Overview
Casting a famous face is usually a shortcut, and that was the risk. Solitaire's presence could carry the campaign so easily that the clothes would become costume in someone else's story. Basalt wanted the opposite hierarchy: the collection first, the landscape second, the fame a distant third. The brief asked us to shoot one of the most recognizable actors working and make him almost anonymous.
Solution
We built the campaign on movement rather than portraiture. Working with a movement director, we developed a sequence of held, sculptural poses that turn the body into a form the garments drape and break across. The face appears, but rarely straight on, and the ash dusting and hard side light push it toward sculpture. You recognize Solitaire second, the silhouette first.
Process
Weeks one and two were preparation: location scout and permits, garment tests against the sand in matching light, and two rehearsal days with the movement director and a stand-in, building a shot list of 18 held poses timed to the minute. The ash treatment was tested on set stand-ins until it read as mineral rather than makeup.
Final Thoughts
Weeks one and two were preparation: location scout and permits, garment tests against the sand in matching light, and two rehearsal days with the movement director and a stand-in, building a shot list of 18 held poses timed to the minute. The ash treatment was tested on set stand-ins until it read as mineral rather than makeup.