Lisa

WHAT EXACTLY DOES AN ART DIRECTOR DO?

I translate what my client has asked for into visuals. I work mostly on a department store magazine, so it’s less about creating a brand campaign, and more about specific seasonal needs, like spring footwear, winter menswear, Mothers or Fathers Day, or the launch of a new label in store.

Usually I would do a mockup first where I am showing the client my idea, then when the job is booked I take the brief, do a timeline, then put the team together to work on the shoot. Creating pretty pictures is not the only measure of success for me though, it’s whether the pages do their job and sell product for the client.

There are a lot of things to keep in mind from mockup to finished product. I need to balance the client’s expectations with what’s achievable in the time frame and budget, and I am a bit unusual in that I do my own project management and shoot production. This means as well as creating and costing mock ups, I also manage the budget, source locations and models, and make sure all the paperwork is done properly. Then I lay out the pages, organise retouching and send the pages to print. I do a lot of copywriting as well, I like to multitask!

WHERE DO YOU SOURCE YOUR INSPIRATION?

Honestly, all over the place. I am always on the lookout for new ways to inspire people to purchase. We do shoots for clothing, homewares, electrics, accessories and more, so I always have my eyes open. I read a lot of design blogs and a ton of magazines of all sorts, and I am a huge fan of fashionising.com to see what’s being shot around the world. I love Pinterest, and I also like going into stores and looking at window display and merchandising trends. I’ve also been known to sneakily rip out a page of a mag at the doctor or dentist if something catches my eye :-).

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU NEED TO BE AN ART DIRECTOR?

A distinct point of view and the ability to sell your vision to your own team as well as the client. A lot of patience, planning, and the ability to wing it when things go wrong. 95% of a shoot’s success is done before the day, by briefing everyone accurately on what you want and expect. Also being realistic about what you can achieve with your budget, and making the money go as far as possible. I am crap at managing my own money, but when it comes to a shoot budget, I am all over it!

You have to let other creative people like the photographer and stylist do what they are good at, but ultimately the quality of the shots are my responsibility – the layout goes to the client with my name on it.

You also need to be able to stand up for yourself and not wrap up a shoot until you are 100% sure you have everything you need.

Most importantly, you need to care about what you do and be passionate about quality. It’s also really crucial to keep your target market in mind at all times.

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SHOOT?

We do a five day Summer Entertaining shoot every year that involves a huge amount of planning, about 200 boxes of homewares product, a ton of food and a lot of patience. It’s like being in a hurricane at the time, but when I lay out the pages I always think wow, that was an amazing week!

WHAT MAKES A REALLY GOOD PHOTOGRAPHIC TEAM WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR?

I want to work with people who make my life easy. When a photographer, stylist and hair and makeup person understand my objectives and interpret my brief in a way that exceeds my expectations, you know it’s going to be a great shoot. It’s nice when everyone has great ideas, but you shouldn’t expect the team to do your job for you. And just being a nice person goes such a long way. I’ve worked with some people who were so talented but a total nightmare to deal with, and that’s really tiring and not conducive to a good end result.

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR DREAM SHOOT?

That would involve Daniel Craig and a bucket of caramel… Oh sorry, bit off track there! I would have to say a fashion shoot in Paris, I know it’s a complete cliche but it would be such a challenge to make it feel fresh and new.

MOST IMPORTANTLY WHAT STAR SIGN ARE YOU?

I’m a Pisces, and I’m quite a cliche. I love water, I pretty much only wear green and blue, and I can get a bit emotional about my work. I’ve never really understood people who say “oh, it’s only work”, because my job involves me making creative choices based on my opinion, so it always feels personal if someone doesn’t like it. I just have to remind myself that there’s only so much I can control, and that there’s always another day!

DESCRIBE YOUR FIRST KISS?

It was in small town New Zealand, I think I was about 14, and it was the typical New Zealand teenage kiss (meaning we got plastered on cask wine while ignoring each other for hours at a backyard barbecue where the boys hung out on one side and the girls on the other). Then we pounced on each other when the sun went down. Sad to say I can’t even remember his name…