Research: Transformation

It's not just about including a Werewolf in the sequence. A Werewolf is originally a man.... or a woman, so therefore I need to show the transition between the two.

How it's done in various mediums....

This first clip taken from Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban we can see that they actually have the actor (David Thewlis) half made up like a werewolf using make up and other prosthetics before it switches to make the rest of the transition happen using CGI. This is one way I could opt to make my transformation take place but due to budget reasons and my being unfamiliar with the process of CGI this idea isn't very practacle, I could end up spending more time learning the process than making it happen. That being said it still shouldn't be disregarded as an option.  

(Gif doesn't play on a loop, please click to re view)

This transition taken from the 1985 Teen Wolf [As has been referenced a few time prior to this post] I believe is easier to re create whilst still giving the audience a realistic viewing. By having the camera go to and from certain points make it look as though whilst we were watching one the other has taken place. By making the shots so closed this means that I could have the actor in full make up whilst filming instead of stopping and starting production in order to add more make up to the character.

Transition Techniques I have noticed from these gifs and others I have encountered during my research...

Eyes: This can be changed using contact lenses which can easily be acquired from drugstores for around between £10-£15 and they are valid for a month

Mouth: I think this will be the trickiest to accomplish, based on authenticity, I have the idea of Vampires having clean teeth and werewolves being stained and grubby, like animals. You can by fangs from any costume store or online. My choice will be between the following types.

£4.99 (Ebay)

£2.99 (Ebay)

As you can see if I chose to use the werewolf fangs then it's possible that I may loose points in believability.

Claws: My idea was to use fake nails and either file them sharp and then stick them in dirt as opposed to trying to paint them in a dirty fashion. However I could also buy them as the length and style of the usual acrylic nails could prove difficult to obtain...

£16.29 (Ebay)

 £15.77 (Ebay)

Both of these items are from the USA so the time to get here would be at lease 10days, meaning I would have to order them way in advance to avoid delays as well as this it means that I wouldn't be able to assess how authentic they are. Again I could go to costume shops in the local area first before I resort to this option.

Facial Hair: This would be the most difficult, it would require me getting fake sideburns to match the characters hair colour as well as making it match the hair that would be visible on their hands.

(£0.99+ Ebay)

As nothing seems to be available in terms of loose hair to perhaps glue onto the characters hands and eyebrows and various facial parts. I creatively problem solved that if I bought two sets of sideburns or even perhaps a similar colloured wig I could just cut the hair myself to create the loose hair, thus allowing me to use it wherever I saw fit.

Based on these I think that if I decide to use a tail then the best way to do it would be once the character has already transformed, then they can just pull it from behind them during a midshot or a long shot. There are a few that can be found online but it will be difficult to make it more like a dogs scraggely tail than the streamline ones of the cats and panthas and tigers that seem to be in high supply.