Claudia and Quentin evaluation

      I liked this second project much more than the first. The brief seemed quite confusing, and I did not feel like I would have much scope to work with my characters as they were already so detailed. I chose to work with the TV series ‘Being Human,’ which I absolutely loved, and as soon as I began creating backstories for my characters, I was engrossed. I had to bend a couple of the character details, for example making Quentin a ghost, rather than imaginary, in order for it to fit in with the series. I did not find that the keywords I chose to inspire my characters helped very much – it seemed that they limited my ideas even more. I researched real-life ideas of ghosts and vampires, and also the series’ demographics, settings and why it was so successful; it was important that I considered these aspects in order to create characters that could fit in well with the show.

      I presented my ideas to my peers, and received constructive feedback. I decided to make Quentin more interesting; he would be a character who died in the 70’s, and so is stuck with typical 70’s clothes and music taste. I also realised I needed to incorporate more special effects so that I could demonstrate my make-up skills, so I gave him a previous relationship which had been abusive, leaving him with scars on his face. For Claudia, a vampire, I decided her thirst for blood would make her even more insane, showing this through make-up and hair by contrasting her original doll-like appearance with dirt, scratches and messy, greasy hair.

      I practised using Tuplast and glycerin to perfect the special effects skills required for these looks. I chose models who would fit with the series and with my designs, and sourced suitable clothing. In creating the final looks, I worked safely and hygienically, and was pleased with the outcomes.