Sleepwalker
Sleepwalking is a fascinating topic to research and even more so to implement as the main idea for the fashion shoot. Crossing the line from reality to the world of dreams is artfully created through the technical side of photography. To enhance the state of being in between, or crossing the line, the use of smooth, glossy black predominates the scene.
The styling consolidates fluid fabrics and sleek hair. The state is of a liquid nature, which dramatically changes reaching phase two, once the line is crossed, probably to the dream state with the change of location to outdoors. The scrupulous work with light connects the two phases to a coherent story with a common atmosphere.
Ciro Galluccio, a fashion photographer, teamed up with Federica Reali, a stylist; Francesca Maffi, a MUAH artist; Enrico Mondelli, a ph assistant; and Jasmine Jessica De Pretto, a model, just before the quarantine was announced, to work on a story about the world of dreams, sleepwalking, and the fine line that crosses between the imaginative and the real. Ciro emphasizes that “ 'freedom to dream' was the key phrase for the video shooting,“ which allowed for the setup to unfold.
We speak with Ciro and the team to reveal some of the best moments from work on set and to discuss the idea of dreams encountering reality. The team explains that each element chosen was closely related to the understanding of the unconscious world.
Photography Ciro Galluccio Styling Federica Reali Hair and makeup Francesca Maffi Ph Assistant Enrico Mondelli Model Jasmine Jessica De Pretto represented by GIRLmgmt
Shot at Tale Studio
‘The idea of this series came out on a morning after a nightmare. I was wondering if the unconscious world and the real one would be mixed, how life could be’
What is Sleepwalker about?
What's reality and what's dreaming? Are you really sure that the life you're living while your eyes are open is your ‘main’ one? The idea of this series came out on a morning after a nightmare. I was wondering if the unconscious world and the real one would be mixed, how life could be. In that period, I was studying body movements, so everything came easily. I started my research about sleeping people's movements and discovered this amazing unconscious world.
The black background has a huge presence forming the shoot, which enables to focus a person’s attention on the model and also to create an atmosphere. What were some of the decisions connected to the background?
Black is the colour of the dark, of the mystery: the unseen. Dreams and nightmares are part of this strange world. With the choice of the black background, I wanted to recreate the lighting you can find in renaissance paintings, converting it into our period as in a limbo between space and time that cannot be placed.
How it affected styling, makeup, and lightning in the studio and outdoors?
This kind of mood was there from the beginning, while we built the set for the studio shoot. It was really dark. The clothes we chose consequently had to highlight dreamy and unreal characteristics with the contrast of colours and shapes. A dream is where we are undressed and wandering in the oblivion of our being.
For the outdoors part of the shoot, there's a more selected choice for the 'daily styling' as part of the mind that finds itself living the surrounding reality. Therefore, in places with more vivid and strong lights, we used styling with layered clothes to signify the various levels that each of us has in reality up to our unconscious. With hair and makeup, we wanted to enhance the strength of the feelings one can have of living on the borderline between these two different worlds.
What were the main guidelines for the model and the attitude you were striving to achieve?
Creating a connection with Jasmine was kinda easy. In the beginning, I didn't want to talk with the model too much, to create a kind of a mystery between us, and to let us discover ourselves during the shoot. There was a kind of mutual trust that came when we were shooting, and it helped us work on the story. We didn't need to talk a lot about positions. We were really free to express ourselves. So, we played a lot with movement.
‘A Handycam helped us to stop caring about the equipment, rather just to feel the vibe. No talks at all, just a few directions about lighting’
You’ve also shot a short film as an additional part of this story. How does your approach change when creating a narrative for the moving image or directing the model?
The short film allowed us to be a little bit wilder. A Handycam helped us to stop caring about the equipment, rather just to feel the vibe. No talks at all, just a few directions about lighting. 'Freedom to dream' was the key phrase for the video shooting.
‘All the team was there 100%, this story came out from a collaboration from each member and from the synergy.’
What is the most memorable moment or episode from the shooting day or the preparation for it?
There were a lot of memorable moments during that day, especially while we were shooting outdoors. Some people started being curious and creepy at the same time, and that was a bit funny and annoying. I had to stay on Enrico's shoulders to take pictures with a heavy camera, and that made us laugh a lot.
Another funny part of the shoot was when Federica and Jasmine were running around to find a place outdoors to change clothes. It was kinda cold! But the best part I can tell is that all the team was there 100%, this story came out from a collaboration from each member and from the synergy.
