Make It Through The Night

I was recently involved in a over night working project situated in London, titled 'Make It Through The Night', working alongside 5 other CCAD students, as well as other students from creative colleges from around the country. 

Entrance to Rose Bruford College, London

The 'Make it through the Night’ project was held in collaboration with Ukadia and the Rose Bruford College Symposium, who invited around 40 creative students from Ukadia colleges from around the country to collaborate and explore the themes of ‘Diversity’ and ‘Inclusivity’ and produce work through a wide range of materials and media, throughout the night.

Tour of Rose Bruford College, London

Throughout the night, working groups were established that had a combination of various students from a broad range of creative practices. Within these groups, the students worked together to develop and explore ideas and thoughts of the given themes and to effectively create these ideas into 2D or 3D works. 

Collaboration with other creatives

These creative students were from all around the country, and the colleges involved were,

Cleveland College of Art and Design

Rose Bruford College

Leeds College of Art

Hereford College of Arts

Central Saint Martins

London College of Fashion

Ravensbourne 

The project also encouraged students and staff to document their progress on Instagram and Twitter, and the event can be followed at #MITTN

Sources

http://ccad.ac.uk

https://www.bruford.ac.uk

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/mittn/

Museum & Gallery Curating

A museum or gallery curator manages and oversee collections of artefacts or works of art. This includes dealing with the acquisition, care and display of items with the aim of informing and educating the public. It is important to construct innovative and creative exhibitions that appeal to a wide cross-section of the general public.

Bowes Museum Display

Preston Park Museum

Preston Park museum is one of Stockton’s major cultural attractions with a continued reputation to intrigue and inspire its visitors with its exciting programmes and themed events. One of their main attractions within the grounds is Preston Parks very own Victorian Street.

Museum Display

The Victorian Street (1895)

Visitors to the museum can step back in time to 1895 and experience and enjoy the much loved Victorian Street. 

The street includes a printers, iron mongers, pharmacy and a Victorian tea room, all over which are authentically correct. Behind every street door lies a new adventure and experience, as well as something brand new to discover and learn.

The Victorian Street at Preston Park, was one major inspirational and influential aspect for a recent project based on a fictional Victorian street, The Haunted Histories of Hartlepool. 

Sources:

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/museumcurator.aspx

http://www.prestonparkmuseum.co.uk/

The Haunted Histories of Hartlepool

In a recent project, myself and the rest of 2^nd year Production Design students were given a live brief to build a street set for a fictional TV drama series, titled The Haunted Histories of Hartlepool, inspired by Hartlepool’s rich and historic past as a shipping port and commercial centre.

The Haunted Histories of Hartlepool

First hand research was conducted by observing and photographing Victorian buildings from around Hartlepool and used this research to create initial concept sketches and illustrations. From these initial sketches, technical drawings and models were produced, which allowed for an insight and visualisation into the building process, which led to the development of full-size buildings, props, street furniture and scenic painting.

The Apothecary and 'Newton's' Shaving Room 

This project was designed to showcase and expand concept development and construction skills, all requirements of the production design industry. In addition, it shows the development of some exciting team work and dedication by all students involved, as well as the specialist staff at CCAD. The street is completed to a high level of detail and finished to industry standards. This live brief has allowed for all student involved to gain knowledge and skills of concept development, evaluation of designs, construction techniques, paint finishes, foam carving and specialist finishing techniques.

The street is open for public viewing on weekdays 10am – 4pm until the 24^th April 2016, at Cleveland College of Art and Design, Church Square, Hartlepool, TS24 7EX

http://hartlepool.ccad.ac.uk/haunted-histories/

Creative Window Displays

With a mix of art, fashion, design and marketing, these creative windows convey an eye catching and attention grabbing displays. Window displays have the important duty of showcasing a brand and identity, but also using creative layouts to entice shoppers.

Harrods - Robert Piguet (2015)

Louis Vuitton: You’re Under Surveillance

This creative window display showcases surveillance cameras standing on high alert, focusing on the Louis Vuitton bags. The display suggests an ‘all eyes on you’ concept and this gives the viewer the impression that when owning a Louis Vuitton bag, you become an instant celebrity, with all eyes on you.

 

You're Under Surveillance - Louis Vuitton (2008)

Selfridges: The Apifera

This window display was created by Matthew Plummer Fernandez, for the Selfridges store in London. The installation follows the concept of shops being plants, shoppers being bees and the shop windows being flowers. Apifera, is a botanical term given to flowers that are specifically designed to attract bees and the window takes inspiration from the science of attraction developed in flowers.

The Apifera - Selfridges (2009)

Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany’s Christmas window display makes a lasting impression with this fantastical winter wonderland scene. The miniature set is dressed with tiny chandeliers and garlands, as well as the famous baby blue boxes. This window display uses a combination of set and prop to display the product in a picturesque setting.

Tiffany & Co. (2014)

Sources:

http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2008/september/the-apifera/

http://www.kingfisherwindows.co.uk/blog/the-best-christmas-window-displays-of-2014/

Graphic Design for Film

Graphic Design for film is one major area of design that creates a reality and feel for the world being filmed. This aspect of design brings a sense of realism to the film and allows the audience to fully emerge themselves in the film. There are a lot of exceptionally talented graphic artists and designers that use their graphic skills to bring the realism to life.

Graphics for The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

Annie Atkins is a specialist in creating graphics for filmmaking, this means not only creating artwork for movie posters, but also making any graphic pieces outlined in the script. As lead graphic designer on The Grand Budapest Hotel, Atkins and her team used exceptional graphics and typography to create every single graphic set and prop piece that features in the film. Atkins also worked on The Boxtrolls and developed the graphics for the incredible Victorian packaging worn by the curious underground creatures who inhabit the fantastical world. 

Filmography

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (2016), Bridge of Spies (2015), The Boxtrolls (2014), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Vikings (2013), Titanic: Blood and Steel (2012), Camelot (2011), The Tudors (2008-2009)

The Boxtrolls (2014)

The Grand Budapest Hotel Signage (2014)

Telegram graphics: The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

MinaLima Design is a graphic design company that produces graphic props such as posters, book covers and any other graphic element for films. They are best known for establishing the visual graphic style for the magical Harry Potter film saga. Alongside their film work their design books and commercial packaging, recently collaborating with Lush Cosmetics to design a packaging range for their new limited edition gift sets.

Filmography

Tarzan (2014), The Imitation Game (2014), The Fault in Our Stars (2014), A Fantastic Fear of Everything (2011), Gambit (2011), Harry Potter: 1 to 8 (2000 -2010), City of Ember (2008), Sweeney Todd (2007), The Seeker: The Dark is Rising (2007), The Golden Compass (2007), Notes on a Scandal (2006), Flyboys (2006), A Good Woman (2004), The Grey Zone (2001), Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (2001), Nora (1999), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Notting Hill (1999), The Avengers (1998), The Legend of 1900 (1998), The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997), In Love & War (1996), The Portrait of a Lady (1996), Circle of Friends (1995)

Advertising graphics for the Harry Potter films

Newspaper Front Cover for the Harry Potter films

Packaging design for Lush Cosmetics

Sources:

https://annieatkins.com/

http://www.minalima.com/home

http://www.imdb.com/

American Horror Story: Freak Show

Freak Show, is the fourth season of the FX horror television series American Horror Story, set in 1952 Jupiter, Florida. It tells the story of one of the last remaining freak shows in America and their struggle for survival.

American Horror Story: Freak Show

Production Designer, Mark Worthington stated that “this season, we’re turning the freak show inside out. You’ll see it from the point of view of the people in it and see them as people, not objects of derision.”

Before the show aired, promotional posters were revealed to audiences and these allowed viewers to get an insight into the weird and wonderful world of the Freak Show. The shows promotional posters were the starting point at showcasing to the audience the strange and curious world of the Freak Show. These promotional posters are very compelling and mysterious, capturing certain aspects of the freak show and revealing very distinct and original characters. However, these visual images still leave room for imagination and curiosity behind the show, and don’t reveal too much information.

The shows production design lives up to the expectations met by these posters, as they continue to capture an eerie and almost sinister essence. What is more, the sets seen throughout the show have a tendency to reflect this sinister yet appealing quality, that is also reflective through the shows characters. Most of the sets seen try and showcase the glitz, glamour, fascination and talent of the freak show and its performers, rather than the fear and discrimination towards them.

The whole show has a running theme, whether it be the sets, costumes, props, music, cinematography or the characters back story, the whole show embodies a twisted yet engaging artistic appeal that leaves you on the edge of your seat and wanting more. The visual aesthetic of the show flows throughout the whole American Horror Story anthology and the use of cinematography and design is pleasing to the eye.

American Horror Story: Freak Show Promotional Poster

Sources:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jarettwieselman/behind-the-curtain-of-american-horror-story-freak-show#.yrzrpJjPz
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1844624/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/11115772/American-Horror-Story-Freak-Show-meet-the-characters.html