On Set with Lesley Morphy

Every once in a while we talk events here. When you consider what makes a good party, you realize that the decor and photos hold as much weight as the theme, the crowd and the music.

Lesley Morphy, our resident set designer recently oversaw the concept, design and construction of a rather unorthodox photo op: an 8 x 12 foot heart.

While the polished photo at the end is pretty cool, we thought you’d be interested in the behind the scenes process- how did Morphy and her team bring her 2D sketch to life?

In her own words…

Almost every client has the same request: keep it on brand, make it fun and playful. For this design, I opted to make a 3D Photo Op

Experian reached out to me, as they were hosting a global marketing summit in Las Vegas and wanted to convey a sense of bringing love back to the customer. Making a large 3D heart seemed like a no brainer!

The heart was 8’ x 8’ x 2’ deep and was built with aluminum framing.

We then skinned it in wood and sanded and coated it in a semi-gloss red paint. The fascia was finished in an adhesive 4-color digital print. The linear graphic was playful, bright and poppy.

The heart was stable enough to climb in, on and over. Using a heart got the point across- particularly among the global clientele.

It playfully complimented an aquatic Cirque du Soleil performance and the VIP after party. As the old adage goes, what happens if Vegas stays in Vegas.

Contributed by Lesley Morphy

October 26, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Red on Red Retailing

Red is the comeback kid this Fall. I’m not sure if you recall seasons past, but it went on a bit of a hiatus, standing behind shades of magenta and plum. It’s interesting in a way, as I vividly remember the conversations we all had at the Color Association round table a while ago, as we discussed the strength and emergence in Chinese and Russian territories and the direct influence it would have on European and American palettes.

The Prada coat is photographed by Jacob Sutton for Bergdorf Goodman’s latest Fall catalog and the chairs were captured by my iphone at ABC Carpet this past weekend. The monochromatic foreground and background combo is rather striking, wouldn’t you say?

September 12, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Trend: 2nd Life Canvas Alterations

As a big appreciator of fine art, street art, kid’s scrawl and anything artistic or imaginative, it’s easy to understand why I’d be drawn to these mixed media works. Used more for playful retail installations than statement pieces, each classical painting aids in quirky modern messaging.

I snapped the exit sign while enroute to the restroom at the Zetter Townhouse last Fall amidst a meeting with the Think Work Play team. TWP is a London-based editorial collective that celebrates London’s artistic community. If you haven’t already, have a look at their site- it’s a rabbit hole of inspiration. The spectacle-punctured imagery below is housed at Selima, the Italian optics store on Wooster St in lower Manhattan.

If you’re not too uptight or worried about the imperfections that can come from a few creative missteps, I’d recommend visiting your local thrift store and getting crafty.

August 28, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Half Piped Ideas with Leslie Friedman

Jewishness, identity politics and skateboarding are the underlying concepts behind Leslie Friedman’s exciting new creative venture. Best described in her crowd-funding video, Friedman, a Philadelphia-based artist, describes her connection to Judaism, global stereotypes and ‘what’s cool’. Bringing art to the masses for functional use is always a complicated endeavor, though her plan is impressive.

In her own words:

In order to accomplish this project and participate in ArtPrize, I will make a dozen different tile patterns that will cover the curved portion of the ramp. The patterns will address some of the stereotypes, conspiracies, and myths associated with Jews in America. At the peaks of the ramp, the images will be the most positive stereotypes, while the valley will showcase the most evil, unflattering, dangerous stereotypes. The significance of the word stereotype cannot be overlooked—it originated as a printmaking term, and for this reason, I believe the repetitious aspect of this sculpture will reinforce the overall concept of how myths spread.

August 1, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Making a Farmville Set with Lesley Morphy

We all know Instagram’s pulling us into every corner of our friends’ lives. The immediacy of the photos and close perspective allows us to dip in and out of each activity, whether or not we’re actually there to experience it. So it goes with this latest post. I saw a stream of photos on Lesley‘s feed of her current project. As I’m known to do from time to time, I shot her a note and asked her to send higher resolution photos over so we could do a proper feature. Luckily for me (and you) she complied!

PP: So give us a little background, who was the client and what were you asked to do?

LM: So, FarmVille (of Zynga) and Serve (a stand alone brand of AMEX) recently partnered up and wanted to celebrate. It’s pretty exciting as it’s bringing digital money transactions to a new place. And it seems like people are coocoo bananas for FarmVille- Zynga is a multi billion dollar gaming company!

PP: So how did the collaboration come about?

LM: I was approached by 1 Trick Pony to realize the launch in a creative way. Being a 3D thinker, I really wanted to bring the game’s assets to life. I played the game and it was easy te see that the MONEY TREE was the major asset. So I thought it would be fun to make it larger than life… 10’-6” tall x 7’-0” wide x 5’-0” deep. I also had a lot of fun propping it out with the game’s characters and a tickle trunk (a Canadian colloquialism for tv show Mr. Dressup’s trunk full of dress up clothes) of farm paraphernalia.

PP: What were your thoughts and initial inspiration with creative direction?

LM: I really wanted it to feel cartoon-like, as though it had literally been pulled from the game and placed in the Serve headquarters. So it was important to build it in a fun way and for it to be glossy and cute. The biggest challenge was determining how to execute the cutouts; what materials to use; how to make the foliage playful; how to make the vines feel real; and getting the colors exactly right.

PP: What were some obstacles you encountered along the way?

LM: A major obstacle was getting it done within the tight deadline. There were many steps in the process- custom sculpting the trunk and hand cutting all the foliage, sanding, plastering, coating in resin and hand painting everything, including the vines. Not to mention weather conditions affecting drying time and other kinds of unforeseen challenges, which didn’t help. Needless to say it was the 11th hour and we had a few volunteers (very good friends!) with paintbrushes and super glue helping with the final touches. (A couple bottles of wine might have helped with the volunteer effort!)

PP: And did it turn out the way you had hoped?

LM: The client was absolutely thrilled with the results. So much so that we are now in the process of building three more trees and shipping them to California, Florida and Canada! It’s no myth, money trees really do bring good luck and fortune!!

July 12, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Making Music Videos with Lesley Morphy

In this cultural movement we call DIY, we’re constantly tasking ourselves to do more with less. The race to showcase wit, creativity and innovation through basic, everyday materials is evident throughout the web. Today we continue with Lesley’s adventures in set design. As you’ll see, she’s mastered various backdrops using materials anyone can pick up at the local market or hardware store. The magic is in the details, the lighting and the application.

From Lesley: I’ve Art Directed multiple videos for Clifton Bell (The Ghettonerd Company) and most times I need to be innovative. One department will get the majority of the funds and it usually fluctuates from one video to the next.

Even if your budget isn’t huge, if you’ve got an amazing director, crew and talent, it’s often worth taking the project, as it can be very rewarding, and you’re forced to get creative.

Usually the challenges are pretty big, as you have a single day to set up and shoot multiple sets. You have to work in overdrive and it’s usually a 16-18 hour day.

I’ve been lucky to work on major events, but with the music videos, you literally have to create art while the camera and lighting crew is trailing behind you. I’ve resorted to borrowing hair dryers from the stylist to dry the wet paint on the ground before the artist steps foot on set.

Coverage by Lesley Morphy

June 15, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik