Art Direction Set Design Graphics Photography Film
Recent Works Hannah Claydon
Content “Whatever will she think of next?” Art Direction & Set Design The major body of work to form this portfolio; 6 shoots, 6 sets, 6 concepts. Not one to miss, this is my favourite project so far.
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That’s Not Very Ladylike Art Direction, Set Design, Film & Photography Feminine, fancy and fiesty- Four women revel against discourses set by society and the media to show you what they really think about your concept of ‘ladylike’.
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Just go with it. Graphic Design Created in collaboration with Adobe, ‘Just go with it.’ encourages young creatives to stay motivated at their time at university or college.
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The Story of Our Love Set Design, 360 Photography An experimental project comparing the latest to the most dated methods of photography- 360 and analogue.
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Scarlet. Art Direction & Graphic Design Album artwork and rebrand designed for a up-and-coming indie band based in Liverpool. This was sent to Japan to be manufactured and sold in HMV.
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Collaborations & Credits Hannah Claydon
Models
Visual Artist with a finger in every pie
Josie Partridge Zeinab Batchelor Hannah Goddard Starring in: “Don’t forget the biscuits... What biscuits?” as part of the “Whatever will she think of next?” series. Page 17
All Art Direction, Photography, Film, Styling, Graphic Design, Set Design & Creation has been undertaken by Hannah Claydon unless otherwise stated. Harrison France Digital Photographer Capable of bringing a unique element of sophistication and timelessness to all of his digital photography, Harrison’s skills are implemented through the “Whatever will she think of next?” series. “All we need is an owl and a boat, we have the cat” Page 8 “Don’t forget the biscuits... What biscuits?” Page 17 “Big giant big white poodle” Page 25 Polly Woollard Graphics & Set Designer Cool, calm and collected, working with Polly brings an element of fresh air to each story and scene we have created. Polly’s skills are implemented through the finale of the “Whatever will she think of next?” series. Five sets in one day. Some tasks are too big to do on your own. “Whatever will she think of next?” Page 30
Harriet Lythell Oscar the Poodle Starring in: “Big giant big white poodle” as part of the “Whatever will she think of next?” series. Page 24 Ellie Whitehead Starring in: “All we need is an owl and a boat, we have the cat” as part of the “Whatever will she think of next?” series. Page 8 Hannah Goddard Gizmo the Cat Starring in: “Everything Green and then Gizmo” as part of the “Whatever will she think of next?” series. Page 20 Gail Claydon Philip Claydon Alex Dewhurst Charlie Birch Amy Hall Matthew Wilson Eleanor Bailey Starring in: “Whatever will she think of next?” The finale. Page 30
Gail Claydon Kathryn Claydon-Smith Gill Roberts Starring in: “We’re Damn Silver Foxes” as part of the “Whatever will she think of next?” series. Page 28 Josie Partridge Eleanor Bailey Monique Fleming Ruby Downie Starring in: That’s Not Very Ladylike Page 36 Make Up Artist Hannah Goddard for “Big giant big white poodle” and “Don’t forget the biscuits... What biscuits?” as part of the “Whatever will she think of next?” series. Pages 24 & 17 With Special Thanks Mum & Dad Liam Jefferies Nicola Knight Angela Luty
Whatev she th nex
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‘Whatever will she think of next?’ is a series of six shoots focusing on taking the seriousness out of hig mum. A typically eccentric Northern woman, she often comes out with some of the most blunt and b at all; from the likes of “Big giant big white poodle” (big is stressed twice and therefore it must not be taken here, where the word ‘damn’ is included to create nothing less than a damn powerful effect). To the work of William Shakespeare would seem impossible, but it had to be done.
ver will hink of xt?
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gh fashion. The shoot concept itself derives from one of the closest inspirations in my life- my bizarre sayings- some true to our Manchester dialect and some that just make absolutely no sense e forgotten- the poodle shall be BIG) to “We’re damn silver foxes” (a more Northern approach is o create a high fashion shoot from such complex and creative linguistics only to be compared to
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“Whatever will she think of next?”
First never work
ideas out.
But that doesn’t mean don’t try again.
“All we need is an owl and a boat, we have the cat” Photography by Harrison France Set Design & Creation, Art Direction, Styling by Hannah Claydon
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The shoot title most taken out of context, although I’m even unsure what context this works in: “All we need is an owl and a boat, we have the cat”. Based on the old children’s fable ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ the shoot looks at the concept that women are far too emotionally attached to meaningless objects. The eccentric female in the shoot is obsessed with the story, collecting owls boats and cats and hoarding them in her weird, messy world.
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The journey is as important as the outcome.
Set design and creation is one of the most vital parts of this project, and particularly to my practice. I want to create worlds the viewer can feel immesed in, which is why I usually stay away from location shoots and design and build my own sets from scratch. By creating your own set you have an aspect of control over everything; how big it is, what is where... I find it a more rewarding and creative process. Side note- The mass scale of which these sets are produced on could not be achievable without my dad’s knowledge, patience and expertise.
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I also undertook several aspects of the photography within the series, shooting analogue, polaroids and shot and created short films for every shoot.
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You can never be too organised. “Don’t forget the biscuits... What biscuits?” Film photography & handmade biscuit earrings by Hannah Claydon.
I write hundreds of lists in preparation for shoots. I don’t usually sketch unless I need to figure out measurements. The majority of my work process is done in my head and then handwritten on square paper (this helps me think more logically, although I’m not sure why).
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“Don’t forget the biscuits... What biscuits?” looks at the idea of a woman’s sweet tooth... ‘A lifetime on the hips, a moment on the lips’ doesn’t really apply too much to our male counterparts, does it? Representing their own biscuit, each model (and cow’s) eccentric personality shines through. Handmade biscuit earrings were also created as small props for the shoot. Don’t take it too seriously.
“Don’t forget the biscuits... What biscuits?” Photography by Harrison France Set Design & Creation, Art Direction, Styling by Hannah Claydon
“Everything green and then Gizmo.” Digital & Analogue Photography, Set Design & Creation, Art Direction, Styling by Hannah Claydon
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Make do and mend. “Everything green and then Gizmo was one of the most challenging shoots despite looking like a pretty simple set up. Gizmo (my fluffy ginger cat) is the star. Unfortunately, he is not a lover of long car journeys to Leeds due to him being a cat, so this one had to be set in my own house (specifically my dining room, apologies mum and dad). I actually ended up pinning the two 3m green velvet backdrops to a wooden beam that was hanging by cup hooks from our ceiling (again, sorry mum and dad). Amongst this I also had a (slightly rotting) tree branch with fake flowers dangling from it hanging again from the ceiling. A van had to be hired to get the chaise lounge to the set. The backdrop wasn’t long enough to cover the entire floor so several rugs and green foam panels (interestingly the panels were installation from our loft) had to cover the floor. Incase you were wondering we ate on our laps for three days due to lack of dining room (and specifically dining room table). I spent 6 hours getting the model ready for the shoot, doing research into what methods of paint and hair dye wouldn’t smudge but also wouldn’t last her an eternity. I ended up getting latex paint and did several coats on her hands, calves, face and neck. Her face was peeling and she couldn’t really speak. You can see evidence in the (unedited) film photography (see also the digital photography and note the amount of hours I spent frequency separating in Photoshop). The model’s hair is still green despite Schwarzkopf insisting it washes out after three washes. There are still holes in our dining room ceiling. All in all it was a nightmare, which makes me even more proud of the outcomes.
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“Everything green and then Gizmo” plays with the notion that if you’re a single woman you’re destined to be a cat lady, alone and probably drinking a lot of wine. Why not be green and treat your cat like a little prince though? Digital and Film Photography, Set Design/Creation, Styling & Art Direction- Hannah Claydon Model- Hannah Goddard and Prince Gizmo
“Everything green and then Gizmo.” Digital & Analogue Photography, Set Design & Creation, Art Direction, Styling by Hannah Claydon
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Set design plans are first sketched out. Usually these are a mix of ideas that have accumulated in my head. The basic idea is usually always there, but measurements and technicalities need refining. As with all creative ideas some aspects need to be scaled down in order to become feasible.
Create, make and then reinvent.
This is the set created for “Big giant big white poodle”. Probably the biggest challenge but it was the shoot I was excited the most about. I’m still to this day unsure how I managed to secure the same poodle that modelled for Jo Malone’s latest editorial for free, but it happened. The set itself is actually the left hand wall from the living room scene. Obviously though, this is scene is set outside, so door knocker and number needed adding to make it look more realistic. The net curtains also had to move to the ‘inside’ of the house. The wall was first painted grey, then masking taped stripes were placed equal distance, then everything was painted blue. The masking tape peeled off to create ‘slats’ which I then hand shaded with chalk. Fake grass, plants, pots, flowers and garden fence then had to be sourced. It was a huge task, but as with every one of my sets it took three months of simultaneous planning of all my shoots to make possible.
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“Big giant big white poodle” pokes fun at the use of poodles used throughout fashion shoots- the typical accessory of an eccentric woman who enjoys hoovering her lawn in this case. The set itself was made to look purposely childlike. I liked the idea of recreating a child’s drawing of a house, with one basic door and window. If you’re wondering where the door and window came from, the door is from my office at home (sorry mum and dad, again) and the window is actually made from 4 pieces of acrylic plastic I got off eBay encased in a handmade wooden frame. The window box is a drawer that’s been painted white from IKEA.
“Big giant big white poodle” Photography by Harrison France Set Design & Creation, Art Direction, Styling by Hannah Claydon
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You can never have enough spray paint.
“We’re damn silver foxes” explores how middle aged women have been subject to stereotypes whilst growing up, surrounded by kettles, pots, pans, knives and forks it touches on the concept that ‘women belong in the kitchen’ (but they’re still damn fabulous). Amongst this, props include things that they have chosen to define themselves with, such as musical instruments and records. Digital and Film Photography, Set Design/Creation, Styling & Art Direction- Hannah Claydon Models- Gail Claydon, Kathryn Claydon-Smith, Gill Roberts (Yes, my mum is modelling- she is the short one.)
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“We’re damn silver foces” Digital & Analogue Photography, Set Design & Creation, Art Direction, Styling by Hannah Claydon
“We’re damn silver foxes” was one of the simplest sets. I needed an array of silver objects relating to three middle aged women’s lives that would hang from the ceiling. Pretty straight forward. I sourced everything from charity and a lot was donated. I bought 5 rolls of wrapping paper from Poundland to make the backdrop then hung party streamers on top of these. A mixture of grey and monochrome carpets made the floor. Fox masks were spray painted silver amongst records and ladders. I ran out of spray paint a couple of times. Lesson learnt- if you think you need 2 cans, buy 4.
“We’re damn silver foces” Digital & Analogue Photography, Set Design & Creation, Art Direction, Styling by Hannah Claydon
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Timing is key. The finale - “Whatever will she think of next?” encompasses every shoot so far. Created to gain social media presence, the idea behind the final shoot is simple: There is a living room set where the TV, door, window and sofa stay the same. Around it a different scene is created depending on the people sat on the sofa. The first couple are middle aged and wealthy, the second are young and 90’s styled, the third is a poor single man, the fourth is a cosy young couple and the fifth a sassy, single lady. Each couple are watching a short film created from each of the previous photoshoots. The wealthy middle aged couple are watching “We’re damn silver foxes”. The 90’s newly-moved-in’ers are watching “Don’t forget the biscuits... what biscuits?” whilst their floor is covered in messy snacks. The single ‘slob’ is very ironically watching “Everything green and then Gizmo” amongst his sickly green toned furnishings. The cosy couple are watching a short film about a cute fluffy poodle in “Big giant big white poodle” and the sassy single lady is watching “All we need is an owl and a boat, we have the cat” to reflect her own love for objet d’art (note the matching cats infront of her TV). From this, a camera was set up to record the backs of the heads of each model watching the telly as if the viewer were a fly on their living room wall. These short films were then put on to Instagram to promote the “Whatever will she think of next?” series, making people go on the website for more details to view the photo series, full films and learn more about the publication itself. Initially, I had planned to do the shoot over three days. When it came down to it, we actually decided we would do the entire thing in one day. Painting a set and then recreating it 5 times within the space of 12 hours is not a small task, let alone then organising 8 models to get down to the studio at staggered times. On top of this, it was my birthday. This shoot was in collaboration with Graphic Designer Polly Woollard. Both me and Polly did the prop sourcing, creative direction and styling. The Concept, set design and creation, photography and film was done by myself.
“Whatever will she think of next?” FIlms, Analogue Photography, Set Design & Creation, Art Direction, Styling by Hannah Claydon Set Design, Prop Sourcing, Art Direction and Styling by Polly Woollard
That’s Ve Lady
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That’s Not Very Ladylike is a feminist fashion film amongst photo series and 4 small zines. The film add the media. The women start by seeming stereotypically ‘ladylike’, yet as the film progresses each woman mean. All set design & creation, styling, filming, editing and photography was done by myself. The film
s Not ery ylike
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dresses the issues women face when having to conform to certain discourses set by society and n rebels against the feminine stereotype, proving to be ladylike can mean whatever you want it to m itself took 3 months to make possible, and was filmed in just one day.
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“That’s Not Very Ladylike” was a project that took a mass amount of analysis and problem solving. I came up with this concept that I wanted 4 scenes on 4 coloured backdrops with a feminist on each wall. The camera would be constantly rotating and filming 360 degrees and would spin 3 times, getting faster each time. On the first time round the girls would be acting stereotypically ladylike, painting their nails, doing their hair with their legs crossed. The second time round they’d look bored and agitated, being sick of having to act a certain way. The third time round they would rebel completely, making a complete mess of their set/scene.
Flip the question and you’ll find the answer.
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The analogue photographs shown were shot on a Pentax K1000. To see them come to life, watch the full film on my website under ‘Set Design.’ www.hannahjclaydon.com
There were many issues I faced with the original plan. How would I get the camera to spin? How would everyone get in and out of the set? How would I actually view what was being filmed? It was a mass job that initially seemed so simple. After weeks of thinking, rehashing and planning I had the answer. Invert the set. Make 4 quadrants and the camera will move around the subjects. Again this had its issues. I ended up making my own ‘camera dolly’ from a B&Q trolley and a camera stand. The trolleys wheels were fixed at an angle to move in a perfect circle around the set.
www.hannahjclaydon.com
The analogue photographs shown were shot on a Pentax K1000. To see them come to life, watch the full film on my website under ‘Set Design.’
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“That’s Not Very Ladylike” Film, Analogue Photography, Set Design & Creation, Art Direction, Styling by Hannah Claydon
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Ju go wi
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‘Just go with it’ is my response to a brief set by Adobe in order to create 3 posters based on through my years studying a fashion degree at university. In the process, I wanted them to a help them feel motivated and inspired. These sayings are ones my mum would often say to context they make you feel a thousand times better. After all, isn’t that what mums are for?
ust ith it.
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life lessons. I wanted the posters to reflect light hearted sayings that have helped me appeal to people a couple of years younger than me, going on to do a degree in the arts, to me if I rang her up feeling bewildered or stressed. They’re only small things, but put into
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All inital sketches are drawn free hand using a graphics tablet. I usually neaten up the gaps with the pen tool at this point to make the shapes easier to fill.
Keep it simple.
&
Don’t overthink the brief.
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The St Our L
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The Story of Our Love encompasses several concepts into two shoots, one film photography and one across semiotics within a fashion set. To do this a script must be derived. The set to be built was to b latest play was based on her own life and the set would be of her room filled with semiotic signifers p
tory of Love
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e 360 photography. One medium is compared against the other in terms of how well they get belong to a female playwright in her 30’s, whose partner had recently left her for someone else. Her pointing toward her personality and life situation.
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The Story of Our Love
Set design mock ups were made first using SketchUp in order to gain more insight into where best items in the set should be placed. This also helped give ode to one of the biggest inspirations to this project- Wes Anderson. His use of symmetry and colour are something that appears throughout each set I create.
Semiotics in colour theory was one of the first points of influence I looked at when undertaking this project. After creating several story lines, I looked closer into how these could be represented through colours chosen on set. This would help the viewer have a deeper emotional response to the images chosen and hopefully help point towards the storyline without being explicitly told it.
The colours I chose were lime green and baby pink. Lime green represents jealousy and pink love. When put together in the viewers mind, this would hopefully recreate feelings of unrequited love.
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The Story of Our Love
Let the creativity drive the project. Groups of both men and women of mixed ages were split into two focus groups. One group was shown the 360 photography and the other the film photographs. A third group was added to be shown both the film photography and 360 simply to see which they thought was best in general. The results showed concluded the film photography gave more away about the woman’s life, but the 360 photography was overall most enjoyed. Thus concluding, is something is enjoyed, does it really matter if it is understood?
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Scar
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I was approached by an up-and-coming independent band to rebrand their image, logo and album a fun and colourful yet unique and independent style would mirror the band image and do the music final cover I created an eye catching image of the greek goddess of music (3D scan taken from Geoff the rest of the brand image.
rlet.
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artwork for their debut album. The band’s music is a clash between shoegaze and brit pop, so I felt a c they produce justice. The album title is “Effigy” meaning ‘a figure created to be destroyed’. For the ffrey Marchall at Sketchfab) that appeared to be melting in the same colour pattern I had created for
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Scarlet.
One of the band’s first concept ideas given to me to work from was the idea of using a Barbie doll as the ‘Effigy’. Parts were taken from the Barbie doll and photographed with paint dripping from them for visual effect. These were then put in Photoshop and ‘melted’ along with a lot of colour enhancements. The image here is the first final I gave to the band. Although they were very happy with the cover, it seemed risky to use Barbie as the album was being manufactured by Vinyl Junkie records in Japan, and we didn’t want to risk having copyright issues.
If you don’t know how... With the band really happy with the abstract art I had produced for them, I decided to turn this into their new branding. To be used on CD’s, posters, and all social media accounts, the image would help attract both the Japanese and English fanbase when paired with more literal album cover art. This page contains some of the first edits of the Greek goddess of music, being turned into the Effigy the album title promised.
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Scarlet.
...Learn how.
You can visit the band’s social media accounts to see the work I have produced in action. The album was released in Japan in October 2016 and is due to release in the UK Summer 2017.
The second cover produced for the band was an abstract piece using the same techniques as in the previous cover, but with no Barbie doll parts this time. This was sent as a final to Japan to be manufactured, only to be told that the Japanese market wouldn’t understand it and it needed to be less abstract and more literal.
Facebook- scarletbanduk Twitter- scarletbanduk Instagram- scarletbanduk Bandcamp- scarletbanduk Soundcloud- jessiescarlet
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This is the final chosen cover to be sent for manufacture in Japan. The same abstract piece has been wrapped around a 3D scan of the greek goddess of music. This is then edited to appear like it is melting.