Diane Chaplin
Filmmaker, Theatre Designer, Propmaker.
David Bowie and his Suitcase
Was my 3rd year Project. It was a Prop suitcase that had come from a conceptualised film about David Bowie being a Time Travelling Intergalactic Bounty Hunter; on the hunt for the Spider on Mars and the Laughing Gnome. I created Graphic Props and stickers to add details to the piece. During my time creating the piece I also learnt about dyeing and ageing paper with turmeric and hot coffee.
Suitcase Outside
Scenography Project - The suitcase covered in stickers designed by me in a combination of Illustrator and Photoshop. I added a mixture of original stickers and redesigned airplane stickers from the 70s
In the process of aging the suitcase and the stickers with a coating of cold coffee, vinegar and red casting sand. Hot Coffee would have served better in the aging process. However, It did make the. suitcase smell of vinegar and made the suitcase look older.
The main suitcase in the Film David Bowie and the Spider on Mars I started with a worn out suitcase. That I took the tape off. It was very aged already. All I needed was to add the stickers and age them to look like the case
Scenography Project - The suitcase covered in stickers designed by me in a combination of Illustrator and Photoshop. I added a mixture of original stickers and redesigned airplane stickers from the 70s
Sketches
I drew Gnome sketches at the start of the piece and I felt they were too good to be left out. I needed a way to add additional pieces about the gnomes. What he looked like now. Etc
The flip side is the picture to the left. Bowie is drawing little sketches on gnomes. As I started to make the documents I realised the documents need something on the back. I thought If Bowie is collecting information about the wearabouts, he would be making notes. Majority of the documents have notes on them.
I sketched out a spider because I also had gnome sketches and iI felt that the audience also needs to see both. Creatures.
I drew Gnome sketches at the start of the piece and I felt they were too good to be left out. I needed a way to add additional pieces about the gnomes. What he looked like now. Etc
Suitcase Inside
The inside of the suitcase is covered in pictures of gruesome spiders that were left over from my fiction film set piece. Spiders became a big part of my 3rd year project. To develop the images more. I aged them with hot tea and crumpled them up to add creases.
Inside I wanted to keep all the documents to a same standard of ageing and crumpleness. I tried different techniques to get aged styles. Hot Tea, Hot Coffee and Turmeric became the best fit. (See the dying page)
I was doing paper tests; before I layered the inside with the collage of spiders. I wanted to see how they would look on the suitcase.
The inside of the suitcase is covered in pictures of gruesome spiders that were left over from my fiction film set piece. Spiders became a big part of my 3rd year project. To develop the images more. I aged them with hot tea and crumpled them up to add creases.
Stickers
I designed a combination of both Photoshop and Illustrator. I designed all except the Blue Protection symbol which is a tie in to Carys's piece. I wanted the stickers to show my versatility when it came to designing the stickers. I wanted designs from all over.
I knew I wanted a fake version of NASA so I came up with the logo for S.A.N.A I realised I could use it for other documents as well. I used space themed stickers. As Bowie was flying around the universe hunting creatures.
They are all reference to Bowie and stickers that can't be bought anywhere else.
I designed a combination of both Photoshop and Illustrator. I designed all except the Blue Protection symbol which is a tie in to Carys's piece. I wanted the stickers to show my versatility when it came to designing the stickers. I wanted designs from all over.
Documents
Wanted Poster. Spider from Mars had come to Earth to exact revenge on David Bowie. S.A.N.A had brought the missing spider to Bowie's attention. The picture of the spider is a red spider mite. I coloured the background a rust colour to signify Mars, I edited it in photoshop then added text to the poster.
The Gnome was also missing, Brought to the attention of the Gnome Prison. The Gnome was recoloured in photoshop then I added text to the piece to make a wanted poster.
I started editing a train ticket. It became a momentous task, that I couldn't complete. With all the documents I had made. There was also a problem with when it was set and whether the ticket style was the right one.
Wanted Poster. Spider from Mars had come to Earth to exact revenge on David Bowie. S.A.N.A had brought the missing spider to Bowie's attention. The picture of the spider is a red spider mite. I coloured the background a rust colour to signify Mars, I edited it in photoshop then added text to the poster.
The Dying Process
Turmeric became the staple ingredient for the aging process. All the documents had a yellow tinge as well as additional Coffee or Tea.
Two Teabags and Turmeric I let the documents sit in the dye for 5 minutes and then in the oven for another 5. I dyed the stickers which gave it a real nice aged sticker look.
I tested paper dyeing techniques. The turmeric and the Hot Tea made the best colour changed. Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking (Atkins, 167, 2020) Suggested steeping the paper in the dying liquid. and using Hot Coffee and Balsamic vinegar.
Turmeric became the staple ingredient for the aging process. All the documents had a yellow tinge as well as additional Coffee or Tea.