Northern Soul Strategy Manual

NORTHERN SOUL

Alex Smith

Billie Lomas

STRATEGY MANUAL

By Katie Young

“DANCE LIK “DANCE LIK NORTH NORTH

KE YOU’RE KE YOU’RE HERN” .

HERN”.

CONTENTS Northern Soul 6-7

Leaflets 22-23

Concept 8-9

Makeup and Hair 24-25

Rationale 10-11

Models 26-27

Photography 12-13

Location 28-29

Styling 14-15

Short Film 30-31

Visual Display 18-19

Final Image 32-33

Posters 20-21

“Soul music of a typically upbeat style that was particularly popular in parts of northern England during the 1970s�.

7.

NORTHERN SOUL

Northe rn Soul nowad ay s i s n o t as co m m o n as t h e s t y l e o f d an ce i s m o r e s e e n at dance c ompe titions rat h er t h an o n t ren d . T h ere are No rt h ern S o u l s t y l e d clubs with the style o f m u s i c h o wev er t h i s era h as n o t rem ai n ed as c o m m o n a s othe r styles take over. T h e s t y l e o f cl o t h es wo rn are s t i l l s een as b r a n d s s u c h as Topshop c re ated N o rt h ern S o u l s t y l e co l l ect i o n i n 2 0 1 4 , t ry i n g t o b r i n g ba ck this unique styl e wh i ch i s No rt h ern S o u l . No rt h ern S o u l i s s een t o b e a ha ppy environment to b e i n , en co u rag i n g p eo p l e t o b e t h em s el v es .

8.

My concept is to present friendship, a way of expressing yourself and individuality through Northern Soul styled images and a short film. I will use Northern Soul styled clothing along with models that have a genuine friendship which will be captured through a variety of shots. I plan to show friendship that is involved with the unique style that is Northern Soul.

CONCEPT

9.

NORTHERN SOUL NOR

NORTHERN SOUL NORTHERN SOUL NORTHERN SOUL NORTHERN SOUL NORTHERN SOUL NORTHERN SOUL NOT

NORTHERN SOUL NORTHERN SOUL NORTHERN SOUL NORTHERN SOUL NORTHE

RATIONALE

When looking into Northern Soul I realised the joy that came from it as it allowed people to express themselves and also create friendships with people they would meet at Northern Soul styled dances. This lead me to want to showcase friendship within Northern Soul and show individuality throughout their clothes and unique looks. When watching Northern Soul Film on Netflix it is very clear that everyone is an individual and this unique style brings them together because of this common interest of Northern Soul. I wanted to show this way of expressing yourself and feeling free through this style that has recently come back into fashion.

NORTHERN SOUL NORTHERN SOUL NORTHERN SOUL NORTHERN SOUL

11.

NO

12.

T R

ME AN

13.

For my photography I wanted to make sure that I had a variety of shots all showing Northern Soul in different locations. I used different angles to create different shot types such as; long shot, mid shot and close ups. Different shots worked better in different locations as if the focus was more on the outfit itself then I would want a more simplistic background. I tried many different poses with the models as well as facial expressions to create the perfect shots that could represent every part of my concept. I also did candid shots to capture their bond. I looked into many different photographers before the shoot however, a photographer I took inspiration from was Glen Luchford. Her unique style is very casual with shots of models walking or sat down poses. The poses of the models are very natural which is what I wanted to incorporate into my images so the focus remains on Northern Soul.

R N E H SO T FRIE

UL

NS FRIEN

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P I DS H

I H P S D

When styling the models I wanted to try and capture the Northern Soul style. To do this I used brightly coloured clothing such as; baggy shirts, trousers and T-shirts. As sweater vests were worn I wanted to try and create that with a turtle neck and a brightly coloured vest. I initially planned to look in charity shops to find some pieces however found a lot of them in my wardrobe. I tried to use colours that would compliment each other when next to each other such as making both models outfits compliment each other when in shots together. Such as; yellow and purple are complimentary colours. I didn’t want to stick to a set colour palette or only have one outfit as I wanted to show many differently styled Northern Soul images and show the individuality that is present in this style/era.

14.

STYLING

15.

18.

VISUAL DISPLAY

If I were to do my own exhibition I would want to put all the images on the wall including descriptions of what the image is and what the meaning behind it is, relating it to my concept.

I would also project my video onto the wall, putting it on a loop throughout the exhibition.

I would use a mannequin to put next to my shots showcasing the outfits that were worn throughout the different shots. Projecting the Northern Soul logo onto the wall. Indicating clearly to the public what the theme of the exhibition is and also making the room of the exhibition more eye catching and aesthetically pleasing. I would also use the title ‘Northern Soul’ to put above the images.

19

POSTERS 20.

22.

LEAFLET

23.

NORTHE

THERN SOUL NORTHERN SOUL NORTHERN SOUL M SOUL NORTHERN NORT SOUL NORTHERN SOUL NORTHERN SOUL A NORTHERN S K NORTHERN SOUL E NORTHERN SOUL U NORTHERN SOU N SOUL N NORTHE P HERN SOUL

ERN SOUL

H L A THERN SOUL I SOUL R

UL NORTHERN SOUL ERN SOUL When researching Northern Soul I noticed a lot of the makeup and hair styles were very natural and didn’t take the focus away from the dance style itself. I wanted to incorporate this into my shots. I used every day makeup with no extra eye shadow or eye liner ensuring the focus was on the clothing that was inspired by Northern Soul. With hair I kept it very natural by not using any extra products or any dramatic styles.

This worked well as it didn’t take any focus away from the concept.

25.

Alex Smith

Billie Lomas and Alex Smith When choosing the models we wanted them to reflect our concept which is friendship. This made us decide we wanted models that are genuine friends and their bond and friendship would show through the images I wanted to take. Their friendship radiates through the shots as well as them working well together throughout.

Billie Lomas

26.

RN S E H T O R O

MODELS

UL

N

27.

28.

I decided I wanted to get a variety of shots so to do this I wanted to use different locations. I used Mooch Vintage shop, Record Junkee, different walls/alley ways and graffiti walls. I explored Sheffield looking for locations that would compliment the theme well. This ensured a good selection of images that are all different showing my concept in different ways.

29.

30.

When making the short film I wanted to capture my concept perfectly. I included shots of the models laughing which weren’t posed but of them having an actual conversation. I wanted to capture the friendship the models have which included them running, jumping and them enjoying themselves. I wanted to show that although Northern Soul is a dance style people can have fun with it and feel themselves when doing it. The video captures the bond that the two models have which is what I wanted. I shot them in a record shop and in a vintage shop as well as other many outside locations. I thought it was necessary to shoot them inside these two kinds of shops as it is something they would do normally as friends; go shopping together. I wanted to really highlight this idea of friendship and being comfortable around someone involved in the Northern Soul scene. To edit the video I used Premiere Pro. I wanted to keep the clips very natural looking and not distract viewers away from the idea of the video by dramatic effects. I did use effects such as cross dissolve to blend clips together and a dissolve on the music to blend the song together after taking parts out. The song I used was ‘If that’s what you wanted’ by Frankie Beverly. I listened to many songs to find the perfect one but as this song is so upbeat and fun I thought it worked well with my concept and the feel I intended for the video.

SHORT FILM

31.

32.

FINAL IMAGE

For my final image I wanted to chose an image that was really successful as well as it reflecting my concept perfectly. The image I chose shows my concept by it being a candid photo it shows the models laughing which is not a posed shot, it shows them enjoying themselves. Which I think Northern Soul is all about. As I think Northern Soul allows people to express themselves and be free with who they are; I think this image represents that. The two models are enjoying themselves and are comfortable in their environment which represents Northern Soul as it gives a sense of belonging. The styling used in this image was mostly black and white theme with a hint of colour with the blue and red shirt. I thought the colours within this shot really complimented each other as well as the location with the black door adding more contrast to the image. The type of shot is a mid-shot. I wanted to capture the location as well as the models to show the full emotion of the image with the surroundings. The hair and makeup for this shoot is natural/everyday. To edit this image I added some contrast and used the noise tool to add some grain to add more texture to the image. I wanted to capture the Northern Soul style through the models clothing and making the main focus of this image the concept which is friendship, expressing yourself and being an individual.

33.

FINAL IMAGE

NORTHERN SOUL MEANS FRIENDSHIP