branding development • creative direction • film editing + production • production design
The first part in a two part series gathering, the content direction of this event focused on the biblical themes of delight. The goal of this event was to create an environment that helped women feel seen, known, and loved. The Arbor is a unique, intentional space with the purpose of pointing every woman to Jesus. For this two part gathering, the art concept centered around a photoshoot and film shoot.
The idea was to capture familiar faces of women within the community. With a script being developed from key scriptures and crafted phrases, the film for this gathering was intended to be a summation of the concept, as well as encourage and empower women within the community.
“Lord, you have searched me and know me…” Psalm 139
Cultural Statement
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An arbor is placed at the entrance to a garden. It’s what the plants cling to for support, growth, and purpose. It’s a framework for them to exist by. The arbor is a framework for life to cling to. It's patterns of growth are intricate and delicate. The center of the arbor is a doorway that gives access to the garden where there, the beauty thrives.
The arbor is an invitation for all to come and experience the beauty that awaits.
The goal in the photo and film shoot was to create a connection between women through seeing familiar faces in a natural and more vulnerable vantage point. Knowing that the second of these two gatherings would be focused on joy, the art direction for this first gathering took a non-traditional approach to the definition of delight by attempting to represent delight in the midst of real life circumstances both positive and negative.
The goal in this first gathering was to capture beautiful portraits of women that would inspire, encourage, and empower the women of the community. The imagery captured in the initial shoot had a dual purpose in that they would be used for both gatherings.
Staying with the theme of delight in the midst of circumstances, the intention of the film was to capture familiar faces of women in the community and use them to empower and encourage other women. The photography and film shoot were done simultaneously in an effort to give even more life and context to the finished portraits.
Originally, the film was graded to entirely black and white, however in review of its placement in the gathering and its longevity, it seemed to lack the life and empowerment. So, the final piece was graded in a soft, lightly saturated color.
For the in-room production of the event, the goal was to showcase both the theme of delight and the portraits in a creative and engaging way. The theme word was featured in a custom built photo booth wired with lighting to put a spotlight on the vinyl graphic inside, as well as make it functional. To make the experience more engaging, volunteers manned the photo booth with polaroid cameras to give attendants a personalized takeaway.
To highlight the portraits, custom made displays were built to hang both the portraits and mirror panels that were hand illustrated. The intentionality of the panels were to create an experience for viewers to not only see the familiar faces of others, but insert themselves into the story and see themselves represented in it.
