NSFW: Got a Fetish For Great Set Design, Art Direction, & Photography?

NSFW: Got a Fetish For Great Set Design, Art Direction, & Photography?

MIKE O'DONNELL / EDITOR

 

WNW Members Isabelle Rancier, Marie-Yan Morvan, and Stephanie Gonot have collaborated enough times to know how to bring out each others' strengths and consistently put forth exciting projects. Their latest, a photo series titled "Fetish," is no exception. And its perfect marriage of art direction, photography, and set design would likely have been impossible without their familiarity. As Marie-Yan puts it, "We're so comfortable with each other that you could put us in a room together at 8AM with no story or props and we’d be shooting something by noon. I can’t promise it’d be good but that kind of comfort means we feel free to experiment and build on each others’ ideas until something happens. That’s the embryo of any creative project."

This particular project displays reflections of sexual fetishes surrounded by household objects coated in skin-tone palettes. "We wanted to communicate the mundanity of what is thought of as 'kinky' or 'alternative' sexual behavior," Isabelle tells us. "It’s a subject matter that is starting to have a cultural moment and is losing its stigma (very slowly!)." "Fetish" also brought with it an impressive number of obstacles, which included but were not limited to working with both mirrors and a corner set, learning how to tie fetish knots, and finding last-minute models on the cheap for an NSFW "fetish" set. Not bad for a day's work.

 

Tell us a little bit about your creative backgrounds. Who are Isabelle, Marie-Yan, and Stephanie, and how did they get here?

Isabelle:  I was born in Germany, raised in France, and have lived in Brooklyn for 11 years. I started out studying German lit and painting at a liberal arts college but soon dropped out to study art in Scotland. While there, I slowly started to understand what graphic design was- and decided to pursue it. Not content dropping out once, I did so again- I couldn’t hang with the daily Glasgow rain- and landed at the School of Visual Arts in NYC where I got my degree. I am currently an art director at an advertising agency (Anomaly) but most of my career has been spent in the fashion industry as a graphic designer. I’ve held positions either in-house at media/fashion brands (Refinery29, Barneys NY) or in fashion-centric studios.

MY: I was born and raised in Paris. In 2004, I visited New York with my best friend during Christmas time and knew I had to move there.  Six months after, I started to study graphic design at SVA (this is where I met Isabelle) and got attracted to the 3D world progressively. Before coming to the states I studied cinema in Paris. Movies are like religion in France, and they were a big source of inspiration for me growing up. (The movies of Jacques Demy, Francois Truffaut, Tim Burton and Jean Cocteau mostly.)

Stephanie: I’m a photographer living in Los Angeles who, like Marie-Yan, also had a penchant for movies growing up. :) I came to Los Angeles (from Sacramento) right after college for an internship with a TV commercial and music video production company because I thought I wanted to be a director. But instead I became very interested in the production company’s extensive photo book library and decided that if I wanted to become a director that I might first immerse myself in photography. Some years went by of moving around doing odd jobs (teaching English in Spain, working in an ice cream sandwich truck, etc) but I finally landed at a photo agency in Los Angeles where I was a photo agent for three years. During those three years I really focused and got my freelance photography career going by working on projects during nights and weekends, while learning about the business of photography during the day.

 

How would you describe your respective creative styles? Do you recognize a signature style that links all of your projects, or do you try to excuse yourself and approach each project as its own entity?

Isabelle: I can’t escape my style, even though I try with every project. I aim for visual simplicity and translate conceptual messages first and foremost, but I also like there to be an extra element. I love contrasts, surprises, and humor. Humor is hugely important to me, both in interpersonal relationships and in my work. Making someone laugh is like a superpower. Visually, humor can be translated as wit, surprise, and impact. I ask myself, can I spin this into something funny, or weird?

MY: The story of the picture we make is very important to me. I like to ask: what's the narrative here? And I need to have an answer. Otherwise there's a problem. I'd describe my style as very graphical and whimsical. I like simple shapes and strong colors.

Stephanie, Isabelle and I go way back. We're so comfortable with each other that you could put us in a room together at 8AM with no story or props and we’d be shooting something by noon. I can’t promise it’d be good but that kind of comfort means we feel free to experiment and build on each others’ ideas until something happens. That’s the embryo of any creative project. If you don't have that, you won't make something really memorable.

Stephanie: I’ve definitely developed a style over the past however many years and I like to use it as a starting point for projects. It’s nice to know that I can predict at least a bit what something is going to look like when I set it up with my lighting. Then from there, I like to push it a little further into unknown territory so that my style keeps evolving.

How did the initial idea for your latest project “Fetish” come about?

Isabelle:  Stephanie, Marie-Yan and I were collaborating on a personal project where we were also using mirrors in colorful sets. We kept catching glimpses of our disembodied limbs and faces surrounded by saturated colors, and that sparked the idea…

MY: We were shooting a different project and sometimes Isabelle is really funny. She was looking at herself in one of the mirrors that was on set and joking around with her body kind of playing with the shapes she could make and her reflection. That's how the idea was born!

Stephanie: I feel like the further I get in my career the more it becomes clear that ideas don’t just come out of the blue… they come from getting your hands dirty and working on projects/collaborating with others.

“The night before the shoot we found a youtube video of someone tying the knot we wanted to use the next day in the shoot. But I had to learn how to tie it! Isabelle and I are just friends but we got to spend the night practicing how to tie fetish knots on each other in bed!”

Can you share some of the creative challenges and breakthroughs that came with this undertaking?

Isabelle:  I will spare you the details of trying to cast models for a NSFW project ...with a low budget. Regardless, I feel lucky that the three of us are always aligned creatively and share similar sensibilities. We are on the same page from concept to execution and this project came together pretty smoothly. One creative challenge we encountered was the tone; it can be difficult to shoot nudity tastefully without it veering into a soft-core world.

MY: Isabelle and I rented an AirBnB in Silver Lake for this shoot, a little house with one bed in it. The night before the shoot we found a youtube video of someone tying the knot we wanted to use the next day in the shoot. But I had to learn how to tie it! Isabelle and I are just friends but we got to spend the night practicing how to tie fetish knots on each other in bed! We also had a little incident when one of the models we cast dropped out at 6pm the night before the shoot. Normally I think it'd be hard to find someone for a fetish-related shoot the night before, but we reached out to a few friends of friends and they loved our brief and that we were three women doing this shoot. I think there was a lot of trust there. Also, whenever I get to work in LA, it feels like a mini-vacation, coming from the craziness of NYC!

Stephanie: As mentioned, it was quite an ordeal to find models on the cheap for an NSFW project. Aside from that, we were working with mirrors AND a corner set, which made it difficult for me to light on my own. We basically created a big obstacle course for ourselves because we were seeing in front of the camera and also the reflection of a body which was sometimes almost right next to the camera. I wish we had a picture of the full set-up to share. It was pretty funny having naked people NEXT to me while I was shooting them reflected into the set in front of me.

“I wish we had a picture of the full set-up to share. It was pretty funny having naked people NEXT to me while I was shooting them reflected into the set in front of me.”

How do the household items like the telephone and coffee mug tie in with the theme of this project?

Isabelle:  We wanted to communicate the mundanity of what is thought of as “kinky” or “alternative” sexual behavior. I feel like it’s a subject matter that is starting to have a cultural moment and is losing its stigma (very slowly!). The objects like the telephone, the keyboard, and the blinds speak to communication and visibility. The coffee mug and the houseplant tie into the notion of mundane domesticity.

 

How did you settle on the color palette for this project?

Isabelle: Millennial pink or bust! That's a joke - we just wanted colors that were in harmony with our subjects’ skin tones. I love how the photos almost feel like a color bath.

Stephanie: Gotta love Color-Aid! ;)

 

Were there any particular fetishes you considered covering that didn’t make the cut?

Isabelle: Yes, a few. We explored some related to pain and body modification but scrapped them. We could have easily veered into a gory or hardcore tone.

 

Which photo in the series is your favorite?

Isabelle:  I love the threesome photo… The different skin tones look harmonious together and oddly peaceful.

MY: The group sex one: It's very sensual, and it reminds me of a sculpture. In a way. It's not as aggressive as the other ones. It's just the human body - nothing else.

Stephanie: I really love all of them as a series, but the ball-gag one I think is very pretty and strange with the house plant.

What do each of you do when Not Working?

Isabelle: I watch sci-fi movies, look for weird Corgi mutts on petfinder.com, and shop for vintage Levi’s.

MY: Travel and I have shifts to do at the Park Slope Food Coop. Food is very important to me!

Stephanie: Makes me sound boring but I’ve been getting into running! I ran a race with my mom for the first time a couple of years ago and got hooked. It’s nice to have a set running schedule when your freelance work schedule is inevitably all over the place.

 

Who are some WNW Members whose work you admire and why?

Isabelle: I’m a huge fan of my friend Dan Cassaro’s work. I also devote a good amount of time to trolling all the photographers.

MY: I'm new to the site! I need a little time to explore.

Stephanie: Also a newbie!

 

Anything else you’d like to add?

Isabelle: Hire us for your next project?

MY: Oh yeah!

Stephanie: Can’t wait to work with these ladies again!

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

Creative Mark Moll Reminds the Industry that Ideas Know No Age

Creative Mark Moll Reminds the Industry that Ideas Know No Age

MIKE O'DONNELL / EDITOR

WNW Member Mark Moll has been in the advertising industry for over 20 years, which is long enough to notice a lot of its positive and negative trends. One particular subject perhaps became even more apparent with each year Mark got under his belt, and that's the deep-seeded role that ageism plays in the behind-the-scenes of advertising. Mark's latest project "Ideas Know No Age" aims to put the emphasis back on the ideas that drive the industry, not the chronological ages of their creators.

It's ideas that first lead the 51-year-old creative director into this industry and what continues to keep him invested in it. "What I like most about what we do is ideas that stop people and ask them to engage. Sure it has to connect emotionally, but now I think people just want to see interesting things in the world they can participate in. That’s what gets me going as a human being first and a creative second. Good ideas just make life more fun."

In our interview below, Mark tells us why sharing his own age was an important element of this project, whether he thinks lists of the "30 Under 30" and "Young Guns" can exist without being detrimental to the way older creatives are perceived, and what experienced creatives should do to become even more indispensable: "Whatever age you are, you should be curious about everything in the world we use to communicate. This is your livelihood so please stay in the know... Also, ideas aren’t about the tech, but they can help us amplify or distribute them. Everything still needs an idea first and that’s what anyone at any age should stress through their work."

Tell us a little bit about your creative background. Who is Mark Moll and how did he get here? 

I’ve been in the business over 20 years. Have seen it evolve from the days of print, radio, and broadcast to one where everything in the world is fair game to use in our communications. Digital sure, but I honestly think experiential is the most exciting. What I like most about what we do is ideas that stop people and ask them to engage. Sure it has to connect emotionally, but now I think people just want to see interesting things in the world they can participate in. That’s what gets me going as a human being first and a creative second. Good ideas just make life more fun. That’s what’s cool about what we do and why I like doing it.

 

What lead you to create “Ideas Know No Age”, and what is its primary message? 

Good question - The first is obvious - my age. I’m 51 and will be 52 in July. I have no problem saying how old I am. Maybe it’s because I look like I’m 44. Ha. Also maybe it’s because age is something no one talks about. I’m proud of it. I also can’t do anything about it. No one can.

The primary message is that age doesn’t matter one bit in the creation of ideas. They say advertising is a young person’s business and that they know about the latest tech and that makes them more in tune. Blah Blah Blah. Advertising is for the curious no matter what age you are. My idea was to use great accomplishments that are great on their own regardless of how old the person was when they did it. The age of the person just makes them stand out more.

Ideas Know No Age does a great job of addressing troubling industry trends with a campaign that focuses on great work. Was that a tough balance for you, to address this negativity with positivity?

Thanks for those kind words. Maybe I was just trying to state a fact. Not purposely using positivity, just showing how misguided focusing on age is. A friend of mine just told me that a designer at Apple is 81. That’s great. And the ideas I highlight show that age is a non-factor. And just to state this for no other reason than this thought just came to me - this is not an anti-young campaign. Everyone highlights those feats. "They founded a billion-dollar company at the age of 9", etc. This approach is just proving that older people don’t stop thinking just because they hit the age when someone might hand them an “Over the Hill” balloon for their birthday. 

 

Can you share some of the other challenges and breakthroughs that came with this project? 

Well I’ve been thinking about this for a while and it was gonna be an Old Guns type of ad competition that was only open to people 50 plus and they had to solve something just using a billboard, but I didn’t know how to pull that off. That evolved into something cleaner with just a simple message. Breakthroughs? Well a lot of people I didn’t know reached out and said thanks. One called it brave. That was kind, but I was just being honest, not brave. Ted Royer was nice enough to share it. Nice guy, meant a lot.

One person had an interesting comment - he said everyone will have to deal with ageism sooner or later. Which is very true. This isn’t just reserved for older creatives, everyone else will join in soon enough.

Do you think that with the “age of information,” there’s a perception that the value of an individual’s wisdom and experience has been diminished? Or is it more just financially motivated to hire the younger creative with a lower day rate?

I hadn’t put those two together, but you may be right. But everyone has their own experience and knowledge and that’s what people ultimately want on a project. Interesting individual perspectives make us who we are. The lower rate is an argument I’ve heard and even had a conversation about this with someone my age. My counter to that is where is it written down that just because we have experience do we automatically get paid more. That’s false thinking. We should be paid on what people think we are worth and what’s in the budget. And we should be open to negotiating that. I look at every opportunity first and the pay second. Not the other way around. Why older creatives or anyone older in this business think they are entitled to a certain salary might be part of this perception problem. Older creatives demand more compensation and that’s not right either. There has to be a balance.

 

At what age did you first start noticing ageism in the ad industry, either firsthand or toward others?

I haven’t really noticed anything directly. Seriously. It has just always been part of the ad industry in thought and lore. I have heard from a friend who is much older than me and still works a lot that there is an unspoken element to their conversations with recruiters. Actually, now that I think about it, I do get a little worried when recruiters ask for my birthday to book a flight to go visit an agency. So maybe it’s there and I didn’t realize it. Ageism is a society thing and as more and more people enter the second stage of life and stay active, it will remain a topic. 

Do you see a lot of ageism in ads themselves? Or do you feel that it is more of a behind-the-scenes problem? 

I think it’s more of a behind-the-scenes problem. Maybe more of a focus on the shiny penny around young creatives and the hot new campaign they just completed. But that’s BS too because anyone feels the heat when they do something cool that people like. It’s been interesting to see the reaction to “Ideas Know No Age.” Someone actually asked me if I was gonna say my age when I did it. That was the whole point. The other thing I should mention is a lot of older people have risen the ranks and have their names on the door or the big title. So maybe there’s a perception that if you’re not that then you must not be good or haven’t done great work. Both of which are completely false. Everyone finds their place in this business.

 

What advice can you offer to older creatives who are constantly battling this lazy notion that if you’re older, your ideas won’t be as fresh?

Prove them wrong. Stop listening. And prove them wrong again. Whatever age you are, you should be curious about everything in the world we use to communicate. This is your livelihood so please stay in the know. And learn how to be fast on the computer and be able to share ideas within hours. Things zip along and everyone has to keep up. Also, ideas aren’t about the tech, but they can help us amplify or distribute them. Everything still needs an idea first and that’s what anyone at any age should stress through their work.

Ageism takes up a much smaller space in public discourse compared to other -isms. Why do you think that is? And what’s been the response to this project thus far?

No reason really, maybe it’s just that we needed to tackle the other ones first. They should all have equal weight or their day in the sun, but that’s more about what happens in the universe as things come into focus. Both online and in life events. It’s important, but maybe it’s more up to the individual to be strong and make their own case. I mean, AARP is an advocate for older folks, maybe they will tackle ageism on a big scale one day. The response has been unexpectedly awesome. I had hoped it would strike a chord, but it went much deeper than that. Maybe it was because I put myself out there and called out my own age. Being from a person and not an organization could have made it more relatable. Just spitballing here.

 

Do you think there’s a way for honors like the “30 Under 30” and “Young Guns” to exist without being detrimental to the way older creatives are perceived?

I wish there was, but their very nature makes that hard. But it’s not just in our industry. Pro athletes experience ageism. Of course Hollywood deals with it. And so on. To me, the only way to even it out is to have places that celebrate it. 50 over 50 lists. Old Guns. Etc.

What do you do when Not Working?

Hang out with my family. Watch Red Sox games. Run. Play with my cats. Watch the latest show and try to catch up on one I missed. Golf. Watch Red Sox games.

 

Who are some other “Old Guns” on WNW whose work you admire and why?

I don’t know anyone’s age so I don’t know if they are old guns, but I know a lot of creatives and admire anyone who can keep a career in this insane business going.

 

Anything else you’d like to add?

I appreciate the opportunity to shed a little light on the subject of ageism. Hopefully, this campaign will open some eyes and help older creatives be perceived differently. To be honest, if it helped one person not be ashamed of how old they are then it was successful.

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us!

How Agency Sullivan Operates To Deliver A Full Brand Expression

How Agency Sullivan Operates To Deliver A Full Brand Expression

MIKE O'DONNELL / EDITOR

As Partner and Executive Creative Director at Sullivan, John Paolini sets the tone and vision for the firm's creative work. Today, he is an active participant in Sullivan’s design challenges—closely working alongside strategists, writers, designers, and technologists to build brands that shape perceptions and change behaviors. We caught up with John to find out how his love of design was first formed and since evolved (Spoiler: It involves the theft of a 1982 TGI Fridays menu). John also shares what Sullivan is looking for in prospective hires, and what separates Sullivan as an agency. "Over the last decade, we’ve expanded into what we call brand engagement. Since we were already working across all these different mediums and channels, it was a natural evolution to start thinking in terms of the larger brand expression. But it was also a big and exciting shift that’s opened up many new opportunities for the agency.”

 

Tell us a little bit about your creative background. How did your path lead you to ECD & Partner at Sullivan?

My path started with the theft of a TGI Fridays menu in 1982. That was the first moment I remember being completely drawn in by a design experience, the stitched spine, speckled edge paper, its faux leather-binding, the gilded titled “The Unabridged Dictionary of Food & Drink.” I was overcome with the urge to just take it. I waited until my dad went to the bathroom and hid it in my jacket. The menu heist ignited a lifelong love for design and branding that continues to this day.

That original experience eventually led me to a career working at some great studios where I honed my craft and learned how to be a professional. When I got my first branding job, I experienced first-hand the power of design, and how it can transform experiences, viscerally pulling people in without them even realizing it. But I also immediately noticed a problem. We’d create these beautiful systems that were thoughtfully and meticulously packaged into guidelines, and then we’d hand it off to an internal communications department or another agency that was tasked with executing it. It almost always ended the same way. The client would come back asking for more templates and more rules that only resulted in frustration for everyone and ultimately less effective communications. In essence, the story was getting lost in translation.

So then here comes Sullivan. At the time I came on, Sullivan was doing communications strategy and design. The approach was deeply rooted in a UX mindset, which gave me and my work a chance to truly bridge the gap between brand ideas and the work that actually lives in the real world.

Last year, we launched an event series called Overshare, where we interview successful creatives about their career challenges. What were a few definitive moments or turning points that had an impact on who you are today?

That’s tough. I don’t know that there was any one definitive moment or turning point. More like a series of rolling experiments in which you graduate to the next level of confidence with your work. It has made me able to be less precious about the design. At the core is this desire to find “the” idea—the one you can believe in. These aren’t really moments you can define—I wish I knew a secret formula that would get you there. But you know it when you’re there.

Describe Sullivan in 3 words.

Curious, innovative, creative.

 

What separates Sullivan from other agencies? How have you seen the identity of Sullivan evolve over the more than 13 years you’ve been there?

Sullivan used to work in a very narrow communications strategy lane. Over the last decade, we’ve expanded into what we call brand engagement. Since we were already working across all these different mediums and channels, it was a natural evolution to start thinking in terms of the larger brand expression. But it was also a big and exciting shift that’s opened up lots of new opportunities for the agency.

Which Sullivan campaign are you most proud of?

Cornell Tech. Our work to build the campus brand and multiple student-recruiting campaigns. We work in the same neighborhood as their temp campus, and it’s really gratifying to see people walking around with the t-shirts and see your work live in the world. There’s even someone walking around with a “T” tattoo!

What about the culture of Sullivan makes it an ideal place for potential hires to work?

Sullivan is a place where you can make a real impact. You’ll work with a great team of seasoned creative leaders, but our roles are really pretty loosely defined—any person at any level can speak up, or affect the direction of the work. If there’s something you want to learn, we try to make sure you have that opportunity. If there’s a responsibility you want, take it. We don’t cordon designers off or force people into specific disciplines. One day, you’re working on a high-level branding assignment, and next week maybe you’re trying to crack a user experience on the web.

What are you looking for in a potential hire that’s unique to Sullivan?

Talented, opinionated people who aren’t jerks.

 

Most significant creative or entrepreneurial inspirations?

There’s so much great work out there. I say, "design is not fixed, so your inspirations can’t be either." Ultimately, what I really love is people who are passionate and believe in their own ideas.

That being said, I’m a serial monogamist when it comes to fonts and typography. I’m really hot for Knockout right now.

Knockout Font

What do you do when not working?

I’m currently working to curate my collection of design ephemera into a book called “Honestly Stolen.” I’m also in the middle of a ten-year home restoration project. 

 

Are you a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share? Email us.

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram or on Twitter, where we share more content like this.