Mood Board MUSTS

Members of the TONI&GUY Artistic Team went to the suburbs of New York City to hold a special class for the Ricci's TONI&GUY Academy in Newtown, Connecticut. Owner Dan Riccio hosted Zak Mascolo, TONI&GUY Creative Director of the Americas and Samantha Finley, TONI&GUY National Creative Technical Director, along with several educators as they held a workshop, teaching the 77 students how to do a photoshoot.

“This is a very exciting opportunity for the TONI&GUY family,” says Mascolo. “This group is particularly talented. Each year we hold a photo competition and the Newtown Academy had the largest number of student entries. We’re here to give Dan and his students tips on how to maximize their potential for winning…the same ones we use when shooting our own collections and editorials.”

Those tips include creating visuals to be used as a guide for everyone involved in a photoshoot.  At the seminar, Mascolo and Finley went into detail about the importance of these visuals, called a Mood Board. “It is the prep that makes the day go well,” says Mascolo. “If you’ve done the work beforehand on the key elements, the shoot should be successful.”  These elements go beyond the expected model selection and hair design. “We cover lighting, art direction, wardrobe and even posing.” (Make sure to check out the guide below for Mascolo’s “Mood Board MUSTS”).

Mascolo points out that there should always be a “plan B” to accommodate unforeseen events. “Sometimes a key member of the team gets called away, sometimes a model doesn’t show up or has decided she no longer wants the cut that had been pre-arranged. These kinds of things happen all the time.”

The TONI&GUY Mood Board is quite intense, covering much of the creative. “It’s offering a guide for the team,” says Finley, ”It’s vital that everyone involved is on the same page. For example, the ‘posing’ pictures are great for a newer model, and the make up pictures help to guide the make up artist.”

After covering the mood board in detail, Mascolo, Finley, the creative team and Riccio took that inspiration and transformed four models in front of the students. These models were then placed on set so that all could see how the board is put to work on an actual set.

It was truly inspiring and by the end of the session, several students were already thinking about their own boards and new looks inspired by the workshop for the next photo competition. "The methodology of the new classics has created a new standard for the future of hairdressing," says Riccio who added that having this opportunity is just one of the pluses of being part of the  TONI&GUY network. "Of course the reputation of a global brand being available locally is a huge draw for incoming students."

By the end of the event students, artists and even the models were inspired by the intense creativity packed into one single morning. It was a successful day for all.

These Mood Board MUSTS… elements which should be part of every photo session planning, may help explain why just about every TONI&GUY shoot is such a success:

Mood Board Categories:                                                

Pull image tears of the following topics to ensure that you have a clear concept.

Every category is as important as the next.

• Art Direction/Concept: Define the Concept and feeling of the shoot.
• Lighting: It’s hard to describe what type of lightening you are looking for without sharing images with the photographer.
• Posing: Always a great idea; this provides posing examples for models. It’s a way you can capture the mood and feeling of the shoot and it’s great to show direction to new models so they feel more comfortable.
• Models: Model suitability is everything! Find a great looking model with the right hair texture needed to achieve the look for your concept. 
• Wardrobe: The wardrobe is a very key element in bringing the feeling of the shoot together. Make sure it fits the concept and doesn’t distract from the hair.
• Make-up: Hair, Make-up, and wardrobe need to complement one another creating harmony. If all of the different elements become a focus and are too bold, it could result in an unflattering image. If make-up is the focus for the shoot, the hair should be worn off the face, or pulled back, making the face the highlight of the shot.
• Last but not least… THE HAIR! When shooting, we need to remember the focus…..Hair. Bold Cuts can be accented with soft colour, or interesting placement to enhance the shape. Strong colour placement should be finished smooth with high shine.
• Don’t forget: Make sure you always have the models bring nude/black undergarments and heels. What if the shoes you have don’t fit? Even if you are only shooting from the waist up, heels give amazing posture. AND…Nails! Nails in need of a manicure can distract from a beautiful image.