Earlier this month I shared some thoughts about the striking similarity between What Lies Beneath, the LOVE #6 editorial lensed by fashion photographer duo Mert an Marcus, and Woodpecker, a 2007 series of photographs by artist Jeff Bark. As I said in my original post, I don’t believe there can be any doubt that Mert and Marcus were inspired by the work of Bark. The question is whether their shoot goes beyond inspiration or interpretation and enters the realm of plagiarism.
After that initial post I learned another bit of news: Mert and Marcus had also shot a short film to go with What Lies Beneath. According to models.com it is the first fashion film ever shot by the duo. Interesting. The teaser was released last week and the full film was finally made available on the iPad on Monday. As of today it is available online.
Which means…
We can compare it to the Jeff Bark film that accompanied Woodpecker! Yes, my friends. Back in 2007, Bark shot a film to go hand in hand with his Woodpecker series as well.
So, how do they compare?
Watching the two films it is clear, yet again, that Mert and Marcus were heavily influenced by Bark. Is it as blatant of a copy as the editorial itself? No, absolutely not. But one must take into account that Mert and Marcus had a larger budget, more models at their disposal, and a large studio space to film in.
Top: Captures from What Lies Beneath Film. Bottom: Captures from Woodpecker Film
Bark’s film was shot in a much smaller place – his own studio – and the series itself was only comprised of 8 photographs, while Mert & Marcus’ spread is 46 pages! That in itself explains some of the differences… but what of the similarities? The audio in What Lies Beneath has distinct similarities to Bark’s film and the framing and editing often mirror one another.
Top: Captures from What Lies Beneath Film. Bottom: Captures from Woodpecker Film
Watch the two films below and tell me what you think – do the film adds fuel to the plagiarism argument or do you think it extinguishes it?
Jeff Bark’s Woodpecker
Mert and Marcus’s What Lies Beneath
So, what do you think?
Credits: Woodpecker Film via New Industry Arts and What Lies Beneath Film via LOVE Magazine Website
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