Fashion: Constructed Image: Idea Development

After our initial ideas the group has begun to move our concept along by researching and developing their own individual areas of the production. These are the following titles each individual has:

Shoot Co-ordinator: Martin Wilby

Lighting lead: Ian Wisbey

Builidng Lead: Lucie Nakach

Props Master: Sacha Stevenson & Amie Overbury

Casting Lead: Amie Overbury & Lucie Nakach

Camera Master: Sacha Stevenson

Health & Safety Representative: Martin Wilby

Post-production Lead: Everyone

Budget Controller: Ian Wisbey

We are currently having one meeting a week where we all take notes and discuss what tasks we all need to undertake to progress with the project and have prepared for the next meeting. Martin takes the groups minutes as he is shoot co-ordinator; so far we have had two meetings the minutes are as follows:

Production Meeting- 7^th February

Those present: Amie Overbury, Callum Wilson, Ian Wisbey, Lucie Nakach, Martin Wilby, Sacha Stevenson

Apologies- None

1.       Image idea; do we want to pursue the concept using a window through which the image is seen, or do we remove the window/frame?

Coconscious of opinion was that the window remains although we may well be using a frame minus glass (for H&S reasons)

2.       Narrative; broadly do we want the image to consist of two characters that interact or relate to each other within the image. Do we want a male and female, and do we have a preference for their locations/the narrative they project?

Coconscious of opinion was that we do want two characters, a male and a female. They would interact or create a very strong component of the narrative with their interplay. MW suggested that possibly the female could be at the doorway (gun in hand?), and the male could be photographing secret documents (this can be further discussed and adjusted as we progress).

3.       Roles; Nine roles are defined within the brief and those are listed below, we assigned roles with agreement for the ‘lead’ for each role;

Shoot co-ordinator:                               Martin Wilby

Lighting Lead:                                       Callum Wilson/Ian Wisbey

Building lead:                                         Lucie Nakach

Budget Controller:                                 Ian Wisbey

Props master:                                       Amie Overbury/Sacha Stevenson

Casting Lead:                                        Amie Overbury /Lucie Nacach

Camera master:                                    Sacha Stevenson

Health &Safety Representative:           Martin Wilby

Post Production lead:                           Callum Wilson

4.    Meeting details: MW proposed that production meetings lasted no longer than one hour, that we would have one a week, until workload required us to increase that to two meetings per week as the project workload increases.

All agreed

5.    Image basics, colour or B&W? 

Having discussed this issue we all quickly agreed to go down the colour route. Based on the fact we wanted to use colour to create mood, and because this is a fashion image created to highlight the clothes/style/colour of garments etc

6.    Set basics, home, hotel/motel/office, which way do we want style the room?

This question needs a bit more thought so MW proposed that we set an action for our next meeting to source more reference images and finalise the solution when we have more references.

Action all by next meeting (13^th Feb 2012)

7.    Next meeting: As a group we discussed dates and times and agreed that the next formal team one production meeting should be held on Monday 13^th February 2012 at 13:00hrs

Production Meeting: 13^th February

Those present: Ian Wisbey, Lucie Nakach, Martin Wilby, Sacha Stevenson

Apologies- Amie Overbury, Callum Wilson

1.    Minutes

·         Minutes confirmed to be correct by all those present, only one correction had been made after publication,  and that was to include Ian Wisbey and joint Lighting lead (Correction made by Ian Wisbey)

2.    Team Task – Room specification, Hotel, Motel, residential, confirm team preference for designation of room

·         This second point was discussed and it was decided to create a proposal to move ahead with a residential/hotel environment, excluding any other type of room such as office

·         MW raised the issue that the influencing continent should be clarified in order to progress with plans and ideas. After some discussion the team came to agreement that an Anglo American theme to the room would give us the most creative scope and freedom.

3.    Budget

·         Budget Lead Ian Wisbey (IW) discussed the work he had done with regards the budget. A spreadsheet had been created in Microsoft excel and this was broken down into specific requirements. Ian also discussed the amount of money we would be asked to consider as a reasonable ‘investment’ into the project and a figure of £50 (from each team member) was proposed with full agreement of those present. Ian will further investigate the cost of items required such as wood prices, possibly asking Jonathan where his source is, and the cost.

Action: Ian Wisbey to find further costs of basic items such as wood.

4.    Timeline

·      MW brought forward the action to complete a visual timeline to assist the team with visualising key dates in relation to deliverables at meetings. The team concurred that this would be a useful tool (JS having previously advised or demonstrated something similar on the white board) Lucie Nakach (LM) purchased two sheets of card to facilitate this.

Action: MW to review and complete visual aid by next meeting

5.    The brief

·         MW proposed that we go though the brief as a team in detail (as suggested by JS). This was agreed but postponed until the entire team is available

6.    Next steps

·         The team agreed to meet informally with those team members unable to attend through sickness to update on progress and proposals as soon as they were able; Those proposals included selecting Residential/hotel environment for the room, Anglo American theme to the room, and a budget of £50 each as initial project cost (total 6 x£50 =£300).

·         Also JS has given us (whole year) another characterisation task to complete by Friday 17^th, for additional casting images

·         Due to next week’s meeting with Sam Chick being titled ‘Narrative’ All available team members have proposed we all bring ideas about the exact narrative (relating to the relationship of our two characters, and the set), via visual ideas, we can draw ideas at the meeting also..We need agreement on a proposal for the following days meeting with Sam Chick

Action; All to bring ideas to the next production meeting re (detailed) narrative, they should be visual, and we will also draw ideas out during the meeting if required.

  A.O.B. (lead reports)

·         ‘Dropbox’ folders to be added to next agenda.

Action; MW to complete by next meeting

·         Next meeting to take place next Monday (time to be agreed to suit group)

·         Team requested an ‘open forum’ ‘lead  feedback’ session at the end of every meeting to just discuss personal issues or concerns not related to any specific agenda items. A.O.B will be the forum to raise such points with everyone having an equal voice and opportunity to discuss issues, all agreed.

Since the second meeting Ian has put together a budget table outlining our maximum and minimum spends as well as the approximate quantities we as a group wish to spend on each area of the project:

As I am joint lead for props with Sacha I began by doing a sketch up of the sort of scene I wanted to create including a window to give a sense of voyeurism, a dominant woman to reflect the role reversal occurring in this era of cinema & I also want to include at least one gun to also reflect a sense of dominance and threat but also to emulate the scenarios occurring in spy, espionage and action films at this time. 

 

Since then we started exploring different ways of that these elements have been created in a movie scene, we like the use of the window to frame and hone the viewer’s eye in on the subject but to also make the audience feel like voyeurs. 

We also like the use of a doorway to create a different source of light to give this idea of a dimly lit room to create a tense atmosphere but also to give the character entering the room the look of invasion into another’s space as well as dominance over the other model.

The group is also very keen on the use of artificial lighting as this was quite a key element in 60s films to create an atmosphere as well as being able to highlight the key characters and subjects in the scene. We have also settled on a hotel type location for our fashion image as we will be able to creatively decorate the area while still keeping to a possible 60s spy movie scenario often featured in Bond films.
From all of these new and finalised ideas I decided to sketch out another idea I had for our scene, although not majorly different we as a group are beginning to tweak certain elements of the scene.

 Unlike my previous sketch the male figure is now photographing possible secret documents within which as the audience would presume the invading female character’s hotel room. Now featured is a desk lamp as well as a possible standing lamp to artificially light the room, documents lay out on the table, the male holds a camera while the female holds a gun. A desk is now present which I would imagine, being in a hotel room, to be very simple thin wood such as:

I really like the idea of keeping simplicity within the furniture and décor which will showcase the outfits being a fashion image. I have also found a painting which I feel would be very fitting within the 60s era as well as the atmosphere we want to create, John Constable’s Weymouth Bay:

 

While very popular in the 60s, frequently featured in people’s homes I feel the moodiness of the landscape would fit in with our scene and it is a realistic scene to be found in a hotel room.
Luckily for our production Sacha has been able to get her hands on a pair of 60s style lamps for our scene which would be perfect on the desk,

while Martin owns some deactivated pistols from the 60s which we will be able to use as props which are very similar to those scene in films such as bond and the Avengers in this time period.

While Sacha searched for wallpaper samples, I went to Homebase to collect some colour samples to use as colour scheme bases. Due to the 60s being associated with bold prints we definitely wanted to feature wallpaper in our scene however we did not want it to be over powering in pattern and colour; we came across this pattern which we all feel as quite fitting and a nice colour palette. 

We really like the purples and silvers in the print which we want as our main colours if we decide to stick with this print, I managed to match these colours with slightly more neutral versions of these tones:

 
 There is also a mustard tone featured in the wallpaper which we thought we could incorporate into the male outfit possibly with a coloured tie to link it all together & I feel the mustard will also tie together the furniture.

When we discussed characterisation we now have a clear vision of a dominant female figure not physically but through body language yet I still feel due to the films we are taking inspiration from she should be glamorous through the way she dresses. As a starting point I found my nan’s dress that was made for her in the 60s which was used as a function dress:

 
I feel this dress can be dressed up or down depending on the accessories we put with it but I feel very strongly about featuring it as most of the group is agreed on the male figure in a suit.
As we have started looking for models to fit the theme Lucie has entered her brother, Simon for our male model. Below is a photograph of him in a suit which highlights the sort of look he would give if chosen for our shoot.

 

 

Although not fully discussed I feel the way he is standing in this image, the feel he gives off is very 60s and Bond-esque therefore is a top runner for our male figure. I imagine a male brunette and female blonde so he fits the criteria that I have set for our casting.

I also entered my friend Carlie as a suggestion for our female model as she has short blonde hair, which I like giving us this Twiggy androgynous look; however not all of the group were unanimous in this agreement therefore we are still looking for a female model.

So far I feel we have a strong basis for our narrative and characterisation based on the films previously brought up and I am very pleased with the quality of props we are collecting so far which is helping to build a picture for us. I want to really start to hone in on costume in the next week or so and narrow down our search for a female model; as well as start considering budget for materials and ways in which we will construct door & window frames and decide on scale possibly through the assembly of a model.