The Art of Direction: Fall Layers, July Problems
Welcome to the next installment in my Art of Direction series—diving into another one of my campaigns, but this time from a different angle. A very honest one.
We always see the beautiful end product, and now even the behind-the-scenes looks almost too polished and perfect. But what we don’t often show, or talk about in that matter are the difficult parts. The complications, the unexpected turns, the unplanned pitfalls that make the entire day of an Art & Creative Director that much more chaotic—and in a way, that much more rewarding when everything somehow comes together in the end.
With that said, let me take you behind the scenes of Billy Reid’s Fall ‘23 Campaign, “Ivy South.” A campaign I led and directed with a crew of about 20. We were down in Rome, Georgia—roughly three hours outside Atlanta—on the legendary campus of Berry College.
Berry is actually the largest college campus in the world. And beautiful at that. It looks like a movie set—something like a Hogwarts castle almost, photos don’t really do it justice. Parts of one of my favorite shows, Stranger Things, the classic Remember the Titans, and even the new Netflix series The Six Triple Eight were all filmed there, just steps from where we also shot our campaign.
So it’s the middle of July. We land at Atlanta airport, grab the cars and head down for a three-hour drive to Rome. Keep in mind: we’re shooting a Fall campaign...in 100-degree Georgia heat at that. That means we were shooting the new fall and winter products like heavy wool overcoats, shearling jackets, several layered looks—all in this heat. In fashion specifically, we shoot months and months, sometimes even a year, in advance of a collection’s launch. So shooting fall in July, normal? Yes. Not comfortable—but definitely normal, unfortunately for us.
After checking into our hotel, grabbing dinner, and settling in, we geared up for four long days on set.
Day 1: We begin scouting and mapping out our shots. I had the full vision crafted—the mood, the tones, the light, the textures, everything. The campus looked like everything I had imagined for this campaign, even better in person. The architecture and acres of beautiful open land lended itself perfect for the concept of “Ivy South”, blending the world of collegiate inspired luxury pieces with a southern twist. We had our photographer, friend of mine, Kirk Robert, the marketing, styling and design team all in sync, ready to bring it to life.
But of course, then came the obstacles.
The heat was intense. Not just uncomfortable—for our models, it was borderline unsafe. We had fans, water spritzers, bug spray, rotating cold water bottles, umbrellas, ice packs, you name it. Keeping the crew cool was a constant priority for all of us. And on top of that, there was the reality of working on an active campus.
Even though Berry’s team had blocked out parts of the grounds just for us (shout out to them), we still had to navigate around students, ongoing programs, and public access areas. There were moments when we’d be in the middle of a setup, and a group of students would stroll right through our set, asking questions or just spectating. Not the biggest deal—but slightly distracting when you're trying to lock in on the next frame and keeping the entire team focused.
We had to work around priceless furniture, historical art, and spaces that couldn’t be touched or adjusted. At one point, we had team members running between takes to cool down in the air-conditioned basecamp nearby—just a few precious minutes of relief before stepping back into the sun helped make a big difference.
And this is what I mean when I talk about the real job of an art and creative director on set. It’s not just about having the eye and making pretty photos—it’s about being able to adapt. It’s balancing your vision with real-world constraints: people, weather, logistics, time, safety, and morale. Sometimes that means letting go of a shot you were dying to get, because it may just not make sense in the moment with everything considered.
That’s where your instincts come in. Problem-solving becomes not just a nice to have, but crucial on a large campaign set when you're there to lead the team.
There was one moment I remember where I had imagined this backdrop specifically for our heavier leather and shearling pieces. Something that I envisioned being perfect for embodying that fall winter moment. And I found it, a rich, dark wood-paneled room perfect for the scene—but ironically enough, it was actually part of the college’s admissions office. That didn’t stop the vision though, we reworked the furniture, cleared the space, and crafted a moody, rustic scene that looked like it was built for the campaign. That’s the beauty of this work—sometimes it’s about seeing what isn’t there yet, and making it come to life.
And then there was the transportation, the other fun part we had to navigate for the shoot. Like I mentioned earlier, Berry is massive, over 27,000 acres of campus grounds at that. Some of the locations I had in mind were literally miles apart. Thankfully, we had golf carts on hand that we turned into a full-on assembly line communicating through walkie talkies: dropping off talent, bringing in new wardrobe, water bottles, and even swapping out looks. It became our own little makeshift shuttle system throughout the day just to make it flow.
Not going to lie at the time, it was draining. It was hot, it was hectic, and of course, every personality on set brings its own things you’re navigating in between all the logistics. But now, looking back—even writing this—it’s those exact moments that make it all worth it. It’s those times that you really get put to the test in new ways you’ve never experienced. Balancing the lines of art and commerce, making sure you get through the shot list while also maintaining the integrity of the art you're looking to create. Something that doesn’t come easily, and honestly takes experience as the best teacher to show you how to best navigate those moments.
No amount of tips and tutorials can prepare for that, you just have to be out there, just you and your crew just trying to create magic out of nothing. Hoping that it the end, it all ends up being worth it. Because when the work is done, when the edits come in, and people see the campaign, they always ask: Where was this even shot? How did you even pull that off?
That’s the part no one gets to see or hear about.
And honestly that’s the part I love most, it makes for stories like this one. Thanks for reading.
Check out the full campaign here.
