R+P Post 17: Our planned costumes and props, hair and make-up

COSTUMES -

Arthur: pyjamas, t-shirt, hoodie, jeans, trainers/boots
Emos: black clothing, accessories, piercings, tattoos, black shoes
Nerds: shirt, smart trousers, glasses, cardigan, formal shoes
Chavs: tracksuits, hooped earrings, casually dressed, handbags
Hipsters: vintage clothing, glasses, tie-dye shirts, creepers, skinny jeans
Athletic group: tracksuit, baggy shirts, sweatpants, football shirts, running trainers, baseball jacket

PROPS -

• Arthur's character will be holding a map of the school in the corridor scene, that he uses to find his way to room 3. This map shows the large and confusing building in which Arthur cannot find where he is supposed to be
• The emo group will have iPods and headphones during the corridor scene. This connotes typical teenage antisocial behaviour 
• The nerds in the classroom will have a chessboard on the table, as well as science textbooks and backpacks, suggesting their preoccupation with work and studies
• As Arthur walks through the corridor, the athletic group will be throwing a blue basketball/football around
• A set of house keys that Arthur takes from his kitchen counter at the end of the morning routine scene
• An alarm clock, toothbrush, clothes, and juice carton are all used in the first part of the opening sequence, as part of Arthur's morning routine. These are stereotypical items used in morning scenes

These props were our own items, and connote stereotypes incorporated in our film (the basketball implies the typical hobbies of young, sporty teenagers) (the chessboard and textbooks are typically attributed to nerdy or studious characters).

HAIR/MAKE-UP -

Arthur: messy hair
Emos: dark straight hair, black eyeliner/eyeshadow, dark lipstick, pale skin
Nerds: tied back hair, neat, very little make-up
Chavs: gelled/tied back hair, heavy eye make-up, brightly-coloured lipstick
Hipsters: curly hair, winged eyeliner
Athletic group: short hair, no make-up

We will use this combination of costumes and props to represent social groups that would be typical in a London school. These stereotypes are well-known to the target audience (British people aged between 15-24) and would provide entertainment as the characters are familiar and recognisable. As a group, we decided to represent these particular groups as their costumes are very different to each other, therefore the social segregation within the school would be clear to the audience.
The film references for costume, props, hair and make-up would be "21 Jump Street" (the car park scene in particular), "Mean Girls" (the dining hall scene) and "Juno". Although these are examples of American films, they incorporate similar representations of certain characters based on their costume and appearance. (for example, the 'plastics' in "Mean Girls" are portrayed as girly/feminine as they wear pink, skirts and make-up). Another film reference would be "17 Again" as Mike's clothing and props in the house (basketball, books, folders) clearly portray him as a teenager. We will use a mobile phone, basketball and casual clothing to establish Arthur's character. For the corridor setting we must consider costume continuity between shots, making sure that the actors are wearing the same clothing on both shooting days. All of our costumes and props have been sourced from the school drama/PE department or the actors themselves, which will make the iconography of the opening sequence more realistic.

Photos of our cast in costume:

 Michael (as Arthur)

 Alisha (hipster)

 Seb (emo)

 Amy (girl crying)

 Seth (nerd)

Examples of British teenage behaviour and schools are shown in Wild Child:

 The girls are perceived as gossipy, competitive and initially the school is presented as an unpleasant environment, as films often include the stereotype of British people being rude or unwelcoming. The school in Wild Child is also focused on academic and sporting success to demonstrate the competitive nature of British schools.