Research

Liquid Swords Video

http://www.anthonysaraceni.com/liquid-swords/hh1scn7l0rrkcobuftmjyawow33wyw

Liquid swords

·      Establishing shot-

·      Rich visuals

·      Narrative is clear from the offset

·      Sound and editing 

·      Cutting of shots are to the beat, as well as the sound

·      Movement and narrative are in the garment 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNbFc-fa-ww





Yves Saint Laurent - Menswear Fashion Film 
https://vimeo.com/83543783


From the opening shot we instantly know the brand/company linked to the video. We know this from association. I have been thinking about how the designer creates a garment with the intention of movement (as mentioned within Nick Knights Show Studio video). This can be seen within this fashion film ....... (GIF). The transitions and sounds are well suited and fit to the beat and cuts. As well as this, the camera angles work successfully to show multiple viewpoints of the clothing.

No model is seen to be looking directly into the camera, creates a sense of mystery.

Something I didn’t like was the quick transitions of the man where it looked like his head was spinning. (show gift)

I thought that it was very unrelated to the rest of the film and was dull, dark lighting. However, straight after this, the model can be see as having exposed light on his face. One can infer that he is being photographed down the catwalk by a photographer, this was much more relevant to the fashion film and was an element I could use within my own work. 

The overall video has a common theme as the video is divided into three frames

the next section of the film becomes slower, therefore the music and editing pace also becomes slow. 

Our Designer

http://www.thestylearchive.co.uk

In order to keep up to date with Charlottes latest ideas and trends I searched and followed her on Instagram. 

Having been given the name and contact details of our designer, we contacted her straight away saying that we were excited to be working with her and to also find out her availability so that we could meet up and begin to discuss ideas.

We look forward to hearing back from her...

What do I hope to get out of this collaborative module?

From this collaborative project, I hope to get an understanding of the other visual communication subjects. I intend to learn some things about illustration and graphics whether it be specific practitioners of influence, or a skill. Also, I want to attend all the workshops to further my knowledge and also learns some new skills on the different software that we will be using throughout the project. I hope to have given all that I can to my group, and also be there to offer support and advice if anyone needs it. Furthermore  I will use the photographic knowledge I have and bring it to positive use within my group.

Nick Knight- Show Studio

Show Studio Website


"Showstudio is an award-winning fashion website founded and directed by Nick Knight, that has consistently pushed the boundaries of communicating fashion online."

"It has pioneered fashion film and is now recognised as the leading force behind this new medium, offering a unique platform to nuture and encourage fashion to engage with moving image in the digital age."



Nick Knight- Thoughts on Fashion Film (Video)

My Response

Nick begins by stating that it has been accepted that fashion photography is now the best way to show fashion. A fashion designer creates a garment to be seen in a moving way, as opposed to being seen as a static item. The fashion designer knows that the garment will be seen from many different types of angles. This was an important factor that Nick mentioned as it is clear how much planning needs to be done prior to shooting the film. 

The Internet has provided us an exciting new medium, as it is a vehicle assessable to everyone. Back in 1998 the Internet was going to become a really important global communication network. Due to this Nick set up show studio, to show fashion in a moving way, which he claims is a much better way of showing it as it is closer to the designers intention. He also says that by starting show studio he was able to give fashion film a new platform that took time to establish itself. 

Additionally, he believes that the key element into creating a great fashion film is great fashion. Something interesting I picked up on through the video was Nick’s argument for the narrative already being inside the item of clothing. He says it is the designer’s intention to create a narrative within the garment; I find this very interesting because it gives a chance for the photographer and designer to put their ideas together and collaborate to create a successful piece of work. 

30 years ago, when show studio first started, photography could be defined by a specific set of rules and was easy to understand. Where as now, Nick argues that over time there has been a shift in what photography is, he states that photography stopped when the digital world came along. For most upcoming people, they have no question as to what photography is nowadays but Nick seems to think photography has been killed off.  From this, I understand his point of view but I slightly disagree as I think the beauty within photography is still there and can be seen through the use of film. However, I think photography itself has been altered through the digital world, providing more creativity and a wider perspective for photography to branch out. 

Furthermore, he continues to speak about how we are trying to define the new medium of image making as photography, which raises a lot of mistakes. People are able to naturally express themselves through sound and motion. We have the ability to change an image completely. The old medium of photography was a great medium but it isn’t what’s happening now. I agree with this as we now have the ability to alter something completely through the use of technology. A huge example of this can be seen in magazines, as models are photo shopped to change their overall appearance. 

Overall, it is clear that fashion photography itself took a while to become what it is, to be a recognizable art form. Therefore, fashion film is still establishing itself and will also take time to develop and become its own medium. Many people are attempting to create a piece of work but not everyone succeeds.

What is fashion film?

Fashion Film is a medium that hasn't been defined yet. It combines stimulating visuals with experimental sounds to convey the narrative of fashion garments to a defined audience. 


What elements do you have to consider when creating a fashion film?

-Sound

-Technical

-Fashion

-Lighting

-Creative thinking

-Models

-Style/theme

-Editing

-Audience/client

-Location

-Collaboration

New Module

FASHION FILM

Final 20 Images

Light and Shadow

Although these images are of two different structures I feel that they are related in a way as they both convey light and shadow in a contrasting way. When doing this, I was influenced by the works of Charles Sheeler as he also portrays light and shadow in his images to create visual contrasts.

In the above image there is also an element of symmetry as well of line.

Competition Entry

I decided to enter a competition called "The Art of Building" which was advertised on the Chartered Institute of Building website. 

"The competition is an international showcase for the very best digital photography of the built environment. The compeition is run by the Chartered Institute of Building and celebrates the creativity of the industry, the passion of the people who work within it, and the impact their work has on those who make use of the final construction." - Taken from (CIOB) website.

I chose to enter the three photos below as I thought they were most suited to the brief and I thought it was better to select a series of relatable images than three different ones. 

What is an invoice?

The dictionary definition of an invoice is "a list of goods sent or services provided, with a statement of the sum due for these; a bill."

An invoice is a commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer. The payment terms are normally stated on the invoice. This means it would say that the buyer has a certain number of days in which to pay and could receive a discount if they pay before the due date. Another example could be that the buyer could have already paid for the product of services stated on the invoice.

For a seller, an invoice is a sales invoice.
For a buyer, an invoice is referred to as a purchase invoice. 

The term invoice indicates money is owed or owing, the document itself indicates the buyer and the seller.

A typical invoice includes:

• The word invoice
• A unique reference number
• Date of the invoice
• Credit terms
• Tax payments (not always relevant)
• Name/contact details of the seller
• Name/contact details of the buyer
• Tax or company registration details of seller 
• Date the goods or service was sent/delivered
• Purchase order number 
• Description of the product
• Unit price of the product
• Total amount charged
• Payment terms (this included the method of payment, date of payment, details about charges for late payment)

Photoshop Experimentation

After adjusting the brightness and contrast of the photo I then experimented with the crop and rotation tools. By cropping the image I was able to create a completely different aesthetic which I preferred.

 Above you can see the original and edited image. By cropping this image I have changed the visual focal point, drawing the viewer further in. I chose to do this because the two buildings show different architectural structures and contrast well against one another. 

Shape and form

This set of images focuses on shape, form and line.

When shooting I chose the viewpoint from below looking up to create alternate imagery to my previous shoot (which focused on looking down from above). By capturing the structure in an abstract way I aimed to make the viewer question the composition, I wanted there to be some confusion as to what the structure actually is. Thus, I wanted the composition to be unrecognisable from an initial glance. 

I chose three images to work on and manipulate. By adjusting the contrast I wanted to create harsh tones to outline the different levels of the building (especially in figure 3). Light and shadow played a big part in these images too, as it was a very bright day when I was shooting. The result of this can be seen as severe tones ranging from light to dark.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Shoot 2

For my second shoot I decided to revisit the location I had previously gone to in order to capture better quality images. Instead of shooting from above a carpark (like last time), this time I shot from ground level with a viewpoint looking up. I did this to provide a contrast between the two sets of photos. I now have a series of images that show different perspectives; from above and below.

Contact sheet:

On the day that I took these photos, it was a bright sunny day so that helped with the exposure of my photos and created more of a contrast. 

The Bechers

The Bechers- The duo German artists (Bernd and Hilla) were best known for their work of photographic images that focused on industrial buildings and structures. They collaborated their ideas and began photographing the disappearing German industrial landscape which included the steel and mining industries. Something that fascinated them was the shapes and structures of buildings. A variety of angles were used when photographing and they discovered that photographing on over cast days and early in the morning was best when aiming to avoid shadows.

I think that the work done by Bernd and Hilla Becher was very successful as they had their own distinctive style that can be recognised easily. I like their style because they present the images in a way that make them look alike from a far, but up close one can see the individual differences. I am not sure if I will use this style in my own work but I will learn from them, and i will experiment with a variety of viewpoints just like they did. 

Charles Sheeler was an American painter and commercial photographer. He was known for being one of the founders of American modernism, and a master of photography of the 20^th century.

His images focus on architectural subjects in a simplistic cubism form. Extreme contrast between light and shadow can be seen in his photos and the warm colours used create a soft tone.

Although these images are more of a painting style than a photographic one, I still find them useful as Sheeler has clearly thought about form line and shadow and these are some key elements which stand out to me. I feel that I can use this research to benefit me and ensure I am thinking about these factors when shooting.

Practitioner Research

David LaChapelle - "Land SCAPE"

The structures are shot in a way to make them appear life size. The vibrant colours and high saturation levels make these images eye catching and individual, because of this I think that his work is successful and very influential. However, I don't feel that they are relevant enough to be able to relate to my project and would not be seen appropriate by the client.