Learning Art Director Skills for Fashion Photo Shoots - Lulu chen
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Erik: What has taking direction as a stylist taught you about giving direction as an art
director?
Lulu: Well, I was lucky enough to work with a lot of different art directors. And if I
had been an art director coming up the ranks, just as an art director, I think I would've
been limited to how many different approaches and different people that I could've worked
with, so I was very lucky and I worked with a lot of really talented art directors and
creative directors. And what I learned from them is some really great ways on prepping
jobs, how their approach was, how they communicate, and then not to sound negative but also what
not to do. So, you know, all the things to do and strive for, and then some of the things
that maybe, you know, I should try not to do.
So my take away from that is that organization is really helpful. And sometimes it's hard
because you're wearing the creative hat, but you really have to get things done in a timely
manner, you know, there's always deadlines. And there's a lot of money at stake, you know,
photo shoots are expensive, you have to get certain things done in a day or two days,
and it's a lot of pressure, to see how other people handle that, to see how people communicate
well—actually, how they also motivated and inspired their teams, was really nice to see.
So I did learn a lot as a stylist. I was able to observe.
Erik: And so now you're on the other side of the fence.
Lulu: Oh, definitely. I definitely try and keep all those things in mind, you know, all
the things that worked for me, or that I really appreciated, and I try and do that as well.
But it's funny because a lot of people tell me that I'm so nice, and—which you'd think
is a compliment but sometimes I am like, "Did they not think it's genuine?" Because I like
someone speaking to me in a certain way so I'm going to try and speak to everyone else
in that tone, you know. But that doesn't mean that I'm not gonna be able to get my job done,
you know. But I think it's always nicer to talk to people in a nice way, right? Yeah,
it's like I don't have—I don't wanna go there unless I really have to.
