The short film follows a loose narrative around life during the 2020 Lockdown, where staying indoors and attending online meetings dressed formally from the waist up was the norm. Progressing on from this time coined the term "New Normal" which inspired the title for my campaign, "Your New Normal", playing on the irony that people would get used to wearing odd combinations of clothing throughout the day beyond the lockdown era. I believe this idea and narrative was successfully portrayed in my film in a subtle way that blurred the lines between story and visual marketing.
The images above show some of the finished scenes in relation to the storyboard tiles sketched out in the planning stage. Whilst minor adjustments may have been made in terms of layout or placement in the timeline, each of the scenes sketched out in the storyboard made their way into the finished product.
Filler footage was taken in preparation for any gaps or scenes that had to be cut, as well as candid cinematic shots taken to display the outfits in the photoshoot.
Another aspect of the project that can be seen above is the integration of the photos from the photoshoot. This was implemented so that there was a direct link between each of the products of the campaign; made up of photos, short clips and a short film. In the bigger picture, the short film acts as a centrepiece to the campaign, tying the rest of the products in to create one singular set of final outcomes.
Reflecting back on the research, involving short fashion films for ASTR the label, Alexander McQueen and Glamour, it is clear that this film fits into the fashion film genre. It displays a good variety of techniques used in the industry, such as smooth cinematic shots of the model and the surrounding environment. Other aspects of the film include the montage-style editing techniques where quick cuts to the beat are used to maintain flow throughout.
The use of text in the film to present the brand name and product-line title is also reflected in my work, both at the beginning and the end of the video. This can be seen in the screenshot below where the text overlays the scene which remains playing in the background.
Another successful technique used in some of the fashion films I explored is the integration of still images as part of the narrative of the film. Similar to the ASTR the label film, I used the beat of the backing track to add in still images in a collage. All images were shot on set of the photoshoots, which again creates a tightly integrated system within the project as a whole. I also chose to explore this idea with PiP (Picture in Picture), where I overlaid moving image sections onto a moving image background. Playing around with editing techniques like this allowed me to explore the potential of my video beyond what I had originally planned.
Overall I believe this film was a success in tying together the outcomes of my project. Whilst it was shot on a single set, I was able to use the space of my environment to move about and explore different angles and shots, similar to the techniques explored in the Altered States project last year.
Whilst the video in its current form is incredibly successful in fulfilling my proposed idea, I would have liked to be able to expand the visual ideas by adding an indoor aspect. However, as mentioned previously, this video was shot in line with government restrictions at the time, where I was unable to be indoors with individuals outside of my own household. That being said, the areas I was able to access provided me with a range of possibilities for my outcomes, such as providing a set for my narrative, a set for my photoshoot and extra space that I was able to explore for extra footage.
(1) Kevin Reyes - ASTR - the label (2021) [Short Film] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA4a6fE2fdg (Accessed 11/04/21)
(2) Vivienne & Tamas - GLAMOUR Hungary (2019) [Short Film] At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNlWakWKWb4 (Accessed 11/04/21)
(3) Alexander McQueen - Womenswear Spring/Summer 2019 Campaign (2019) [Short Film] At : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNlWakWKWb4 (Accessed 11/04/21)
(4) Cabinet Office (2021) Covid-19 Response - Spring 2021 (Summary) At: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-response-spring-2021/covid-19-response-spring-2021-summary (Accessed 22/03/21)
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