Ep 3. SI: The Making of Swimsuit 2015: Hawaii
- February 15, 2015
"Sports Illustrated Swimsuit" takes viewers behind the scenes for the making of the Swimsuit 2015 edition in Hawaii in episode 3 titled "SI: The Making of Swimsuit 2015: Hawaii". The episode introduces the audience to the team responsible for scouting the location, models, and photographers for the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition.
The episode starts with MJ Day, the editor of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, and her team arriving in Maui, Hawaii, where the shoot will take place. The team initially scouts locations and the best ways to photograph the models. Maui, with its tropical landscapes and clear blue waters, proves an excellent destination, and viewers can see the team preparing locations all around the island.
The audience also gets an insight on how the team selects the models for the edition. With thousands of models at their disposal, the team must navigate through all of them and pick the most suitable ones that fit into the concept of Swimsuit 2015 in Hawaii. It is not a simple task. The models must be experienced in posing; a perfect figure, and have an engaging presence throughout the shoot. To facilitate the process, casting sessions are held, and the models undergo interviews and swimsuit fittings before they are chosen for the shoot.
The preparations also involve hair and makeup. The models are worked on and groomed by a team of professional hair and makeup artists. With such a significant shoot arriving for the models, hair, and makeup must be flawless. The show explains how lighting, angles, and skin must be complemented by the hair and makeup team to create the best possible images.
The episode follows famed Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photographers Yu Tsai and James Macari as they direct and capture the models on-camera. The scenes showcase exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of Macari's photo set, on a beach in Maui, as he photographs a bikini-clad model displaying utmost elegance and grace in the sun, with high quality cameras capturing every moment perfectly. Tsai's shoot, on another location, followed by the audience, shows how he coaches the models for the best postures and movements. The photographers showed the models how to pose for pictures, guiding them on the perfect pose for each shot and making them genuinely comfortable in their skin.
The viewers get a glimpse of some of Sport Illustrated Swimsuit's most iconic and paradisiacal photo sets, featuring the aesthetically beautiful lineup of supermodels ranging from seasoned vets to new faces. The show briefly touches on the art direction and the product design, emphasising how many ideas that go into creating the final product. The team shares that the idea behind the swimsuits is to have unique designs that can be worn on their own, yet still look good on the models.
To finish off, the show takes viewers behind the scenes for a big launch party, where the magic behind Swimsuit 2015 gets unveiled. Like every other Swimsuit launch, the party is also a full blown-up event, with guests wearing beach-style outfits, tropical cocktails, and must-try snacks. The team, accented by models at the party, share their experiences with the crowd, revealing stories about how tough it is to put together an entire edition.
In conclusion, the third episode of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit provides a detailed look into what goes into creating one of the world's most iconic annual editorial shoots. With stunning natural locations and with the world's top supermodels, the team's professionalism and the team's artists creates an unforgettable experience for everyone, and it is something the audience is sure to enjoy!
