Evaluation of RED
The production of RED has been a challenging yet rewarding
one. With the vision of creating an original and modern adult fairytale in the
form of a photographic book, a combination of 'Little Red Riding Hood' and
'Fifty Shades of Grey.' With Fifty Shades of Grey being at the forefront of
contemporary culture, harnessing and applying the undeniable popularity of the
novels central theme BDSM, an
acronym meaning bondage, discipline, submission, domination and sadomasochism,
intertwined with the classic fairytale to my final major project has produced a
modern and current storybook for a wide consumer market. There is no power
struggle between the two protagonists, therefore creating an equal and
consensual relationship. By not following the typical female submissive, male
dominant storyline has set RED apart from other books of its kind on the
marketplace today.
The initial problem faced was not being able to follow the
original time schedule for the production process. Approaching potential models
to feature within RED was challenging, due to the risqué nature of the subject
matter. Not having the funds to remunerate the models made the search all the
more testing. Through a rigorous search for appropriate models that fit the
criteria, a male and female model consented to participate in the shoots
together. However the male model due to unforeseen circumstances could not
partake, which left a short timescale to find a replacement. The female that was chosen suggested a male model
that she had previously worked with, consequently this was hugely beneficial as
it meant they were comfortable and natural with each other and in front of the
camera, resulting in a professional final outcome. It also allowed for the
boundaries to be pushed as nudity wasn't a barrier.
Due to the delayed start in the production process of RED it was decided that an online book as opposed to a printed version would be produced due to tighter time restrictions.
Another challenge faced was the cost of creating a snaptag to feature within the pages of the book. After contacting the company SnapTag.com it became clearly evident that it was untenable for a student project. Although they had offered a discount price, it was still too far out of budget and therefore not feasible. The university facilities were not adequate enough for RED to have a realistic and high fashion appearance, therefore a studio with room settings was essential. When factoring in the studio hire, make-up and prop fees it meant that the projects budget disappointingly could not stretch to incorporating a snaptag.
Due to the delayed start in the production process of RED it was decided that an online book as opposed to a printed version would be produced due to tighter time restrictions.
Another challenge faced was the cost of creating a snaptag to feature within the pages of the book. After contacting the company SnapTag.com it became clearly evident that it was untenable for a student project. Although they had offered a discount price, it was still too far out of budget and therefore not feasible. The university facilities were not adequate enough for RED to have a realistic and high fashion appearance, therefore a studio with room settings was essential. When factoring in the studio hire, make-up and prop fees it meant that the projects budget disappointingly could not stretch to incorporating a snaptag.
One aspect that has been tremendously rewarding was
collaborating with a team of passionate and dedicated individuals. By putting
strong emphasis on regular meetings with the chosen team of collaborators it
proved to be instrumental and of paramount importance to the professional final
outcome. Consultation sessions with the photographer before the shoots, enabled
the allotted time spent in the studio to run smoothly and on time. By discussing
different lighting aspects and writing a detailed set up for each image,
allowed for a successful outcome that ran true to the storyboard. A number of
suggestions made by the photographer were taken into consideration and
utilised. To have a photographer that was experienced in working on boudoir and
lingerie shoots was extremely important as specific lighting was crucial in
creating the atmospherics of the photographs. The Photographers professionalism
and calm disposition made sure that the models felt relaxed and at ease with
some of the more explicit shots. The studio manager also helped to collaborate
on the lighting elements of the shoot. One particular image was complicated to
light, and so having a professional on board to give advice was invaluable.
An online discussion forum was set up at the beginning of the production process and proved to be an excellent tool in organising and keeping all members of the team up to date with the relevant information they needed, in terms of dates for shoots, changing plans and any queries that anyone had were easily and efficiently answered in a timely fashion. Collaborating with the models was vital to the overall successful outcome of the project. Meetings were held prior to shooting in order to source styling that matched the original storyboard. This proved to be extremely cost effective as the models were happy to wear their own clothing due to the budgets limitations. The production budget did however purchase the lingerie and BDSM related props.
An online discussion forum was set up at the beginning of the production process and proved to be an excellent tool in organising and keeping all members of the team up to date with the relevant information they needed, in terms of dates for shoots, changing plans and any queries that anyone had were easily and efficiently answered in a timely fashion. Collaborating with the models was vital to the overall successful outcome of the project. Meetings were held prior to shooting in order to source styling that matched the original storyboard. This proved to be extremely cost effective as the models were happy to wear their own clothing due to the budgets limitations. The production budget did however purchase the lingerie and BDSM related props.
Once shooting had finished, the selection process began.
Choosing the best images took several hours to complete, resulting in the final
twenty-nine selected to be used for the book. It took a considerable amount of
time to edit the final photographs using Photoshop. When portraying the male
models transition from his boyish youthful look, to developing his more
animalistic characteristics proved to be a great success. By manipulating his
eyes using Photoshop to piercing blue, verging on white meant they were striking
and lupine like, yet still in keeping with a high fashion style rather than fantasy.
When it came to the post production it was decided that the males 'thought'
imagery would be portrayed in monochrome, as it was commonly thought that pack
animals such as wolves could only see in gradients of black and white with very
little colour. The male models grooming and
make-up was a vital element to the overall look of the imagery. He needed to
look well groomed and to give his physique a more defined appearance,
contouring was applied to his body. Fortunately his tribal-esque tattoo
contributed well to his masculine look.
The metamorphosis of the female model from innocence to temptress using make-up was particularly successful. The contrast of starting with a 'no-make-up' look to a highly sexualised finish with strong contouring and dark red lips clearly shows her character progression within the images, and makes for an interesting and exciting viewing experience. Towards the end of the book the influence of 'Little Red Riding Hood' becomes more apparent. Having been advised by the course tutors to steer clear of the traditional 'red cloak' the emphasis of the colour red was utilised in the form of props, lighting and make-up.
The metamorphosis of the female model from innocence to temptress using make-up was particularly successful. The contrast of starting with a 'no-make-up' look to a highly sexualised finish with strong contouring and dark red lips clearly shows her character progression within the images, and makes for an interesting and exciting viewing experience. Towards the end of the book the influence of 'Little Red Riding Hood' becomes more apparent. Having been advised by the course tutors to steer clear of the traditional 'red cloak' the emphasis of the colour red was utilised in the form of props, lighting and make-up.
The book RED is intended for men and women over the age of
eighteen. The final outcome remains true to the original target audience stated
in the project proposal. RED will be popular with the Fifty Shades of Grey fan
base, as well as anyone who has an appreciation for contemporary fairytale
adaptations and aesthetic imagery. Like Fifty Shades of Grey, RED offers its
viewers the romantic and sensual elements of erotica but in the form of
beautiful imagery. As there is a strong interest in this type of genre within
our contemporary society, its popularity will continue to prosper, propelling
it further and integrating it firmly into the mainstream public domain. Although
there is a vast range of erotic literature on today's market, there are very
few tasteful erotic photographic online storybooks available. As a result of
this there is a considerable gap in the market for this type of e-book. The future of RED, should it be sold,
finding a popular consumer platform such as Amazon would be crucial for
the success of the book and enable it to reach a wider consumer market in order
to generate profit. The further development of the book would ideally be to
have it printed, thus making it a sought after collector's item, as well as the
option of having it available online as an e-book. This enables RED to reach
the widest possible audience of erotica fans.
The overall process of making this book had its challenges
but through problem solving, perseverance and collaboration these obstacles
were not insurmountable. The final result is a crisp and clean collection of
aesthetically striking images that will hold the attention and imagination of
its reader and leave them wanting more. After the completion of RED, the
general reaction has been a very positive one. Some viewers find the content
slightly shocking, this is not perceived as a negative but rather a positive,
as it gets the readers talking and makes for a memorable viewer experience. Due
to Fifty Shades of Grey's public approval and acceptance of the subterranean
subculture BDSM, it suggests that RED will be more widely accepted in today's
public domain.
A few of my favourites selected from the book...
