Photo Shoot III
Control Freaks
It’s not a pretty picture; the perfectionists, the detail nuts and the anal retentive. Once you set aside the stigma and learn to read these labels as compliments, you have earned the title art director—it’s your job. This doesn’t mean you can’t be a nice guy and lavish compliments on everyone to cajole them to do their best work. Director Alfred Hitchcock was notorious for expecting upwards of fifty takes when filming, struggling for perfection. But like every good parent, sometimes he had to be the bad guy. And sometimes you have to insist on a reshoot, new makeup, a different model or change of set. It’s up to you to know the difference between solid advice from the photographer or if he’s just advocating what’s easiest for him. As the art director, everyone working on the shoot works for you and you’d better keep your wits about you, nice or not. It was that nice guy cheap printer who screwed up the last job because you didn’t know a small press can only run solids one way; and your design wasn’t going that way. And that printer couldn't be bothered to pick up the phone and let you know because he's just about cheap, not perfection. You don’t have to worry about that if you have a production manager . . . well, then, you’re just spoiled rotten and can concentrate on aesthetics, you lucky dog.
Whether you’re shooting a product, a portrait of some hot shot or a landscape; use your eyes to spot what’s wrong before it’s committed to film or disk. Wash the windows on the building, dismiss the model who shows up with a hangover, make sure the featured garden is weeded, redress the executive who shows up in a leisure suit and wait, wait, wait for good weather. (Photoshop can solve some weather issues, but not the incessant downpour.) Product shots may also require some ingenuity. Shooting aesbestos removal gear benefitted from the photographer’s suggested use of colorful gels, but nothing he said would stop the little rubber chin straps from jumping around on the perfectly stationary table. A glop of floral stickey clay did the trick; it’s easy to use and even the smallest dot will hold. Floral stickey clay comes in a roll and three colors (white, green and UPS brown) and is available in craft departments. I suppose we could have used duck tape—yes, I said DUCK TAPE not duct tape. Most photographers keep rolls of the stuff laying around, but are probably not members of the Duck Tape Club nor do they buy handcrafted duck tape fashions, oh, geez. Let’s get back on topic.
One of my best AD "What's in the bag" doctor kit articles are surgical shoe covers. I sent some medical products over to my favorite photographer, Dennis Meyler and naturally, he experimented by trying on some of the surgical shoe covers—yes, that’s right; cute little shower caps for your feet. There is nothing better to keep a backdrop pristine than everyone capping their shoes at a shoot. Just in case you were wondering, Dennis is the type of guy who has rolls of duck tape hanging everywhere in his studio. He’s a duck tape kinda guy. He also gets this peculiar little gleam in his eye whenever the shot involves something sharp or looks like a nasty tool of torture. He’s from Jersey; what can I say.
If you’re working on head shots, especially if it’s a bunch of guys looking for venture capital to back their business, make sure you have some loose powder on hand. If you haven’t got a budget for a stylist, the loose powder will come in handy for the inevitable glare caused by naked pates. There is no solution for the ying yang who shows up wearing a cheap rug or 3-strand combover—resign yourself and keep getting him to lift his chin which should push the top of his head out of the shot. Be aware of new research in face studies—the successful among us are apparently more symmetrical. This means your audience has an innate sense of balance and that affects the way they feel about things—this includes whatever things you might be trying to sell. Why not create symmetry whenever possible by making those cookie cutter executives always use a full Windsor knot in their silk power ties? The more common half Windsor pulls to one side and looks, well, half-arsed. Make sure your stylist knows how to tie one; and in a tight spot, learn how yourself. So that even the crooked and deceitful may appear well founded and forthright, we know all it takes is an advertising art director.
For those of you shooting the high end merchandise in the world of gems and jewelry, you have my deepest admiration. Controlling light, glare, disappearing dimension and dissolving definition is more challenge than charm. One of my significant others was a jeweler and he introduced me to Simichrome Polish. A tiny dab of this polish acts immediately and even cleans severely tarnished copper in a split second. It’s German, naturally, and highly favored by motorcycle buffs—biker buffs who love to buff their bikes. Zoom, zoom. And for you Bakelite collectors out there; it is the ultimate authenticity test, turning from pink to yellow when it makes contact. And now I’m off to a photoshoot on the islands—don’t ever let them tell you there’s something wrong with collecting a bonus trip and nice tan while working for a living. Now, that's the kind of job to have—travel to far away places, find adventure and excitement, and all without camouflage, ammunition or a long term commitment.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Look for more stories and adventures in advertising design in my book Start and Run a Creative Services Business. It's filled with great links and a full spectrum of experiences that will prepare you to face the unknown in freelance and the world of design. Not an artist? You'll be in stitches as you follow the adventures of self-employment. And if you've been freelancing for a while, you'll find new information and a trustworthy mentor to stand by your side through thick and thin in Start and Run a Creative Services Business. Excerpts are available online at my website.
In a long-ago time (early in my 20-year stint as CD of a B2B agency) and in a far-away place (Cairo, Egypt), I had to direct a photo shoot throughout the brand new headquarters of an Egyptian state-owned oilfield engineering company, with a company photographer. I looked for the most interesting possible shots for a large-scale brochure, in a location that was stuggling to be modern.
The computer room was tiny, with limited space. It was also one of the rare operations within the company that included both men and women. It took only a few minutes to convince the Managing Director to use one of his female operators in this particular photo. He understood the need to appear foward-thinking to Western audiences. So a young woman in a "hijab," a full head covering, took her place at the computer terminal's keyboard.
The most appealing shot was not within the itty-bitty room, but outside it, through a large window about six feet square built into one interior wall. The company photographer set up his camera, with the room we were in darkened.
I stopped the action because I could see (once the "exterior" lights were out) that the window was dirty. I asked for a bottle of window cleaner and a rag. I stood on a chair to make certain that I thoroughly cleaned the window inside and out. Then I told the photog to start shooting.
That's when the Managing Director turned to the rather large assembly of onlookers and said, "See? That's professionalism. That's why we flew him all the way from Houston."
Your advice about spotting the details before committing to film ought to be stencilled on every Creative Director's or Art Director's forehead. Even if I had to become a window-washer.
BTW - For the record: in a photo studio its not duck tape nor duct tape its gaffer's tape.
SDK responds: Maybe on a movie set, but if there's no gaffer (aka chief electrician), there's no gaffer's tape. Gaffer's tape is used mostly in the UK on movie sets and in theaters.
I need some advice from an experienced graphic designer. I graduated in may 2005 with a BA from a small school in Iowa. I am looking to broaden my horizons and learn more about the field. My portfolio has pretty much nothing in it. I feel like I didn't get the expertise and knowlege I was looking for at the college I attended. I am thinking about going back to school and getting my masters but I am not sure if that is a good idea or necessary. I know I am creative and have great ideas but I don't know how to express them through my work because of the lack of knowlege I have of the programs. I am just wondering what your thoughts are on going back to school and gaining more knowledge and building a portfolio. I feel like I can't apply for jobs because my portfolio is not up to par. I know most people get there MA so they can teach but I don't want to waste time and money by just taking a few classes and not recieving accredidation such as MA. Are there certificates you can receive post graduates can get?