What the Dickens?

For MSF109: Styling for Stage, Screen and Television we have been given a project based upon Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. To complete the brief we need to design and create a look for both Miss Havisham and Estella. 

To help get us kick started into the project we had a guest seminar with Kate Benton; Hair and Makeup designer for TV and Film and co-founder of PAM London. She showed us how to apply HD lace wigs as well as a number of techniques to create ageing makeup. It was lovely to meet Kate and to get an insight into how professionals work in the real world.

For my Miss Havisham design I think I will plan to make her look younger than she is quite often depicted. While her poor living conditions and malnutrition will have an obvious effect on her appearance, we mustn't forget that she isn't actually that old. 

While I'm more interested in the fashion and beauty side of the industry, I look forward to doing this project and getting to experiment with character makeup.  

To get myself in the mindset of the time period, I re-watched the 2011 BBC adaptation of Great Expectations, which happens to be my favourite version of the story. 
Here is the trailer. 


I prefer contemporary adaptation and I feel this BBC version does Dicken's story justice.
In particular I loved Gillian Anderson's portrayal of Miss Havisham, not only was the hair, makeup and styling on point, her acting really helped to create a believable character. It is important to remember that no matter how amazing the hair and makeup is, if the acting is bad then the character will not be successful, and vice versa as well.