Monday, 28 May 2012
Commercial: Sixth Gear Studios
I've been doing a bit of work for a commercial client of late. They wanted some photos taken for their website. We brainstormed (thought showered?) some ideas to do with typically 'Vietnamese' things to give their brand a strong local identity, and decided on three possible options; the eventual winner being the photo in the screenshot below.
I needed a cog, and in one of those strange, magical coincidences this city throws up from time to time, I came across one lying in the street. I took it home and cleaned it - or tried to clean it. It's truly amazing how much grease can ooze from something that doesn't look greasy at all. My hands and bathroom sink became steadily blacker. I gave up, and now that cog is rusting beautifully above the washing machine.
The next day I bought a cog from one of my favourite markets in Hanoi - the Sky Market - where manly things of metal and grease are sold and, allegedly, you can go to buy back anything that was stolen from you. And one humid morning I drove down to the Red River to find a willing, conical-hatted woman, to help me with my photo. And find one I did - her name is Nong.
I needed a cog, and in one of those strange, magical coincidences this city throws up from time to time, I came across one lying in the street. I took it home and cleaned it - or tried to clean it. It's truly amazing how much grease can ooze from something that doesn't look greasy at all. My hands and bathroom sink became steadily blacker. I gave up, and now that cog is rusting beautifully above the washing machine.
The next day I bought a cog from one of my favourite markets in Hanoi - the Sky Market - where manly things of metal and grease are sold and, allegedly, you can go to buy back anything that was stolen from you. And one humid morning I drove down to the Red River to find a willing, conical-hatted woman, to help me with my photo. And find one I did - her name is Nong.
