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Photograph by David Yarrow “Summer of 75” Cindy Crawford. Limited edition
Spielberg once said, “A good idea almost always starts out as a bad idea, that’s why it takes so long.”
I am drawn to filming road stories because the road can guide the viewer and the implied journey is an allegory of life’s journey; we are all on our own road trip.
Sunset Boulevard does not cleave landscapes with the majesty and grandeur of the deserts of the Southwest, but to me it is one of the most exciting stretches of road in America. It’s the heart of movie land and the giant billboards on the strip in West Hollywood leave drivers in no doubt that they are in the entertainment capital of the world.
My favorite shooting location on the Boulevard is facing west on the border of West Hollywood and Hollywood. Partly because I can give a nod to one of the most famous hotels in the world without destroying the compositional balance, and partly because the famous vertical billboard that Marlboro used to use so often is at the center of the image.
It’s a special part of Americana and I’m surprised that American icons haven’t been filmed in this location more often. I guess one reason is that it’s a very busy street and it’s not easy to close it for filming.
The idea of filming here took work and refinement. We needed a lane, we needed to close the road and then we needed a creative idea that everything revolved around. Choosing the lead was easy for me; Cindy Crawford is perfect for this shot. The road closure limited our window of opportunity to a Sunday morning between sunrise and 8am, which meant we had to wake up at 4.30am. But Cindy is the most punctual, professional and willing of all the stars we work with.
Creative processing was key. I decided we could travel back to a time when Hollywood was permissive, liberal and fun and all props were emphatically given to this moment. It was the summer of love and peace in 1975.
Cindy’s team of stylist Nicole Allowitz; hair stylist Pete Savic and make-up star Sam Visser are a great team and she looked absolutely fantastic. With her on board, my job is easy and we had a lot of fun as always. I wanted a mid-70s vibe and Cindy’s team and my production team delivered that.
I’m thrilled that one of the greatest movies of all time – Jaws – is taking over the Marlboro billboard. As the famous director said, “Good ideas take time.”
David Yarrow
