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Week 1 - My Given Roles for this Project: Performer & Hair and Make-up

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Week 1 - My Given Roles for this Project: Performer & Hair and Make-up

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Yellow - Performer work. Green - Hair & Make-up.

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Week 1 - My assigned roles + responsibilities

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Week 1 - My assigned roles + responsibilities

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My assigned roles (and responsibilities)

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Why does creating a backstory for a character help a performer

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Why does creating a backstory for a character help a performer

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Your characters motives, behaviour and thoughts are all followed with a backstory and can determine the reaction (gives depth to the story and helps the actor fully embody themselves into it)

For actors, creating a backstory is like weaving the threads of a character’s past. It makes their performance more authentic and convincing. This essential skill helps delve deep into the character’s history, emotions, and motivations. (Chelsea, 2023)

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Before the start of week 2, all performers were given the task of making a monologue for 2 roles (One that is recommended individually to us, and one of your choice) taking inspiration from the therapy scene and making an introduction of the character with the use of information given in the script. This was then followed by recording a SELF-TAPE for our 2 roles using the monologues we had created and send it to our Assistant Managers and our tutor. I was given the recommendation of trying the character "Jasmine" and I chose to also try "Lena".

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In Jasmine's monologue, the script provided valuable insights into her character that allowed me to explore her quirky habit more deeply and understand why she engages in it. I made use of her self-description, particularly how she strives to stay positive even in negative situations—like when she talks about herself and her emotions. I also incorporated her choice to wear mismatched shoes, stemming from an embarrassing fall. These elements helped me portray her humorous side, telling her story in an awkward, yet lighthearted manner, while also revealing her vulnerability. Her habit of wearing mismatched shoes is, in part, a way to mask her anxiety about the possibility of falling again. By making her shoes a distinctive feature, she believes that any future fall will go unnoticed, with attention diverted to her mismatched footwear instead. I used this to answer the question, "Why is Jasmine so afraid of being judged?" by exploring how attention affects her and why she dislikes things going wrong, especially when it leads to others potentially forming judgments about her.

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Similar to Jasmine, the script provided a wealth of information that allowed me to explore Lena's feelings about her dependency on her pet fish. I approached Lena’s portrayal differently from Jasmine, opting for a more relaxed and awkward physicality, wearing a comfier outfit and avoiding engaging too much with others. When Lena talks about her habit, she struggles to accept that it's unhealthy. The script suggests that she is in denial about the severity of her behavior, so in my monologue, I aimed to show that while Lena is aware of the unhealthy nature of her habit, she feels trapped and helpless, as if there's nothing she can do to change it.

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Week 2 - Script read-through with given roles

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Week 2 - Script read-through with given roles

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Once the Assistant Directors had a look at my SELF-TAPES, I was notified to look at Marla's lines instead for the upcoming lesson to have a script read-through. After this session I was designated the role of MARLA. The feedback that I was given is that they liked how I portrayed 'Jasmine', however, they thought it would work more effectively with Marla (the host of the group therapy sessions).

Some feedback I was given by my tutor is to make sure

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Techniques I will use to help line learning and to help get into character

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Techniques I will use to help line learning and to help get into character

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Philip Woods "7 steps of owning the journey"

This is my favourite technique to use for developing any character. I used this technique in my previous module 'Acting for Camera' and I feel this really helped me get an understanding of the character (s) and the tone of the scene and a visual of the setting. This helped me get comfortable for getting comfortable before our first rehearsal altogether.

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Her personality and Physical description

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The amount of crystals she carries with her is based on the members of the group (Jasmine, Lena, Max, Elliot, and Walter)

What is the symbolisation for this? - By carrying these five crystals, Marla is physically embodying the energy and emotional states of her therapy group. Each crystal represents a different member’s journey, and by having them with her, she feels a deeper, almost spiritual connection to her clients’ experiences. This helps her remain grounded and aware of the different emotional dynamics at play within the group. It’s a reminder of her responsibility to hold space for each of them.

Why she does this: Marla, as a natural leader and wise woman, would want to stay attuned to the emotions and challenges of each group member. The crystals help her remember that her role is not just to be a therapist but also a conduit for their healing process. Grounding and protection - Marla, as a therapist, likely carries a lot of emotional weight from her clients’ struggles, which can be draining. The crystals, especially those like Black Tourmaline and Amethyst, could serve as tools to help her stay grounded and protected from absorbing negative emotions or becoming overwhelmed. In this sense, the crystals are more than just symbolic—they are protective talismans that keep her emotionally centered and resilient.

Why she does this: Marla, despite her wisdom and leadership, is still human. She needs a way to protect herself from the emotional intensity of the work she does. The crystals act as a form of self-care, helping her preserve her emotional wellbeing while she helps others

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Includes DOB, Hobbies, Status, early life, education, her turning point and why she chose to become a therapist

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Inspiration for my character Marla; Jean Milburn

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Inspiration for my character Marla; Jean Milburn

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"Jean Milburn" influenced Marla's independence trait

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Props - Summary of how these crystals serve Marla

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Props - Summary of how these crystals serve Marla

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1. Amethyst – Represents spiritual growth, clarity, and wisdom, helping both Marla and her clients find emotional balance and deeper understanding.

2. Black Tourmaline – Offers grounding and protection, shielding Marla from absorbing negative energies while allowing her to be a strong, stable leader for the group.

3. Rose Quartz – Encourages self-love and compassion, both for Marla and her clients, and provides emotional healing and calmness.

4. Citrine – Supports confidence and personal empowerment, reminding Marla and the group to embrace their potential and keep a positive outlook, even in challenging times.

5. Selenite – Provides spiritual clarity, mental focus, and energetic purification, ensuring that Marla’s guidance remains pure, clear, and unburdened by negativity.

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Inspiration for my character Marla; Dr. Jennifer Melfi

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Inspiration for my character Marla; Dr. Jennifer Melfi

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"Dr.Jennifer Melfi" influences Marla's humour, wisdom and leadership traits

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I wanted to ensure that Marla's first lines introduced her as confident and articulate. Since she opens the scene, I wanted her first line to carry real impact and setting the tone for the scene.

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Techniques I will use to help line learning and to help get into character

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Techniques I will use to help line learning and to help get into character

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Uta Hagen's "6 Steps"

This technique helped me focus a bit more on character development and help me explore my characters physical descriptions and backstory and personality development.This benefitted me with giving myself a motive during my scene, remembering what my characters motive is.

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I wasn’t present for our group’s first rehearsal, so I missed the chance to collaborate with my team and observe what aspects of the scene were working or not. However, I did attend the second rehearsal, where we had the opportunity to explore the therapy scene together. This really helped us all get a better sense of how the scene should flow. I’ve found that learning lines can be challenging for me, I can’t simply read and memorise them. I need to physically run through the scene with the rest of the group multiple times. Repetition helps me understand my cues, build confidence in my delivery, and become more comfortable with when and how I enter the scene. I think we could have done with more time on rehearsals but the time I got with my team before production week was enough to feel like we were ready.

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Why Hair & Make-Up is important for film

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Why Hair & Make-Up is important for film

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The actors that needed to fill out the form; This was to prevent any allergic reactions to products we would be using on the actors hair and face.

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Allergy Form for Actors to fill out (page 2)

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Allergy Form for Actors to fill out (page 2)

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Allergy Form for Actors to fill out (page 3)

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Allergy Form for Actors to fill out (page 3)

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Week 2 - Lena's Hair & Makeup (opening apartment scene)

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Week 2 - Lena's Hair & Makeup (opening apartment scene)

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How we will do Hair & Make-Up and what we will need

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How we will do Hair & Make-Up and what we will need

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Use of Abbie's hair tools for hairstyles

Actors to bring their own make-up

Purchase (with use of budget): eyeshadow brushes, and a cleaner to clean the brushes during use for each actor

purchase (with use of budget): hairspray for each hairstyle to keep in place

purchase (with use of budget): stickers for Elliot's face and hair bobbles

actors to bring their own use of make-up remover if needed

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Week 2 - Draft Idea of Hair & Make-Up for each character

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Week 2 - Draft Idea of Hair & Make-Up for each character

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document with each character ideas

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Allergy form for Actors to fill out (page 4)

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Allergy form for Actors to fill out (page 4)

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Week 2 - Lena's Hair & Make-Up (Therapy scene and apartment scene followed after therapy scene)

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Week 2 - Lena's Hair & Make-Up (Therapy scene and apartment scene followed after therapy scene)

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Week 2 - Inspo for Lena's Hair & Make-Up

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Week 2 - Inspo for Lena's Hair & Make-Up

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Rue from the series "Euphoria"

I think Lena's character shares a lot of similarities with Rue from Euphoria. One of the first things that came to mind was her appearance. Rue’s hair always looks like it has a mind of its own, which I think really reflects what’s going on inside her head. I tried to bring that same idea Lena's character, with hair that isn’t overly styled, just left natural to show a bit of chaos and emotion. Like Rue, Lena wears minimal makeup and has that tired-eyed look, which hints at everything she’s dealing with mentally. It’s subtle, but it says a lot about where she’s at emotionally. Rue’s appearance always symbolises her mindset, and that inspired me to do the same with Lena. I also remembered that Rue goes to therapy in the show, and that really stuck with me — it helped shape the idea of Lena being in a similar space, trying to work through things but not always knowing how.

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Week 2 - Inspo for Marla's Hair & Make-Up

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Week 2 - Inspo for Marla's Hair & Make-Up

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Naomi from "Wolf of Wall Street"

My actor’s character shares several traits with Naomi from The Wolf of Wall Street, especially in the way she presents herself. Like Naomi, she takes pride in her appearance and always makes sure to look put together. Her physical presentation is a reflection of her inner need to feel in control. She likes to feel organised, and that shows in the way she carries herself. Her hair and makeup are always done with care, giving her a polished, sophisticated look that mirrors Naomi’s style. It’s not just about vanity; it’s about creating an image of strength, confidence, and precision.

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Hair - Slick back ponytail​

Simple and tidy​

Emphasises her guarded and controlled nature

Make-Up

Simple and natural make-up that focuses on the eyes​

Her face is normally covered​

Use of product to brighten eyes​

Rosy colour on lips​

Enhancing natural features without drawing attention​

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Week 2 - Lena's Hair & Make-Up (Lakeside scene, day and night)

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Week 2 - Lena's Hair & Make-Up (Lakeside scene, day and night)

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Week 2 - Inspo for Jasmine's Hair & Make-Up

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Week 2 - Inspo for Jasmine's Hair & Make-Up

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Euphoria characters

Jasmine is similar to the characters in Euphoria because, like them, she uses bold and creative makeup as her main form of self-expression. Just like Jules, her emotions and identity come through most clearly in how she does her makeup. Bright eyeshadow, glitter on the eyes and cheeks, and artistic designs all help her communicate what she’s feeling when words don’t. It’s more than just a look, it’s a statement. Her style embraces unconventional beauty, and through her makeup, she creates her own rules and lets her personality shine in a way that’s confident, expressive, and unapologetically bold.

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Hair

Buzz cut look​

Give him a blank canvas​

Give him a playful new way to express himself​

Low maintenance style

Make-Up

No make-up​

Very subtle​

Stickers (labels) on his face as the main focus​

Use of concealer and blush​

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Week 2 - Inspo for Walters Hair & Make-Up

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Week 2 - Inspo for Walters Hair & Make-Up

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Walter shares a lot of similarities with Rodrick from Diary of a Wimpy Kid, especially in terms of style and attitude. Like Rodrick, they have an edgy, bold look that instantly gives off a sense of rebellion and defiance. The way they wear their hair and use makeup isn’t about looking polished — it’s a reflection of their inner struggles and resistance to fitting in. Their appearance sends a message, but not because they care about how they’re seen; in fact, much like Walter, looking good isn’t a priority for them. Instead, their style is more of an unspoken expression of what they’re dealing with internally — messy, raw, and real.

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Update for Lena's hair during therapy scene

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Update for Lena's hair during therapy scene

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We decided for Lena's hair to change from the messy low bun to a plait for continuity purposes. Due to the actor having long hair, we were concerned that during filming the scene, the messy bun would fall out or the direction of hair may change, and then her hair would look different in different clips during editing

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Makeup trial run with the actors to experiment with styles and techniques

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Makeup trial run with the actors to experiment with styles and techniques

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Jasmine exploration

We first started off with trying a mismatch look on both eyes (blue and pink with the opposite colour for liner and added gems) and then we explored with some green which me and my team preffered with the actors complexion

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We decided for Lena to have 2 plaits for the therapy scene due to continuity.

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Production Week - Marla's Hair & Make-Up

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Production Week - Marla's Hair & Make-Up

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Production Week - Jasmines Hair & Make-Up

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Production Week - Jasmines Hair & Make-Up

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Production week - Maxine's Hair & Make-Up

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Production week - Maxine's Hair & Make-Up

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We scrapped the face mask and stuck to sunglasses and a scarf around her face to cover herself

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Production Week - Walter's Hair & Make-Up

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Production Week - Walter's Hair & Make-Up

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Makeup was not put on walter due to the actor not wanting to wear makeup, but we came up with the idea of Walter having sunglasses for his prop

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Production Week - Elliots Hair & Make-Up

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Production Week - Elliots Hair & Make-Up

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I thoroughly enjoyed playing the role of Marla in our short film The Goldfish. It was incredibly rewarding to see her character come to life, especially knowing how much my pre-production work contributed to shaping her. I felt well-prepared for the role by the time production week arrived, thanks to the effort I put into the planning stages. Throughout this process, I’ve learned the importance of staying organised and thinking ahead at all times.

While I still find line learning to be a personal challenge, I’ve continued to apply techniques I’ve developed throughout this course. With consistent rehearsal and preparation, I was able to learn my lines effectively, which allowed me to shift my focus onto delivering a strong, believable performance. I believe I brought a lot of creative ideas to the character of Marla and made a conscious effort to deeply understand her motivations, which enriched my portrayal.

During our 4 day production week, the team collaborated efficiently and professionally. Although I wasn’t needed on the first day of filming, I participated in two of the remaining days, which focused on the therapy scene which is my only appearance in the film. The first day was delayed due to unexpected issues with the set taking longer than planned to set up. As a result, we were only able to film a brief portion of the scene, including some non-verbal shots of me performing small actions, such as pouring coffee and walking to my seat.

That evening, we received an email from our tutor informing us that there had been a complaint regarding Maxine’s costume and the facial covering she wore. It was pointed out that it could be interpreted as racially insensitive or discriminatory, which meant we had to reshoot everything from that day during our next filming session, in addition to completing the remainder of the scene. This was an important issue for us to reflect on as a team.

On the second day of filming, we successfully completed the entire therapy scene, and the process ran very smoothly. I felt much more at ease that day, as I had thoroughly reviewed the scene and developed a clear plan for how I wanted to portray Marla. My confidence had grown, and I was able to focus more on delivering a thoughtful performance. I also paid close attention to continuity; each time we cut and resumed filming from a different angle, I made a conscious effort to match my body language and positioning to ensure consistency throughout the scene. I felt I portrayed Marla exactly how I wanted to portray her throughout and make a conscious effort to hit my aims and objectives throughout.

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Chelsea (2023). Creating a Backstory - Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Arts. [online] Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Arts - Creating Artists. ​

derma (2023). The Meanings Behind EUPHORIA Makeup | Tells A Story. [online] dermaliscio. ​

Martin, T.Y. (2023). Backstory Is Essential to Story—Except When It’s Not. [online] Jane Friedman. ​

ScreenSkills (2023). Hair and make-up Designer in the Film and TV Drama Industries. [online] ScreenSkills.