The trend of sharing on-set photos has sparked significant debate in the film and fashion industries, raising questions about the implications for storytelling and audience engagement. Amy Odell, a noted commentator on fashion in media, suggests that the frenzy surrounding these images stems from a growing demand for female-centric fashion content. As social media turns into incubators for these types of discussions, the temptation of getting behind-the-scenes looks is always going to be irresistible to fans.
Photos from film sets run wild on TikTok and Instagram, enchanting fans across social media. Yet the excitement of finally seeing these actors in costume brings with it a new set of obstacles. Even Gwyneth Paltrow’s Shakespeare in Love team went to great lengths to protect her winning costume. They understood that developing mystery is an essential filmic art. As on-set photography has become the norm, the Supreme Court principle of surprise has rapidly become a hard thing to balance.
Incredible new footage from a film set around the world document this emerging normal now. Just ask Anne Hathaway, who was recently spotted stepping out in her character’s outfit from The Devil Wears Prada 2. In the other direction, Sarah Jessica Parker’s JW Anderson pigeon bag apparently caused a stir on the set of And Just Like That. Furthermore, Margot Robbie’s rollerbladed pranks while filming Barbie in 2023 received a lot of media buzz. Images depicting these characters at a fictional Met Gala have been widely shared online, further fueling the conversation about fashion’s role in film.
Henrik Lischke, senior fashion features editor at Grazia, explains that readers are always eager for these exclusive insights.
“Across social and online, the appetite for it is huge. They lend themselves to a variety of content. It’s about the outfits we’ve seen and loved, or these days the internet turns everything into memes.” – Henrik Lischke
While this popularity may be hard to overlook, Lischke admits that they hope to keep the surprise of plotlines and costumes until they are officially released.
“You were surprised by something entirely new. I hope that The Devil Wears Prada 2 is like that – that there are plot twists and outfits we haven’t seen.” – Henrik Lischke
The director Nancy Meyers, known for her films such as The Holiday and Something’s Got to Give, voiced her concerns about the impact of on-set photography on cinematic magic.
“Can we please STOP showing movies and TV shows being made?!” – Nancy Meyers
She expressed sadness over how the nonstop posting of on-set photos takes the magic out of the movie-making process.
“All the magic is going away! C’mon!” – Nancy Meyers
Meyers puts into words what I think a lot of writers in the industry feel, and that’s that surprises are key to keeping audiences invested.
With this film, Odell seeks to address an intentional gap in the contemporary film and television landscape. There is big gap in fashion-oriented content designed for women. She laments that there is no TV programming that really focuses on female friendship and fashion. Audiences are hungry for this type of programming!
“There is a dearth of this type of movie or TV show, and people want fashion-oriented things like And Just Like That. A lot of people are hate-watching that, and it’s not a very good show, but I’m going to be a little sad when it’s over … We haven’t had a fashiony show that’s about women’s relationships with one another [for a long time].” – Amy Odell
This wish for deeper, more fashion-centric narratives seems to be at odds with the current pattern of leaking every behind-the-scenes shot. Helen Warner, an associate professor in media and digital cultures, notes that sharing photos is not a new phenomenon. It has gained tremendous notoriety with the advent and growth of social media. The digital age has made it easier than ever for fans to connect with their favorite productions, but at what cost?
Productions such as The Devil Wears Prada 2 are starting to mobilize to resume filming in support of this movement. So now, teams have to be more creative than ever in order to maintain the secrecy of their projects. The difficulty is in finding the right balance. We seek to hook the audience with alluring first looks, yet maintain that excitement of a film debut just like in the old days.