Occasionally we have to recreate a period in history for our assignment. These can, of course, run from mightily damn difficult to a piece of cake depending on our location, the demands of the client, and our access to wardrobe and accessories from the time period we are shooting.

WARDROBE:

This can be one of the more easily accessed for those in larger cities. Many costume rental companies have many different wardrobe choices available. Depending on the period desired this may be easier for some, and harder for others.

For instance, the ‘sixties’ would probably be easier than the ‘roaring twenties’. The sixties are more recent than the twenties, so there is probably a higher availability of the items.

VEHICLES:

This can be harder, but not impossible. There are many car clubs in most any area of the US. I would imagine that is similar in South America, and Europe as well. These folks love their cars and can be cajoled into participation for a few prints usually.

PEOPLE:

Hairstyles can be a problem with your talent unless they are malleable and can be made to look as retro as you need. Body types are probably not an issue for most periods unless you are covering the Paleolithic Era and need a neanderthal or two.

PROPS:

This can be as close to a scavenger hunt as we get in this business. Finding props that are representational of a specific era, or can be with minimal work, can be a daunting challenge. For this assignment, you must plan for this

by making sure your concept is a doable one. Try not to build in too many ad-hoc challenges into your concept. (Like needing a specific old radio… if you have one, cool, but if not, make sure the image doesn’t hinge on that item or it can spell disaster.)

LOCATIONS:

This can be easier in some areas than others. Since periods go back, the closer you are to older neighborhoods, or towns, the easier it will be to find what you are looking for. Here are a few examples for you to check out.

Examples:

Matt Barnes, Toronto.

Matt is well acquainted with creating images from eras gone by. His collection of images from a 1940’s traveling jazz band, to a young group of 50’s hipsters, all are super well done and very strong work.

THE UNTOUCHABLES

Imagine you had to recreate the twenties in a film. Locations may be a bit more challenging to find. Notice how the filmmakers use POV, camera angle and more to give a complete period feel to the images shown here. Shooting up at old buildings means not having to pay for renovations to the modern fronts on sidewalk level.

MADMEN

A period TV show about ad men of the 60’s, the producers use careful styling of not only the actors, but the surroundings to harken back to an era that is somewhat familiar due to the proliferation of the media in its time. From TV shows like “I Dream of Jeannie” to “The Dick Van Dyke Show”, ended up with a shared cultural awareness of this era.

1920 \ 1940 \ 1950 \ 1960 \ 1920 \ 1850-1890 \ 1900

I would prefer you have a person in the shot, but if you cannot find one, it is OK for a still life or environment.

NOTE: Please construct a shot. I do not want you to find an old building in a local town and simply photograph it. That is too easy, and it is not what we do. You must do significant ‘styling’ or be otherwise engaged with whatever you do to force the shot to be perfect.

No preference for black or white / color or configuration of image… just your best shot.

We should BELIEVE the shot when you deliver the era.