documentation

I went to Arthur Barnett's to document the cosmetic store. I observed the lighting to replicate it in my film, there was of course no hint of anything natural, every thing is human construct not even any windows. the place is all design to manipulate the individual consumer, there is a huge sense of hierarchy  and authority there that creates a feeling of corporal intimidation which either makes you feel obliged to buy or leave. their cosmetic counter consultants (all Female) are dressed like scientists in white lab coats giving them a presence of medical importance and superiority. It was also amusing the amount of people i had  to ask before i was granted permission to photograph there.











                                                                                                                                              

shooting script

here is my very messy shooting script. It looks hard to follow but i understand it.

ehehehe Make up tests

I started with a white face paint base that was quite heavy and strong.I covered Seras eye brows too blanking them out as to make it seem that she had no brows just skin. when It dried it created a texture that was wrinkly and thick. then i applied make up on top of it that was a shade too dark for seras completion once it was applied and dried with eye liner i re drew her brows above her natural brow line. this gave her a freaky unnatural expression. her lips were whited out then painted the same way as before then over accentuated with heavy brown lip gloss. her eyes are over exaggerated too with false eye lashes. I'm trying to create the look of an over exaggerated cosmetic counter lady.

my draft for my short story that is my film plot.....

Dormant smiles, eyes closed for the day, hands in sequential pray with each other, stand statuesque on either side of their creation. Congruous and clone like, their lab coats pristine and snow white, their neon light buttons flicker into life zzzzzzt. Name tags are blank unidentified; painted skin with no apparent pump of a pulse; white high heels, with high ideals; white lips, white teeth, white lashes, white claws - all of these display their features accordingly.


Forty five shoes or forty five feet, a ring a ring a rosy, are intrically placed around this globe like sphere of matted clothes. This is their final product; this is what they have done; this is their creation. The hum of industrial white lights flutter into action and it is time to open shop. Unwinding back the time slowly of how it got to this point, unnaturally reversed, these poised ladies open their eyes. In sync they slowly start to peel back the mound. Starting at the feet pair by pair they place them orderly underneath the two empty cool sliver steel racks be hind them. There’s a tower of top hats. They strip it down, they return these too. Shred by shred they pick back the pile, shedding multiple coats, polyprops, tops, jerseys and pants. Stringy scarfs, leggings and panty hose are plucked from the mound like worms are from the soil by hungry birds. Slowly they pick away at it exposing parts of its next layer then come to a halt as they hit its bare tanned mantel. Reaching into their lab coat pockets they bring forth a spray bottle each and engulf the mantel in perfume creating a white fumey haze around it. Now it is time to be measured. They pick up the measuring tape that has been placed in front of them and pull it tightly around the mound; it seems to be going to plan. They now rip back the mantel revealing the outer core, a wire caged sphere. There’s a naked figure inside the cage that cant be fully made out. The excess mantel is folded neatly and tucked away behind the sphere. They now pull back the wire cage; they have reached the core. There she is curled up in a ball, silent, trusting . They then pull out the final item, the support mechanism, a spine from behind her; now they are left with step one: a naked canvas to impose on. They drift backwards to their starting positions, close their eyes, heads down, hands back in pray, waiting for shop to open.


I gave you these images to reverse this present display case. To show you what they have done and how it got to this point. After all it is we who have to be fed, we who feed them, we who are buried, we who are dressed. It is why we are so easily fooled by a uniform; the semiotics of authority are taken without question. This is the ritual that takes place.

Inspiring words from Eve Ensler

synopsis

here is a a brief out line for my film

two surreal cosmetic counter ladies stand on either side of a huge circular mound like creature made out of clothes. there are two empty clothe racks each symmetrically placed behind the ladies. they are praying in synchronicity bearing proud smiles.

the film is all shot in reverse to give it a surreal like quality. the opening shot that i have briefly described is in fact the last shot technically because the film is in reverse. Another reason for it to be shot in reverse is its meant to explain and unwind and break down the layers of how it got to this point in the opening shot.

as the film progresses the cosmo cosmetic counter laddies will begin to undress the mound but they were actually dressing the mound creature but in reverse it makes them seem like they are undressing there creation. As the ladies undress there creation in sync they put the clothes back on the racks layer by layer. under the many hats and coats there is even a human spine that is put back orderly but without getting into too much detail they eventually reach a circle like cage that is pulled apart like an egg shell. inside the cage is a naked girl curled up in a foetal position the cosmetic counter ladies return to their starting positions then the film will loop or switch from reverse to real time but speed up perhaps, then once they reach the opening shot go back to reverse. this process and ritual is symbolic of the layers of images and identities that get forced on women subconsciously by society at an early age makeing them forget their true selves.