Rodrick Samuels on The Silent Work, Modern Beauty Education and Why Empathy Wins
MODERN SALON sat down with Samuels to discuss the book, beauty education, mentorship and the habits that help beauty professionals thrive.
by Anne Moratto
HOW TO: Creating The Perfect Mood Board
Sam Villa offers an overview of his mood board for a recent shoot and shares the importance of the board for the team.
September 29, 2014
1/6
2 min to read
Sam Villa is quite the organized guy. MODERN invited him in for a photoshoot and he said "Give me a little time to get my mood board together." Three weeks later, Villa sent the board to MODERN.
This mood board is the most intense we have ever seen. It is obvious Villa took hours and hours to put it together, searching through magazines and the internet for inspiration. Although he had an idea what he wanted to do, it was this search that helped him nail down his thoughts. The board itself is used to keep him on track and to help guide the rest of the team (photographer, make up artist, fashion stylist).
It is not that unusual for an artist to bring a mood board to a shoot, but this board really made the rounds. "I even bring the mood board to the casting," says Villa. "I show it to the potential model to see if she can carry off the look."
Is a mood board (also known as an inspiration board) important? Villa thinks so. "It serves as a perfect guide and helps to keep us all on the same page." Villa uses the board as a guide, not a blueprint. Villa frequently went back to the board thoughout the shoot.
Mood boards can sometimes be a simple as one picture to give direction or at the very least start a conversation. Think about the message this sends to the team: a picture of a soft, gentle, feminine bride OR a tattooed, pierced, spiked haired model on a motorcyle. Each will offer direction. Make sure to check out the video interview with Villa for an overview of his mood board for this shoot (you will see the finished results in early 2015), but in the meantime, remember to think about the following when putting your own board together:
1. model type (face, hair, height, size, etc)
2. pose
3. lighting
4. make up
5. accessories
6. wardrobe
7. background
8. props
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