'Certain Defeat' Production

After unsuccessfully having Kornelija as the model, I managed to find another model who was equally as fantastic if not better. Zarah has lots of modelling experience and was very comfortable with the idea of wearing just underwear. Her skin tone was very different from my original model and I feel it works really well with the brighter colours. Her complexion and facial features also allowed her to carry a more theatrical makeup with ease.

What was particularly challenging about this shoot was that I had one previously that day which took about five hours to complete. The tiredness had to be quickly overcome and Zarah was extremely understanding of my stress. My photographer stayed with me all day and really supported me, which was a vast improvement from the previous shoots.

We had some difficulties with the studio booking and a misunderstanding occurred with another student but was quickly resolved and our set up was moved to a different studio.

In the end I decided to use paint to represent the blood rather than foam. The paint had a really glossy sheen, which added to the glittery aspect of the project’s aesthetic. As expected it got a little messy and we really had to plan each position with shooting then filming. Then once that position was complete the photography lighting was set up to shoot again, and then altered for the filming.

Overall, I am really pleased with the outcome of the shoot and how the concept looks in comparison to the original images. I feel that her vulnerability is captured but in a really glamorous, almost animated way. The only thing that does irritate me with the images and footage is that the purple lips have a blue tint in the images due to the photographer adding a filter on postproduction that I was unable to match with the film editing.

'Blue With Envy' Production

This shoot really, really excited me whilst preparing it. We had all sorts going on and I couldn’t wait to put it all together! The makeup was bold and glittery, including two rows of eyelashes, glitter, sequins and lots of shimmer – my absolute dream! I also had a stylist working with me. We were messaging lots prior to the shoot with ideas we both had and constant updates of our progress.

I asked for two different looks to chose from. One look with denim to produce an effortless, cool character. The other look with lots of sequins and over the top accessories. On the day of the shoot she turned up with so many options that I was spoilt for choice. I instantly fell in love with the tinsel jacket she brought. The whole outfit went together perfectly with the turban and wig and the whole look produced the exact level of sass I was after. The model really managed to embrace the character with all of the styling complete with the hair and makeup and instantly transformed.

Straight away the images looked incredible! But we gradually added different things to the shoot, including a subtle blue gel light, a dobo filter on the spotlight, then eventually shone light onto the glitter ball I brought. I just really wanted the whole look to be so sparkly and eye catching. After getting some amazing shots, we then attempted adjusting the shutter speed whilst the model moved around in the wind machine. The tinsel jacket created so much interesting movement and I could not be more excited over the images!

We then eventually got to the filming which was very successful. I also think this dream felt a little lighter than the rest which creates a nice variation. What I really noticed about this shoot and its success was how we all collaborated so well as a team and performed to our highest abilities. I a so thankful for the hard work and input from everyone and they all seem to be very excited for the final release!

'The Death Dream' Production

I look back on my test shoot and the images are almost laughable! I really had very little preparation for that shoot and not a very understanding team to work with. But for this final shoot the photographer (Sarah) had many ideas she wished to contribute in terms of lighting. I also took on board a stylist. I told her exactly the styling I wanted but she completely exceeded every expectation and brought an entire wardrobe of fragile lace garments and fabrics.

Initially we tried to get Kira to move around in a dance motion to create the idea of the flowing material. This made the images really inconsistent and it just wasn’t working. So I showed the photographer the below images from Dark Beauty Magazine and suggested we lie the model down and place the material over her. With the white background and white fabric it created the illusion that she was jumping or falling, which was exactly the look I was after. Instantly the images had a really surreal and ethereal aesthetic.

The filming was also very straightforward and the wind machine helped to create the wind motion of the dying scene of the dream. This dream is definitely a perfect representation of the motion I went through during this rare and unusual experience. I am extremely pleased with the outcome, and I have to say it is definitely up there with one of my favourite ever concepts.

'Sabotage' Production

After having a successful test shoot a couple of months back, I considered not reshooting this dream. I felt that the images were strong enough to submit at the time of shooting, but after discovering the importance of a highly skilled and creative photographer who understands my concept, I felt that the images could really improve and I also needed to get some footage.

I decided to change photographer yet again, but keep the same model as she perfectly embodied the character for the shoot with her modelling and acting abilities. The model is quite shy, but she knew the photographer and there was an instant change in her confidence and the images were perfect from the first click. I felt like the three of us were all on the same wavelength and understood the concept and appreciated the artistic approach for this shoot knowing that it wasn't going to be 'pretty'.

In terms of the hair and make-up, I decided to keep everything pretty much the same as the test shoot but with slight alterations and improvements. The hairstyle is the same as previously created as I felt it was different and created interesting silhouettes in the coloured lights. The makeup was created with more precision than previously done, with more defined eyebrows, lips and eye shaping. During the test shoot we also discovered the model was allergic to my eyelash glue which meant we couldn't apply false eyelashes and the gems weren't secure. This time we tested five different brands of eyelash glue in swatches on her arm and found a glue that she wasn't allergic to. This secure application meant I was more confident in wetting her skin with water knowing that the gems weren't going to fall off and the eyelashes bringing more drama. I also created a set of false nails in preparation for the shoot with gold nail varnish, glitter nail varnish and individual gems.

To my model's delight we changed up the flavour of the jelly, but more importantly I decided to add gold glitter rather than red and silver which glistened very effectively under the flash.

After having the best selection of images, which we took very quickly, I came to select six final ones. Below shows the unedited images that I believe present the best representation of the dream and show off the makeup and hair detail. Myself and the photographer have discussed editing preferences and I have said exactly how I would also like the images to be cropped.

Chosen Unedited Images:

Final Edited Images:

To complement the images and to generate further understanding and exploration of the dream's concept, I believed that a video for each dreams' series was necessary. I have very little experience with editing video footage, but after watching tutorials with a vague understanding of how to work such software, after much trial and error, I managed to create an outcome that I am very proud of. My intentions for this video was to produce a sickly nightmare of the overdose scene of the dream. I intend for the viewer to be repulsed yet fascinated by the colourful, unusual imagery and the psychedelic visual effects. To create this piece I wanted to present a hallucinogenic display with cross fading imagery and varied focus to generate the idea of character falling in and out of consciousness. It is also suggested that our dreams are desires of the unconscious mind, to which my project has began to show notions of fetish and erotic qualities.

Upon reflecting on this particular shooting experience and recreation of my dream, I feel as though I will shock the viewer as my original intentions of my proposal state. This particular recreation perfectly captures the essence of the project with a literal take on 'sweet dreams' with the use of dripping jelly and creating a visual nightmare in the most intriguing way possible. The infusion of lighting colours represent the party scene and the effects of drug abuse accidentally participated by the character. This has been the first shoot I have come away from feeling fully confident in my team and my ability as not only a makeup artist and hair stylist, but also a creative director.

'Choked' Production

Creating the new concept of Choked was much more effective than the initial idea I had. As this dream was provided by an external, I had much less understanding of the feeling achieved or what happened. My first idea was very much aesthetically based and little thought was put into it. I believe this was because I hadn’t done a test shoot and had the model for a week only in January whilst she was in the country. Also, I didn’t really fully know what sort of filming I wanted to achieve as it was still fairly early in the project and I had a lot more development ahead.

Taking a more metaphorical approach after deeper investigation has really benefited the idea of this dream and I feel as though it produces a clearer image of the dream. Again, the idea was to produce something sinister, but I wasn’t qute sure how creepy I was going to achieve it.

My initial challenge came from the fact I had the model’s makeup to do first, then I had to paint the hands of another model. This was a little time consuming be we got there in the end. We were then in probably the smallest possible studio with so much equipment, but the outcome works really effectively.

During the film, a nail falls off and I didn’t notice this until it had been fully edited, exported and uploaded. But hopefully this is not visible unless informed.

The photographer really understood my concept and how I wanted the images to look. We then arranged a long meet up where I carefully selected my favourite images and selected areas to crop to gain the best representation of the makeup and the detail put into it.

As a result of a very cooperative team, we created a really interesting outcome. What was also brilliant was that the girl who dreamt the dream messaged me asking if it was about hers. She absolutely loved it, which is extremely rewarding to hear.

'Neglect' Production

Neglect was a very big shoot in terms of organising all the team members and the props and styling. It was also one of my first shoots, which presented me with nerves and worries. I lost a lot of sleep over this shoot, before and after. But now I have the final images exactly how I wanted them I am much more relieved.

It was a real struggle to translate my ideas to the team, but I showed lots of reference images and examples of poses and lighting. The photographer at this early stage kept on trying to force his ideas into he shooting, which was extremely frustrating and confused the model. The model has cerebral palsy and therefore quickly got tired from the shoot, which is very visible in the images and film. I kept on asking for exaggerated expression to create a very theatrical outcome, yet she didn’t quite take this on board.

After hours of shooting, I felt as though we hadn’t got what I wanted and I really got worried but failed to discuss this with the team. This was an extremely risky move but I could tell everyone was tired and fed up so I just called it a day. When I got home I was an absolute wreck. The pressure of the entire project had got to me and I felt as though this wasn’t in my control.

After two weeks of no contact with my photographer, the anxiety became too much and I demanded to meet up with him to see the images before I was driven completely crazy! I was very honest with him and told him that I wasn’t happy with it at all, especially as he had already decided to edit and change the images n the completely wrong way. Although I sound like I am being very dramatic here, this project is just extremely important to me and I felt that I couldn’t let someone interfere. So we eventually got one image to the exact style and editing and he went away and did a few more. Eventually, after being extremely persistent, I got all my final images form the shoot and edited the film in the best way possible with what I had. The lighting was so bright and extremely difficult to correct. I even managed to lay an image over the top that I created in Photoshop to create the same board-like effect that is visible in the images.

Overall, the stress of this shoot was all worth it because I am so pleased with the outcome. I love the raw textures and grittiness there is, rather than an obvious perfect porcelain doll image. I have had great feedback from this shoot and I am very grateful. 

'Scopophobia' Production

Scopophobia holds a lot of personal issues for my self-esteem and confidence that have been translated into something I find beautifully disturbing. The process of shooting a naked model takes planning and consideration, but luckily the model was a close friend of mine and had no problem telling me if she was uncomfortable. Prior to the shoot I was nervous about how the product would sit on the skin, even after testing. But the process of layering Aquacolor, plaster spray, talc powder and baby oil has produced the exact desired effect. 

We faced many issues within the photo shoot and I was completely exhausted by the stress afterwards. Firstly, the modelling bulbs would not work on any of the studio's lighting equipment and there was no time to try and test each bulb one by one. The modelling bulbs play such a vital part in the production of a successful gel lit shoot as the show exactly where the light is going to hit the model's skin. So we resorted to a very slow trial and error method by aiming the lights onto the model's body and just shooting. After what seemed like hours (days) we eventually began to get the lighting I had in mind. But during this process, the model was tiring and the product started to rub off the model and even create irritation on her sensitive skin. We were really against the time here! 

Once we mastered the lighting the images were unbelievable! The texture of the skin was haunting and the tiny hair strands and goosebumps could be seen. Once we knew the lighting was perfect we were able to completely smash out the images. We then faced the challenge of setting up lighting for the filming. Because the lights had no constant light to them we had to use the filming lighting. Not only would this mean that the set up would need to be completely redone, but it meant that it was going to be near impossible to create the same lighting effect. The filming lighting also produces a great amount of heat, too much for the thin sheets of acetate to take without melting. So these were constantly turned on and off throughout the process which massively delayed everything. But we did get there...eventually. And I am more than happy to say the least. 

I then faced the next task of getting the images to the exact style during postproduction with the photographer. Although I do love other creative input, his ideas were very forceful and I had a very specific style in mind. After a slight struggle, I managed to arrange a time to sit down with him, choose the images and explain exactly how I would like them to be edited. But this was not the end of it. It then took a very long time to get the images back which created a massive delay in my production schedule and placed a lot of pressure on me to turnover my outcome quickly.

The film footage aim is to better represent the mood of the character. I feel as though this was captured well within the filming and editing. But as you can see, it was extremely difficult to generate the exact lighting after the change of set up, colours and quality of filming. As a result, I am not as satisfied with this outcome as much as the others, but I am still in love with the unusual and unique creative concept I have achieved. 

'Neglect' Development

'NEGLECT'

Dream sent via email -

'My recurring dream was that I would wake up in a huge bed filled with cuddly toys. Every time I woke up I would be in a different place like an airport or a supermarket, but everyone would ignore the fact that they were walking past a giant bed with a child in it. A man would then approach me. He was tall and skinny and wore black trousers and a black turtleneck. He would come over to tickle and scratch me and I'd scream for someone to help me and everyone would just walk past and ignore me.'

The person who sent me this dream may have been experiencing a feeling of neglect or a may feel irrelevant to someone they care about, resulting in a dream where they are being ignored. The also may have experienced someone making them feel inferior or less knowledgeable, hence the child-like character. The tickling and scratching from a tall dar figure may represent their helplessness and cries for help, potentially as a result of a failure to get help and lack of support in real life.

I have chosen to recreate this dream because I feel that there is a fun element of the initial production of the dream but it can be captured in a really dark and lonely light and transformed into something disturbing in post production. With the right lighting and characterisation I believe that an interesting outcome can be produced.

INSPIRATION:

Love Magazine's AW14 shoot featuring Cara Delevigne shows a playful character with bright settings and props. I particularly like the clashing colours making it look very flamboyant and garish. I will be taking on a similar setting by using multiple oversized toys/teddies to emphasise the character taking on a small child-like and more vulnerable state. These images strongly remind me of a certain Japanese culture called Kawaii, which translates to cute, lovable or adorable. The fashion itself is very animated and includes novelty accessories and brightly coloured hair and makeup.

I aim to create a sinister take on this dream recreation rather than producing a cute and innocent production. Alice (1988 Film) by Jan Svankmajer, "a surreal adaption of Lewis Carroll's classic children's book", shows a disturbing undertone throughout the duration of the film. The lighting has colder blue tones which produces melancholic atmosphere.

Here we can clearly see Alice's clothing, which includes a pink and white pinafore dress with white socks and black shoes. The colours create a innocent, child-like characterisation of the little girl. She is dressed like her dolls, who also sport a short blonde hairstyle with a fringe.

I will be basing my styling on this representation of Alice. The left and right image show the white lace tights and gloves purchase. The centre image shows the dress I have purchased from an online store that specialises in Kawaii Japanese fashion. I have chosen pink and white, not only because of Alice's character, but also because pink symbolises weakness and vulnerability. The white lace represents her fragility and purity.

TIM WALKER:

My primary inspiration for the photography of this dream comes from Tim Walker. His work shows a strong recognisable style and a magically eccentric charm. His images show a great sense of theatrical elements with dramatic settings to produce images with surreal qualities.

 'Imaginary Fantastic Bizarre'

This series includes oversized props to create the illusion that the model is very small. This is how I wish to portray my character, surrounding her with large objects. The styling is very feminine and almost doll-like.

'A Magic World'

The model is portrayed as a gentle, vulnerable character, styled in pastel coloured clothing. The model has a lost expression on her face, similar to the concept of the dream where she wakes up in random and unknown destinations. There is a certain fragility presented in the images which I find haunting and endearing.

'Mechanical Dolls'

To continue with the theme of toys and child-like appearances, I would like to create a play on effect by attempting to represent the model in a doll-like pose and style of hair and makeup. Walker again has created a depressing and lonely coldness to this series, which I feel produces a tense atmosphere of darker possibilities.

'China White'

This particular series by Tim Walker shows a very lonely looking character with a clown-like appearance. The blue eye makeup and blushed lips work well with the paleness of the skin and the dull surroundings. The lighting is very dingy but also has more depth in tone than the other images. I wish to recreate a similar lighting during shooting and post production to mimic a similar atmosphere.

MOOD BOARD:

HAIR & FACE CHART:

WIG STYLING:

I managed to find a very bright yellow wig on ebay which was a very reasonable pice. The wig was synthetic but I had enough time and preparation to cut and style is using a steaming technique. The wigs texture was extremely difficult to work with but I managed to get there in the end.

I then released the curls (image on left) then decided I wanted the wig to be shorter so I cut into it more to produce the outcome on the right.

MODEL & PHOTOGRAPHER:

Model: Abbie Hills

Abbie is a very petite model and I can imagine her perfectly capturing the essence of the character I have derived for this dream.

I have also worked with Abbie before on multiple shoots and she is an extremely passionate model so I have every faith in her ability.