3.3 Costume and Makeup as Visual Storytelling Tools

Costume and makeup are powerful visual storytelling tools in film. They establish character identities, convey personalities, and set the time period. These elements reveal inner worlds, reflect character journeys, and provide insight into backgrounds and cultural heritage.

Visual symbolism in costumes uses color, texture, and materials to evoke specific meanings and associations. Transformative makeup alters actors' appearances, creates fantastical characters, and enhances believability. Together, they contribute to the film's overall visual narrative and world-building.

Costume and Makeup as Visual Storytelling Tools

Significance of costume and makeup

Top images from around the web for Significance of costume and makeup

• 

  Pemberley Rose: FBFF: Halloween Edition View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Kathakali dancer in the make up room. | soumyajit pramanick | Flickr View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Pemberley Rose: FBFF: Halloween Edition View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Kathakali dancer in the make up room. | soumyajit pramanick | Flickr View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 2

Top images from around the web for Significance of costume and makeup

• 

  Pemberley Rose: FBFF: Halloween Edition View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Kathakali dancer in the make up room. | soumyajit pramanick | Flickr View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Pemberley Rose: FBFF: Halloween Edition View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Kathakali dancer in the make up room. | soumyajit pramanick | Flickr View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 2

• Essential visual elements in film establish character identities and roles within the narrative
• Convey information about characters' personalities, social status, and occupations (lawyer wearing a suit, factory worker in overalls)
• Differentiate characters such as protagonist vs. antagonist (hero in light colors, villain in dark colors) or main characters vs. supporting characters
• Period-specific costumes and makeup establish the film's setting and era (Victorian dresses, 1920s flapper style)

Character information through design

• Reveal a character's inner world, psychological state, and emotional journey (disheveled appearance indicating distress)
• Reflect shifts in a character's mindset, values, or circumstances through changes in costume and makeup throughout the film (Eliza Doolittle's transformation in My Fair Lady)
• Provide insight into a character's background, cultural heritage, socioeconomic status, personal history and experiences (traditional clothing indicating cultural roots)

Visual symbolism in costumes

• Convey symbolic meanings through color
  • Red suggests passion, danger, or aggression (femme fatale in a red dress)
  • White implies innocence, purity, or spirituality (angelic character in white robes)
  • Black evokes mystery, elegance, or villainy (antagonist in a black cape)
• Evoke specific associations through texture and materials
  • Rough, worn fabrics suggest poverty or hardship (tattered clothing of a homeless character)
  • Smooth, luxurious fabrics imply wealth or sophistication (silk gown of a socialite)
• Create visual motifs using recurring costume elements that reinforce themes or character connections and establish a sense of continuity or contrast throughout the film (matching costumes for allied characters)

Effectiveness of transformative makeup

• Alter an actor's appearance to suit the character by aging the actor (prosthetics to create wrinkles), changing facial features (false nose), or creating scars, wounds, or other physical characteristics (bruises, tattoos)
• Create non-human or fantastical characters such as monsters (Frankenstein's monster), aliens (E.T.), or mythical creatures (fairies, elves) using special effects makeup
• Enhance the believability of a character's appearance by reflecting their lifestyle, occupation, or environment (dirt and grime on a coal miner's face) and contributing to the overall realism of the film's world