Models Galore

I spent Wednesday and Thursday this week completing day two and three at Sandbox Studios. I believe I'm finally getting used to the Philly to NYC commute. Let me start by saying, I had no idea truly how many models were on the market, and the steep competition between them. I was asked to come in to complete a specific project for them involving their Target models binder. To start my day with a binder this large was a little intimidating.

 

My first job was to sort through the binder and update the excel worksheet. This was my first time ever using excel, and I was excited how easy I found it to use and to be able to gain some basic useful knowledge about the application. 

I learned Target is extremely specific with the models used for their fashion shoots. They use three companies, FORD, Wilhelmina, and NEXT management and pick specific models for their different brands that include Merona, Missoni, C9, Xhil, and Converse One Star. Some models are approved for more than one, there are specific plus size models and junior models as well. My second task once I updated their current list was to update a new list sent over from target that involved me finding the specific models online and adding them into the worksheet. 

I was pleased to have finished the tasks by the time I had to leave. I really learned that true focus pays off. I got to work in a studio that was shooting Calvin Klein still lives so whenever I took a short break it was fun to watch the photographer work. 

Since I was asked to come in twice that week I spent my first night in the city in Brooklyn at Pratt University with a close fried. It was fun to stay over, and I was excited to get an early start at Sandbox the following day. 

Thursday might have been my favorite day there so far. Each day I get to learn and watch and do something exciting and new. The previous week I had hung, tagged, and prepared the Calvin Klein underwear for a shoot. When I came in Thursday, I learned I got to be in the studio where the shoot was taking place. It was my first time ever getting to watch a professional on model shoot. Although, the stylist and stylist assistant were in dire need of extra hands, so I spent about 6 hours steaming CK clothes for a shoot the day after. They were extremely grateful, and I was happy to help, and learned how to steam clothes properly! 

While steaming I had time to speak with the stylist, the assistant, and makeup artist and learned a lot from them! I was excited to finish up the job and had a few minutes to sit in on the actual shoot. I got to sit behind the photographer and watch as he worked. 

The photographer even took the time to look at my website and gave me some great advice on what to add into my professional portfolio. Overall it was a greta two days at Sandbox. I'm having a great time and learning so much from so many different people! Until next week! 

A Recap of my First Two Days with Kay Healy!

On Wednesday and Thursday of last week I began my fellowship with alumna Kay Healy.
And, in only two days, I learned quite a bit!

My first day was focused on screen printing. I got to assist Kay with screen printing onto fabric, as well as paper. Working with fabric is tricky when you’re printing because it can stretch, whereas paper does not. So, I learned ways to prevent "double printing." I also learned how to "flood the screen," (fancy Printmaking lingo) which prevents the ink from drying out on the screen between prints, as well as how to clean the ink off of the screens and tools afterwards.

It was super helpful to see how Kay plans out her screen prints. For example- she began with a hand drawing of a chair on a large piece of paper. This drawing was too big to fit on a single screen- so she broke the image down into sections (arm rest, seat cushion, etc) which resulted in five different screens. So, you print each section at a time, realigning your fabric to each section, and then your end result is the entire image!

This was really helpful to see, even as a Sculpture major, because it teaches me to think ahead and plan things out! Process is important. While creating your work, or building it, it's important to think about all of your necessary steps ahead of time! If your artwork is large in scale, regardless of the media being used, you’re also going to need to think about how to break it down, store it, move it, etc.

Screen printing the chair onto paper

The original hand drawing of the chair is on the right, 

and a completed screen printed fabric chair on the bottom left! (yay!)

On my second day, I learned how to reclaim the screens and how to use a sewing machine.

For reclaiming screens- Basically, if you are looking to reuse some screens AND get a workout- this is for you! It is a lot of work, but an important step. A little bit about the process: Make sure you're wearing safety glasses & gloves. Start by spraying down the screen with an emulsion remover. Kay uses one that is soy based, its more eco-friendly. Next, you scrub the emulsion off of the screen with a sponge. Then, rinse off the screen with water, and spray the screen down with a power washer to remove any remaining spots of emulsion. Emulsion is what blocks the ink from passing through the screen, so if you want to reuse it- you gotta clean it off entirely. You can check to see if there are any spots left by holding the screen up to the light. 

Afterwards, I learned how to use the sewing machine!

Now, my knowledge of a sewing machine beforehand came down to, well, very little..

What I found is that it’s kinda similar- at least in my world- to operating a scroll saw. Except, with the sewing machine, it pulls the fabric through on it’s own, whereas with the scroll saw, you are in complete control of driving the wood through the saw. Also- note the foot pedal. Leave your lead foot at home. Just like with driving, I learned that you shouldn’t take a turn too fast!! But, thankfully, sewing is forgivable. If you make a mistake or go off course, you can always just remove the stitches using the seam ripper and start over. I helped Kay sew one of the frying pans for her installation.

The frying pan was sewn inside out, like you would do if you were making a pillow.

The frying pan after!

And so, the first two days were very productive! I'm really excited to be learning new skills, and I am looking forward to the rest of the summer!

The Journey Begins- Sandbox Studios Day 1

        Who knew there were so many different names for a pair of mens underwear. I felt as if I   had emerged into a sea of Calvin Klein Underwear as I helped producer Nicolette prepare for the CK fashion shoot the following week. But before I got down to business, I did my first      Philly to NYC commute. I woke up before the sun rise, something I'd never thought i'd do during summer, but I was excited and nervous. I had finally grown familiar with the septa system and  how to take a Megabus- but now I had to master the metro card, the 1 and E subway, and where to find the Megabus to take me back home. As expected I sat in traffic for hours and used the spare time to sleep and become more excited about the experience. My first steps off the bus were a bit scary, I was alone in a new city and was expected to find my way, and fast! Well let me tell you, it was 10x easier than I ever had expected, and downtown  I went.

To my luck, finding Sandbox Studios wasn't all that hard either. I nervously took the elevator upstairs and was greeted by a very chic atmosphere and very friendly employees. I immediately felt comfortable and was eager to get busy! I learned about the different aspects of the company and took a quick tour of the building. I think my favorite part of the day was learning about all the different aspects of one shoot and the whole crew that works on it. There's a photographer, a photo assistant, a stylist, equipment and tech specialists, and for fashion shoots there's hair and makeup and models. Along with that there's the producer, Nicolette, who I worked with the whole day, who is the direct contact for her clients that include Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, and Millie. There was some still life product shot shooting going on in the studio while I was there. I found it all so fascinating, the photographers were using techniques I had just learned over the year- however I got to see them put to use in the real world. 

I then learned all about the tagging system, how organized it all was, and the whole process. Then I got to take part in the process by preparing the shipment of CK mens underwear that had come in for a fashion shoot taking place next week. At first I found it difficult matching the tags with the pair- since I lost count how many there were- but towards the end I think I finally started to get the hang of it. I look forward to seeing the shoot next week and seeing it all in action. 

The hanging and tagging took up most of the day, but as Nicolette and I worked on that I also got to watch the shoots happening around us. It was a very full first day, full of valuable lessons and tips, and I can't wait to go in next week! Embarking on my journey home, I got caught in my first flash flood, another first and made the commute very interesting! Till next week- hopefully a sunnier week!