CUPCAKES: An Interview with Production Artists Alex Benny & Laurence Collings (Rest.)

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For our July login, the classic cupcake received a facelift. At the talented hands of the London-based Saddington Baynes company, the sweet treat becomes the latest logo canvas. Here, Alex and Laurence walk us through their process.

What was your first thought when you heard this concept?
Alex: That’s awesome… do we get free samples?

The logo was all done in post-production – amazing! Will you walk us through your process?
Laurence: Well, obviously it’s all magic and dark arts. We sit with the photographer or creatives to understand their ambitions for the image – what emotional reaction they want to provoke from their audience. With this in mind, we agree on the approach and plan the shoot thoroughly in advance. Once we get the raw photography back, there’s usually a bit of cleaning up to do to remove distracting elements that pull focus. There are often different photographic and CG (computer-generated) elements to composite together, and some experimenting to do to get the balance of the image right.

Then, how does the image evolve from that point?
Alex: Once everything’s sitting nicely and the creatives are happy, we can push the color, light, and tone of the image to create the desired look and feel and make sure that the imagery is pressing all the right buttons. The photographer will often have a signature aesthetic that we can bring out at this point, too. It’s a process with several stages involving various members of our team, a real collaborative effort.

How long did post-production take?
Alex: Around 3 days from start to finish.

What was the most difficult aspect of post-production?
Laurence: The magic the guys do here is always to make the images look absolutely real. It takes a lot of skill, problem-solving, and a thorough understanding of the rules of image construction to make it all work. The eye is very hard to trick!

Was there ever a different dessert involved, or was it always a cupcake?
Alex: Cupcakes all the way!

Everyone’s got a sweet tooth. What’s your poison of choice?
Alex: Vanilla Cheesecake, no weird berry sauce.
Laurence: Profiteroles.

What inspires you as you work?
Alex: Toys, sweets, and whiskey.
Laurence: Whiskey, toys, and sweets!

What’s your personal dream spot for the Rue logo?
Alex: Great Wall of China.
Laurence: Cave painting.

Profession: Project Manager at Saddington Baynes
Shoot: All shoots
Website: www.saddingtonbaynes.com

Very first job: First proper job was a runner for a film company.

Dream job: I want to own a cake and tattoo shop.

Desktop toys: I have important stuff in my top drawer (a toothbrush, a build-your-own-skeleton kit), a paper doll in my middle drawer, and sweets, whiskey, and lip gloss in my bottom drawer – and lots of toys on my desk.

Best life advice you’ve ever been given: Stop, take time to look around, appreciate it.

Guilty pleasure: Peanut butter M&Ms, but they are super hard to get in the UK.

Profession: Marketing Executive at Saddington Baynes
Shoot: All shoots
Website: http://www.saddingtonbaynes.com/

Very first job: A fruit picker in a very sunny orchard – it was lovely, I enjoyed that.

The biggest post-production transformation you’ve ever worked on: We are working on it now and have been for some time but it’s top secret … you’ll see it in a few months!

Dream job: Top flight football manager.

Quirky working habits: I work best at night.

Surprising source of inspiration: I’m a huge fan of Google Images. Regardless of the word or phrase you type in, you always get an unpredictable and random array of images back, and stumble across some amazing and inspiring things. I collect them all and look through them every now and then for ideas.

Best life advice you’ve ever been given? Plan your work & work your plan. (I’m still rubbish at it.)

Off-duty past-time: Stone carving – I’m making a whale.

Guilty pleasure: Daydreaming.