Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o stars in 'Braids,' part of the Vogue Original Shorts series, directed by Austin Peters, beautifully shot by Deering Reegan and colored by The Mill's Mikey Rossiter.
In the docu-style short, Lupita reveals her talent for braiding by tending to the hair of her six closest friends.
Director:
Austin Peters
Production Company:
Anchor Light
Agency:
Vogue
The piece was shot on 16MM film, which Mikey enhanced to create the bold and classic feel. To turn part of the short into black and white, Mikey used references from older French black and white film prints as inspiration. He applied the same silvery black and white look, giving the skin tone a glamorous "French" shine. For the sections in color, the tones were kept very gentle. Mikey expands on the technique: "When film is exposed and stretched out to create what we see on the screen, I often see that the colors find their place very organically. There is something more analog and dreamy about it. For the grade, I kept the documentary spirit, while giving it a classic Vogue style."
The lush and warm look is a perfect counterpoint to the sweet story of Lupita, braiding her friends' hair and recalling the small moments of friendship that saw her to where she is today.
Agency: Vogue
Production Company: Anchor Light
Director: Austin Peters
Producers: Claire Macdonald, Allison Brown
Director of Photography: Deering Regan
Editor: Taylor Ward
VFX & Design: The Mill