THE DIRECTOR Hi, I’m Oliver Milgate, and I’m a Sydney-based designer and creative director, and this is Protagonist, a visual exploration of my creative identity, from my inspirations to the hallmarks of my work. Design for me has always been a form of escapism. I’m drawn to all things surreal and unusual as I feel they make our often boring world more interesting. It’s a style encapsulated by the term “cinematic”. I’m always captivated by film and how colour, sound and atmosphere culminate to tell a story and influence our emotions and how we feel about what we see. I believe a practical approach is paramount to accomplishing this. For these sensory elements to both take the audience to a different place, or reimagine the world around us, their tangibility brings them closer to reality, and therefore increases their effectiveness in telling a story. Throughout this shoot I used my choice of lights, angles, projections and the lenses and settings on my camera, to transform the plain locations, such as a suburban laneway and an empty bedroom, into a more off-kilter, dreamlike environment. The term “Protagonist” derives from how an audience connects with what they see in an image or on a screen. Both fashion and film utilize vicarious emulation to connect the viewer with what’s depicted. We see an outfit and picture ourselves in it, and in a similar way we put ourselves in the shoes of the protagonist and the obscure, surreal places they exist in. “Protagonist” is a combination of that which I find captivating, and the design philosophies that underscore how I create it.
PRACTICALITY Great design stays with us, and I believe they’re most effective when tangible. I strive to create captivating visuals with practical tools and effects, channeling the idea that surreal and otherwordly experiences can exist all around us.
EMULATION I take much inspiration from the films that drove me into the world of design. I’ve always found the ability of colour, sound and atmosphere to trigger our emotions and senses particularly enchanting.
TENEBROSITY
My signature style
features heavy use of shadow, chiarascuro and noir-inspired compositions. I find this creates strong shapes, sharp edges and compelling, surreal imagery that takes the viewer to a slighty off-kilter, abstract place.
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