Schelay McCarter BA (Hons)

An Art  or Creative director is a creative person who interprets a client brief, casts models, finds locations, works with photographers, stylists, hair and make-up artists and 'directs' them all to realize the client-approved concept. By working through the key stages of a professional Art /Creative direction project, students will plan a photography shoot, put together a presentation and finally present the concept boards. Important details such as where to find your creative team, lead times on jobs, how to brain storm ideas and understanding the needs of your client will be looked at. In order to understand the job of an Art /Creative director in the fashion promotion industry we will compare and contrast editorial, brand and retail photography, study in detail the history of British fashion photography since the 1960s, and examine the importance of trend awareness and how to do your own research. We will also explore the use of photography in retail and related marketing. Technical understanding is an important aspect of art direction so during the last part of the course a professional fashion photographer will give advice adding a practical element to the final project. Your own laptop and basic computer skills with Powerpoint are useful for this course.

Schelay McCarter has worked in the fashion forecasting industry, then as an Art Director for Marks and Spencer before creating 'fashiontent' for Art/Creative Direction/PR/Journalism and design projects. For more information visit schelay.blogspot.com or www.schelay.co.uk.