Saturday, 6 May 2017

OUGD502: Prostate Cancer Calendar SUMMER 2017

In collaboration with HOC Manchester, we have decided to create a calendar to raise money close to the clubs heart, prostate cancer. The club decided they wanted to do a pants down shoot, incorporating a humorous tone of voice juxtaposed with their leather jackets and HOC patches. 

This is a vital opportunity to me to practice professionalism, as well as potentially working on a brief with possible large social impact. This project will involve strict time management and project management, coordinating people from all over the country who are much busier and older than myself. I have been given full creative control of the outcome, yet my experience from the club indicates that everyone has an opinion they want to see come to life, leading to 'too many cooks spoil the dinner'. I need to learn how to say no to people I have known my whole life but who do not know the first thing about design or photography, in order to fulfil the potential of this brief and drive the outcome to my personal intentions. 

The idea is to create a calendar, using 12 different locations and 14 different models. One of which will have prostate cancer, and may act as the campaign figure head if he is willing. This will outline him as the 'hero', getting the wind in his hair and moving away from the current cancer patient stereotype, adding an energy and a vividity into project. My intentions are also to contact cancer research, hoping them to give us a bit of free advertising as effectively all proceed's are going to them anyway. If social media collateral is produced, this can be sent to the charity in order to drum up awareness of the 'bikers for cancer', changing perceptions of Harley culture and raising money for the charity! This could potentially be great exposure for me too, perhaps creating a video or other audience targeted interactive content to drum up attention. 

Shots will feature the biker patches, possible bikes and bare bums, following a consistent style to allow the calendar to be constructed. This is a HUGE responsibility for me as the photographer and designer, as the success of this mission lies on my shoulders. As this is conducted by a personal reasoning, the whole club (myself included) knows the heartache of Tony caused by this horrible disease so I need to do justice whilst still integrating humour.

DEADLINE:  Ready for sale at Chester Rally September 2017. Printing needs to occur August 2017.

First step- finding the models and coordinating them to a month (done in club. 12 real men allocated to individual months, some in pairs)

Second step- finding out the models availability anytime within June or July, ideally for a full day/half on the weekend. Once we know the availability of the models we can organise shoot days per location, either going to the models or having the models go to a set location/studio

Third step- contact all models and allocate a date with them to do the shoot

ORGANISING SHOOT DATES

Looking at time scales and printing considerations, the shoots need to take place in between June-July. This will be difficult managing peoples time with summer holidays and other commitments.

- 24th & 25th June
- 1st & 2nd July
- 8th & 9th July
- 15th & 16th July

Everybody contacted is really up for it and wants to support Tony, and Tony is really happy that we are all trying to do something to help.

GROUPING THE MODELS BASED ON LOCATION FOR TIME PURPOSES

Shoot the months (people) in the same day around the same location- e.g.: 

- All people from Yorkshire being photographed in one day

- All people from Lancashire being photographed in one day

- All people from Manchester being photographed in one day

- All people from Warrington/Liverpool being photographed in one day

Locations.  (12 needed split amongst the above 4 counties).

- Seaside
- beautiful countryside
- Forrest of Bowland
- big bridges
- industrial settings
- signifiers of location (butter pies/yorkshire tea covering privates)
- rural and private for aspects of nudity
- access for vehicles/bikes

This also gives a good opportunity for us to maximise the locations of each place, shooting on a range of scenic locations, moving away from studio shots giving a higher intrigue in the imagery for the calendar viewers to enjoy. Will also need to consider taking some form of changing room, giving privacy for changing and instilling self confidence in the models, learning from the issues we had with nudity on the Monotype shoot.


Initial speaking with Tony/Initial research

"every penny helps, hopefully we'll help others"
"cancers like having a 24 hr tag around your ankle, you can't go anywhere, not even 200 yards down the road on your own".
"its not the cancer its the things the cancer causes"
"it can effect anyone and no-one ever knows"

1/8 blokes get prostate cancer

By speaking to Tony I understand the importance of the calendar, making this issue a really heartbreaking one and giving me more understanding and drive to do this well.

Visual research


Bare bum used as a simple sign of protest. In our case, protest against cancer, rebellion against the clinicsm of how cancer is currently portrayed, whilst incorporating the element of 'fight' currently used in 
Cancer Research marketing.


Annie Leborbvits Black & White on beach, emotion and natural representations. Shot on medium format. Timeless and emotive.

Richard Avedon 'elephant woman', juxtaposing safari with fashion and humour. Black and white, shot on medium format.  Timeless and emotive.


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