Christmas crafts with the kids

Just before i put away all the christmas decorations, i thought i would post some of the christmas dec's i made with the kids. After my recent brief about sustainability, i thought it only fitting to include are hand-made dec's made from waste fabric. We had a lovely afternoon sewing, stuffing, gluing and sticking. We even made green rice reefs made from a mixture of glue [pva],cooked rice and green food colouring. By adding some glitter into the mix we were very pleased with our end results, although they turned out a little heavy for our tree. The fabric creations are beautiful and i will keep them for many years to come and i am very happy with y boy's sewing skills.

Tim Walker

Tim Walker is a London based photographer, art director and more recently creator of moving images. After graduating in 1994  and at the age of just 25, Tim Walker went on to photograph for some of the most established magazines in the world, most notably Vogue and Harpers Bazaar. He has photographed some of most beautiful and famous models of the last decade and has produced exciting and innovative compositions for his still life shoot's. He has collaborated with artists such as Tim Burton a man who shares the dreamy, theatrical visions that Walker instills in his work. His images portray a romantic gothic mood not to far from illustrators such as Edward Gorey. His use of oversized props and extravagant scenery have all contributed to Walkers established style.  In 2008 Tim Walker was awarded with the 'Isabella Blow award for fashion creator and he has some of his work residing in both the V and A museum and the National portrait gallery.

The observation of film/TV production 2011 [ contact with industry]

 The sound equipment.

Tony Slater-Ling the DOP.

I was recently fortunate enough to have the opportunity to experience behind the scenes of a new BBC production. The new drama shot in Liverpool gave me an insightful look at the work and job rolls undertaken within the industry. From my first day of the shoot, it was a given that work ethic was the most important ingredient necessary.

My first day was a daytime shoot. I watched the lighting being erected around the property that was used as a home in the new drama. You may wonder as I did the need for lighting during daylight hours but it was explained that the lighting was an important role in depicting certain times of day. I was amazed at how much work and thought was needed in the visual process. The lighting can create mood, ambience and even weather changes. While there I was able to observe the sound production team, line management, direction and production, as well as art –direction and the direction of photography.  I was given the opportunity to talk to the different roles within the crew and was given a job description of what their roles involved. I was unaware of how much goes into a single production.

The director of photography [Tony Slater-Ling] or D.O.P as they are called was by far the most insightful. I watched as he composed each scene through the director’s vision and would create imagery that encapsulated the script contents and the stories narrative. The camera alone was a by far the most complex piece of equipment on set and the craft of becoming a cameraman/DOP is definitely a gift to be born with.  You have to have an innate ability to visualize the scene and the learned knowledge of the equipment necessary to execute the job. The camera and its implements were extremely heavy and the assistants had to be quick to retrieve and attach lenses when needed. There was also the job of the focus puller, a job that you can only hone while being on the job its self.  This was true of many of the on-set crew roles. Dedication and passion is one the job’s criteria’s.

Each area of the visual set would have to be scrutinized for continuity and it would be the job of the art directors to make sure that the visual props and scenery were doing their jobs and that there was no visual distractions. This was the area I most interested in as I have extended knowledge of preparing windows for stores and merchandising for companies. This also ties in with my love of photography and the art of composition.

On another day of shooting I was introduced to the, not so’ glamorous’ side of film and media. The scene was to be shot through the night on a very cold and windy night, near to Liverpool docks. This was an arduous task of constant lighting, sound checks [because of the wind] and the damping down of the streets due to the continuity of the sporadic rainfalls. The crew worked continuously hard to maintain the energy levels needed in order to keep to script and budget deadlines. The days were averaging 12 hours and some day’s more, with very little breaks but it was easy to see the passion behind each crew- member and the devotion to the production.

 Night chase.

One of the scenes in production that night required a car chase. This involved the DOP, his assistant and the director being driven around by a stunt man in a high-speed car/bike chase.  The car driven by the stunt team made for an enthralling observation of the energy that these scenes create and then are captured by the team for our screens. It was white-knuckle ride all the way but it was clear to see that they would go to any lengths to achieve their imagery needed.  Even though the scenes were repeated many times and from many angle’s, the DOP and his team never tired and this was a clear indication of their commitment to their craft. The experience taught me that you have to work hard and collaborate well in order for the production to run effectively. You have to be a team player and be willing to endure not so easy environments to achieve creative and visionary results.  Dedication is definitely needed and I am extremely grateful for this given opportunity and will be excited to see the end results in the New year.

Shop windows

I have recently been given a brief at uni about the opportunity to design a shop window. I am at present collaborating with illustration students and were hoping to come up with some interesting design ideas. Im adding some photos of christmas displays that are around at the moment. I'm hoping they can help inspire some imaginative ideas. I will also be looking forward to looking at the works of Tim Walker the photographer and art director alsoTim Burton and Edward Gorey will be other areas of exploration.