My Showreel.

My Showreel

My showreel is similar to a mini documentary based on my fashion shoot talent discovered and performed at University of Winchester. It is designed to be like a mini CV in which I can show some of my work as well as explain what it is that I can do. It also gives potential employers the chance to see who I am and how I come across as as a person. I decided to focus my documentary on my fashion director role as this relates to the majority of my fashion shoots. But I was also the editor of the fashion magazine, Absolute:ly and I produced a lot of work based on hair,makeup and fashion as well as my photo-shoots. I have included a few of these in my video to show that I am versatile and can use the programmes fireworks and photoshop to produce magazine spreads as well as organise and direct photo-shoots. 

The photo-shoots that I directed were all of a very high standard in terms of the final images and clothing distributors, hair and makeup artists. I managed to get Adidas, Tiffany Dresses, and local fashion designer to provide me with expensive clothing for a few of my shoots which I was over ally impressed by; especially as it was for free and some of the clothing was worth over £600! This goes to show that if I was working for a larger magazine with a budget I could really impress the editors with the companies I could get to provide me with clothing. 

I also managed to get makeup artists from Champneys Salon, Benefit and a local vintage artist to style the models in the correct way for the shoot. I used to research how I wanted the models to all look individually and then find a makeup artist that could pull of the look that I wanted. This really made the whole style come together as the models needed professional makeup to look good in front of the camera. This was also provided for free and I am grateful for the makeup artists who took a few hours out of their time to do this.

Similarily, I had hair stylists from Toni and Guy, Rush salon and a local popular stylist from Winchester. The stylists curled, straightened or crimped the models hair and created an up-do or style to go with the specific theme. I was really happy with the way in which the hair linked to the specific shoot specifically the 'Gatsby Shoot'. With the 'Gatsby Shoot' I was adamant on re-creating images from Malcolm X and Audrey Hepburn to contrast with Jay Gatsby and the flapper dress style that the women wore in this era. Therefore when selecting the models I needed to have in mind the hair styles that I wanted to make sure the models had the right length, colour and thickness of the styles intended. Some of the images from these shoots are pictured in the video.

I was also the editor of the fashion magazine, Absolute:ly and had to decide which content should go into the magazine each week. I needed to make sure that there was at least one piece of work for each category on the magazine being updated and that everyone was keeping up to the deadline with their work. I also used to use Twitter and Facebook to promote the magazine and work that was being put on the website.

I found using the DSLR cameras quite tricky at first as I hadn't had a lot of experience with them due to being on features the majority of the time. But with a little bit of practise you start to work out how to use it. I think the picture quality of the DSLR's is fantastic and makes the work look so professional. I decided to keep my video CV shorter as I didn't want to include everything I have learnt and can do over the past three years as this can be kept a surprise and gives me something to talk about in an interview. I was also wary that editors may not want to watch minutes and minutes of footage, so if I could just get to the point and show a teaser of my work it may encourage the editor or interviewer to watch it. I enjoyed making the documentary and worked with a couple of other colleagues to help me produce it. This shows that I enjoy working in a team but also can produce good quality work alone such as some of my features work present in the video.

Editing the documentary took a long time as I am not used to using Final Cut Pro as often as the likes of Photoshop and Fireworks, however I managed to add in some effects, change the volume of the sound track and add in a few zooms and effect as well. I didn't want to make the package too fancy as this would take the attention away from my work and the things that I have achieved.

I sent a link to Maya Oakley who is the fashion stylist that I interviewed and she said that my work was 'brilliant both photographically and in terms of companies, hair and makeup artists' that I managed to arrange. She also said that I could produce something spectacular along with a budget and a magazine name under my wing. I am looking to go along to one of Maya's shoots to see the way that she directs and organises them to pick up some tips and see the way it works.

I have learnt a lot over my three years at Winchester and have managed to choose an area that I would like to work in. I tried out other aspects such as the news reporting and have managed to decide that it wasn't for me. I have produced some brilliant work for a student and am overally proud of my photo-shoots and the way that I planned, organised and directed them all. This video is just a few bits of my work but I have so much more to show and offer. I think that it is best to keep the rest for the interviews when your work, attitude and the way you come across really matters.

Confessional Interview- David Whitehead

 

 

 

As you can see the whole version does not fit on the blog, so I have also written it up below to make it easier to read.

David Whitehead is a very rare case of this disease. When I researched it on the NHS website it made it clear that most people that have this illness are smokers and have been exposed to fumes over a long period of time which is not what happened in David's case. There is also no mention of having to go on oxygen or how severe the disease can actually get which made David's story even more unique. I found David on a media contacts website and went to his home to carry out the interview. It was very interesting to see how he has adapted his lifestyle to cope with the demands of the disease. I was also really surprised at how relaxed he was about having to live this way. David was a lovely, genuine man and I hope his interview can raise further awareness of Tuberculosis.

 

 

 

  T  he familiar sound of the ventilator woke me up from my six hours sleep. I felt the oxygen mask clasped to my face as I was being forced to breathe deeply. I was used to this awakening after being continuously attached to an oxygen tank.

 ‘David are you ready to get up’ the sweet sound of my wife Anna, who’s my beloved wife of 55 years and my full time carer. We met when I was 24 as her father was the Operations Executive of the RF section in WW2. I was 18 in the Navy when he ordered me to look after his three daughters on the ship, HMS 4th. His eldest daughter who was just 16 at the time, was Anna. I knew straight away that she was the one. We eventually married seven years later.

Anna and I

  At the age of 24, the Navy went ashore with the Army in Cyprus. It was very cramped and dirty as we all lived together in a large tent. We all shared bedding, food and diseases. It was here that I caught

Tuberculosis and spent a year in hospital. 

  365 days of injections into my behind and continuous treatment to kill the bugs was the least of my worries. I couldn’t wait to get back to the Navy. I was being treated by the best team around who had looked after King George VI when he had cancer.

  Towards the end of my stay I had an operation that left me with half a lung. I have a scar reaching from the top of my neck round to my side where they opened me up. 

    

  Reading ‘My Family and other Animals’ used to make me laugh during that time. I was determined to carry on. I had just enough puff to get me through the Navy physical tests. I was back.              

                                           

  At  27, I developed  Ankylosing Spondylitis a form of arthritis that affects the spine. This was not diagnosed for a further 15 years. My spine is locked which forces my head to be constantly tilted forward. It also prevents my rib cage from working properly and causes me to have extra difficulty with breathing. This was extremely painful whilst it was active; but fortunately it went into remission at age 40. I continued to serve in the Navy as Captain of the Air Ministry of Defence. I was very passionate about serving our country and nothing was going to stop me.

      

  I was adamant I would serve in the Navy until I was 55. I was promoted to Sea Commands Captain when I reached 50. This was to be one of the best and worst days of my life.

Me in the Navy at 18 years old

   I found out that 24 Captains were to be removed onto the dry list. I was one of them. The chances of being promoted from the dry list were slim. I was forced to retire from the Navy at 50.

         

  I then went on to work for a successful company called ‘Raycord’ selling post war goods such as old radios. I was director of the company and worked there for 15 years. 

  My office was a large tower block based in London. I had to climb hundreds of steps each day carrying my heavy brief case. My breathing started to deteriorate with age and I started to find climbing the stairs difficult. I always struggled to breathe when I reached the  top. It didn’t bother me, as long as I didn’t have to run anywhere. I would always let a bus go rather than run to catch it. 

  

  Working in the office became harder and harder. The vents pumped pollution from the city around my office. My lungs were deteriorating quickly.

  In 1980 Anna and I bought a house in France. One warm day when the pollen levels were high, I saw my French  GP. He was shocked to see me so out of breath and wondered what had happened to me. I had no choice but to go on oxygen at this point. The thought of it worried me but as soon as I got the oxygen, I realised what I had been missing. I was informed that there was no life expectancy at this point. I could die at anytime.

  I have a concentrator that filters the normal air and provides me with 93% oxygen. I have them in different sizes to cater for my needs . They all supply me with continuous oxygen through the tube up my nose. If you get more carbon dioxide  than your body is used to it can affect the way it functions. I used to constantly fall asleep after I had finished my breakfast which was rather embarrassing. At first, I was only on 2 litres of oxygen a minute but since then it has been deteriorating slowly and I am now on three litres a minute. I have been on oxygen for eight years and I am still alive!

  I also have a ventilator that involves me wearing an oxygen mask whilst I sleep. This forces me to breathe deeply and takes out the carbon dioxide from my body. I am lucky that most nights I don’t have trouble sleeping and get around six hours a night.

     

  I don’t have a problem about dying. Young people don’t worry about dying. So why should I? Everyone has to die at some time. No one can escape it.What does worry me is the method of it. I have always had a fear of suffocation. When I was in the Navy, I would always pray that I wouldn’t die from  drowning. Now, I live each day terrified that I will suffocate to death. 

  The GP’s and Specialists have assured me that this will not be the case. They think something else in my body will give up by then. A heart attack would be an easy, quick death. But we can’t choose our method.

    

  I feel like a dog on a lead, but I will not let this stop me from doing anything. We still go on cruises, stay in France for six months and I work for my family’s ‘Trust Fund’ buying and selling houses to raise money for my grandchildren.

 I can go on aeroplanes with my oxygen tank, though I get shoved through the food tray hole when we visit the Azores in Portugal. At the smaller airports I am carried down the steep ramp by two lusty men, strapped to what looks like an electric chair whilst I stare at the concrete ground 20 metres below me.

Me in my new wheelchair

 

 I am lucky. I am 80 years old and as far as I know do not have any other defects. My peers have bad hips, prostate cancer and have gone deaf and blind. Some suffer from Alzheimer's. I’m lucky that my mind is still going strong and I can still see and hear the beautiful world. I have my wife Anna alongside me; who keeps the house running, the garden pretty and our family content. I can still drive, eat and

do most things that normal people can do, apart from walk. 

    

 I have a new electric wheelchair along with a lift fitted into the car that makes it easier for me to go out in. I have even had a lift fitted into my home. I have tube attachments on each floor of my house that allow me to connect into them as I get out of the lift. Being on the end of a tube continuously is a nightmare as you always have to coil it up wherever you go. I have even had a shower fitted into my bedroom as my lift cannot reach the top floor of the house.

My lift and tube station

 

 I have adapted my life well to cope with my disease and I think I am doing rather well. The doctors have never given me a life expectancy, but I doubt I have more than five years left. I try not to  think about death and when my time will come. Instead, I carry on going to our lovely home in France, working on the property development and sitting at my desk reading the papers, which is where I spend the majority of my time. 

             The most important thing is that I’m happy, stable and able to breath, thanks to my oxygen tank.

My main oxygen tank

Maya Oakley- Fashion Stylist Interview

                    
                   Maya Oakley- Fashion Stylist

Maya Oakley is a popular freelance fashion stylist who sources the clothes and styles the models/celebrities for photo-shoots. She has worked for big magazines such as Marie Claire, Red and Cosmopolitan. She frequently styles models for Grazia’s advertorial section that is funded by commercial clients but needs to feel like editorial content. She usually chooses the products to shoot and has input on the style and concept for the shoot. Maya also used to be contributing editor at the Daily Mail and has styled celebrities such as Mylene Klass, Kate Garaway and Lorraine Kelly. She has also styled some Premiership footballers for Adidas campaigns. 

Maya Oakley

‘It’s important to understand the clients brand identity and to keep the end result in line with the editorial voice of the company you are working for.’

Maya started off studying Media and Communications at Brighton University where she graduated with a first degree. She also completed lots of work experience at a variety of magazines during the University holidays. Her first job once she graduated was at Habitat magazine as their press officer, which she managed to secure due to a contact from her work experience.

'I don’t think having a degree is essential. It is the experience and contacts you make along the way that makes the difference. Having the ability to get along with anyone is an essential skill to have! If people enjoy the day and have fun working with you they are more likely to book you again.'

   ‘Don’t take yourself too seriously, we're not heart surgeons after all’

‘I think work experience, whether it is freelance or at a company is good, as a lot of graduates think they know everything and I learn something new on every job and I’ve been doing it for 15 years!’

She built up lots of contacts with other magazines whilst working at Habitat and was offered a job as an Editors PA for ‘Woman’s Journal’. When you start on a magazine the main role is usually to co-ordinate sample call-ins and returns so most interns will be in a fashion cupboard sending back clothes. However this wasn’t the case for Maya as she was given the opportunity to style some fashion pages.

Maya realised this is what she enjoyed doing most and decided to go freelance. This was a good decision as she has children and the commitment when working for a magazine company is high.

‘The benefits of being a freelance journalist are that you work for yourself so you can take time off and manage your own diary. I can also take time off during the school holidays so that I can spend time with my children. My partner is a photographer which is a bonus as he understands the industry and that shoots can finish late!’

Maya has an agent to represent her and organises meetings with clients and photographers who are interested in working with her. Over the years she has built up a good range of clients to help her in the industry.

Styling for River Island
Photography Helen McCardle

It is important to remember that images can become dated very quickly and stylists need to continuously update their work. Maya reads lots of fashion magazines to see what styles are currently in trend. She also keeps up to date with what is on the catwalk so she has an idea of the trends that will be coming in each season. She has a large audience of followers on social media where she also gains ideas for fashion pieces. Plus she is always at the shops and enjoys people watching to see how the public put their looks together.

                 ‘This is an industry where you are only as good as your last photo shoot’

When Maya needs models she sends a brief to the relevant agencies. They then send a list of girls that are available for the stylist to cast in order to select the best one. ‘It is important that you choose a model who is perfect for the style of the clothing and shoot intended.’

If a shoot is editorial it has a PR clothing credit so companies can loan the clothes from their seasonal look for the stylist to select from. They can also select clothing from the companies style books or do a showroom appointment where they can select pieces they like.

‘It is vital to build relationships with the PR’s as they are bombarded with requests from lots of stylists.’

The better the publication, the better the range of brands that will loan. If the job is for advertising, there is a clothing budget where you would buy ‘wardrobe wear’. If you work with a company like Debenhams, Next and Marks and Spencer they supply clothes for the stylist to put together. Maya particularly likes Zara as they have a really good range of current trends. She also likes Whistles and the online website, Asos as they always have a version of what you are looking for.

Styling for John Lewis in Grazia magazine
Photography Jonny Storey

‘I am a huge fan of the high street. A few designer pieces such as a good bag or coat will lift an outfit but if you are confident you can wear very simple things and look stylish. Many stylists wear jeans and trainers as we're often on our hands and knees pinning clothes or doing up models shoes.'

    ‘If you turned up on a shoot in heels it would give you away as an amateur! ’

It appears that being a stylist can be stressful and involves long hours for preparation. Maya has an interest in holistic health and has a diploma in herbal medicine which she enjoys outside her working life. She also likes to go to Yoga a couple of times a week. This helps her remain calm as she is constantly thrown into new situations each day.

‘I think when you work in the image industry, which can be quite frivolous and fun and at times very stressful, it is nice to have a meaningful hobby and something else to concentrate on.’

Maya has been very lucky in her stylist job as it has taken her all around the world. In the last six months she has been to LA, Cape Town, New York and Barcelona. She also enjoys other perks of the job such as discounts in shops and gaining freebies.

Styling for Grazia magazine
Photography Dan Smith 

‘I definitely didn’t dream of becoming a stylist but fell into it and love the variety it offers. Every project/shoot is different and you meet so many people! You never know who you might meet next and where it will lead you. I always wanted to be a children’s book illustrator, so a creative field was definitely on the cards.’

Maya’s advice to upcoming journalists in the fashion industry is to: 

‘Try as many different things as possible, be prepared to work very hard and get a foot in the door. Don’t think you will get your dream job straight away, there may be an indirect route to get you there. Assist lots of people and make as many connections as you can as these will bring many opportunities your way. I think social media is important and many employers/ brands respond to it, but remember once its posted it’s out there forever and many future employers will Google you! 

      ‘Most importantly believe in what you are doing and other people will believe in you too ’

 

Maya's styling for H&M
Photography Tom Andrew

   

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I was unsure how to layout this feature so used a similar style to Glamour magazine when they interview actors and other stars. I wanted to highlight some of her main quotes and advice as these are the main things to take away from the interview. I really wanted to include the images of some of her styling as they emphasise her potential and made the interview look a lot more interesting. I was able to do this by finding out the photographers names to attribute their work.

I learnt a lot from Maya who is clearly 'up there' in the industry. She was a good person for me to interview as her role is very similar to my directing role for the fashion magazine. She gave me a lot of tips and advice and helped me understand the things that large institutions look for. She gave me a wider understanding of the expectations, hard work and fun that you can have as a stylist and I was very grateful to be able to get an interview with her as I am aware she is very busy at the moment.