The Ranger Online

Issue date: 10/26/07 Section: Premiere

Media Credit: Altug Sami Icilensu Theater freshman Eloisa Bass reacts to theater freshman Greg Salinas who pretends to threaten her with a knife for Instructor Scott Vallance's Perceptual Design class. Photography sophomore Amy Hestilov holds a reflector for the shoot east of Chance Oct. 18.

Media Credit: Altug Sami Icilensu Photography sophomore Alysia Carreras holds a reflector on theater freshman Greg Salinas while he hides a knife from theater freshman Eloisa Bass during a picnic scene being shot by photography sophomore Pamela Ortiz.

Betty, a young student wearing a bright, yellow, flowery dress, was stabbed with a switchblade knife east of Chance Academic Center Oct. 18.

Betty was relaxing, sipping from a bottle of Coca-Cola, preparing to enjoy a picnic with her boyfriend, when a man wearing a white shirt, black jeans and black leather boots crept toward her from behind a tree.

Unbeknownst to Betty, the crazed man was holding a switchblade, which ended up with her blood all over it.

Well, at least that was what the students in PHOT 2373, Perceptual Design, who staged the scene, wanted to portray in a photo shoot for a class project.

Photography Lecturer Scott Vallance said every detail of the project was voted on by the students of the class.

This included the kind of project, which the class decided to be the cover of a 1950s-style murder mystery novel, the title of the book, "The Night Betty Died," the location of the shoot and the actors who would portray Betty and the vicious murderer.

"It's an amazing amount of things that have to be decided on," Vallance said.

Indeed, even the name of the author of the fake book, P.D. Falls, had to be invented.

The author's name was chosen because P.D. stands for perceptual design and the class is in the fall semester, Jeanette Garza, photography sophomore and supervisor of the project, said.

Every student assisted in one way or another, such as setting up equipment, holding reflectors and standing in for the actors.

Vallance planned on having each student take a picture but time ran short.

The class will vote on the winning image Tuesday.

Among photography sophomores Amy Hestilow's and Felipe Lozano's duties were to stand in for the actors while they stood to the side and looked pretty, as Garza instructed them to do.

Hestilow is a member of The Ranger photo team.

The killer, played by theater freshman Greg Salinas, and Betty, the innocent victim, played by theater freshman Eloisa Bass, were selected by getting the word out in the theater and communication department, Hestilow said.

Hestilow said she posted fliers on the bulletin boards in the theater and communication department that included her e-mail and asked people in the department she knew to spread the word that actors were needed.

Garza said the class wanted actors instead of models because an actor could portray the fear needed for the scene better.

Hestilow said she liked Bass' young, innocent look and thought Salinas had good body language.

In fact, Garza said Salinas' audition was so good, he was the only actor considered in the audition process.

She said Bass was one of two women who auditioned for Betty.

Salinas, who recently appeared in "The Elephant Man," said the project was the first time he ever did any sort of modeling.

He said it was an audition unlike any he had participated in before.

Thinking the part would be better suited for a big, muscular person, Salinas said he exaggerated his body language.

He said the 1950s style appealed to him, saying he liked the John Travolta movie "Grease."

Bass, who has appeared in "Los Vendidos" and will appear in an upcoming version of "A Christmas Carol" for this college, said the process was time-consuming and involved holding poses for long stretches of time.

Salinas agreed, at one point not being able to move his index finger and saying he could feel muscle spasms approaching.

The humidity, hovering around 80 percent, created a less-than-ideal environment for the students involved; Vallance often fanned the students with reflectors and mosquito repellent was used judiciously.

Photography freshman Elizabeth Stallcup works at Hair Form in Seguin, which is why she was selected to handle hair and makeup for the shoot. She said she was not worried about the humidity affecting hair and makeup.

"We got a whole lot of product in her hair, so it shouldn't be a problem," she said of the many curls put in Bass' hair to achieve the '50s look.

The '50s look also was accomplished by giving Salinas a high pompadour hairdo and a white T-shirt with a pack of cigarettes rolled up in the right sleeve.

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