. She is intrigued by this new friendship and begins to feel suspicious. Is it normal for two people to love horror, violence and blood as much as they do, whilst also maintaining an everyday life?

Mrs Laderman decides to visit Claudia one afternoon, but notices that her door is ajar. She calls her name from outside but there is no reply. Immediately she has the idea to enter her flat and see if there is anything in her suspicion of Claudia and Dexter's odd love. She sees no harm in looking and therefore enters the room. To her shock and surprise her suspicions are true. Claudia's flat is plastered with images of tortured victims and body parts, a number of objects lined up that could be used to torture the latest victim and images of the latest horror films that she has been watching. Its like a flat of a serial killer that certainly is not completely stable. Mrs Laderman is horrified and leaves without seeing anymore. Little did she know that Claudia saw her enter her flat. Mrs Laderman has now sadly become Claudia's next victim as she knows that she simply cannot have anyone knowing about this. Mrs Laderman decides to keep all this information to herself, however this is not enough.

For weeks Claudia and Dexter plan their revenge on Mrs Laderman, however she thinks that she has got away with it and tries to forget about what she saw. One day Claudia invites Mrs Laderman around to see her. Unfortunately, this is where Claudia and Dexter's revenge begins. She is kept in a dark room and her hands and mouth are bandaged. Dexter performs his signature cut on the side of the face. She is left there for days and endures the horrific torturing. The last we see of Mrs Laderman is a tired and tortured woman, who is still bandaged up. We will never know what the outcome was for this poor lady.  

Mood board: Claudia

To develop each of my characters further and to gain a better understanding of each one, I have created a moodboard which hopefully conveys the idea behind each character and how my chosen word is influencing this. 

Claudia
In my moodboard for Claudia I included images of how I want her to be perceived, influence of my chosen word and a basic idea of her storyline in Dexter. I feel that creating the moodboard allows me to visualise my character and help the audience gain a better understanding of them. Claudia has a very mysterious side that does not instantly come across to other people. She may seem quiet and shy but behind closed doors she has a secret. 
The influence of the word 'awakening' plays a part in her love for horror. When her friendship with Dexter develops she realises that they both have an obsession with violence, horror and gore. Her brain awakens to a range of ideas and thoughts that she had never been able to express. 

Character Descriptions

Claudia - Personality and looks
- Comes across as an innocent young girl
- Quiet, yet confident in herself
- Sly
- Mischievous
- Hidden personality that is not visible
- Psychotic 

- 20's
- Simple hair and make-up
- Tired eyes
- No interest in fashion - simple
- Doesn't draw attention to herself

My Interpretation
Having thought about the storyline and characterisation for Claudia, I have now come to a final conclusion of how I want her to be perceived. In any series, when a new character comes onto the scene they have to make an impact on the audience. I therefore knew that there had to be something unusual about her.  The idea to have her coming across as very quiet in the beginning will hopefully make the audience warm to her and have an interest in what she is actually like. Within a few episodes things will not appear as they seem and Claudia's true personality will be visible as we begin to see that she has a secret love for all things gore and horror. Her love for this will be shared with Dexter, who happens to live in the same block that she moved into. Slowly as the episodes progress, we see more of the psychotic side to her personality.  We see how she connects to a range of horror films and how she interprets the characters of these into her life somehow. Every programme will have a bad guy. For Dexter, this is Dexter Morgan. Claudia will become his side-kick and as a result plan the killing of Mrs Laderman. Claudia spotted Mrs Laderman looking into her flat and becoming aware of Claudia's love for all things horror and slightly odd. Claudia will be portrayed with little make-up and her personality will be conveyed through props. The scene in which she will portrayed will be after she has killed Mrs Laderman, therefore there will be blood present on her clothes and a bandage will be visible as this will be the method of killing. 

Mrs Laderman - Personality and looks
- Sweet
- Powerful
- Independent 
- Suspicious 
- Sly
- Secretive

- 40's 
- Sophisticated make-up
- Tied up hair
- Work attire 
- Feminine 

My Interpretation
I knew initially that I wanted Mrs Laderman and Claudia's friendship to be visible to the audience, therefore making them move to new apartments together the dependency that Claudia has on Mrs Laderman will be clear. Their friendship is true and Claudia does love her as she is the only connection that she has with the outside world. Mrs Laderman works a 9-5 office job and is very work-driven. She visits Claudia often and they spend a lot of time together. Their friendship is something that I would hope that the audience connect with and follow through the series. As Claudia begins to spend more time with Dexter, Mrs Laderman becomes suspicious about the things they get up to. One day she notices that Claudia's door is open and decides that there would be no harm in looking round her flat. When she enters she wishes she never did. In the apartment are dark and horrifying influences from recent horror movies and even images of Dexter's victims. She leaves quickly and returns to her apartment, however she is unaware that Claudia has seen her enter her flat and from then Mrs Laderman becomes the next victim. Mrs Laderman will be portrayed in her captured state and wrapped in bandages. Her make-up will be smudged and her hair astray. The scene in which she will be portrayed will be where she is being held hostage in Claudia's flat. She will look tired and there will be blood on her face and clothes from where they have cut her face. 

Research Into A Female Psychopath

Due to one of my characters acting as a psychopathic killer, I decided to research into female psychopathic killers to see if there was anything that I could add to my character or help develop it. 

It is known throughout psychology that most psychopaths are male, however both female and males have similarities and differences. It is known that male psychopaths are seven times more common than females. 

In society it is known that women have motherly instincts and are a lot more sympathetic. They show their emotions more than men do, therefore you are less likely to assume that a serial killer would be a woman. Unlike men, female crimes do not have a sexual element to it. Rape or sexual harassment is almost always committed by men. Research and experiments show that money or power is often the cause for them to commit.  In relation to appearance, serial killers often look like everyday regular people. They try to appear like a regular person that nobody would suspect. Their main aim is to blend in with society and not get noticed. In relation to my own character of Claudia who is a female psychopath, I do not want her wearing large amount of make-up that would make her stand out. I want her to appear very natural and plain, so that nobody would potentially pay that much attention to her as a person. 

Upbringing plays a large factor in delinquency in both males and females. Behaviour that is not acceptable in society today can often be seen from childhood. They begin to think it is okay to break the law and behaviour like stealing, aggression and drug abuse is acceptable to them. Soon these crimes become worse. Crimes like arson, burglary and even murder are now committed. Poor parenting is often a cause as well as living in a bad area  or receiving a poor education. Unfortunately, those who get caught end up in prison. 

References

decision-making-confidence (2006b) Female Sociopaths - different but just as dangerous! Available at: http://www.decision-making-confidence.com/female-sociopaths.html (Accessed: 17 March 2016).

The field guide to the female psychopath (1991) Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/insight-is-2020/201508/the-field-guide-the-female-psychopath (Accessed: 17 March 2016).

Initial Ideas Presentation

I have chosen to create character profiles for Claudia and Mrs Laderman. From beginning to watch Dexter I think that they will fit more into the current storyline and feel of the programme. To begin the designing process, I decided to create a mind-map with any ideas that came to mind. 

Tv Series
I have chosen to watch the American Tv series Dexter. After completing the make-up for a ghost character in my previous work I wanted to look at a programme that would allow me to complete a different style of a make-up. I have always wanted to watch this programme, therefore when realising that it was one of the options we could pick and watch, I knew immediately I had to choose it. It is set in Miami, USA and came out in October 2006. 

Audience Demographics
Dexter has an age demographic of 18-49 with total viewing figures for the final series reaching 2.23 million. I feel that Dexter appeals to a wide range of ages due to the variety of aspects featured throughout the series. The violence and horror that can be seen in the series means that the audience are not of a young range. Some may find it too intense and I would not recommend it for young children. Dexter incorporates both romance, action and crime which makes the large audience demographic understandable. I personally feel that with Dexter being the main character, the audience can follow his journey and get to know him as a character throughout the series as well as the suspense that follows each episode. 

First Character
For my first character I have chosen to incorporate Claudia into Dexter. I feel that she can easily fit into the storyline of the programme. She too has a very psychotic and suspicious personality, very similar to Dexter's. I want to take advantage of this and feel I could create a relationship between them both. I will make slight changes to Claudia, however I still want her to come across as eerie and mysterious to the audience. I want this to entice the audience to keep watching, so that they can learn more about her and get to know her personally. I however, think that I will make her slightly more confident so she can build up a relationship with Dexter. She will be connected to my second character of Mrs Laderman, as they will move to the same area together. Claudia only has an interaction with the outside world through Mrs Laderman. Therefore, when Mrs Laderman informs her that she is moving, Claudia is adamant that she has to come too. 

Key Word - Awakening
The word that I have chosen for my character of Claudia is awakening. I found it hard to pick a word that best suited the ideas that I had for her from the words we were given. I had a couple in mind that I wanted to choose, however when working more on her storyline and how she would fit in to Dexter, I decided on 'awakening'. I chose this word because I can incorporate it into her character role. I don't want to be limited on what I can do with the word, therefore I feel that 'awakening' can allow me to come up with a range of ideas. The first few ideas I have include - When she realises that both her and Dexter have similar interests, her mind awakens to the fact that she has finally found someone that she can connect with. This however is also a bad aspect as her mind is filled with horrifying ideas and desires from all of the films that she has seen and the manipulative mind of Dexter. I also want her to develop as a person and become more confident in herself. The next step I have is to finalise the character of Claudia and how the word will fit perfectly. 

Second Character
For my second character, I am going to introduce Mrs Laderman to the storyline. My initial idea is to have her move to the same area where Dexter lives. It just so happens that she moves into the same building as him. They will become friends over time, but he will become closer to Claudia after they realise they have similar interests in horror and gore. I am looking at making Mrs Laderman a victim. For Mrs Laderman I will need to develop a storyline and how she is perceived to the audience. I feel that making her seem vulnerable and innocent will allow the viewers to connect to her. Due to her being in her 40's and the age demographic of Dexter being 18-49, I feel this will appeal to the audience because she will be of a simple age to some of the viewers.  

Key Word - Bandage
The key word that I have chosen for Mrs Laderman is bandage. I chose this word because it already connects to aspects of Dexter. When he kills his victims he often wraps them to a table with cling film so that they are unable to move. He also cuts the right side of the victims face. These two aspects all connect to the word 'bandage'. I want to make Mrs Laderman the victim therefore I could incorporate 'bandage' into the killing or how she appears afterwards. This word has inspired me to look at other horror film characters and to also look at the make-up. For the next stage of my designing process, I will begin to make face charts for my character and look into the make-up and styling that fits best. I will also look at other influences from photographs and other victims of crime from Tv programmes and films to see if I can find any inspiration. 

References

Home (2012) Weekly averages. Available at: http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/dexter-season-seven-ratings-24893/ (Accessed: 16 March 2016).

Media analysis # 2 – Dexter (2012) Available at: http://www.karanovic.org/courses/mca006/2012/10/27/media-analysis-2-dexter/ (Accessed: 16 March 2016).

Personality Traits of a Psychopathic Killer and Victim

Psychopathic Killer
- Possesive
- Controlling
- Hide real identity - try to appear as normal as possible
- Don't ever believe that they are wrong
- Impulsive 
- Aware of everything around them
- Little emotions
- Skilled
- At first appear kind and normal to potential victim, however change over time
- Enjoys seeing other people in pain

Victim
- Becomes attached easily
- Denies everything
- Blames others
- Easily influenced by others
- Little confidence
- Easily manipulated
- Strong emotion - empathy
- Believes peoples lies


References

Anonymous (1998) Sanctuary for the abused: How a psychopath conditions his victims. Available at: http://abusesanctuary.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/how-psychopath-conditions-his-victims.html (Accessed: 16 March 2016).

Personality traits in victims (2016) Available at: http://www.sociopathicstyle.com/personality-traits-in-victims/ (Accessed: 16 March 2016).

Season 1 Current Main Characters Of Dexter

Dexter Morgan
Dexter Morgan is the leading character of the series. The programme focuses on his life as a forensic analyst who specialises in blood splatter analysis. His job enables him to learn the tricks of the trade and how never to get caught. Before killing his victim he slices their cheek and keeps everything very clean and neat. Dexter is able to have contact with criminals who have escaped the justice system. He takes it upon himself to torture the victims and explain why they are to be his next kill. His secret life of a psychopathic killer is kept a secret from family and friends, therefore appearing completely normal to them. 


Rita Bennett
Rita and Dexter meet through Debra, Dexter's sister. Her past relationship was abusive and violent, therefore leaving her cautious and weary of any future relationships. There is an instant connection between Dexter and her, however she is still shy around him and finds it hard to trust anyone. Gradually, their relationship builds and she becomes more confident. She believes everything that Dexter tells her, but little does she know that he is a serial killer. He uses her past to become close to her and makes her believe that he is a loving and caring man. 

Sgt. Angel Batista
Batista works in the same Miami police department as Dexter and his sister. Both him and Dexter work together at crime scenes to find evidence and to hopefully find the killer. During the season, he does not play a large role, however his calming and positive nature makes the audience warm to him. Him and Dexter have built up a close relationship since working together, therefore Batista is often found confiding in Dexter about current situations in his life. 




Debra Morgan
Morgan is the adopted sister of Dexter and is technically her only family member. She too is part of the Miami police department and was inspired to join when her father Harry died. She is an extremely confident character and takes great care in looking after her friends and Dexter. Even though Dexter and her have an extremely close relationship, she is unaware like everybody else that he lives a secret life. 

Harry Morgan
Harry Morgan is Dexter adoptive father and Debra's biological father. He too was a member of the Miami police department, however died when Dexter and Debra were young. He is not in the programme as a physical person, however he does appear as a voice to Dexter. When Dexter was younger, Harry realised his love for murder and therefore created 'The Code' to help Dexter deal with this obsession and to help him understand when it was acceptable to kill.





References

Dexter Morgan (character) (2015) Directed by E de l’espace http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0026519/bio (Accessed 15 March)

Rita Morgan (character) (2015b) Directed by E de l’espace } .http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0026520/bio (Accessed 15 March)

Lt. Angel Batista (character) (2015b) Directed by E de l’espace } .http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0026524/bio (Accessed 15 March)

Debra Morgan (character) (2000) Directed by E de l’espace } .http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0185890/bio (Accessed 15 March)

Harry Morgan (character) (2015b) Directed by E de l’espace } .http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0026522/bio (Accessed 15 March)

Chosen TV Series: Dexter

Dexter is an American TV series that was first broadcast in 2006. It continued until 2013, when it was announced that the eighth series was to be the last. Its key genre influence come from crime, action and mystery, with elements of drama and romance too. Originally written as books by Jeff Lindsay, creator and director James Manos Jr adapted the novels for television. Sometimes playful and often dark, the series focuses on full-time forensic scientist Dexter Morgan, who doubles as a full-time psychopathic killer. Dexter satiates his thirst for blood by killing those in society he believes have slipped through the justice system, but deserve repercussions for their wrongdoings.  From watching the series we learn that Morgan's mother was brutally murdered when he was only three years old. Miami policeman, Harry Morgan adopts Dexter and thus learns about his homicidal thoughts and his psychopathic tendencies. This is therefore where Dexter learns the tricks of the trade and begins his secret life of a killer. 

Throughout its time, Dexter was nominated for a variety of awards. In 2011 it was nominated for the best TV series, best actor and best actress in a supporting role, however in 2010, Michael C. Hall won a Golden Globe for best performance in a TV series. 

References

Dexter (2006) Directed by johnnybangs .

Dexter awards (2013) Available at: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=dexter+awards&oq=dexter+awards&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i65j69i59j69i60.4122j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 (Accessed: 14 March 2016).

Introduction to Claudia, Quentin and Mrs Laderman

Claudia

Claudia is in her twenties and was left alone as a child with no parental guidance. She was not able to learn to difference between right and wrong. With little direction she developed an unhealthy relationship with horror films and believed life to actually be this way. Through watching a range of films she would model herself in appearance on the main character of the film that she was currently watching. Claudia is described as psychotic, yet believes everything she is doing is normal. She is living in a world of her own. 

Quentin

Quentin is Claudia's imaginary boyfriend. Claudia has always seen Quentin as a disappointment to her. He visits her regularly and they are always speaking on the phone. Due to him being imaginary, she changes his appearance to suit her current mood. He is just into horror films as she is and is the thing that they most share in common. Claudia however is paranoid that Quentin is having multiple affairs with other women. Due to these beliefs, she sometimes restrains him and keeps him prisoner in her room. 

Mrs Laderman

Mrs Laderman is Claudia's neighbour and is in her forties. She has a range of alter egos that she changes into. Claudia confides a lot in Mrs Laderman and sees her as a true friend. She is Claudia's only link to the outside world. There is a suspicion that she has designs on Quentin, when in fact she actually has designs on Claudia.  

For the second part of this unit, I will be taking two of these characters and adapting them to fit into my chosen Tv series that already has a storyline and particular types of characters. 

Light Scars Using Moulds

In todays technical lesson with Sue she showed us another method in which we could create scars and cuts. These would be pre-made already using a mould and then you apply this to the skin. The process of creating the scar or cut is longer, but it takes less time to make it look as realistic because you don't have to create the actual wound. Scars and cuts made from moulds are used a lot in the film and TV industry because they are useful for continuity as you achieve the same look every time.

Creating the scar
- Melt the gelatine and then pour this into the pre-made mould
- Coat the mould in talcum powder so that the gelatine does not stick to the mould

Health and safety
When using these products it is important to be thinking about your clients health and safety at all times. For this in particular you should ensure that the client shuts their eyes if you are creating the wound near this area. Keep asking your client if they are okay and beforehand ask if they have any allergies. 

Products used
- Pros aide
- Pro clean
- Witch Hazel
- Loose powder
- Cotton buds
- Brushes
- Cotton pads
- Supra colour palette
- Blood
- Alcohol

Cut
- You can remove any jagged edges to the mould so that it looks better on the skin
- Apply glue to the back of the cut and to the skin. Wait for these to go clear before you place the mould on the skin otherwise the white colour of the wet glue will appear through the mould
- Place the mould on the skin and press firmly so that it is completely stuck to the skin
- Take the witch hazel on a cotton bud and blend the edges of the mould outwards. This will allow it to blend into the skin more. 
- Once blended apply translucent powder to this to remove any shine
- Using the supra colour palette begin adding colour to the cut.
- It is best to build up the colour, therefore start with paler reds and pinks and then gradually get darker. Apply a dark red on the cut itself so that the blood looks more realistic on top of this. 
- Ensure that you cover other areas of the skin to make it look even more realistic
 - Add blood to the mould and dab over outer areas

- To remove, use pro clean - takes glue off the skin 

Reflection
Overall, I was fairly happy with my moulded cut. I found that applying a firm pressure to the mould when first placing on the skin is very important. I thought that I was pressing down with a hard pressure however some of the mould did come away from the skin.  Thankfully I could just cut this away and it didn't effect the overall outcome.  Using the witch hazel to blend the edges worked really well on some areas. However on the areas that were thicker, the blending was not that good and made the edge visible to the eye. This was frustrating however I looked at adding more colour to this area to darken it which when completed I found to be fairly successful. I thought that the colours I used were realistic and it didn't look too fake. Adding the blood brings everything together and completes the wound. Through practicing cuts for my final design, I have found that adding a darker colour to the cut itself before hand makes the blood look better. Placing the blood not just on the cut but around it in random places adds to the realism. I really enjoyed using a mould and feel that it would be extremely useful in the industry as well as being quick for time. If I were to create more cuts again for a look I would definitely think about using a mould. If I were to complete this again I would look at adding even more varieties of colour and splattering the blood more. 

Continuity Assessment #2

I have completed my second assessment for my character profile. I was focusing on the continuity from my first look to this one. I knew this assessment would therefore be harder, however after already completing it once it would be easier to remember. I had also created a set of continuity notes that I would follow and my images from the first assessment. 

When I came into my assessment I set up all of my products at my station and stuck my photos and face charts on the mirror in front of me. I could therefore easily see what I was working from. At the side I then placed my continuity notes and referred back to these during my assessment. My images were not of the best quality and the colours were not realistic and true to how my character's make-up looked in person. This was frustrating, because I could not fully copy from my images. I had thankfully taken photos on my phone from the first assessment which I had to use and refer back to. Due to this I found achieving similar colours on the cut and the eyes harder, however I tried my best and kept looking in the mirror and at the photos on my phone. When completing the cut I added the colours bit by bit and made sure that I gradually got darker. I also tried to ensure that it was the same size and that the colour around the cut was bought out to the same place. I feel like I achieved this fairly well. From comparing my photos I noticed that the cut was slightly darker. The hardest part of my make-up look was the dark contour on the cheeks. I tried to build up the colour, because this would make it easier to blend and I could add more if I wanted. I don't feel that it comes out as well on photograph as it looks slightly unblended. I was still pleased with this and just simply preferred how it looks in person. I finished the look by discolouring the lips and changing my model into a white shirt. I also checked the hair and added more talcum powder into the roots, because some of the colour had been lost throughout the process. 

Reflection
In general I am really pleased with how my assessment went. For a first attempt at looking at continuity, I feel like I did a really good job. There are a few things which I think I could have made look even more similar. For example the cut from the second assessment is slightly darker in colour, however I am really pleased with the positioning of it because this was something I was worried about. When completing the look for a second time, I made sure that I kept looking back at my photographs for the positioning's and sizes of each aspect. For the cut I held a photo up to the side of my models face to see where it started and finished and the angle of it. I also did the same for the make-up around the eyes and the lips. I found this to be really helpful. I also think that the black eyeshadow on the cheeks is slightly darker and larger in size. I feel that more blending would have helped this. I think that my character make-up look was very detailed and there were a lot of aspects to it. Due to this I feel like I definitely did better than what I expected. I found that copying from photographs taken on the camera, did not give the best likeness to the make-up in person. For me personally, my photos printed out a lot brighter than they actually were and some of the colours were not completely visible. Before I started my second assessment, I informed Sue of this and she was very understanding. I therefore found it harder to copy from these photos because they were not of a high quality. Thankfully, I had taken photos on my phone that I also related back to when completing the assessment for the second time. In the photos above I also feel that they make the make-up look slightly darker than how it looked in person.  I was worried about timings in my second assessment, however I completed it in a similar time to the first time. I could remember everything that I did from the first assessment, and I kept going back to my continuity notes to help me.