Great expectations - Book

                               
                            An original Cover of Great Expectations by Charles Dickins

Great expectations by Charles Dickens was a favourite always growing up, In my parents study we are lucky enough to have classic books such as Great Expectations unless of course you have to read it in GCSE english. The book is solely based on the growth and personal development that we see from the character Pip and his climb through class; a intense at times and passionate 544 pages. Love is the most important thing to Pip. His love for Estelle the girl who is Miss Havisham's adopted daughter and Pips true love though she is incredibly damaged within understanding relationships and who she is as a women without feeling. Not just Miss Havisham's muse.

Pip's journey into becoming a gentle man starts when he meets an escaped prisoner at a graveyard Pip is at visiting the graves of his family (He has a bad start to life) The prisoner convinces him to bring him some food from his house where he lives with his horrible older sister and her gentle and caring husband Joe. Pip does and the prisoner pays him back in ways he would of never imagined by becoming his benefactor completely changing his life a while after their first meeting.
Pip under near the end thinks Miss Havisham is his benefactor but he realises a while later she had just kept Estelle from him turning her heart cold like Miss Havisham's own. Pip is told about his recent fortune by Mr. Jaggers a man who throughout looks after Pips money and shows him the ins and outs of being a gentleman in London. Not only is his character extremely interesting from his personality but in the fact the he is linked to many of the characters and knows a lot due to his housekeeper being Estelle's real mothers.

Estelle marries the wrong man its pretty frustrating to read due to the fact it takes eleven years for Pip and Estelle to finally be together "no shadow of another parting from her" she in time has realised her own feelings and heart. Its a good thing her husband has passed anyway because he was horrible to Pip when he first arrived in London.

The book is full of twists and exciting plots. Estelle was adopted by Miss Havisham but her actual blood parents are no other then the Prisoner Pip helped all those years ago Abel Magwitch & Molly who is Mr Jaggers housekeeper.

Miss Havisham has been destroyed. The forever jilted bride who has clearly had a mental breakdown after being left at the alter by her to be husband; yet he turned out to be a complete con-artist only after her money with her half brother Arthur. We must ask ourselves though... would Miss Havisham of ever been in the right mind even if she was blinded by her love for his horrible man? No probably not thats why being jilted had such an effect on her. Miss Havisham only had revenge left in her. What was Mr. Jagger thinking giving Estelle to her? I don't know.

Of course though with Pip and Estelle finding a happy ending Miss Havisham does not. In a completely memorable way by Charles Dickins Miss Havisham dies after arguing with Pip because her wedding dress sets on fire as it catches on from a candle. She didn't think and was a completely reckless ruined women.

This book is a classic its an easy read each time I've read this book I notice something different, Pip is easy to imagine in my mind, he's decent and though clearly tempted by all his money he mainly remains a decent man growing up for most of the story.


READ THE STORY ONLINE AT

http://literatureproject.com/great-expectations/great_1.htm

Neil Gorton

                                                        Follow Neil Gorton on Twitter 

Wowza Neil Gorton the incredibly talented special effects makeup artist came to Solent last week as a guest lecturer for a couple of hours. Not only is he a talented and extremely successful in his field but he is a keen teacher towards us learning practitioners.

The talk wasn't like what I had inspected instead of a usual demonstration instead he presented us with a powerpoint on the industry filled with advice and his first hand experiences. The whole thing was very interesting.

He was also eye opening for the people in the room that to go down the hair and makeup especially with the percentage of people that actually make it into the industry.

Neil Gorton's workshop is extremely well known within the field of prosthetics and special effects he was really interesting in talking about the different stages of the workshop and how his team didn't have unspecific roles but kept to their fields through the processes of creation such as Sculpting to Art directions to painters the tree has a lot of branches to go through.

Neil has worked on a lot of shows in which monsters are dramatic and creative such as Dr.Who in which he actually worked on for around ten years. He has also worked on big hollywood classics like Saving Private Ryan and From Hell with Johnny Depp

You can also book courses with his studios, sigh if only I had money.
https://www.gortonstudio.co.uk

Gothic Horror to me

From the victorians to the classic Horror books that have had a huge place in film and television the idea of Gothic horror is vast and diverse. Within this project we will be looking greatly into the theme of Gothic horror and everything behind it. For research and for how we develop within the project to our final Makeup & Hair creations.

For reading so far we've read Great Expectations which is perfect for the influence of Victorians in the fact the book details the different kinds of class from Pip being poor in the country to a gentleman in London. The character of Miss Havisham is also taking a big place within our research. The most famous gilted bride.

Miss Havisham played by Gillian Anderson

When I think about horror I think about the monsters that film and literature have created
When I think of Gothic Horror myself I think about all the different circles filled with inspirations that we all recognise classic characters such as Frankstein, Dracula or Jackal & Hyde even Tim Burtons Edward Scissorhands; for me these characters are the first and iconic members of the Gothic horror family.

Johnny Depp as Edward Scissorhands

Oh Edward Scissorhands, everyone has seen this film. If you haven't I would say you need to. Sad but it parts beautiful and youthful this movie is by far a perfect example of Gothic Horror in my eyes not just from the leather and metal combination of clothing but the story in which he's misunderstood and seen as a 'monster' yet inside he's as innocent as a puppy. The makeup in this film will also be good for us with the scarring and heavy eyes in which I'm sure we will be practicing with in studio time.

Within the film's the Makeup artists and hair stylists have all achieved a realistic monster that is icon but unique to the film just take the many actors that have portrayed Dracula.

Just look at Gary Oldman's hair in the 1992 version compared to Bela Lugosi the original Dracula way back in 1931. His look is very different from the idea we have of Dracula in our minds; yet it works brilliantly

The idea of vampires now in modern times is different from when the films began coming out, Dracula is the status and king of horror.

Dolce & Gabbana, oh sigh*

"Gothic" of course can compare to the idea of clothing. From the many sub cultures that gothic themes have emerged in. Not only do we see gothic styles on the streets but also on the catwalk with Dolce & Gabbana and Vivienne Westwood showing obvious inspired creations.

GOTHIC HORROR is vast and brilliant I can't wait to get into the studio.