The dynamic duo, Sandy Wasco (set decorator) & David Wasco (production designer) worked closely with author E.L. James to gain a first hand insight into her character’s psyche for their multi layered process of visually communicating the author’s vision and that of the film’s director Sam Taylor-Johnson. Cast your eyes over just a few of the photographs from the stunning set in Vancouver, Canada and let the film’s visual language seduce you…
Janet Morais, the Creative Director and Founder of Koket said, “my passion and mission with KOKET is to create highly desirable, empowering statement pieces. The essence of my pieces dreamily compliment the film’s aura of desire, passion and power. Although I’d never thought my collection would be powerful enough to grace the set of Fifty Shades of Grey, our inclusion has revealed the influence of exceptional design”.
RelishMix, which monitors the major studios’ social media, reports that the early teaser with Beyonce’s song “Crazy in Love” churned out 25M views and Ellie Goulding’s Vevo video reported 36M. RelishMix says that fans are reposting trailers, music videos & review spots with total views soaring on YouTube at 314M.
Fifty Shades counts almost 8 million Facebook fans 7x the fans of the book!
I was excited when I heard the announcement approx: June 2013 that Sam Taylor – Johnson would direct “Fifty Shades of Grey“. The film would be an adaptation of E. L. James’ best-selling erotic novel. The rumours were flying then and there unconfirmed reports that Angelina Jolie, Gus Van Sant and others like Steven Soderbergh and Joe Wright had been contenders for the job.
My first recollection of Sam Taylor-Wood was in early 2010 after seeing the film called “Nowhere Boy” a wonderful drama, that portrayed of the earlier life of John Lennon and the fragmented relationship he had with his mother. The film starred Kirsten Scott Thomas (an actress I’d really liked) and Sam’s now husband Aaron Johnson. Apparently their relationship began during the filming of NowhereBoy in 2009 and they announced their engagement at the film’s premiere in October 2009. Since then, they have had two children, making it four children in total including Sam’s two older children from her first marriage, to art dealer Jay Joplin.
Aaron Johnson is better known for films such as The illusionist, Anna Karenina, Savages, Godzilla and Kick-Ass + Kick Ass 2.
By mid 2011, I’d moved to London and was settling into a lovely flat in W2. My neighbour ‘Charles’ had given me the run down on the flat, it’s history and the neighbourhood. He mentioned a jeweller called Solange Azagury-Partridge. I googled her and found the short film ‘DAYDREAM’directed by Sam Taylor-Wood. The short film featured Liberty Ross, a beautiful English model in her bedroom, bejewelled in Solange’s range of jewels called 24:7. I was really taken with the emotive impact such a short film could have, not to mention it was sexy and visually beautiful.
I read more about Sam after seeing Daydream and discovered a commendable visual artist with a extensive resume of credits and commissions to her name. Sam first received recognition as a photographer and video artist, her accolades and commissions are vast, amongst them an (OBE) Order of the British Empire.
“The most understated credit of all is the fact that she has survived cancer twice,
which she attributed to transendental meditation and yoga.”
2015. During an interview about the film ’50 Shades of Grey’ she was quoted as saying “ the call came at eight o’clock the next morning: ‘OK, you got the job – we’re announcing it at midday.’ It was like jumping onto a high-speed train and the doors locking behind me. And I’m only now about to get off… I’m not that seasoned a director, and I had a few moments when I thought, ‘This is way bigger than I can handle.’ But I’m also not a quitter.”
– Extract from Tim Walker, ‘The Independent UK.
Sydney: 12th February 2015.
50 Shades of Grey screens publicly today, it’s been a sell out prior to, with an estimated 150,000 tickets sold, I’m not sure who has the other 149,999?
Event Cinemas says “it is the fastest-selling movie in the history of its Gold Class cinemas”.
Jennifer Bone 
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