Book Cover Design - Final Statement Of Intent

THE TALE:

Red Riding Hood by the Brothers Grimm

After much deliberation and ideas bouncing back and forth I have finally settled on my idea and process of my book cover design.

I am still going to do an interpretation of Red Riding Hood by the brothers Grimm however instead of red riding hoodie, I have decided to go back nearly 70 years to ze war! Inspired by watching Inglorious Basterds again and for the current fashion interest in 40's style retro chic I have decided to change red riding hood to a 40's style French femme fatale spy. She now becomes 'Petit Chaperon Rouge'. The wolf of the story will be a German agent.

                       

THE SHOOT:

On location, Hebden Bridge

The shoot will take place on location outside underneath the railway bridge close to where I live. This will give it a spy’s rendezvous feel. The railway bridge is old so can easily pass for architecture of that period. I have sourced a model that will wear a 40's style long mac and will be smoking a cigarette through a cigarette holder. The model has red hair so that will be the 'rouge'. I also have a model ready to step into the boots of the wolf. I will shoot it before Christmas and the winter weather will give it a dark, wet and grimy feel. The colours will be that of old stone and bare trees or I may black & white the image but use selective colouring so the models hair is still red. I have purchased a toy gun already which has the look of a WWII style gun.

I will also shoot a different image for the back cover. This will be of red riding hoods hands opening up a case with the wolf's head in it. This will be a close up image and will be the basis of the back cover. Ths image will be shot indoors in a studio and I will use lighting just to light the case itself with red riding hood in the background in shadow. She will be wearing red leather gloves as she opens the case.

I hope the finished book cover will give anyone looking at it a interesting and different take on the famous fairy tale. I hope it will be a stylised image with great detail given to the whole composition, with the location, make up, props and clothes worn by the models totally encapsulating a 1940's feel.

Below are images of the clothing and props to be used for the shoot:

40's style mac

gun