Costuming

The costuming of simulation theory movies (such as The Matrix and Inception) is usually everyday clothes because the people are either in a simulation and don’t know it – these people wear normal clothes because the simulation demands it – or because people are infiltrating the simulation and they need to blend in to the environment. In noir films, the standard costuming (especially in the older noir films) is nice, formal clothing: suit and tie, trench coat, etc. However, in modern “neo-noir” films, the costuming is seemingly normal clothes (see Taxi Driver).

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Despite the “seemingly normal” clothes, we can still use the costuming to show the audience important aspects about the characters. I plan on highlighting the strong contrast of the two characters in a way like one of my favorite video games: Devil May Cry 3.

For some background, Devi May Cry 3 (abbreviated as DMC3) follows two twin brothers: Dante (who wears a red trench coat and wields a broadsword and two pistols), and Vergil (who wears a blue trench coat and uses a katana like the weeby edge-lord he is). Vergil summons a demon tower in the middle of the city Dante is opening a demon-hunting business in and demons start coming out and then they get in a fight and then all hell breaks loose.

The costuming of Dante and Vergil speaks volumes to the kind of people they are: Dante’s big ass sword shows he is bold, brash, and (as the director of DMC3  puts it) “chuni” – which is a Japanese word that pretty much means “cool to a 12 year old” – while Vergil’s katana shows he is precise and calculated and less “chuni.” This is further evidenced by the way they fight with Dante’s wide swings and Vergil’s quick and lethal cuts. The fact that Dante and Vergil’s coat colors are opposite show that they have opposite personalities and goals. Furthermore, their hairstyle also conveys this because, while they both have long hair, Vergil slicks his back in a more professional style compared to Dante who lets his luscious locks free.

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So, for the costuming I will try to do something similar to this; the detective will wear muddle colors to show his bleak outlook on life whereas the hacker will wear brighter, more vibrant colors to show he is the opposite and either has a more positive outlook on life or just doesn’t care.