28th March 2023
On Location with James Norton
After recenly returning to our screens as psychotic villain, Tommy Lee Royce, in the super successful 'Happy Valley', James Norton is hot property. His next role sees him as the protagonist in the West End adaption of 'A Little Life' coming later in 2023, which no doubt will send fans of the novel, and fans of the actor, into a frenzy!
Back in January this year, Amazing Space had the privilege of sourcing a location for Vera Magazine/ Virgin Atlantic, with James Norton as the cover star. What a way to start the year!
The chosen location was COM-8489, a brilliant retro working men's club in East London. The final result was playful, trendy and slick with a touch of East End glamour. Stylist on the shoot, Tony Cook, chose a number of traditional pieces with a modern twist, such as the velvet two-piece suits in both brown and in a vibrant olive green. The overall style of the shoot worked perfectly alongside the retro location, which in itself is wonderfully traditional but with a playful, colourful charm.
Shooting at these types of spaces have great benefits, and are not to be snubbed! Retro locations often have a distinct charm and character that can serve as an interesting backdrop for the shoot, and COM-8489 is not short of character. From a practical standpoint, filming in a retro location can also be very effective, both aesthetically and cost-wise, as older buildings or areas may not require as much set dressing to achieve the desired look. This is certainly the case at this location; the dated, red carpets, wood pannelling and kitsch entertainment stage are fixed features here, and are what makes this location such a unique time capsule for filming.