Camouflage

I love the idea behind Pennywise’s costume design to make it look doll-like and monochrome, “almost like a shadow”, as costume designer Jaine Bryant expressed (see full article below). You see how he easily can stand out with his tall frame AND YET blend in with his surroundings with that dull grey silk.

Imagine if the costume comprised bright colours like the 1990 series: I would find him silly rather than menacing.

Photo: Marco Grob/Warner Bros.

Article by Anthony Breznican - August 16, 2016 AT 12:00 PM EDT:

Imagine this staring at you from inside the concrete chamber of a storm drain.

We’ve already gotten a close-up of Pennywise the Clown from the new film version of Stephen King’s It (out Sept. 8, 2017), but here we step back for a fuller view of the creature that likes to take the form of a leering, sinister clown.

Bill Skarsgård is playing the ageless, supernatural beast who feeds on the fears of children, and it’s clear director Andy Muschietti (Mama) is steering away from the modern, baggy-suited, rainbow-hued clown for something a bit more… archaic.

For that, the filmmaker relied on Emmy-winning costume designer Janie Bryant (Deadwood, Mad Men) who crafted a form-fitting suit that draws upon a number of bygone times – among them Medieval, Renaissance, Elizabethan, and Victorian eras.

Pennywise, after all, is infinite.

“The costume definitely incorporates all these otherworldly past lives, if you will,” Bryant says. “He is definitely a clown from a different time.”

There’s a classic Harlequin quality to the elegant red lines, drawing up his cheeks like fangs to bisect his eyes. In this new image, we can more clearly see the fissures in the caked-on makeup atop his domed brow, resembling the sutures in the plates of a skull.

We even get a hint of his yellow, buck-toothed smile — or might those be something sharper?

His neck is frilled by a thick, puffy collar, like a ruff from the late 16th century, and here’s where we zoom in and venture into geek-out territory for costume enthusiasts. Every part of the costume is meant to suggest something both ancient and disturbed.

“That pleating is actually Fortuny pleating, which gives it almost a crepe-like effect,” Bryant says. “It’s a different technique than what the Elizabethans would do. It’s more organic, it’s more sheer. It has a whimsical, floppy quality to it. It’s not a direct translation of a ruff or a whisk, which were two of the collars popular during the Elizabethan period.”

For Pennywise, there’s no need to stay faithful to any era’s fashions. He is a manifestation of what an immortal, supernatural being thinks of as a clown, amalgamating various styles it finds appealing. …Or maybe he’s just thinking of a toy that once belonged to a child he devoured.

“There is almost a doll-like quality to the costume,” Bryant says. “The pants being short, the high waistline of the jacket, and the fit of the costume is a very important element. It gives the character a child-like quality.” Even the gloves are so tight and seamless they make his hands look like porcelain.

At 26, Skarsgård is a much younger Pennywise than Tim Curry, who was in his mid-40s when he played the role in the 1990 TV movie. The costume accentuates his youth, making it look like The Blue Boy outgrew his dandy outfit.

“If you look at the sleeves, there are the two puffs off the shoulder and biceps and again on the bloomers, I wanted it to have an organic, gourd or pumpkin kind of effect,” Bryant says. That includes the peplum at his waist, the flared, skirt-like fabric blossoming from below his doublet.

“It helps exaggerate certain parts of the body,” Bryant says. “The costume is very nipped in the waist and with the peplum and bloomers it has an expansive silhouette.”

It’s all aimed at creating a subliminal suggestion of a creature with long, lanky limbs, a head and neck like a cephalothorax, and a bulbous, arachnoid abdomen. But this creature is walking upright, and calling to you with a fistful of balloons.

The main color of his costume is a dusky gray, but with a few splashes of color.

“The pompoms are orange, and then with the trim around the cuffs and the ankles, it’s basically a ball fringe that’s a combination of orange, red, and cinnamon. It’s almost like Pennywise fades into his environment. But there are accents to pull out the definition of the gray silk.”

While studying those pustule-like ball fringe around his shins, you’ll also note the red and white boots with a pompom at the tip aren’t actually standing on anything. They’re floating.

While this isn’t the bright and cheery Pennywise, Bryant’s version of the character prefers to camouflage himself and strike rather than lure children with lively plumage.

“It makes him almost like a shadow,” she says.

More Posts from Screechingnightdreamer and Others

screechingnightdreamer

2 months ago

** FLASH WARNING ** I’ve been working on this fanimatic after work or on lunch breaks for like five months HAHA. I love Clown Movie. RIP, E.

Music Credit: “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” Elvis Presley Cover feat. brook / / Produced by Tomme Profitt

7K notes View Post

screechingnightdreamer

3 months ago

Okay with how stressful the situation the day has been by no means think the Losers would’ve laughed at Richie’s impression of Pennywise in the clubhouse in Chapter 2

However…

I do believe after Bill says Beep Beep Richie and he says sorry, Eddie turns and whispers to him “…why was that impression so good?” And Richie’s like “don’t know what you mean? Have I not proven myself a fantastic comedian and impressionist on Netflix-” and Eddie’s like “Oh shut your grandstanding ass up, there’s no way you just do those voices on your first try, which means…”

And Richie refuses to look at Eddie as he gasps

“… Did you fucking practice imitating Pennywise after we first fought him?…”

“NO!- Uh no no not at all no I’m just a good impressionist-”

And the others clock onto the convo similarly horrified with Ben like “Fucking hell, Richie, why?! Were you not traumatised like the rest of us?”

And Bev is like “I’m pretty sure I accidentally punched a clown at the Derry fair shortly after just cause of the facepaint!”

And Bill is like deadpan “Have you no shame…”

And Mike is just horrified

And Richie then has to explain that one of the weird ways he coped with his trauma was by learning to do impressions of Pennywise and making him say stupid shit to convince himself that if Pennywise was really around and watching, that it’d kill him for saying it in the first place and his continuing to live afterwards was like proof it was okay.

“Besides… I think you underestimate the comedic value of hearing Pennywise call himself a dumb bitch for getting his ass kicked by a bunch of outcast kids,” and in his best Pennywise voice continues “Cause life is kicking those kids asses better than me and it feels like a real low point in my career…”

And the Losers are deadpan apart from Eddie, who despite desperately trying to hold in a laugh, snorts

Mike turns to Eddie and is like “Pennywise has killed people, Eddie, come on”

“Eddie, they kicked me out of the American Clown Union…” A few of the Losers, including Mike also begin to have amused grins. “It wasn’t even for killing kids. It's cause they thought my face paint looked like I had a dick and balls on my face…”

Eddie’s fucking crying with laughter

“I mean that and the embezzlement…”

Stan is not at all amused by this particular impression once he arrives in the cavern in the nick of time but it has to be said that there is something a little cathartic about listening to Pennywise get roasted by its own voice

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screechingnightdreamer

2 months ago

Yall may THINK you have nothing in common with a malevolent cluster of interdimensional lights but gUESS AGAIN

eats a lot sleeps A LOT

has a messy room

hair and makeup on point when you first meet, turn to trash as time goes on

eats children wait nO

frightens children

thinks is good at dancing - isnt

considers self to be a superior and powerful being but lives in a sewer & would 100 percent be swiftly defeated by a gaggle of determined adolescents

62 notes View Post

screechingnightdreamer

2 months ago

just a boy taking a stroll

19 notes View Post

screechingnightdreamer

2 months ago

richie voice would you believe my dog ate my homework

1K notes View Post

screechingnightdreamer

2 months ago

HERE HE IS. 2017 Pennywise Is Such A Nice Design. A Nice Boy

HERE HE IS. 2017 Pennywise is such a nice design. a nice boy

18K notes View Post

screechingnightdreamer

2 months ago

you’ve heard of pre-reunion losers meeting by coincidence, now get ready for pre-reunion losers just missing meetings by coincidence. eddie getting bored and turning off a televised broadcast of a tv awards ceremony seconds before richie is announced best actor in a comedy for his new sitcom. mike visiting a book shop out of town, completely unaware that bill’s newest novel had been shipped in and sold out since his last visit. ben checking into a resort hotel hours after bev and tom check out. do you understand

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screechingnightdreamer

2 months ago

Continued.

Bill looked confused. Of course Georgie couldn’t quite understand why his big brother was confused. Wasn’t he happy to see Georgie? Wasn’t that the whole reason they were down in that dark, scary place? To save seven year old Georgie from the monster that had taken him? He didn’t know what his brother was confused for but he was still happy to see Bill! Georgie shifted from foot to foot, reaching out with his arm. “Yeah!” He answered, stepping forward. “It’s me.” He answered. Georgie looked between the familiar faces he knew and the unfamiliar faces he didn’t know.

“Who are your new friends, Billy?” The boy questioned curiously. Before he could say much else, he watched as Stan whispered something to the older Denbrough boy. Georgie tilted his head curiously as he watched his brother’s friend move closer. Georgie brought his hand up and waved at the other boy. Georgie looked between Stan and Bill as the former stopped in front of him. “Can we get some food?” He asked as Stan leaned forward as if he was examining him like a doctor would. His brows furrowed as Stan looked at him in alarm. “What?” He demanded, stomping his foot on the ground, missing Stan's quiet. "Bill, I think it really is him."

“Come on! Can’t we just go? I want to go home.” Georgie pleaded, lip quivering as he started sniffling. “I don’t wanna stay here anymore! That scary clown might come back!” The small boy flung himself at his big brother and clinged to the older boy, his face buried in Bill’s side. “Please, Bill…” @scribedhorror

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screechingnightdreamer

2 months ago