News Unit: Script feedback from Helen | Group meeting | Research

Script feedback | Group Meeting | Research

Today we showed our script to Helen and received some feedback on how we could improve.  Some of the things we spoke about are;

• change order of points, some points came in a bit too quick and so we had to find better ways of transitioning from different segments
• ask Donna if she is actively doing anything to make sure her pupils know the origins of their materials
• Think about how we want to film Wilson. Who is he? what does he do? and why is he here?
• Focus more on the true origins of the make up. (historical times) not just the conventions of the make up i.e the beauty blender.
• understand that men wearing make up is nothing new. Look into the history of this in order to provide interesting questions for Wilson.

Script Feedback


we made some notes on the script, briefed what needed to be changed and went away to change it.
 


Upon making the changes, we then reached a point where we had to stop because the research into the historical aspect of drag queens was essential in order to have relevant questions for Wilson.

Historical research into Make up

1st Dynasty of Egypt

c.3100-2907 BC and 10,000 BCE

• The earliest historical record of makeup 
• Used unguent jars which were filled with with scented pastes. Unguent was a substance that was used to by both men and women to keep their skin hydrated during dry heat.
• Used dark green Kohl to line their eyes and darkening the lashes. 
• Usually made from Antimony (a metallic element or soot)
• used scented oils and ointments to clean and soften their skin and mask body odour.

Ancient Chinese & Japanese

3000 BCE

• stained their fingernails with gum, Arabic gelatin, beeswax and egg. The colours represented social class. 
• Chou dynasty royals wear gold and silver 
• lower classes were forbidden to wear bright colours on their nails

1500 BCE

• Used Rice powder to make their faces white
• Shaved off eyebrows
• Teeth painted gold or back
• Henna dyes applied to stain hair and faces

Ancient Greece

1000 BCE

• Whiten their complexion with chalk or lead face powder
• Used crude lipstick out of ochre clays, laced with red iron.

The Romans

middle of the 1st century AD

• Barley, flour and butter on their pimples 
• Sheep fat and blood on their fingernails for polish
• Kohl also used for darkening the eyelids and lashes
• Chalk and lead was used for whitening the complexion.
• Pumice used for whitening teeth.

Ancient India

300-400 AD 

• Henna is used as hair dye and in Mehndi art, usually for Hindu weddings

Elizabethan Times

1300 AD

• Dyed red hair came into fashion
• women wore egg whites over faces to create the appearance of a paler complexion.
• cosmetics blocked proper circulation and posed health threat 

Renaissance Cosmetics

1400 - 1500 AD

• Europe, Italy and France become main manufacturers
• Arsenic is sometimes used in face powder instead of lead
• Scent making evolves in France

1500 - 1400 AD

• European women attempt to lighten their skin using a variety of products such as White Lead paint.
• Queen Elizabeth I of England used white lead as "the mask of youth".
• Blonde hair is popular as it is considered angelic. 
• Mixtures of black sulphur, alumminium and honey was painted onto the hair and left to work in the sun. 

 19th and early 20th century cosmetics

1800 AD

• Zinc oxide widely used as facial powder, replacing previous deadly mixtures of lead and copper
• Queen Victoria publicly declares make up as "improper", seen as vulgar and only acceptable for actors.

1900 AD 

Edwardian Society

• pressure increases on middle aged women to appear as young as possible. 
• Beauty salons increase in popularity  but not necessarily accepted.
• Women did not want to admit that they needed assistance to look young.
• entered salon's through the back door.

So this is my research which I think will be of great help in finding the appropriate facts for our video. It is very interesting to see how much things has changed over time but also how many things have stayed the same. It is clear that vanity has played a big part throughout all the ages, therefore I think this is an important topic to talk about as it is something that may never disappear. We can only help people be more aware of the reality of things. There really isn't much harm in doing so if done in the right way.

Next steps;

• To pick out the most important facts which will make the biggest impact
• maybe create a timeline for the video in order to show the major turning points through out history
• Decide on the best way to create visuals for the facts.
• Confirm the participants 
• Create shot lists for our promo video and finalise ideas.
• Continue with creating our brand and think about what colour schemes we will use for the websites and animations.