Ruth Hogben is a filmmaker based in London. She assisted Nick Knight between 2005 - February 2009, both as his first photographic assistant and editor of his fashion film projects. Hogben has continued to collaborate with Knight on numerous films for SHOWstudio.
Ruth Hogben worked on The Monster Ball interludes and filmed In Camera: Lady Gaga. She did a photoshoot with Gaga for Elle magazine and was set to direct a music video for "Venus" (Which was never filmed). In 2016, along with Andrea Gelardin, Hogben founded the creative direction studio called Lobster Eye. Studio serves as the primary creative director for Joanne album campaign cycle.
Background
In an interview for Paper magazine released on May 23, 2021, Ruth Hogben told that she met Lady Gaga on the occasion of the launch of the Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2010 "Plato's Atlantis" Collection, saying:
- "Nick [Knight] and I had just made the film for Alexander McQueen's show, "Plato's Atlantis." That's how we met Gaga, because he debuted "Bad Romance" at the end of that show."
In the same interview, Ruth Hogben revealed the features of using Final Cut, professional video editing application, both for Alexander McQueen's show and in working with Lady Gaga:
- "I was just coming off working on that project [Alexander McQueen's show, "Plato's Atlantis"], so it was like a rush of freedom and creativity and being extremely inspired. [...] At the time, it wasn't really normal to have all these moving images in fashion. I was using Final Cut in a way it wasn't really being used before and twisting all these special effects. And, because I started working with Gaga, that meant I could use this program and use it in a way that it wasn't meant to be used for. Back then, everything had to be pushed and thought about differently. Technology was on the cusp of changing, but it needed to change quicker for what Gaga needed."
Ruth Hogben was asked, how has her own style changed in 10 years working with Lady Gaga, and she answered, speaking of all the projects Ruth worked on with Gaga that:
- "It has always been led by her. That's one thing that I've really made sure to do: to be led by whatever Gaga's been discovering about herself on a personal level. And those are all such different periods, and she's had so many different musical moments like ARTPOP and Joanne. All the songs are so lyrically different and although I've always had an aesthetic, it's never really been about me — it's been about facilitating her vision. She's very collaborative, but she's just so focused and knows what she wants, so there's not many decisions to make in between. Obviously when I'm directing and cutting things I seep into the film, but I try to keep her as the focus as much as possible. I want to be a conduit for her."
Ruth Hogben said that her "all-time favorite track" created by Lady Gaga is "Scheiße", adding "If I could only edit to "Scheiße" for the rest of my life, I'd be very happy." Also "Scheiße" is the song that Ruth Hogben wish she could have made a music video for, imagining that there would be "lots of leather. It has to be a huge amount of leather. It goes without saying, but we would obviously need to have an army of Gagas. [...] I'd have to think about it more, but I think there would have to be some element of travel in it. But not like Mad Max where they do a U-ie and come back. She goes somewhere with purpose, in leather."
In that interview for Paper magazine, when Ruth Hogben was asked "What was your favorite part of working on that [Born This Way] era?" she answered:
- "The freedom [Gaga] made sure I had. She was so encouraging of the creativity — there were no limits. That's why the Born This Way films look like that; they look like they have a sense of freedom to them. I remember we were in a really big meeting with all the department heads — we were all sitting in a big circle — and I was sitting quite close to her, and she went all around the circle giving notes to each head. I was nervous and getting sweatier and sweatier as she got closer to addressing me. She was wearing these large sunglasses and took them off when she got to me and said, "Ruthie, just keep doing what you're doing.""
Work with Lady Gaga
November 8, 2009
- Main articles: The Monster Ball, The Monster Ball interludes
Hogben did the concept and direction with Nick Knight for the interludes and backdrops of the Monster Ball. She was also in charge of the editing.
July 8, 2013
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- Dress and headpiece by Christian Lacroix for Schiaparelli, and necklace styled as headpiece by Bjørg Jewellery.
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- Sunglasses by Cast Eyewear.
- Sunglasses by a-morir.
Petga video, 2013-14
- Main article: ARTPOP: App
Hogben was the director of the introduction video for the ARTPOP app featuring Petga. The footage was later re-used as short clips being shown on the two screens next to the stage before the artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball in 2014. The footage was created by The Mill under the direction of Hogben.
artRAVE: The ARTPOP Ball interludes, 2014
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- Screencaps and Stills
- Crop top (made in collaboration with Opening Ceremony), leg warmers and sneakers (made in collaboration with Buffalo) by Maria ke Fisherman, custom football vest by Gabriela Ostolaza, neck brace, armor bracers and stockings by Nixi Killick, garter styled as choker by Kandi Toybox, and custom sunglasses and pacifier by a-morir.
- Stockings by Leg Avenue, vintage boots by SWEAR, mask, neck brace, two bracelets and necklaces (tied around ankles) by Alexis Bittar, and a headband by WXYZ.
June 9, 2015
- Location: One Of A Kind Store in London.
December, 2015
- Main article: Intel
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- Custom jumpsuit by Yousef Al-Jasmi, boots by Gareth Pugh, necklace and two cuffs by Perez Sanz, and earrings and cuff by Lynn Ban.
- Jacket by On Aura Tout Vu, jumpsuit by Julien Macdonald, boots by Pleaser, sunglasses by Gareth Pugh, and earrings by Lorraine Schwartz.
- Jumpsuit by Self-Portrait, pumps by Ruthie Davis, sunglasses by Gareth Pugh and earrings by Lorraine Schwartz.
2016-2017
- Main article: Lobster Eye
In 2016, along with Andrea Gelardin, Hogben founded the creative direction studio called Lobster Eye. Studio serves as the primary creative director for Joanne album campaign cycle.