This is our power point presentation which we had to prepare for our initial tutorial:
BABA YAGA
These are the notes from the presentation that explain our slide show a bit better:
SLIDE 1:
We started by looking at folklore in general and different things to it. Through researching the genre, we found many things associated to it. We looked into Greek mythology, Children's fables, and folk festival stories. From the definition of Folklore, we discovered that people rely on folklore to communicate stories to people which could be compared to the media today as they may be seen to influence people by spreading information.
SLIDE 2:
We then created a brainstorm of our Initial ideas:
Inspired by greek mythology
Chronicles of Narnia – childlike creation of a magical world, good and evil characters
Lord of the Rings
Franklyn (film)
Hansel and Gretel
Wizard of Oz
Witches throughout history and popular culture
Modern Paganism
Stigma attached to witchcraft through Medieval ages, Salem Witch Trials
SLIDE 3:
As a group, we chose folklore as our genre of focus, we were most intrigued by therussian folklore of Baba Yaga, a witch who has had many stories written about her from different cultures.
SLIDE 5:
Through looking at all of the cultures, we took some key themes of the many written stories to see where she is with her own morals. We found that she was spiteful to those who cast her out because of how different she was to the rest of society. The other theme we found cropping up was the fact she envied people's youth. In the story, she would drink the Blue Rose tea to sustain eternal youthfulness.
SLIDE 6:
When researching the character's background, you can find artists impressions based upon the original tale. These two images in particular set the style of story. Particularly, the one on the left gives us a colour palette to keep in mind. The purpose of the drawings is to evoke fear within the viewer, because of the how the tale goes. The aspects that achieve this could be the eyes, necklace, and skulls. This imagery we will incorporate.
SLIDE 7:
After picking our chosen folklore Baba Yaga, who is a witch, we looked at other witches to find and compare similarities between them. Even in Stardust (top right), she uses her dark magic to ultimately bring her back into youth. This seems to be a recurring theme among these characters.
SLIDE 9:
We want to modernize the story and make social comments on modern beauty and what effects it has on both us as individuals and the fashion industry.
There is always a constant desire to be young from people today. As our image is ultimately going to be fashion related, we have to be able to translate that within what we create as our final photograph.
SLIDE 10:
We drew most of our themes from symbolism – following the storyline whilst picking up on the morals behind the idea, including cultural references relating to the story itself and its origins, countries, regions etc.
For example the evil eye symbol which shows her evil characteristics. The evil eye may also show her vulnerability and fear – she may be scared because of her isolation.
We’ll also include candles/crystals and other superstitious items to relate to the folklore aspects and the pagan-type lifestyle
Photograph of her before – younger, happier, before she was aware of modern ideals of beauty, age and awareness outcast her and she isolated herself.
SLIDE 11:
As we look to achieve a style, we could be influenced by the photographers of these images; Paolo Roversi, Ellen Rogers, Sarah Moon. Other photographers such as AlisonScarpulla and David Hamilton will aid us in our styling, as all their models look slightly out of focus, and their faces are concealed, to create mystery. His photos also frame the model to create focus on the characterization of the subject.
SLIDE 12:
In the story of Baba Yaga, it talks a lot about her home as it's a significant part of the story. It helps us understand her personality by showing us her belongings. These two images above are from the Romanian gypsy caravans; we thought these were quite relevant because they are only built for one person – this is referenced in the film 'Stardust.' Modern fashion is influenced by past cultures and lifestyles, we recently saw the Bohemian trend, which borrowed heavily from the Romanian gypsies.
SLIDE 13:
In the interior, we wanted to bring external elements within her home, to help us aid in presenting her character, but to also show she is at one with nature, as she uses the forest to conceal herself. The photo top left is a similar aesthetic that we will strive for as it has fragmented elements among it.
SLIDE 14:
Joshua Hoffine – camera position – made for audiences perspective, elevated.
Tim Walker – photograph made by styling of model and set, alters viewers perception of scaling
Model should be looking directly at the camera, direct connection to the viewer, can understand the emotional conflict.
SLIDE 16:
Refined props, not overwhelming to the viewer, just enough to keep it relevant and give enough information about the character that we communicate her properly.
The combination of indoor and outdoor will again bring this 'oneness' of her home and nature.
Symbolic personal items, such as the blue rose (the type of tea she's addicted to), will be heavily incorporated to present her character.
SLIDE 17:
These images are stylistically quite relevant to our aesthetic, they also have a relationship with nature but a darker feel. There's an olden, worn kind of impression. Pagan and folklore references are in the styling, drapery and natural links within fabric.
SLIDE 18:
Casting – model with quite an angular face, balance between strained and gaunt and fragile and delicate. Suggestion of evil – emotional angst but a sorrow and desperation behind it. Combination of these two models and represent both sides.
Her desire to be more beautiful than any one – yearning for the unattainable
Heinrich von Ofterdingen, the 1802 unfinished novel by German romanticist Novalis' and Tennessee Williams 1944 book The Glass Menagerie
A Clone – unreal, altered self so much in the pursuit of beauty that she’s hardly who she was before.
She’s a bit self indulgent, vanity has overtaken her lifestyle but she exists to constantly make herself even more beautiful, endless routine
SLIDE 19:
Our sophistication is definitely not shown through this image as this is just a quick mock-up to give a better visual idea of our aim towards the final. Our final will hopefully present a much more professional look obviously, but this is just to aid your imagination with the research presented previously.
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