The character of Lucy is a high profile business women and her clothing needs to represent this as well as her personality to the short films audience, without detracting from the theme of the overall narrative. Below are some of the first ideas of the style and colours of the clothing that the character of Lucy should wear. The features found in this articles of clothing are importnat to her character, and will be used and conisdered when producing the actual costume for this character.
This coat portrays a selection of important factors about the character of Lucy. The colour of the coat (Black) conveys the formal tone of her profession and of her personality. The colour allows her to blend into a variety of situations but also represents the authority that she posses. The dark colour also shows how often this coat could be worn, as it would be suitable to wear with a variety of outfits which can convey the importance appearance has for her. The length of the coat is also traditional for heroes and saviours. Long coats are synonymous for representing authoritative characters in a variety of media products. The length of the coat also protects her femininity from being largely apparent, representing how hard she works for an industry that could be deemed predominantly male. The cut and style of the coat are also highly relevant for conveying Lucy’s character. The long black coat is a traditional and stereotypical symbol for power, as are the majority of Lucy’s costume items.This can suggest to the audience the Horror genre of the film, because of the dark tone is possesses. The cut of her coat offers a small glimpse to the personality that she represses in order to conform to her job description. The detail at the bottom of this coat represents the flare of individuality that Lucy has in her work, conveying to the audience that she is more rounded as a character and has outside interests of her work.
The necklace is simple design and therefore could be worn with a variety of items. The design and colours within the necklace mean that it would suit the professional and formal tone of Lucy’s outfit. The necklace conveys the femininity that is not often shown by Lucy. The design is simple but offers another example of the individuality that Lucy keeps throughout her outfit, showing a small rebellion in a career that needs conformation. The colour hue on the pearl features adds to the clear simplicity that her outfit is designed for. The connotations associated with “Pearls” represent her importance and ranking she has within society and her job. The fact that this design could appear expensive and may not match the rest of her plain outfit, could represent a gift, that conveys that she has relationships in her life. The fact she is capable of emotion, connotes this to that the audience allowing relation to be easier.
Once again a blouse of this design creates the simplicity and the formal features that make up the outfit of Lucy. The colour of this item is vital in conveying information about Lucy to the audience. White often symbolises purity and innocence but another important factor is that it conveys perfection, which is something Lucy holds crucial in her life as well as in her appearance. White is also representational of cleanliness, which is a feature that Lucy could pride herself on in order to achieve her position at work. The white blouse is a common and often stereotypical item of clothing worn by those who work in offices and high powered jobs; by keeping this feature in the costume, it allows the audience to relate to her as a character and offers them the chance to understand her behaviour and actions. There are also aspects of this item of clothing that convey the individuality that is subtly used in the entire outfit. The ruffle details on the sleeves and the central seam are the flare of personality that is found throughout her costume. The polka dot details on the blouse are also there to convey a sense of individualism, in what could normally be deemed a bland or uninteresting ensemble worn by many. It helps to create Lucy as an individual character as well as making her easier to remember from the audiences perspective.
The skirt that helps to create Lucy’s character is a part of attempting to show the normality and the business position she holds. Black skirts and trousers are stereotypical components of professional’s outfits, making it easier for the audience to relate and understand her. The choice of colour in this item of clothing is also important. Black as a colour is representational of elegance and sophistication which are important concepts for a character, which has power and control, such as Lucy. Black is also recognised as a colour that changes the perception of people’s body style. This effect could be seen as important because of Lucy’s femininity but also reinforces other visual interpretations; that she cares about her appearance and the importance it holds. Another important feature linked to the colour of this costume, is that black can also be interpreted as a colour of rebellion, which a theme running throughout Lucy’s outfit and her personality. This subtle use of colour reference allows the audience to connect with the character on a variety of levels as well as over a period of viewings. By using a skirt it reinforces her feminine nature, as it allows her shape and natural curves to be seen. The skirt also reinforces that this isn’t the most important feature due to its length. The skirt also allows for both genders to connect with the character, as men could see her as a portrayal of a female stereotype and women can see her as an inspiration and admire her. The cut and style of the skirt, is also important to show conformity in the position that Lucy holds, as the style is one that can be worn by many and has no extravagancies.
The shoes are the final piece of costume that helps to give a visual representation of Lucy’s character. The most important piece of information represented by this feature is her personality and rebellion against the conformist society she faces. The colour of these shoes is purple and therefore represents mystery and royalty. Mystery is a key aspect of the horror genre of this short film and by linking it into the costume, is strengths the importance and knowledge to the audience. Mystery is also an important factor of Lucy’s personality, as specific details are never given; her job and her reasons for being in the location of the film. The royalty aspect of this colour again conveys subtly to the audience that she is an important character, with high status and large amounts of power. The height of the heel and the style of the shoes are there to convey her femininity once again. The height of the shoe shows her confidence and ability to walk in them, which can convey that, she does it often. The style of the shoe also conveys that comfort is also important as they can be deemed practical when looking at the type of heel and the strap used. This can also convey that she spends a lot of time, sat or still, due to the height of the shoe. This connotes to the fact that she has authority and importance and has control over others and does not need to partake in activities herself. The material that the shoes are constructed from is also an unusual choice so it represents her individuality, which is referenced to throughout her outfit.
These factors found throughout the costume, are important in conveying Lucy as a character and allowing the audience to connect with her and the narrative. Each of them is important in representing the genre, an example being the Social Drama that is conveyed by the normality of her costume, making it easy to relate to everyone, but also to important issues that societies can face. By representing personality traits and the moral of the film in the costume it reinforces it in the audience’s minds and also means that important screen time is not wasted by unnecessary dialogue. Even though these are not the actual pieces of the costume, the character of Lucy will wear, the features will be attempted to be replicated, in order to make Lucy as strong and interesting character.
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