Gregory Crewdson

Gregory Crewdson uses very constructed, Hollywood method of image making seen more often in movies than in photography.

Shooting with a large format camera and using professional actors he creates scenes of strangeness in his work, often shot either in twilight or darkness. It is full of unexplained events such as beams of light coming down out of the sky or people making piles of flowers for no apparent reason.

These photos are always at the start or the end of an event, ever during it. This creates a mystery over the narrative, he leaves us to guess at what has happened. It’s as if it was the start of a horror movie or an alien invasion.

He repeatedly uses the idea of nature invading the urban space, exploring the dichotomy between the two the randomness of the natural world and the order within our everyday life.

Anne Hardy

Anne Hardy is an artist who’s photographic practice is based on creating environments largely out if objects that she’s found. In doing this she creates the suggestion of the people that use the space without actually showing them, she leaves who they are as a mystery, letting the viewer imagine there inhabitants.

The titles are important to her work, she decides them after she has completed the work and if she is unable to think of one to her satisfaction she will leave it untitled.

Most of these rooms are made over the course of several months from objects that she has found. One of her biggest influences is the fantasy element involved in these rooms and she has cited sci-fi as one of her biggest influences. Her other influence is architecture and the idea that a building can shape people’s lives.

Possible Location

This is a potential location that I found, it is in Plymouth just of Union Street. It is an old industrial site that is currently being used as an art gallery. The walls, floor and ceiling are all made from concrete and it is littered with things such as wires and old piping that could come in use when building my set.
Unfortunately almost all the walls have been painted white but there are still some in the pit area (See fist image below) that are still bare concrete. There is a lot of miscellanies clutter in it as well but some of it may be of use.
I am almost certain that I will be able to do a photo shot in there for two reasons, firstly it’s not open Monday to Wednesday and secondly I work there and therefore I know the people that run it.
I was thing of using it to recreate the image of the scene with the fountains at the start of burning Mississippi as that was a shoot that really inspired me.

These are a couple of scenes that I liked whilst watching the move

This image is one that is shown at the start of the film, it shows two fountains, one for white people and one for coloured people. It’s an image I really like because it’s of its simplicity and starkness.

This is a scene where a group of cop attack some black people as they leave the church, light by a single lamp, it shows the small child's powerlessness against his abuser.

This scene is almost at the very beginning of the film, it’s where the three civil rights workers are killed. Some of the cuts in this scene are similar to ones they've done before, especially the start of blood simple. My conclusion is that the Coen brothers really like their cars.

This image is of a destroyed kitchen and represent Mrs. Pell's broken life after her husband has been convicted she said that she was going to rebuild. I don't think I'm going to attempt this scene because of the amount of things I would need.

Burning Mississippi

"Burning Mississippi" is a film focusing on the 1950's civil rights movement. When three young civil rights activists are murdered by a police officer. Two FBI agents come down to investigate their disappearance and quickly discover that it was the police that were behind it. The rest of the movie is about these two agents attempting to catch the people responsible amid the rising ethnic tension in the state that is caused by their presents.

Two police officers have a relationship that is often seen in police shows, the old, experienced one that knows the area and the new idealist city cop conflict over how to solve a case. They finally get a breakthrough when the though, Mississippi born, Anderson violently threatens the deputy sheriff Pell and scares witnesses into testifying.

I liked the 1950's styling the movie has as well as the dark aesthetic and stories line. Possible problems are getting models of the right race.

Corridor shoot

Shoot of a corridor, i think there quite similar providing i can get the lighting right.

Hotel

This is a hotel in plymouth that i stayed in last summer, I think it a bit too modern to use as a location also it would be a bit exspensitive to use for one photo shoot.