17/03/11 - Tutorial with Adele

Adele emailed me asking to discuss a proposal she had that would alter my SDP, but would be a great opportunity; we had a meeting at uni and she offered me the chance to do an AUCB production instead of the film that would make up part 2 of painting for inspiration.  She said I could still carry on with the styling part as there is no script at the moment for the AUCB production and I should try to have it done by Easter at the latest so when a script does arrive I can focus all my efforts on it.  I would be designing the costumes for SDP and then when I return for third year in September I will work on the live production bringing my designs to life.  I would work closely with Rhiannon Price, who is in my year, as she will be desiging the set.

I had a think about this offer and decided that it was too good an opportunity to let it go.  While I want to experience film and possibly pursue it in the future I feel that the AUCB production will allow me to exercise my skills as a designer in a more rewarding way.  The film would only be a short 5 minute film and the costumes would be interpreted from a painting whereas I will be able to create designs from scratch in a creative way and then be a part of bringing a complete show to life which excites me more than the film opportunity.  Adele mentioned that the project will probably be quite scary at first as I am quite shy and I will have to talk to actors and directors but that ultimately the experience of designing the production will raise my confidence and help me to progress as a designer.  I feel I am ready to embrace this challenge and step up to the mark, because if I can't do it now when will I?  I am also relieved that I will not be in charge of the set design as it is not my strong point and I feel a lot more confident dealing with costumes.  Also this way I can focus my time purely on the costumes and not get lost in thinking about the set as has sometimes happened on other projects.  I feel that this will give me a real experience of being a designer and I cannot wait to get started.  

17/03/11 - Tutorial with Bunny

 My tutorial went well, we discussed why I had chosen the painting, where I wanted to take it and any initial ideas that I had.  It was suggested that I could look at modern interpretations of death and how death is viewed in modern society.  I have found some other artists whose work relates quite well to the painting and I should now go on to look at their work and link it to my own and use it to influence my ideas.  I have decided to do the styling part of the project on my own as much as possible because the other half of my project will be very collaborative and I wanted to do the styling bit myself.  I talked to Bunny about this and it is totally acceptable for me to do this. Although I will need a model but my boyfriend fits the painting quite well and as the facial features aren't overly prominent he should be a perfect fit.  This tutorial was helpful it gave me confidence in my painting choice and I was able to discuss it with Bunny and explain why I chose it.  I am now able to develop my ideas knowing that I am heading in the right direction; I can start in my sketch book now and begin deconstructing the painting, researching and gathering ideas to form a concept.  Bunny suggested that I now forge forward at a good rate and decide on a period in which to set my interpretation.  She said that the costume store may not be much use to me, with all the military elements in the painting.  I do want to maintain a degree of the military but I'm not sure actual armour is what I will be using.  This tutorial has shown me that I am progressing in the ways I should be and I can now begin to properly formulate my ideas and really begin sinking my teeth into the first half of this project.

' A Dead Soldier ' - My chosen painting

After researching and considering the paintings I had seen, I chose this painting called 'A Dead Soldier'.  It is believed to be of Italian origin, painted in the 17th century.  Who painted it is unknown and the soldier depicted has no identity.  This painting appealed to me on several levels.  I like the fact that there is very little known about it because I can then focus on the symbolism of the painting and perhaps what the artist was trying to say.  The colouring of the painting in real life is beautiful and extremely striking and I want to build upon that; I have been told I have a good eye for colour and it is important to me that I don't lose this element of the painting in my interpretation, but instead use it to make it beautiful.  The ideas of death and war give me many different ideas to explore; the description on the National Gallery website was really what sold it to me:

"To the left are a skull and bones, symbols of death. The wick of the lamp hanging from the branch has just been extinguished. This work is intended as a 'vanitas', in which the objects serve as a reminder of the brevity of life and the futility of human achievement.

The school and date of the painting are much debated, but it may be a Neapolitan work of the 1630s."

I really want this to be the basis for my interpretation and I hope to explore themes and ideas linked to ‘the brevity of life and the futility of human achievement’ and make it evident in my photo.  I want to give the painting a contemporary look and bring it up to date and maybe base it on a more recent war.  I love the armour the soldier is wearing and I certainly want to maintain an element of the military and armour, but I will have to be creative to achieve this.  I am excited to begin my sketch book and start the creative ball rolling, the painting has really inspired me and I can't wait to see where it takes me.

11/03/11 - Visit to the National Gallery and The National Portrait Gallery

Having been to the galleries I wasn't immediately struck with a painting but I wrote down the names of some that caught my eye or that I thought could have potential.  I bought postcards of some that I liked and the weekend following my visit I spent my time narrowing down the paintings and researching them.  I found the visit extremely useful; you can look at the paintings online on the gallery's websites but having been to the galleries I feel that you get much more of an insight to the painting.  Some of them are vast and you just can't see this online and the colouring is so vivid in some paintings that nothing can beat seeing them in person.  For this part of the project we were allowed to go to the National Portrait Gallery as well as the National Gallery which I found helpful as it had more contemporary paintings to look at.  I must now continue to research a few of the paintings I have narrowed my choice down to so that I feel comfortable taking on the one I choose and I will feel like I have made an informed decision. I can also see how far and how many ideas I get from a painting and whether I will be able to draw enough from it to make a success of my interpretation. 

Thoughts after the briefing:

I'm really excited about beginning this project and I think it will help my understanding of film and styling.  The collaborative process will be somewhat new to me and will give me experience of having to be diplomatic and balance ideas harmoniously.  I'm excited about gaining film experience and also developing my styling skills and the ability to see potential and adapting things to my needs.  My previous projects have been hypothetical and I think it will be rewarding to bring my ideas and designs to life. 

From here I now need to visit the galleries as soon as possible and start developing my ideas and concept for the styling part.  We have about a month until the film students go to the National Gallery to choose their paintings and I would quite like to have wrapped up the styling project by then.  I will research the paintings in the galleries to formulate an idea of some I would like to have a look at and begin to think about how I can interpret them.

Over and Out.

SDP re-briefing; Painting for Inspiration

The start of Self Directed Project (SDP); my project is called ' Painting for Inspiration’; its split into two parts that link together to develop my skills in creative and practical skills in film design and styling.

Part 1: Styling

This half of the project is based upon a painting of my choice from the National Gallery or the National Portrait Gallery.  We have to then interpret it in the period it is portrayed in or in a contemporary context.  We have to present the outcome as a photograph and we have no budget so we have to be creative, inventive and resourceful in how we interpret it.  The skill will be in the styling of the costume ready for camera.

In our briefing we talked about how to use Photoshop to create the effects we may not be able to get in the photograph and how we make it as collaborative as we want.  We can involve hair and make-up, photography and the model that we use to involve a combination of talents, or we can keep the involvement minimal and do as much as we can ourselves to help improve our own skills. 

Part 2: Designing for Film

In this second half we will work closely with the BA (Hons) Film course and costume a film inspired from a painting from the National Gallery.  The film students will choose a painting and I will have to design and source the costumes.  We have a minimal budget to work from so again creativity and resourcefulness is a big part.  Each shoot will last one day and we must be on set for that day.

This project will not involve 'designs' as such but instead quick sketches to illustrate our ideas and collage to speed up the process as the project has a short turn around time.  The importance, in both parts, will be deconstructing the painting and drawing as much from it as possible to give depth.