Producers/Directors research

In this post I will be researching a range of media practitioners linked to entertainment magazines, paying particular attention to the style and use of conventions in the type of media products they produce.  I will also be making reference to some of their existing products, this will give me a ideas on how I can gain inspiration from their techniques and for my own productions of both the main task and the website. I think by understanding the practitioners linked to my chosen brief, it will enable me to produce a media text that follows and reflects their style more effectively.


Nick Knight:

• Founder and producer of award winning fashion website SHOWstudio.com
• He collaborated with leading designers including Yohji Yamamoto, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen.
• He done advertising campaigns for Christian Dior, Lancome, Swarovski, Tom Ford and Calvin Klein.
• He has directed award winning music videos for Bjork, Lady Gaga and Kanye West. 
• His work has been exhibited at such international art institutions as the Tate Modern, Victoria & Albert Museum, Saatchi Gallery, the Photographers' Gallery,  Hayward Gallery and the Gagosian Gallery. 
• In 1993, he also produced a permanent installation, Plant Power, for the Natural History Museum in London.
• The photos of his work often have a creepy style to it and mainly focusses on head and shoulder shots or full body shots. 
• He usually has the models have eye contact with he camera to give the eccentric look to their face, it also makes the audience feel like they are staring right at them. 
• On the close ups he uses quite low key lighting to create a mystical effect where as for the long shots he uses some high key like the one of the green lady but mainly uses low key lighting. 
• He photographs theatrical makeup and outfits, he doesn't really take photos of glamour models and more 'normal' looking models because he is a fashion photographer.

Mario Testino:

• His photographs have been published internationally in magazines such as Vogue, V Magazine and Vanity Faire.
• Been a photographer for 40 years
• realised a body of work as a creative director, guest editor, museum founder, art collector/collaborator and entrepeneur. 
• Created images for brands from Gucci, Burbry, Versace and Micheal Korsto Chanel, Estee Lauder and Dolce & Gabbana. 
• He formed MARIOTESTINO+ which is growing team of individuals who support Testino's creativity.
• He uses high key lighting because he photographs for high end magazines
• He over sexualises women 
• He mainly does medium shots of the models and head and shoulder shots as these are conventions of entertainment magazines.
• He has also worked with Princess Diana

Annie Leibovitz:

• American photographer
• “I no longer believe that there is such a thing as objectivity,”
• “Everyone has a point of view. Some people call it style, but what we’re really talking about is the guts of a photograph. When you trust your point of view, that’s when you start taking pictures.”
• She studied painting at the San Francisco Art Institute with the intention of becoming an art teacher
• She also took night classes in photography
• In 1970, she began working as a commercial photographer at Rolling Stone magazine, and soon became the first woman to be named chief photographer.
• She then started working with Vanity Fair
• Her style is low key lighting and mystery behind the image
• She now photographs for magazines such as Vogue

All of these photographers have similarities such as all of them working for Vogue and other magazines like Vanity Fair. They all also use head and shoulder shots, medium shots or long shots for the magazines. Nick Knight and Annie Leibovitz both use quite low key lighting to create an uncertainty around the picture. Nick Knight uses a lot more bright colours unlike Leibovitz, Mario Testino also uses bright colours but he photographs with high key lighting unlike the other two. Testino and Nick Knight also over sexualise the models throughout their work, Testino mainly does this because he photographs for magazines talking about sex and other connotations of this.
This has taught me a lot about the different types of directors and how they like things to be photographed on their magazines, all these mainly work with entertainment magazines making them link well to my work for my magazine. If i was to copy or imitate one of these styles i would chose Nick Knight because i love how he photographs theatrical makeup and the way he captures the models beauty in their close up shots through their strong eye contact. I will use elements of his style in my magazine as i like the other-worldly theme he goes for.