Leader Ladies  is a short film homage to an obscure and now obsolete job in the film industry. The term “leader lady” refers to a woman posed with a color chart found at the beginning, or leader of a film reel. Film technicians used these images as a control reference for the color timing of the film as well as copying and distribution. Leader Ladies quickly became likened to a pinup girl for technicians and theater projectionists, as these images were never seen by the public. 

 

The film explores hypothetical auditions and private thoughts of leader ladies from the 1980's. Musical layers, produced by Steph Foley, move the colors and women throughout the film. Created in 2017-2019, available here. Click through the photos to learn more about the hidden world of Leader Ladies. 

 

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