Character Construction Research

Because our film will not be containing any actual violence, we need to work much harder in representing the serial killer as a serial killer. The main way we will do this will be through costume and mannerisms. With this in mind I have decided to research some other famous screen killers to get some ideas.

Ghostface

The first killer I have chosen to analyse is Ghostface. He stars in the "Scream" trilogy as the killer and is also highly recognisable, partly because of the success of the Scream films and also because he is often parodied. His costume comprisises of a long black robe which has slashed edges and his trademark white mask. The mask is a generic trait of screen serial killers as it hides their face, building tension until the moment in the film when we discover their true identity. Re-using this mask in our film would be far too cliché for our liking, however the long black robes are a definate possibilty.

The Candyman

My next killer is The Candyman of 1992 film "Candyman". He is a unique killer in that his appearance is not impaired by a mask and he is not of the human world. The plot of the film states that The Candyman can be summoned by anyone who chants his name 5 times whilst looking into a mirror. This trait means that he does not need to hide his identity because in theory he doesn't exist. Despite this, he is constructed as a serial killer through of his long black coat and the way he is never seen without his murder weapon, a fish hook. The use of a long black coat is again appealing to us because it is an easy and recognized way of constructing a serial killer. A coat is also easier for us to obtain than a robe.

Craig

Craig is a mentally ill hermit from the 2005 britflick "Creep". Craig prays upon late night passengers of The London Underground, using the darkness as camoflage to snaek up on them. He is created as evil mainly through his grotesque appearance. He is scarred, bruised and deformed and therefore different to other humans. Exactly what he is remains a mystery for most of the film, and this lack of knowledge about his species and therefore abilities leaves the audience fearful of what he may do. Use of prosthetics and make up would be highly effective in our piece, however their high degree of difficulty makes them inviable for us to use.

The Creeper

The Creeper is an ancient demon who survives by ingesting his victims in order to gain the body part he eats. He is another serial killer who wears a long coat but his demonic abilities mean he feels it is unnecesary to conceal his identity, instead he just wears a hat. His costume and physique mean that he bears a resemblance to a normal human and so silhouette's are effectively used in The Jeepers Creepers movies to make the characters believe he is in fact a human. In one scene of the film, two of his future victims believe they are safe havng taken refuge in a field. In the field a silhouette of a scarecrow is visible but is of cousre harmless. However wings soon spread from the scarecrow and the soon victims realise they have still not escaped. This type of villain is far more effective in big budget films because make up and special effects allow for better construction of the caharacter.

Freddy Krueger

Freddy Krueger is the star of the "A Nighmare On Elm Street" films, first seen in 1984. His legend is that he can kill teenagers through their dreams. His look is based upon childrens clothing because his legend states that he was burned alive as a child. He therefore wears a childish (though bloodstained) red and green striped jumper. His death means that his reincarnation is burned from head to toe. Once again this kind of make up would be great in a film but is far to complex and expensive for our budget.

Having taken a small look into the characteristics of serial killer costume, we decided that our killer would wear dark overalls with black shoes. This would make him hard to see at night, but also clearly construct him as a serial killer.