Window of opportunity - Visual merchandising

[Additional information] Downbeat atmospheric music plays throughout.

[Opening screen] RMIT pixel comes apart and parts spin slowly against background. They come together, back into the RMIT University logo. Logo disappears.

[Visuals]

People walk past the front window of the Country Road store in Carlton. The camera cuts in so we can see more detail in the window display. A mixture of mannequins, clothing, props and colourful signage. A sign on the window indicates the display was designed and installed by students of RMIT University.

[Screen Title] Justin Compton – Teacher – Dip. Of Visual Merchandising]

[Narrator: Justin Compton]

So in the Visual Merchandising program here at RMIT we really value the students having a real life experience.

[Visuals] RMIT students build the window display. We see students painting props and backgrounds then dressing mannequins.

[Visuals] Justin Compton speaks to the camera in front of a brightly coloured background.

[Narrator: Justin Compton]

So we’ve organised over the last twelve years, and it’s ongoing, a window project with one of Australia’s leading lifestyle brands.

 [Visuals] Closer details of the shop window – female mannequins dressed in sunglasses and coats, a male mannequin dressed in winter clothing, Country Road signage over the window, RMIT signage in the window.

[Screen Title] Shakira Van Vugt & Kathryn Bell – Students – Dip. of Visual Merchandising]

[Narrator: Shakira Van Vugt]

The project started with Country Road giving us a brief.

[Visuals] Shakira and Kathryn sit and speak to camera, side by side.

[Visuals] Design phase of the project – a computer on a desk covered in visual references including storyboards, colour swabs, moodboards.

And it had all their latest collections and their latest colour pallettes and the textures and materials we would be using to create a window.

[Visuals] Close-ups of pieces of material and colour samples. Students hold up materials, comparing colour contrasts and looks.

We all went away and created concepts and we had the Head of VM at Country Road, she came in and picked one concept.

[Visuals] The students sit around a large desk, looking and pointing at concept options on a laptop.

From there we took that concept and developed it further, then we took it into production obviously. So we had to have contact with suppliers, materials, budgets, all that sort of thing, we were exposed to lots of different parts of the industry.

[Visuals] Students start production process for the project, looking through material and timber options.

So then we moved on to actually having these products made by the suppliers. We took it to a visit to head office.

[Visuals] Photos of the students at a desk at Country Road head office with representatives from Country Road. Plans and window mock-ups sit on the desk.

[Narrator: Kathryn Bell]

So that was really good first-hand experience, meeting people in the industry in head office. Being able to make things ourselves for the window that people on the street are going to see, it was really exciting.

[Visuals] The students and teachers from RMIT stand outside the Country Road window, looking at the display. We see more details of the window including colourful shelves for shoes and painted backgrounds.

[Visuals] The production phase of the window – students glue down display backgrounds.

[Narrator: Shakira Van Vugt]

They took us in with a few of their stylists, their Head of VM, a few other people who came in to show us how the process would be. Them installing that creative project into the window, which was really really good, it took up a whole day.

[Visuals] Country Road representatives help the students setting up the window display. They lift shelving and mannequins, advising as the students build the display.

[Narrator: Justin Compton]

It’s fantastic exposure for the program and it gives the students a real-life industry experience, dealing with a real-life retailer.

[Visuals] Wide shots of the finished display, featuring mannequins dressed in winter clothing, lighting, painted backdrops, RMIT branding.

[Narrator: Kathryn Bell]

Working with industry was really really valuable, it helped us grow outside of just being students. We are leaving this course soon and need that industry experience so it was really really handy to meet people, get contacts aswell. It just opened our eyes I think to see what goes on in the real world, outside of Uni.

[Visuals] A recap of earlier shots featuring the production and design process, students working with Country Road representatives to build the display and then the finished product.

[Visuals] Pale screen with text “The Diploma of Visual Merchandising. Design. Display. Events. Styling”

[Closing title] RMIT pixel logo moves across screen to display text “RMIT University”

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