Another movie post!
No respectable American small town is without its share of fraternal societies, and Blackbird County is no different.
Blackbird is home to the venerable "Eternal Order of Checks and Balances" an age old secret society which appears to have been in constant struggle with the political powers of Blackbird.
There are five mysterious master cultists seen skulking around the film, so I made these venetian style masks to help obscure their identities. Partially inspired by the iconic Plague Doctor masks of the middle ages, but also part reference to Zanni one of the masked archetypes of the Commedia dell'arte tradition.
After all, politicians and secret societies aside, it's really the clowns that run Blackbird County.
I have always loved those kinds of masks. Very dark and mysterious looking.
ReplyDeleteThose masks are so awesome! Reminds me of The Labyrinth!
ReplyDeleteReally love those masks. I have an old handpainted one in the crow/plague doctor shape. For some reason I really dig that style mask even thought it is a bit creepy!
ReplyDeleteOh I loooove masks in general and Venetian masks in particular! They are perfect for horror stories: sinister, they reveal as much as they hide the nature of their wearers.
ReplyDeleteI blogged about masks before:
http://vraiefiction.blogspot.com/2011/04/reflection-on-masks.html
http://vraiefiction.blogspot.com/2009/06/masquerade-ball.html
Oh and I want to see this movie even more now.
ReplyDeleteThanks guys!
ReplyDeleteThere definitely is something arcanely appealing about these Zanni/Medico della Peste shaped masks.
In commedia, Zanni is an elderly servant, who plays the fool but is actually s trickster.
The trickster archetype is pervades practically every culture, and is almost always sardonically appealing. Think of The Joker in Batman.
We're nearing 90% completion of principal photography, and our wrap party is tentatively scheduled for Devil's Night. Ha ha!
I had never heard of plague doctor masks. Just spent a fascinating half hour reading up on the topic. I'd seen these types of masks many times but never knew the story behind them. Gorgeous masks you've created!
ReplyDelete