This video is a behind the scenes look at the final weeks of preparation for the FTD Emerging Designer Showcase at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. We tried to highlight designers in an intriguing and mysterious way to invoke a sense of excitement to learn more about the process of creating their custom fashion designs. Commissioned by the College of Textiles at NC State, the goal of this video was to hype the live audience during the pre-show event before models walked the runway showcasing the final collections.
Creating this video was an exercise in speed and precision. The filming was captured on three different occasions and quickly moved through various labs and work spaces around the college. We filmed according to the students' schedules, so we were sometimes limited to just a few minutes to capture some footage before being ushered off to film another scene. We not only had to be incredibly mobile with our gear, but efficient in setting up and breaking down very quickly in often cluttered and cramped spaces. It was at times stressful and exhilarating having to think quickly on our feet to compose a shot while maneuvering around heavy, technical equipment.
After watching the raw video footage over and over again, we began to think about how the process of manufacturing clothing is one of humanities most ancient and foundational acts of creation. We thought about how these college students are participating in an ancient but also cutting edge human enterprise. And so, when sound mixing the audio track, we were inspired to include the only voice we could think of who captures the breadth of history, the physicist, Stephen Hawking. The sound of his voice, filtered through modern digital technology, and the words he uses to describe the universe, appear to have the broad and apt metaphors to launch and then end this video.