Paper Mountains

Beautiful still taken by Blair Mowat from the short "Paper Mountains" which i designed for director Lynsey Miller this past weekend. Brilliant performances by little Emily, Mary Jo Randle, beautiful ballerinas, amazing lighting by DOP Dave Procter-Reeeeaaaally looking forward to seeing the cut!!

Incey Wincey Spider...

Here is a sneak peak of my latest still life project. Creating miniature landscapes for "Luxury High end, Action Watches" for men all to be published in Sphere Magazine next month. Shot by Michael Hedges, Art directed by Linda Elander.

The sets included a volcanic landscape, an underwater world, a tropical rainforest and a metallic machine interior...



*can you spot the creepy crawlersss?

DOUBLE LESSON

I production designed this short alongside my great art department (Standby Beck Rainford and Props Master Helen Gibbon, art dept assistant Daniela Monti)
The short Stars Phil Davis and is written & directed by George Kay
It is part of the First Cut strand on Channel 4

Airing 7.30pm, Channel 4 & Channel 4 HD
Friday 15th July 2011

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/double-lesson


"superb… An eye-opening, award-worthy half-hour of television"
The Daily Telegraph

"Truthful, appalling and heartbreaking all at once, it is the realisation of everything that First Cut aspires to"
The Times

"haunting… subtly written, beautifully delivered by Davis… writer/director George Kay is a name to watch"
Radio Times

"powerful… Worthy of several awards"
The Observer

***** "Phil Davis gives a mesmeric performance… extraordinary… It's riveting viewing"
Daily Mail

GLASTONBURY*

I managed to stay a whopping 10 days at Glastonbury helping a friend set up a backstage VIP restaurant called the Muddy Duck! I put my hand to a jigsaw and cut a pleatherer of Ducks out of wood amongst hanging a vast amount of drapery. The restaurant looked great and the food was divine...

One major highlight of my time there was definitely into a private gig of this genius "King Charles" In hospitality

CORE

I was asked by design studio 'Studio Fury' to come up with an image to illustrate the word CORE for their monthly calender, which they send out to clients.
I was pleasantly surprised they were not frightened by my idea of using a Pigeon skeleton with a light bulb inside its chest representing the heart. The Heart along with the word "Light", I feel are both symbolic of the word CORE. The lampshade is a nod to the old saying, "The Home is Where the Heart Is".

Shot last week and received in the post this morning!

Obsessive Compulsive*

For my FIRST advertising campaign you could say I was thrown into the deep end of Prop Heaven. Through The Production Department and Creature Creative I set designed, sourced and styled three sets up inspired by different fanatics.
'The Photo Journalist' , 'The Explorer' and 'The Fashionista'. These characters were all chosen relative to the Microsoft Laptop they are presenting-The Photo Journalist's laptop being the one with the best editing software, The Explorers having the best internet explorer facilities and The Fashionistas for being the most 'stylish'






Each set up was PROP heavy to say the least...from reems of fabric, buttons, shoes and sketches owned by the fashionista, to the explorers trophies of wild animals and extreme sports equipment to the extensive range of cameras sourced for the photo journalist...The final images were lush and full with hardly ANY retouching to do in post..

All adverts will be popping up from now on in the Metro newspapers, and magazines such as Grazia etc..etc..

awwwww

Something borrowed... something blue

Through my new representation (The Production Department) I art directed, sourced and styled the PAC wardrobe for IKEA FULL of props, imagining it owners were the 'soon-to-be-married" Prince Will and Kate. Unsurprisingly most prop and costume companies had all their ROYAL associated items OUT for other similar advertisements...so it was a tricky one..




..Sadly you cant see the replica engagement ring bought for a budget breaking £7 or the exact copy of the only medal Prince William owns-'For Bravery'....ohhh the exciting details one learns on such jobs!

The Master Shipwrights' House

This is the most incredible location House I have ever shot in.

I discovered it through Studio Fury when it was the suggested location for Nicola Roberts Album shoot (to be released in July) It was a one day shoot and we had to get 12 shots done in various situations around the house. With soo many options from all the beautiful rooms it was just such a pleasure to be set designing such a project. So the following week when we were struggling for a location for the Microsoft Campaign I suggested it to the producer and she too fell in love with it!

We were there for 7 days so it felt like a dream home from home. The house backs off to the River Thames and owns its own part of the dock. It was actually where the first convicts were shipped from the uk to Australia...



This is an outhouse is in their back garden/dock of the thames! It was designed around the reclaimed wood found when developing the house and the surrounding area.
http://www.riverhouse-deptford.com/

RRRRRRRonson

Created a mirror prism set for Mark Ronson featured in Harpers Bazaar. Photographer Aitken jolly.
This is the star of the show though...Aikens little dog..

Diamonds* for Harpers Bazaar

Created sets and sourced props for this jewellery shoot-stills and film for Harpers Bazaar. Photographer Jonas Bresnan

*There were just under 20 security guards in that days guarding their individual pieces...£$£$£$£$

Abbracadabra

Series of images shot back in September last year for the Dunhill menswear label...








From magicians and painters to crocodile tamers and snake charmers... I sourced and styled the animals and props to illustrate imaginary owners of these Dunhill bags

Photographer is Matthew Shave

The GIFT for Christmas

The Gift from TEST on Vimeo.

I set designed and built/created the set aswell as creating the giant bauble headpieces for this little short for testmag.co.uk

Michelle Rafferty was the stylist and Sandra Freij was the photographer/director

A Fluid State

A Fluid State from Arm and Eye on Vimeo.

I was creative director for "The Tasting Sessions" A fluid State festival. Working with different beverage brands on creating different worlds from Fantasy Island (-rum crisps, sweet pork candyfloss and dragon breathe popcorn) to the Secret dinner/wall of hoods (masonic game stew and finest chocolate) to a tequila inspired Texan prison and 1960s jazz club...

MILK

A little halloween special for Milk Magazine alongside photographer Sandra Freij and stylist Emma Macfarlane. I styled props and created body/head pieces for this shoot

Company with Brendan and Brendan

Shoot for Octobers Issue creating dens in the picturesque Walthamstow Forests. I worked alongside fellow set designer Hela Dondertman, Photographers Brendan and Brendan, and stylist Kirsty Hathaway

The Twilight Hours

I was the creative director for this event held by "The Tasting Sessions" in The Brunswick Gallery, Russell Square. Champagne was served and tasted at event so was therefor the basis of the concept for the evening. Starting in a restrained manner (akin to a cork in a champagne cage) a performance piece curated by Artist Marnie Hollande "En Pointe" took place, latex wear was adorned by the all performers by William Garner. The theme of restraint continued in the cryptic world of masonic symbolism.. Cloaks were adorned..the crowd wore masks.. the lighting was dark...a crow wandered. The night was hosted my Marcella Puppini..she evoked the reveal with doves and introduced the beautiful Beaux Belles dancing seductively to "Bathing Blossom" from the soundtrack to film "The Secretary". The evening ended in neon bubbles and tipsiness.
I curated sets/costumes and casting. Sound curation and artist liaison by Leslie Deere.

Teenagers in Tokyo

Back in june I worked on the set design for director Sandra Freij on this music video for Teenagers in Toyko"s song "New Day"...

Malaya in the Woods

A wee test I art directed with photographer Jimmy Mould and creative director of Malaya jewellery (my sister Sophie Butler) styled.