from time to time a movie is so visually inspiring that i take screen shots and post them on my illustration blog.  this time since i live in paris now i am posting this on my travel blog as well since the bulk of the movie is shot in France.  screen shots from "Funny Face"  from 1957 directed by Stanley Donen, with choreography by Fred Astaire.  Starring Fred Astaire, Audrey Hepburn, and Kay Thompson.  Based on Richard Avedon who actually set up most of the photography in the film according to IMDB.  copyright paramount pictures.  I'm living in Paris on an artists visa and there is an exhibit at the hotel de ville about Hollywood in Paris so i set out to watch a few of the films featured in the exhibit like Funny Face and An american in paris.  Disappointing that there was only one solo fred astaire dance number because the rest of the cast are not dancers.  Very cool art direction landing this in my movie inspiration folder.

Fred Astaire plays a photographer and his character is based on Richard Avedon, famous fashion photographer.  Avedon actually did all these title cards.

i love mid century style

the first 15 minutes are a visual treat in pink

she's an actually famous model at the time.  i like how there is a like string quartet playing at this little photoshoot.

old school new york, check out those taxis!

really makes you want to shoot on film and miss film

Richard Avedon is responsible for this famous photo, this is a screen cap but a cropped photo exists that we've all seen.

awesome special effects back then

this is hollywood's styling of mont martre in 1957

and an avant guarde bar

Audrey Hepburn's famous quirky dance scene that was remixed into a Gap commercial a few years ago

through out this whole movie i was saying that they need to bring this back and start shooting films like this, with this look

Fred Astaire's only solo dance scene.  he's the man

she cleans up nice

photo shoot scenes all presumably done by Richard Avedon, or "overseen" by him

top is an example of what it looks like on cinema film, bottom is what they showed as what it looked like as a final printed photo.  

top is an example of what it looks like on cinema film, bottom is what they showed as what it looked like as a final printed photo.