The Stories We Wear – Development + Pre-Production

Final Year Project

07-05-2025

Development + Initial Ideas

Sustainable fashion is a passion of mine and a topic of interest for nearly ten years. When I was brainstorming alternative projects to my scripted drama Affliction, I knew it would be a documentary. Documentary filmmaking is a medium I feel comfortable with, and it is less structured than scripted short films, so I knew I could find a narrative and shoot in a relatively short period of time.

Meetings with Paul

Paul and I discussed creating a self-contained, independent documentary project in March. The aim was to achieve a 3-5 minute run-time, prioritise a tight cut in post-production, and optimise audiovisuals to create a highly stylised, well shot documentary.

A key goal was for the process to inform the content and visuals, and vice versa, so it became an open dialogue between subject and style. As the project is based in sustainable fashion, specifically in mending clothes, research would be a crucial element to pre-production and production.

Approach – Cinematography, Directing + Production

The documentary project will be abstract, audiovisual, and conceptual, with a focus on approach, content, the fashion industry, and any relevant wider ideas and motifs.

It is not concerned with duration or traditional narrative structures. The aim is to communicate a message through audiovisual means and stylised imagery. The project is about the connection between audio and visuals, with an approach that is not necessarily diegetic.

Development

Paul advised me to pre-visualise my documentary project to streamline the production process and to storyboard my shots with the edit in mind. This proved an invaluable exercise, as it meant I knew what I needed to capture on the shoots, and still had room to improvise some shots.

I wanted to make a sustainable fashion documentary that was not about fast fashion and its effects on the environment, garment workers, and the global population. Instead, I wanted to highlight the humanity of each item of clothing and the importance of mending and repairing what we have.

Pre-Production

I began pre-production by contacting my good friend and photographer, Ananda, who previously worked at 5th Season Vintage. I am friends with the owner, Lauranne Bourgaux, and we discussed shooting in her vintage clothing shop before the project. She was receptive and supportive of the project, and allowed Biz, the performance costume designer I collaborated with, and me to film in the shop. Ananda put me in contact with Biz Sutton, an Edinburgh College of Art graduate from Performance Costume Design and Linbury Prize Winner 2023, to discuss the project and gauge her interest in it.

Thankfully, Biz was interested and keen to collaborate with me, so we began generating ideas and coordinating schedules to ensure I could meet the deadline in May. Biz was incredibly organised, had a fantastic creative perspective, and had a wealth of knowledge and expertise, which made her the ideal collaborator.

I began scheduling meetings and shoots and prepping with shot lists, equipment checks and tests, and sourcing inspiration via a Pinterest mood board. I also did a location recce at 5th Season Vintage and spoke informally with Lauranne about the documentary several times.