Final Outcome and Evaluation

Here it is! I had a few issues with the printing, being charged double what I was quoted and then having the binding fall apart not once but twice! But it has been fixed and the poor quality of printing was completely down to me not managing my time efficiently and going somewhere that would print quickly, rather than go somewhere that took longer but was better quality.

However, overall I'm happy with the final product. There is definitely room for improvement which has been explained in my evaluation, but the success overall lies in not only the final outcome itself but the process. There have been lots of hurdle that I have had to overcome, and lots of problems that I have had to solve and I am really proud of myself for how I have handled these. I feel as though I have grown as a professional and applied myself to learn things that I may not have if everything in the project ran smoothly. It is for these reasons that I wouldn't change any part of the process. I  think I could have liked to have had a wider range of shoots and better quality of binding, but overall I think that the project was a success and conveyed what I set out to portray.

EVALUATION

At the start of this project I initially proposed to create a visual coffee-table styl­­­­e book that would explore the link between the skin and five separate sets of emotions. I also aimed to create five short films to accompany this, to create an emotional response in the audience that could not be reached through the visual medium of a book alone. As the project progressed, however, the nature of my project changed significantly to be a celebration and exploration of Skin as a form of identity, and focus more widely on human responses rather than pinpoint individual emotional reactions. This was partly down to the research that I compiled where I drew inspiration from body sculpture, and partly down to my own experiences with skin, eczema and scaring.

This project has undoubtedly pushed me to increase my capability in industry-relevant skills and has forced me to work autonomously, setting goals and challenges for myself and problem solving appropriately. A crucial example of this is the vast improvement in my skills in digital applications, especially in Photoshop, Indesign and Final Cut pro. This has been primarily self taught, but has also been encouraged by regular support sessions with the I.T technician. I have been able to use digital manipulation to emphasize the emotional tone of my project in post production and therefore explore the concept on a more solid level. This is something that I thought that I would have to rely on the photographers for, and was put in jeopardy when Susann left the project. As such, a huge benefit of learning these skills is that I have been able to take control of factors that I would have had to previously rely on other people for if things do not go to plan. I feel immensely proud of my progression, and confident enough that I would list this as a skill when applying to jobs in industry. This is a hugely beneficial thing to come out of this project - it has forced me to improve my skills for industry and also think and communicate more like a professional and create mini briefs for myself to reach my goals.

As to successes of the project, I believe that I succeeded in creating an original and visually stimulating piece of work that merges emotion with technological factors that are commonplace in today’s industry. The QR code is an essential method of promotion today and strikes a happy medium between being forward thinking and innovative, yet still attainable enough to be easily accessible to everyday people.

There were a few ideas that I originally had for the photographic portion of the project that proved unsuccessful, such as using wax as an extension of the skin and body. But although this was tested and still unsuccessful due to lack of facilities on the scale that I needed, I believe that I efficiently found solutions to the problem, using aesthetically similar materials that were easier to work with and fit into the concept and design of the original shoot and concept. I was able to solve these problems quickly and effectively, proving that the project has helped me to think on my feet when things don’t go to plan. This will be invaluable in industry.

The most challenging aspect of this project for me was relying on and organising other people. It’s easy enough to organise a photoshoot every now and then, but organising multiple shoots when everyone else also was busy with FMP deadlines, with limited studio time, was something that I found very frustrating and difficult to manage. I found that surrounding myself with the right team was imperative to the success of the project and acted as a support system. The final team of people that I shot with were as involved and as interested in the final outcome of the project as I was, which I think was key in making an effective piece and having the shoots run smoothly.

Another thing that I found challenging was the budget, and this definitely caused a few limitations for me especially in the way of printing and binding. If the budget had allowed I would have looked into more expensive materials to create a wider range of visual experiences but it became apparent quite early on in the project that the budget that I had initially planned was not realistic to what I could afford. Although this did not set me back in terms of my shoots, it was an issue when I came to look into printers.

A major threat throughout the project was the possibility of people either not being available or dropping out. Unfortunately the latter occurred with my initial photographer/videographer half way through the process, and she failed to pass on to me any of the material that we had agreed on. I finally received unedited clips and images from her, and thought that my lack in video editing would compromise the outcome of the project. I managed to overcome this however, by falling back on my backup photographers and utilising my newfound skills in Final Cut Pro.

There were a few major issues that needed to be resolved throughout this project, mainly because working with the skin as a medium is different to creating regular makeup looks. There were different materials I had to familiarise myself with and new methods of makeup application that I had to utilise to create the effects that I wanted. I also had to familiarise myself with foreign technology as well as teach myself completely new skills from scratch. The key to resolving these issues was preparation and anticipation. I had initially planned for disasters to happen, which meant that I had at least some basic idea of how to fix a problem if it came along, which I could then build upon. This is a really important skill that has increased tenfold though completing this unit and something that is invaluable to my career when I go out into industry. I’ve also proved to myself that I can set myself challenges and solve them in a professional and effective manner.

The overall quality of my book definitely requires some improvement. It was bound poorly; causing some of the pages to go out of alignment and in some cases fall out. Although I could blame this on the company, the blame primarily lies with me for not managing my time efficiently enough to go to a better printer. I chose a company that could do the job quickly, and although I had several meetings with the printers I took the quality at face value without testing examples and actually touching and feeling the books for poor binding prior to ordering. This is something that I will carry with me in my career when I collaborate with other companies in the future – quality is important and should not be substituted for poor time management.

If I were to further develop the project then I would like to go even further with the methods that I used to explore the skin and its responses. Exposure to the work of artists like Bart Hess and Juke Schoorl determines that projects like this can be emphasized sculpturally, texturally and aesthetically and this is something I would like to expand upon given a larger budget and timespan. I would also have liked to have fine-tuned my Final Cut Pro skills and make the videos that I created look just that bit more professional. I learnt how to edit after I filmed, and if I had reversed the process I think I could have gotten shots that would’ve made for a better quality video.

Overall I have created something unique with a creative, diversity driven concept behind it. Diversity is fast becoming a prominent factor in the beauty industry with campaigns like Diversity Now and models like Shaun Ross and Winnie Harlow driving this forward, but the subject of skin is still very much a taboo subject when discussing beauty and fashion. This book addresses the issues that are still being ignored in fashion. It was surprising and refreshing that this project actually made me feel hugely positive of my own skin. The book is positive, with quirky colour schemes and edits that beautify skin and all of its distinctions. I think that this is important to acknowledge not only within the beauty industry but in every day life as well.

Colour Themes and Trends

A huge factor in making my book reads smoothly and everything runs consectively is ensuring that there is some consistency in not only themes but colour schemes as well. 

As I reach the point where I need to start thinking about the aesthetic of each chapter of my book and put it together on InDesign, this is something that needs consideration.

To do this I have utilised skills previously gained in our Trend Package unit, where I gained a deeper understanding of colour trends. I used WGSN to build upon my initial ideas, to build a deeper understanding of current and future trends and ensure that my book will adhere to these in some way or another. 

Each chapter almost followed its own colour conventions and had a natural colour scheme. If there were any anomalies in this I was able to fix this through photoshop, slightly changing background colours to ensure they matched the other shoots in the chapter. Although I was conscious of this and planned for colour trends before shooting, the main function of creating the above colour package was to ensure that I maintain these themes and trends while completing post production, and putting the book together on InDesign.

Creating this was a good idea as it served as a compact tool to aid me in maintaining themes. Colours were inspired, as stated in previous posts, by combining the shoot that I already planned with colour packages from WGSN, which allowed me to link my ideas with those of industry and ensure that my shoots would be relevant.

Uploading to a Suitable Site

My choice of video hosting was initially going to be Vimeo, but after I signed up it became I discovered that you can only upload HD videos once a week. It is necessary for my videos to be HD quality so that they have a professional finish, but I simply don't have enough time in my time plan. After some background research I discovered that YouTube was one of the best video uploading sites in terms of maintaining the quality and colours of its videos so I'm going to keep it simple and upload the videos individually toYouTube so that each can be a separate easily accessible illustration to its own chapter.

Above is a screenshot of my channel. I have created a banner to introduce SKIN which keeps with the theme of the cover of the book, ensuring that there is a flow between both of my methods of portrayal, which is important in maintaining fluidity.

I am happy with my choice of video site. YouTube is a really popular and accessible platform, and is used by a huge range of individuals to access many different genres of video. Vimeo is lacking in this - not as many people are familiar with the site and although it is used by many creatives, its not particularly well known outside of this circle. This reinforces my confidence in my decision to use this as the primary viewing platform for my videos.

Video Analysis

CRACKS AND GROWTH

Here is my final Cracks and Growth video. It was successful in terms of portraying skin textures in a creative way but in all honesty this is my least favourite of all my videos. I  think it could have been executed better by having a more colourful spectrum in it, and having the hand move in different ways with multiple camera angles. Its a good starting point but there is room for this to be explored further in video format, and this version doesn't differ much from the draft except that it is cleaner and a bit neater.

SILVER LINES

The hardest thing about making and editing this video was applying the right mood. This came mainly down to music. Most royalty free music either had a very sombre tone or a very jaunty, almost comical tone. I have found that sombre tones tend to make videos seem more professional, but it wasn't right for this video in portraying what I want to portray - I wanted the model to be showing off his skin, to be happy in the emphasised silver lines of his hands and have the video as a sort of appreciation of differences in skin, but the somber tone put a negative spin on the whole thing.

After finding the visual effects that I wanted to use I found a mystical tune that I think fits really well with the tone of the film. Its bright, but not comical while still giving an emotional serge in a positive way.

This is my favourite of all my videos. I love the colour spectrum and I think the whole thing works nicely. It makes for an interesting watch because there are video effects as well as a model moving appropriately. There are some bits that could have been edited in a smoother way, but overall this video makes me proud of my process in video editing and Final Cut Pro, all of which was self taught.

IDENTITY

I've been in two minds about this video ever since I shot it. Im still undecided as to whether this portrays my idea of identity or not. The shoot was Susann's idea and was the reason we started to have creative differences, because I felt that it didn't really relate to my project.

However we found the mannequin and I really liked the idea of incorporating this smooth, perfect porcelain idea of a human being in comparison to the flaws and lines that real skin has. I think the idea is good, but here are a lot of ways that it could have been portrayed better. Down to getting the material so late from Susann, I wasn't sure that this video would even ever happen and decided to work with it given the time that I had left by the time I received the raw clips.

HUMAN CONDITION

This was another video that I thought was successful. It succeeds in creating an emotional response in the audience and I really like the aesthetic of the makeup application to the odes chest sand torso. I made the conscious decision to have the male topless in order to exhibit and emphasise the motion of his breathing, and also to because I thought it would be fresh and clean when exposing the skin in its naked form.

Some shooting and editing could have been carried out in a more professional way but overall, with all the ups and downs that the videos gave me and not knowing if they would even get made, I'm really quite happy with how they turned out.  I was able to fit music that fit the one of the piece and inserted breathing sound effects, which I was able to slow down or speed up, depending on the mood that I wanted the model to portray.  This breathing effect, which we also completed in shooting with exaggerated movements for camera, ties up the whole video and puts some meaning behind the perspiration.

The video allows the audience to come to their own conclusions about why the male is perspiring and breathing heavily. Is he scared? Has he exercised? Is it sexual?  The skins reaction is the same and  video is successful in portraying the relationship between emotions states and their physical response.   If I were to re-do the video I think I would have liked to really exaggerate the perspiration and go all out with it, perhaps adding a spray to the body to show a gleam on the skin that compliments the larger beads of sweat that were made with gel. That being said, however, I do really like the contrast between the brands of sweat and the models matte skin so it would be hard to pinpoint which would work better aesthetically.

Identity Shoot and Edits

ANALYSIS

I worked with Lauren again on this shoot and she's always great to collaborate with. She shared creative ideas while letting me play with the concept. Her skills in lighting and photography meant that I didn't have to use any post production on the images, except for adding the odd image to the background. I want the skin to really stand out of these photos so that is another incentive for me to not use photoshop on this shoot.

I used my own hands in the shoot because they are lined and textured and I thought it would be beneficial to showcase natural diverse skin as well as the unnatural. It also makes for an interesting aesthetic. I took inspiration from vitiligo and birthmarks and used makeup to recreate this type of patterning. The cutesy background colours cast a pleasant delicacy on hands that may been seen as not ideal were they in another situation. I was not the best hand model, however, and kept shaking throughout the shoot meaning that a lot of photos were unfocused. Lauren was patient and helped me to keep my hands steady in front of her camera.

The pink background that Lauren and I agreed on reminded me of a relevant trend that I had seen on WGSN and I thought the two would work really well together. The "Graceful" theme has been referenced in a previous post and revolves around a pastel colour scheme, focussing on pinks. Incorporating this into my shoot really gave the images a modern, cutesy edge which is popular with my artsy target audience, giving me more of an edge when maintaining their interest. Soft Pop built spun this theme through collage and popular culture "sticker" like appendages. I want to ply with this to see if its something that can be incorporated into my own work.

Above is one of the final images, to which I have applied the editing techniques as stated above. I did this by duplicating the daisy that is on the ring of the index finger. The daisy print is extremely popular with my demographic at the moment, so it will appeal to my target audience and also ties the shoot together and is aesthetically pleasing. I haven't photoshopped the skin itself to maintain the authenticity of the texture. 

FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS

I realised that  absolutely love making up and shooting hands. They're all so singular, yet they're all the same. They move differently, the skin fits them differently on different people, some are aged, lined, soft, dry, the diversity is infinite. I wanted to test some more while was was with Lauren so I went back to the Silver Line shoot from the beginning of the project. I have made the conscious devious not to photoshop these images bar for the backgrounds in some cases. This is to show the authenticity of the texture of the skin which I feel really gets to the core of the subject.

Identity Shoot Design

This shoot shows how skin is seen as our first method of deciding a persons identity. I will take a birthmark over the models face, which will be inspired by the Rorschach inkblot tests - a psychological test used to identify a persons deep psychological personalities. I like the link between this test , showing inner identity, and the birthmark which shows outer identity.

WGSN has proved a really good source of inspiration for patterns and textures that will influence and update the inkblot-like stains that I am looking at. The above, to me, shows this sort of theme distorted on a range of different bases, which is something that is key when designing my skin patterning.

UPDATE

What if I didn't use the face, but used the hands to portray this. The chapter is, after all expiring how our outer identity connects to the skin without looking at a persons facial features. "The skin is all we show." Hands are intimate, they can tell a story of a person and serve as a emotional connection between human beings. I've decided to adapt this shoot to the hands for variety as well as concept strength.

Loss of Innocence Shoot Design

The concept of this shoot is to show sweat on the skin as a response to loss of innocence, using a combination of oils and mixing mediums. What I like about this concept is that it can be perceived as either sexual innocence or every-day innocence because the nervous response is the same. The shoot will let the audience decide the trigger for the response.

Shoot examples from "sweat" shoot

VIDEO CONCEPT

Although I have a few images of this shoot, I have decided that this would make for a really strong movie concept. I plan to combine the sweat on the models chest with heavy breathing and leave the trigger up to the audience to decide.

SHOOT

The shoot seemed to be successful, however I won't know for sure until I see the footage. The model was skilled at exaggerating his breathing for camera and the wet beads of sweat contrasted with his matte skin for a lovely, amplified aesthetic effect. The shoot will be short in length to illustrate the book and I'm really looking forward to going over the material that we captured.

UPDATE AND ANALYSIS

It took some time and some youtube tutorials but I have managed to put the clips together to create a short film that I actually think was quite successful! I enjoyed the process a lot more than I thought I would given that this type of editing is not a strong point for me.  I managed to find royalty free music to fit the tone of the video and sound effects, and the mood is strong and intense without being too cheesy. I used overlapping breathing noises that build up and fade in and back out to increase the breathing of the model. This, I have discovered while editing, has en emotional effect on the audience - the body naturally tries to keep up with the breathing on the video but can't because its not synchronised properly, causing the audience to feel breathless and panicked. This is a huge plus in that the emotional stimuli is reaching beyond being acknowledged as a concept and is now being felt by the audience itself. I have noticed that some of the shots go in and out of focus, and if I were to reshoot I would make the transitions smoother and add some more movement ion the video. But overall, i am happy with this as a first attempt of a final video outcome. The final video is below.

Professional Communications

More than a month after my initial tests and filming with Susann and I still haven't had the material from her, to the extent that she is now ignoring my message. I felt that it is impossible to tackle this problem in a professional way and finally sent a firm but fair message stressing the need for the material. She sent me one edited jpeg.

I find this really unprofessional, but I accept that this is something that I will probably have to encounter a few times in industry and I addressed it in the most professional way that I could.

In the end I got all of the material off of her bar one shoot. It is all unedited, breaking the agreement that we had that she would edit what she had done after she quit.

I in no way blame Susann for being busy and needing to focus on her own work, I do however dislike the way that she handled the situation. I am now behind, have to edit a lot of work and make my videos from scratch. Challenge accepted.

Progress In Digital Applications

This unit has really pushed me to improve my skills in digital applications, especially in Photoshop, Indesign and Final Cut pro. This has been mainly self taught, and helped along with regular support sessions with our I.T Technician. I have been able to use digital manipulation to emphasise the emotional tone of my project and reach the concept on a more 3D level, something that I thought that I would have to rely on the photographers for and then thought would not be possible once Susann left the project. So a huge benefit of learning these skills is that i have been able to take control of factors I would ave had to rely on other people for when things don't go to planned and don't have to stray too far from my original plan.

Above are a few examples of what I have taught myself to do using post production and I feel proud of my progression, and confident enough  that I would list it as a skill when applying to jobs in industry. This is a hugely beneficial thing to come out of this project, that it has forced me to improve my skills for industry and also think more like a professional.

Jealousy Final Shoot

SHOOTING PROGRESS

Today we shot the look and I got to really experiment with the "bound" factor. I ended up incorporating different materials to experiment with other ways to portray this. I used elastic and string in a verity of different positions and felt as though I really acted as creative director rather than just a makeup artist.

ANALYSIS

I feel confident that we got a good number of images to have this be a strong concept through the book and, if the previews are anything to go by I don't think that I will have to reshoot this. The photographer Lauren achieved the lighting and mood that I had envisaged even without post production, meaning that editing will only be minimal and images will look more professional. The shoot has the potential to match the Monumental trend that I was originally inspired by from WGSN.

I work incredibly well with Lauren and together we create a professional yet relaxed shooting atmosphere that allows creative ideas to flow freely. The model was confident and managed to hold poses that may have not been the most comfortable! She was able to portray the sense of emotion that I had needed.

Makeup application went smoothly and I was able to pull off what I had designed on a face chart in real application. It appears sharp on camera and although the metallic bleached out a little, this was expected and is easily fixable in post production.

The "hair cage", although previously practised did not run as smoothly as I would have liked it to. This was down to a corser hair type, which caused strands to be static and hard to control and I also should have practised the night before as to remind myself of the precision that I needed.

I have enough confidence in the quality of Lauren's work that I have agreed to edit the photos myself, which will take some of the worry out of having to wait to see the final photos and also means that I can start creating the post production effects that I want to add (see mood board) To do this I have self taught the techniques that are required by watching photoshop tutorials on Youtube, and this proved really successful. Examples are below.

I am really happy with my growth and progress in digital systems like Photoshop, Indesign and Final Cut Pro over this unit and would now feel confident in listing these thins as a skill when applying to jobs that require this in industry. 

I have also used Photoshop to manipulate the tone of the image to better match the mood that I had originally planned in the previous post, which was inspired and tonal to the "Monumental" trend package. To do this I applied basic beauty editing along with cooling filters to the picture apart from the eyes, which is emphasised to give a molten appearance. This was necessary due to the camera bleaching out the metallic gold somewhat, which was planned for in the design. The two photos below show the edited tonal version of one of the images from the shoot, next to the unedited, warmer version.

Jealousy Shoot Design, Styling and Inspirations

MONUMENTAL PACKAGE FROM WGSN

The idea for this design was to have two creative takes on jealousy - the first uses the hair as an extension of the skin to show how jealousy is trapped in the head of the individual, the second focusses makeup on the eyes to express a "see no evil' connection between expressions of jealousy.

WGSN has proved to be invaluable when looking not only for inspiration but also for tonal aspects to inspire me when creating a general mood for each of the shoots that I am preparing. Their "Monumental" trend package hits a similar note to the absence I am aiming for with this shoot, while giving tonal and textual inspirations. 

Gold features heavily through WGSN, a colour that I had originally wanted to feature for the strong eyes loo of the second jealousy shoot. I was glad to see this, because I now can link my initial thoughts and ideas to legitimately certified trend experts, meaning that my shoot will have some viability in terms of fashion relevance in the industry. I also feel it is relevant to this shoot because, to me, gold has a temperamental meaning - it is used interchangeably in media for both light and dark moods. It can be light and magical or dark and for boding and this will give a deeper mood to the shoot for more connectivity to the audience.

TEXTURE AND TRENDS

Texture is fast becoming a strong theme through my shoots - it illustrates skin in one of its most natural forms. Therefore I want to incorporate this into the makeup to create a connection between skin and the makeup itself. Gold has many textures so I created the board below as an inspiration board to showcase textures that have inspired me through this shoot design. Its important to me to know the different ways that gold can be displayed, moved and applied before I start designing the makeup in depth. 

I have also incorporated the hair into this, to display different ways that other creates are taking on the ask of crewing textual "hair cages" and then see how I can merge the two together to ensure that the shoot flows nicely. 

TEXTURAL INSPIRATION BOARD MADE BY MYSELF.

UPDATE

The below mood board was created after incorporating the above factors. I now have a really specific idea in my head for the aesthetic outcome of this shoot including styling and post production. Styling will be smile yet effective - I have sourced a mesh body suit that compliments the stringy texture of the "hair cage" while remaining current and fashionably edgy. I have chosen a model who I know is talented and who will fit the heme of the shoot. 

Initial makeup tests taught me a lot about the application on metallic paints. I do not like the second look and i don't think it early portrays what I want to portray. The first eye is what Im going to work on. I need to use more aggressive brush strokes over a larger surface area to create a more textured look based off of the textural research that I've done above. 

Cracks and Growth Final Shoot and Video Draft

THE SHOOT - Analysis and Evaluation 

Photographer Eloise Peachey was a dream to work with, she was really professional and wasn't afraid to lend ideas while at the same time letting me run with the creative control of the shoot. She came up with the idea for the backdrop colour, and the colour scheme is actually one of my favourite things about the shoot. Emma, the model, was professional and conveyed the kind of emotional strength that I wanted from the mood of the shoot. Eloise had edited and sent me the images within a weekends and I really could not have asked for more from her or Emma.

I was very pleased with the outcome of my makeup design, everything fit together smoothly. I did the styling myself, I wanted clean, crisp and tonal and that comes across in the photos. I wanted to keep a fashionable tone to the styling and makeup so that the photographs would be relevant to industry and I think that I achieved this, by using contemporary styling conventions and trends (note the sculpted brows, boyfriend style jumpsuit and primary shaped jewellery.) Another way that I attempted to stay relevant to industry was by getting inspiration from recent catwalk hairstyles.

The photo style is perhaps warmer than I specified on my initial mood board but I think that it tones with the backdrop colour beautifully, and Eloise's collaboration on this decision is something that makes the overall shoot come together.

The only problem that I encountered in this shoot was attempting the Bart Hess inspired wax fingers again using the microwave as previously discussed with my tutor. Unfortunately the microwave just wasn't strong enough to melt the type of wax that I had. I overcame this problem by reverting back to Fullers Earth on the hand and this was probably a blessing in disguise because the shoot flows a lot better that way, and in hindsight the wax may have not matched the colour of the white fullers earth on the models face

VIDEO DRAFT AND TESTING

Testing fullers earth on camera" The effect of this cracked skin overlay is similar to that of the Bart Hess wax, but a lot easier to work with. Drafting the video gave me a chance to further experiment with Final Cut Pro and improve my skills in video editing and, while I am in no way a pro I see this as hugely successful as a rough draft. I've come to the conclusion that the films don't have to be overly complicated fashion films, but can be simple illustrations of the concept of S K I N. This has been a positive experience in the way of gaining new experience and building on IT and Technical skills, and I feel as though I have overcome my reluctance to enter into filming.

Cracks and Growth Shoot Design

Cracks and Growth is designed to appreciate the different textures of the skin and how this should make us strong, and encourage our personality to grow rather than shrink back. I have tested with Fullers Earth as stated in a previous shoot to emphasise the textural difference in skin. The design is similar to that of desert floors, and this is a really intreating starting point for inspiration of how I should apply and manipulate the Fullers Earth to create this effect. To do this I needed to look closer at the texture of desert floors and different landscapes that are exposed to drying out or cracking, and I have created the textures board below to ensure that I stick to this when I test later today.

A look through WGSN has shown that this sort of elemental texturising is current and predicted for A/W16/17 which again allows me to carry on in the knowledge that my project will relate to industry trends, enabling me to viably connect my project to a fashion based landscape as well as a beauty/diversity built audience.

One of the technical instructors has advised me that, although it appears white, the Fullers Earth will more than likely photograph grey. She suggested adding Aqua Colour to emphasise the white colour which I have re-tested with and will use when I do the final shoot. 

First Week of Shooting

Today was the first day of shooting. For time management purposes we decided to shoot video clips, followed by photographic portions of two models with different makeup and styling designs. 

SHOOT ONE

Analysis and Evaluation

Shoot one was intended to shoot Silver Lines and the beads of sweat on a male model. The shoot was successful, due to the fact that I had tested both of these techniques multiple times previously so it allowed me to remove the negative factors from the method of applying these techniques to make for the best aesthetic outcome. The model was very accommodating and had the right physique and camera presence needed for the style of the shoot. 

Applying the sweat beads to dry, matte skin increased the intensity of them on camera which again came from testing. I mentioned before that I was interested in trying the silver lines technique on different skin tones and this worked nicely, and increases the factor of diversity and skin celebration that runs through my book. If I were to shoot again, I would add shoot the two separately, because in my haste to shoot I have realised that Ive got two different themes in one photo series, which will make it difficult to create clear themes and chapters when it comes to putting together films and book chapters.

Sweat example from shoot one.

SHOOT TWO

Ananlysis and Evaluation

Shoot two was intended to show stress, the concept had the model (Meg who I previously tested with) scratching at her skin to reveal pigment beneath. It became apparent very early on that this was not working. The shoot focussed on the scratch, which gave me a block about the makeup design because the face was not a main focus. As hard as we tried, the scratch looked fake with the method that we were using. The model looked very commercial and did not suit the tone of the shoot, something that I should have realised in the testing. I made unsuccessful decisions in regards to makeup design and model choice for this particular shoot and that is purely down to poor planning on my part.

I am using this as a test and putting it down as an experience that has taught me mistakes not to make in the future. 

Drawbacks and Problem Solving

My videographer/photographer has pulled out of the whole production to focus on her own project. I am disappointed as we set terms and agreed to timings in the beginning to enable her to have time to do her own work. This has been a huge set back, as  I don't have the test shoots from last week back from her yet either and I'm worried that getting a new videographer and editing their work in with hers will cause the video to look unprofessional. I have a meeting scheduled with my tutor this week to discuss my options as timing is a big issue for me. It may be that I have to continue to shoot and put the videography on hold for the time being.

UPDATE

After initially panicking and having a meeting with my tutor I am going to focus on shoots at the moment. I was worried that not having videos would reflect badly on my mark, but after sitting down and thoroughly creating mood boards for my next lot of shoots I feel a lot more calm, and a lot more inspired. I was finding it hard to plan film shoots as its something I've never done before which is something I should have taken into consideration. I have planned to not rule the films out, but to put them aside for now and focus on parts of the project that I feel more confident with.

UPDATE

Eve booked two really good photographers to complete two of these shoots this week. One of my models has pulled out so I'm currently trying to reschedule one of the shoots.

ANALYSIS OF DRAWBACKS

Although I am disappointed that Susann has pulled out, working with different photographers show a verity of shooting styles which could potentially make for a more interesting aesthetic. It will also allow me to pull back the creative control of the project, as Susann and I were starting to have conflicting ideas in regard to shooting which went off topic of my concept. Shooting with different photographers will allow for shoots to be how I need them to be, while incorporating styles from a range of different creatives without going too far off topic.

I want to use this opportunity to put a positive spin on an otherwise negative situation and use this as a practise for when I eventually go into industry - things just aren't going to go perfectly all the time and I have to be able to pick myself up from that. The other upside is that I have worked with the two new photographers before and know what their work is like, which will save me time with testing etc.

Ive realised that I can pick myself up from knock backs and make a plan B, or C, or D.

My next move will be to continue shooting, and to also familiarise myself with Final Cut Pro in case I need to edit my own movies. My previous testing with iMovie has given me a base for this so I am really pleased that I prepared for that at such an early stage.