Throat Slit Effect

This video is for Nikki, so she can see what getting her throat slit looks like from the audience’s point of view. We aren’t using this special effect technique, so it won’t look exactly like this in performance, but it should give a good general idea. Also, since Nikki pretty much can’t stand horror movies, this is a nice, non-scary way to check it all out. The whole video is pretty interesting, but if you just want to see the effect in action, skip ahead to minute 8.

 

For a slit throat in action, see this clip from Scream, starting at about 2:40…

 

 

Being This Bloody Takes Work

Special Effects Designer Lynn Wilcott and director Greg Maraio shared some of details on making the production as full of gore as we’d hoped.

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Follow Along

You can follow behind-the-scenes of Hookman in places other than this blog, including:

@DturgsC1 on twitter

and

Jiehae Park’s profile on Facebook.

“Maybe she just died. In general…. Though you could kind of tell. Based on her Facebook wall. Not to be mean or anything, but some things are just meant to happen.”

Refined Costume Ideas

Designer Cara Pacifico shared the next step in her costume plot with us.

Cara says: “We had talked about wanting the characters to have a connection to Jess but, after hearing from Lauren, I think we [also] want to get a greater sense of Lexi’s isolation and discomfort.  [So,] all of the female characters should have a connection to JESS; we should see elements of her in every other female character (and I’m hoping Lexi, as part of her time-warp of grief, sees those elements too.)”

It’s still in process of course, but here’s a sneak peek!

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It’s All Pizza There

Lexi: (re: In ‘N Out) I miss this. We don’t have this at school, It’s all pizza there.  //  Jess: You’re the one who wanted to go to school on the east coast.

UCONN is in Storrs, CT, and though the cult of Connecticut Apizza (yeah, that’s right, apizza, which is pronounced “a-beetz” by the way) is based in New Haven, Lexi is still a stranger in a strange culinary land.

Some background on the CT Pizza Obsession via the blog Slice:

“Perhaps the most crucial hallmark of the style is its thinness and chewiness. Though crust thickness varies among different New Haven–area pizzerias, they’re often noticeably thinner in the center than New York–style pizzas. And much chewier. The closest thing I can compare it to for those who haven’t eaten it is a very thin slice of ciabatta bread; a New Haven–style crust is crisp-tough on the exterior with a sort of spongey-chewy interior. Other characteristics (or quirks, depending on your viewpoint) are that pies are served whole (no slices); that they are often (but not always) cooked in large coal-fired bakery ovens; and, maybe most crucial to out-of-staters, the fact that a “plain” New Haven apizza is crust, tomato sauce, oregano, and a little bit of grated Romano cheese. Mozzarella cheese is a topping; you have to order it, and it costs extra.”

The heart of the apizza debate centers of three institutions that all lay claim to being the original CT pizza joints: Frank Pepe’s, Sally’s, and Modern. The Slice blog  has a nice write-up of the differences in these three, and the NYT Dining Section has also engaged the question.

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One is the Quirkiest Number

Lauren sent this article along for us with the comment: “Alone and weird, Lexi in ten years?”

An excerpt:

One Is the Quirkiest Number: The Freedom, and Perils, of Living Alone

…In a sense, living alone represents the self let loose. In the absence of what Mr. Klinenberg calls “surveilling eyes,” the solo dweller is free to indulge his or her odder habits — what is sometimes referred to as Secret Single Behavior. Feel like standing naked in your kitchen at 2 a.m., eating peanut butter from the jar? Who’s to know?

Amy Kennedy, 28, a schoolteacher who has a two-bedroom apartment in High Point, N.C., all to herself, calls it living without “social checks and balances.”

The effects are noticeable, she said: “I’ve been living alone for six years, and I’ve gotten quirkier and quirkier.”

Among her domestic oddities: running in place during TV commercials; speaking conversational French to herself while making breakfast (she listens to a language CD); singing Journey songs in the shower; and removing only the clothes she needs from her dryer, thus turning it into a makeshift dresser.

“The entire apartment is your room,” Ms. Kennedy said, by way of explanation. “If I leave a bra on the kitchen table, I don’t think much about it….”

…What emerges over time, for those who live alone, is an at-home self that is markedly different — in ways big and small — from the self they present to the world. We all have private selves, of course, but people who live alone spend a good deal more time exploring them.

UConn

Impressions from prospective students visiting UConn (where Lexi goes to school):

• “WOW…..best ice cream I’d had in a long time!! Made with milk from the UConn dairy cattle right there on campus. You can look in the back and see the equipment they use! The worst part was choosing which flavor to order; there were so many that sounded delicious! So if you like ice cream, you NEED to stop at their dairy bar.”

• “One other thing I like about UConn is that students can join their band more easily than at other large public colleges. I love band but don’t play at a state level. In fact, the instruments I play are not used in marching bands in college so I’ll need to learn another one for college. UConn will let me join the band as a beginning tuba player. To me, this is a huge plus. If you’re into band, your might be interested in this.”

• “I thought this would be in a city and was surprised by the small-town feel the campus has. It feels safe. If you want to go to a college in a large city with all that stuff, this isn’t for you.”

• “Typical new engand yankee atmosphere, friendly to each other but no eye contact or talking to anyone outside the clique of students, especially not campus tour participants.”

• “This would be a great state school for residents. You would get a great education value. For out of state, though, it is expensive, over 30K with room and board. For such a renowned athletic school, student facilities for sports activities were surprisingly small, although there is updating going on.”

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UC Davis

Some impressions from prospective students looking at UC Davis (where Jess goes to school):

• “I thought that Davis was absolutely beautiful  reminded me of yosemite. If they were as prestigious as ucla or berkeley, i’d go there for sure. But sadly, they’re not   Plus I don’t want to go to a school where people can get in with a 3.0 if I worked hard for my 3.8 haha. It just seems like a waste of all that time during my stay here at my cc.”

• “ I don’t like that either. My 4.0 required a lot of effort. Going to Davis decreases the value of that 4.0 slightly; most of the value will now come from the information/skills I’ve retained.”

• “Davis was sooo awesome! They make you feel like they really want you there. Went to the event, had the campus and housing tour, checked out apartments and had lunch in downtown davis! The place is reallllly green and trees everywhere. They had a fair in the quad too… It is just like Berkeley, but less ghetto. Went to Sacramento afterwards and that was nice too. I think I’m going to be an Aggie.”

• “The city of Davis is beautiful, especially the downtown, but the campus is pretty plain (not as ugly as UCSD, though). It’s also extremely difficult to get around without a bike. Suffice it to say, I was on foot the entire day and trekking between the ARC and east campus was tedioussssss.”

• “The student body seems motivated. I’m excited to be involved in political clubs and the upper division classes look very enticing. Lots of babes, but also lots of in-shape males as well. We guys have our competition cut out for us.   Really great restaurants downtown. I went and got a pesto-chicken-tomato crepe at ‘Crepeville.’ One of the best things I’ve eaten in a while.  :P  Housing is a bit sketchy, especially Cuarto. Castillian Hall looks like a converted Motel 6. All that being said, I’m going to be attending, and hopefully the students at Davis will make up for some of the underwhelming aspects. Aggie pride!”

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