Evaluation of Paintings For Inspiration

I have loved every second of this project; it has been so exciting and seems to have flown by! I have achieved some work that I am incredibly proud of and gained some valuable skills that I will be able to put into practice in my career. 

This project revolved around knowledge of contextual and theoretical issues, styling to fit a certain look and capturing the essence of  a painting which has pushed me to gain a further understanding of what I am dealing with. The film part of this project is what has given me the most chance to do this as I chose to replicate my painting as closely possible and I still think that was the best option, before deciding on my final painting I looked through options as to what could be made in a modern or different setting. The film really required me to be as historically accurate as possible, I have loved finding out about the background of fashions and the reasons behind fashion influences. I know that my knowledge of the 1920's has greatly improved, not only in costume but in the politics behind it all too which gives my knowledge a deeper understanding. Working along side Maria, the production designer was amazing, we could give each other insights into the reasoning behind each of our areas to make the result feel more cohesive which in return has made the development of the project more through and hopefully more historically correct! 

Working with a team of people, on both the film and the styling project has been fabulous, there is so much more room to bounce off one another and to get more from the brief. Decision making has been made easier through discussion with the other parties involved so that we are all on the same page and knowledge in other areas highlights issues that I personally may not have considered. 

Learning independently has also had its benefits; I know I juggle a lot of things outside of university anyway so it is fundamental for me to plan my life well. Since the start of this year I have made a spread sheet for what I will be doing each day, I like having the knowledge of what is happening the next day, week and month and it allows for me to fit everything in that I need to and I will continue to do this next year and so on. I have loved being able to work to my own time table, setting things up when it is most appropriate for me, which most of all means that I have been on top of things from the start! I can honestly say that with this project I have used my time a lot more effectively than with any other project but I also think that may have something to do with the use of this blog!! It has been a fantastic way of displaying my findings and it is so much more accessible when just noting something down, I do not have to worry about the aesthetics as I can always change them at a later date, and pictures are so much easier to display, it has definitely been a time saver.

I could not be happier with the realisation of my ideas, I said I wanted to focus on getting the styling of 'Portrait of Dolly' and 'Rudyard Kipling' as exactly as I could and I am SO proud of what I have achieved. I think I have used good time planning; I have done extensive research into the 1920's and learnt a lot about photography. I have learnt some fantastic new skills with photoshop, CosPlot and dealing with a team which is amazing as it has completely backed up that I want to go into the film industry after university. 

I cannot wait for next year! 

Reflection and Evaluation of Filming

I have really enjoyed this project, it was completely mad at times sourcing things up to the very last second but it has been amazing and I have learnt so much. 

Independently researching something that needs to be perfect has driven me to strive to be as knowledgeable as I can about an era, in this case the 1920's. The way that I have had to take in this knowledge and apply it directly, for me has been amazing as I am not usually fantastic at the understanding behind all the things we are taught, but learning independently has let me discover a lot of these things by myself. 

I can honestly say I hadn't got the best knowledge about the 1920's before this project but I have learnt so much about the reasons why they did things and the influence as to why changes were made, I have loved being able to tell people little nuggets of information that at a general glance at the era you wouldn't find out, for example the sequins made from wax, Amazing! 

Working with the Film course has been fab, they are all so passionate about what they do and it has been great to work in a team and see how each role functions in that team, creating something fabulous at the end, or at least I hope so! 

I can honestly say I have put my heart and soul into this project. I have loved every second and it has been a valuable learning curve, I have worked under pressure to a deadline and achieved something that I am really proud of even though I have only seen the rough cut so far!!

I cannot wait to work on the grad films next year!!  

Screen Shot, Portrait of Dolly

Homestead

I have enjoyed this project so much that as soon as I received an email about working with Bournemouth University Television Production students on a short film called Homestead. It is set in 1941 and is about evacuee children and they get sent to a farm with a lonely farmer and eventually the children and the farmer bond.

At first I was a little worried as the lovely producer, Adam Finch, Said they were starting filming on the 22nd of May after we have just handed in SDP, however, with some good time management I know this will all be fine and its too good an opportunity to miss!!

There are 4 characters;

Ruth – 16 – She’s strong willed and confident and protective, especially over her younger brother William. Even though she’s only sixteen, she demands to be treated like an adult and with respect. Though respecting of her elders, she’s not afraid to challenge them when she feels they are acting unfairly or suspicious to another. She always has everyone’s best interests at heart. She comes from a wealthy family, though she is not snobbish. She’s only human. 

Charles – 50s – He’s a very lonely, cold, ragged farmer – his only form of company is his loyal dog. His grumpiness conceals a personal tragedy, one that still haunts him after many years. Because of that, he is no longer able to connect with people. He still has a soft and sensitive side which sometimes shows when he eventually lowers his defences. He is reluctant at first to take in Ruth and William, but he does warm up to them in the end. 

William – 10 – He’s young, sweet, innocent and is yet to find his voice. He is naturally very quiet and shy and only talks with those he is most comfortable being around. He is desperate for a father figure, unknowing that his father tragically lost his life in the early days of the war. Whilst living on the farm, Charles fills that gap. He is always seen carrying a teddy bear and is naturally curious – finding himself exploring from time to time. William develops a close relationship with Charles’ dog.

Filming 'Portrait of Dolly'

Today has been so hectic but fabulous!! My production team are fabulous which make things run smoothly, I have to say everything seem to run a lot more smoothly than 'Girl with a Dove'. 

Socks!! I forgot socks! Our lovely actor Ollie turned up wearing bright red socks so I had to quickly run out to get some, thankfully everyone still had things to be doing so nothing was late and it affected nothing!

Hattie's dress fitted perfectly so that was fantastic, I had to use a pair of insoles to make sure her shoes didn't slip off but that was fine! I tacked the bows in place once she had the dress on so that she couldn't fiddle with them and they would be exactly the same for continuity. 

The only thing that didn't go to plan was the dress for Dolly's mother. I had rented a beautiful 1920's original purple dress which fitted perfectly with Maria's (production designer) ideas about the colours being nude and reds and purple, sensual colours; However it was not to be. The dress did not fit. Luckily I had a back up dress with me, which Kirsten preferred as well! Hopefully it will look just as fantastic on screen as the purple dress would have!! 

Ollie, The Gentleman's suit fitted amazingly too! I have been so lucky!! The shoes were slightly too big but he said he didn't mind and chose the brogues which looked amazing! The trousers sat a little high on his waist, giving it a little more of a 1930's feel but this should hopefully not be seen too much in the film itself! 

Re-creating the Portrait of Dolly Painting was the most important job for me on the day, I really worked hard to make the continuity stay the same and get Hattie to look as close to the picture as possible!! I am really pleased with how the whole day went and I was so grateful of my amazing assistant, Alex's help!

I just can't wait to see the finished thing now!!

Little Evaluation

In this process I have learnt that it is imperative for me to be flexible and patient. I really need to be able to adapt to change quickly and not let any changes hinder me in the  process. I need to be able to be contacted easily and I have realised  how important it is to be in contact with the rest of the team as decisions must be made only with the rest of the team in agreement. Most of all it has made me realise how much I want to work in film.

Painting For Inspiration Film and Styling Project

Aim - Develop creative and practical skills in film design and styling. 


Brief 


Part One 
Styling
Select and interpret a painting from The National Gallery or The National Portrait Gallery. Decide if the interpretation will be set in the period portrayed or in a contemporary context which will be presented as a photograph. 
Budget - £0. 


Part Two 
Designing for Film 
Costume a film working with The AUCB BA (Hons) Film Production course and The AUCB BA (Hons) Acting course inspired by a painting from The Courtauld Gallery. There will be a very tight turn around from script selection to filming which will need to be handled with good time management and creativity.
Budget for whole film - £50 - £70. 


Submit a body of work including; research, development of ideas and photographs from both the styling project and on-set photographs from the film project.