“Make-Down”
In the modern world, women are bombarded with images that undermine their self confidence. They are held to a standard of beauty that is only attainable through surgery, makeup, photoshop, or a combination of these. This is often done through commercials or other means of advertising. And yet, the women in these commercials, their “before” images are just as gorgeous as the “after” pictures. Women’s advertising is nonsensical and detrimental to the public’s mental health. In ads for women’s razors, the legs that they “shave” are already hairless, because god forbid a woman’s leg have hair on television (even if it would better demonstrate the product being offered). In commercials advertising shampoo, the women’s hair is already styled beforehand. In ads offering concealer, the women have flawless and glowing skin.
This is because showing imperfections, or the process to achieving the look that is offered, ruins the illusion of perfection. In my movie “Make-Down” I capture something that is not often put to camera: applying makeup in a setting that is not meant to advertise it. Most of the video is in black and white, symbolizing how naked I (and many other women) feel without makeup applied, the only saturation being in places where I am applying makeup. I use rotoscoping and exaggerated colors to highlight where… edits to my face were made. At the end, I brush off some foundation to see the skin underneath, and finding it acceptable, I then wipe off half my makeup. The video is then flipped, so the makeup is desaturated, and the “barefaced” half is in full saturation, signaling a return of confidence in my ability to not be self concious about the way I look.
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