SARAH GINN VS SUB FOCUS - A CIRCULAR LIGHT

In December 2021 I pitched a collaboration project to Sub Focus called ‘A Circular Light’ - This is the start of Visual Concept Music Photography and complete seamless photographic branding of a live act, in this case using a number of photographic techniques to create circles in all photos taken.

A Circular Light was one of the pitches I wrote and approached artists with to launch the concept of VS. VS is explained in the intro in this section of my site. This side of VS is where a live act and a visual team/photographer collaborate on an equal footing to create a one off art house project over 5/6 gigs. This also means the artists mixing up mediums with each other. This pitch included the pre-cursor to The Feedback Loop Theory (available under The Theories tab), and the final aim is to carry out an exhibition or make a tour book which is then backed up by music theory alongside branded photos. This is to produce an inspiring project for the audience that moulds together an artists identity, with intentional and collaborative music theory.

Although this pitch never came to pass in the end, it’s a good example of how VS will work and the genesis of such projects. It also is one of the more detailed pitches showing how shooting a circular rig with circular style photos can visually brand an artist.

Version 2.0 of the pitch will be uploaded shortly.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE & BREACH

UPDATE: As of 07/07/2024 Worship Artists have declined to engage or publicly apologise to me for legal threats & plagiarism (in my personal opinion) of my intellectual property after I made this public. Over a year later, no damages have been paid or compensation arranged. Sam Neill (samneill.photo.com) continues to use my concept for all of his work with Sub Focus after never using the concept before my pitch arrived. This is despite working with Nick for a number of years.

Scroll to bottom of page for further images from tour artwork, Sam’s version of my work and a selection of screenshots from other photographers and Sam after I called this out publicly on his Instagram page. Plus threats of legal action from Seb at Worship via email for publicly stating plagiarism online in April 2023.

The screenshot DMs demonstrate an unsolicited message from a photographer I didn’t know, it has been recorded on this page as an example of the bullying, harassment, intimidation via private DMs that has come my way since I made this fully public. Full transcript is available on request (company is northworks.io). Please also see attached Sam’s response via private DM where he gaslights me about plagiarism (in my opinion) of my work. I feel publishing them is the best course of action, to highlight the reaction to protecting my intellectual property on one occasion.

I believe these DM’s are quite aggressive in an attempt to silence me, and to save face as further demonstrated by threats of legal action so this is not publicly known. Some contain misogynistic slurs that are sadly extremely common from male photographers (sexist gatekeeping/bullying is standard within electronic music photography, echoing a recent UK government report on misogyny within the music industry). This gatekeeping by male photographer collectives has stopped me working for 6 years in any capacity.

Rather than answering my public comments on his Instagram, Sam blocked those so his followers wouldn’t see them. Then he proceeded to message me privately in this way, not believing his comments would ever be shown. He denied copying my work to others who left posts publicly and also denied his managers legal threats against me (which are published below) stating harassment after I left one post, which he had already blocked. Those conversations are displayed on the bottom of this page. He then also blocked those users so their posts are not visible.

Harassment claims are often used to slander/smear victims or accuse them of crimes for protecting themselves from harassment or reacting back to what they are experiencing, or calling out plagiarism/unfair treatment in this case. This is an act called DARVO. Which means deny, attack, reverse victim and offender, often used by cluster B personality types. It is extremely common as their first port of defence to hide their own wrongdoing.

He also reported my only communication to him on his page as bullying to instagram, see bottom of the page for the comment removed. Other photographers have now started to mass report my defence messages which has resulted in multiple automatic instagram warnings. This is classed as mobbing. I have also received anonymous threatening phone calls on occasion and multiple attempts were made to hack my Instagram account. This has started again recently in July 2024 and I have closed my instagram to stop this.

Interestingly, Sam said he would post my public comments on his stories to highlight my ‘bullying’. After I said that would direct his followers to my pitch to make their own conclusions, he immediately ended the conversation and never mentioned me again. Screenshots to back this up are available on request.

This situation remains as reported below with no movement either side. I have not been sued so far regarding this matter for defamation and my email to Worship’s legal council remain unanswered. So I’m moving on to a new career at this present time.

As stated above, I was a target of cyberattacks by multiple male photographers and Sam. I have been called amongst other things - ‘crazy’, ‘cu*nt’, ‘prick’, ‘whore’, ‘dick’, ‘bitch’ etc by these male photographers. As they feel it’s acceptable to talk in this aggressive manner to a female photographer they haven’t met/worked with via unsolicited private DMs/abusive calls in this way. These photographers have also instigated smear campaigns to stop me working, saying I’m difficult to work with and also blocked off any of my images being shown in social media. This also highlights Sam’s extremely problematic behaviour, as he instructed those photographers to mob me. Rather than address his plagiarism publicly he has decided to bully and abuse me in private to protect his public image, by sending others to harass me by proxy. This overall experience has been incredibly frightening, severely affecting my mental/physical health long term. I have also been told I’m unlikely to be hired again in music for calling out such a huge management team earlier this year, due to the power of their agents.

The VS projects I have created over the last two years serve as a record of work that is in my mind completed already, as they exist via my pitches, which I am satisfied with despite my opinion of plagiarism in this particular case. This concept is the zenith of my efforts within the medium. The theory side of this concept will be published as the SETS theory on this website in due course. This represents a positive movement forward for my work by switching mediums into writing for the foreseeable future. Rather than see this as experience as a setback I’ll use it to strike new ground. I’m so incredibly proud of this work more than anything.

Please also see links to Worship’s actions regarding the transmission of Covid by one of their DJs:

https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/03/british-dj-escapes-prosecution-after-sparking-new-zealands-first-omicron-scare

I personally do not recommend any creatives approach this team or photographer henceforth due to these experiences.

After Worship missed the deadline I set for a resolution on this case on the 1st July 2024, and I have not been successful in resolving it, this page will remain up permanently and publicly for reference. I will also now cease to bringing awareness to this matter, due to the abuse aimed at me for drawing attention to it.

UPDATE 13/10/2024 - Legal case abandoned due to ill health. This page is personal opinion of this case only. I have now concluded this issue by leaving the music industry to heal from this experience and start a new chapter. I wish no ill will to those involved and there will be no further updates or focusing on this issue from now, bar the evidence presented on this page without prejudice.