Proenza Schouler: Outside In from Luke Gilford on Vimeo.
Luke Gilford is primarily a fashion film director, although the particular video isn't his debut, there's quite a lot of weird and wonderful videos that lead up to these shows, that funnel the stylisation of these. From the colouring of his short film the USA men's water polo team, to the enhancement of glare and fuzz of the jewel's at a Miss America show, to his main debut in Dazed and Confused, titled Boy Child, I don't even need to show you stills because I'm show after watching these two you can picture it. Also I think there's a maturation in his work from those to these. Although those are just as captivating, I am more interested in particular in two of his most recent works, both for fashion designers, the first being for Proenza Schouler. In this short film, I think it's really interesting how his narrative echos the seventies style of the clothes. Especially the colouring of the film and type of shots of her echo the retro feel of a seventies film. It's the same with the Prada film the futuristic style of the clothes is echo'd in the blue colouring and tone of the film.
What I find hard to understand in both of is the narrative. So for example the context of these films is that they are an introduction to the opening of the designers catwalk. So The Future of Flesh would of first aired at there first catwalk for spring summer 2014, (last october time ish), to set like a tone before the clothes were paraded in front of the crowd. What I don't get though is the flesh coloured latex and the bald caps, it seems to be a bit too futuristic. But I guess if that makes stand out and people talk about it, then that's the important thing because the editors of the big magazines go to loads of shows so they have to stand out to be in with a chance of being mentioned in the press to be sold.
The Future of Flesh from Luke Gilford on Vimeo.
What I find most interesting about this particular video is the big names that are involved, I don't get it, why is Jane Fonda narrating?! then I read this...
" The eerie, evocative video features an original score by Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters and is narrated by Jane Fonda — not coincidentally, another complicated feminist icon. While the clip is not the usual terrain for Fonda, she was easily convinced to lend her voice. “When Jake asked me to collaborate on the video I thought, For Jake, anything. He’s so out-of-this-world creative and cutting-edge, I knew it would be exciting. I was right,” she said, describing the project as “just wild and unique and Pedro Almodovarish.” " http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/25/art-matters-miuccia-prada-jane-fonda-and-some-models-wearing-latex/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
I didn't know who Pedro Almodovar is, so I searched him on IMDB and wikipedia and he's supposedly the most legendary spanish director since Luis Bunuel, who was one of the original surrealist spanish films. So I'm going to add them to my films to watch and I might do a post on surrealist filmmakers. I've seen a few of Dali's and people around that time and I just thought they were a bit weird for the sake of being weird and I didn't really appreciate them, but maybe I'll appreciate them in a different aspect now that I have a bit of knowledge of thirds and camera shots and so forth.
If you enjoyed these please go to his website because he has loads of shorts that are just as captivating.
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