10 Things You Didn’t Know About The Making Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer
6. Plenty Of Thought Went Into The Changing Vampire Faces
Vampires have been portrayed in various ways over the years. When it comes to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, these bloodthirsty demons possess the ability to transition between a vamp-face and a normal face.
Visually, these transitions are fun to watch, but they’re more than just a gimmick – a lot of thought went into them. Joss Whedon wanted the vampires to be capable of hiding in plain sight, as this would add a sense of suspense, mystery, and surprise to the gang’s adventures. (The unveiling of Angel’s true identity in Season 1 is an obvious example.)
Equally, Whedon didn’t want Buffy to be fighting people who were indistinguishable from ordinary humans:
“I didn’t think I really wanted to put a show on the air about a high school girl who was stabbing normal-looking people in the heart. I thought somehow that might send the wrong message.”
The transitioning faces were the perfect solution, and thanks to some terrific work from the makeup department, the vampires’ demonic forms look fantastic in every season.