The world we live in has evolved more than imaginable in the last 60 years. From moon landings to the iPhone 7, technology, politics, and entertainment has vastly changed. The music-world is no different. When The Beatles were at their prime, an appearance on Ed Sullivan was enough to have everyone talking about them. Now, you need to have an active YouTube channel, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more. For many musicians, this is out of their realm. Enter creative producer Larissa Giampaoli, who uses her passion for music with her social media savvy to maintain a band’s image, and ensure they are the ones everyone is talking about.
This is exactly what Giampaoli helped achieve for the rock band Mastodon’s Once More Around the Sun album, where she took a leading role as a new media specialist and day-to-day manager for the bands.
“I first saw Mastodon live in NYC, and I was captivated by their strong stage presence,” she said. “I still remember how the crowd was going crazy for every song. They are very unique on the stage and as a band, and I think their social media reflects that. Even when thinking about the working for a post we need to take that into consideration.”
A highlight for Giampaoli was watching the band act in an episode of Game of Thrones, which was one of the best rated episodes in the shows history. They appeared in the eighth episode of the fifth season of the show titled Hardhome, where the Battle North of the Wall takes place. The bands original song “White Walker” is featured on the Game of Thrones mixtape Catch the Throne Vol. 2.
Larissa Giampaoli has worked with bands Mastadon and Ghost.
“I am a huge Game of Thrones fan, and it was pretty amazing to watch them on the screen. They were killed by the white walkers in less than ten minutes, but still,” she joked. “Their fans seem to be also huge fans of the show, anytime we share an article related to it, they go crazy.”
Giampaoli worked closely with Nick John and Ernie Gonzalez, who manages the band. She describes them as great to work with, and are rock business veterans.
“It’s very fulfilling working with Larissa, she is a forward thinker, problem solver and a wonderful person to be a part of the RSE team who works very well with all of us and individually,” said John, who has over 20 years of experience. “Larissa is great as what she does by thoroughly reviewing and gathering information on each project fully. Larissa also is great at finding new platforms for our business and determining if they are something our company can benefit from using. She works very well with our team. Working with Larissa is great experience, she is reliable, diplomatic, and easy to get along with.”
“Larissa is a team player, she is always willing to help and is a great source of information as it relates to creative strategy and digital marketing. Larissa helps the team move forward in a positive direction,” he continued.
“Larissa has proved the incredible value of her talents by helming the release strategy for the Grammy Award nominated, Billboard Charting Once More ‘Round The Sun LP for heavy metal titans Mastodon, Gojira’s critically acclaimed sixth album Magma, and the Grammy Award winning and commercially successful Meliora album for Ghost,” said Gonzalez. “For Larissa to have worked with these legendary, genre-pushing acts undoubtedly illustrates the demand for her work, and her status as a highly accomplished creative producer of high commercial value.”
For Giampaoli, it was the band’s commitment to their art that made the experience truly worthwhile.
“Mastodon take their music and art very serious. Each T-shirt design has something special about them, and it was interesting to me to get to know all these obscure artists who designs their stuff,” she concluded. “It was one of my favorite things.”
Cadu Byington has been on tour and is ready to sleep in his own bed again. He is not playing in an indie rock band or the DJ for a famous rapper; Byington is the sound engineer/music producer whom Jakob Handel tagged to work with him to capture performances by classical and contemporary artists at some of the most famous and historic venues in Germany and Switzerland. Handel Classic Audio wanted to enable classical music fans to hear these famous ensembles in their home venues to pay tribute to the composer, artists, and the acoustics of these iconic acoustical structures. Jakob Handel (Grammy nominee, Latin Grammy award-winner, and German Echo Klassik award-winner) has the credentials that attract the elite of the international recording industry. Handel’s work with Sony / BMG record labels, Universal, EMI and several independent labels has empowered him to gain access to many historic venues for recording purposes. For his latest passion project, he wanted to gain access to some of his favorite venues in Germany and Switzerland, and he wanted Cadu Byington as the expert he trusted on this project in a very hands on manner. Jakob Handel explains the decision for this choice declaring, “Cadu is a very talented producer; over the past few years he has come to dominate all aspects of a production. He is also a great musician, a feature that I think is the most important for a music producer. One must think musically more than technically, and know how to convert this musicality with the available technical resources; this is the secret weapon to becoming a successful producer.” The recordings would require them to quickly access the personality and intricacies of each venue and tailor the recording process uniquely and efficiently to each performance. With a full understanding of the challenges and demands of this opportunity, Byington welcomed the chance to test his abilities and deliver a product up to the standards of the Handel Classic Music name. Handel and Byington had been associated since 1999 but this was a major undertaking on which the two would work together. To fully appreciate these recordings, one must understand the approach that was taken to attain them. At a time when recording software has made everyone feel that they are a true recording engineer, a glimpse into the process that Byington and Handel undertook gives evidence to true mastery of the recording process at its best.
For this undertaking, the recording process was different from both a studio setting and conventional live scenarios. Handel Classic Music wanted to record at three different venues; Rosengarten in Germany, KKL in Lucerne, and Tonhalle in Zurich. The acoustic identity of these locations as well as the ensembles famous for residing there are so lauded and respected in the classical music industry that Handel Classic Audio wanted to bring the experience of hearing them to the world. Music fans have spent so many decades listening to music produced in studios that they may have forgotten (or even not be aware of) the fact that many of the historic concert halls were designed by architects to create the optimal acoustic environment to deliver a moving musical experience. Today’s modern effects are based on the acoustic benefits of these historic musical venues. Modern concert sound systems are so ubiquitous that many audiences have never attended a performance without them. Handel Classic Music wanted to deliver a more purist experience. Byington states, “The approach is totally different. In a concert hall, we want to have the sound in its purest forms, without the interferences of PA systems, and with everyone playing at the same time, like a real concert. The halls were designed to “mix” the sound “’n the hall’. In a studio, you don’t usually have all these acoustical qualities, and you have to add artificial effects to emulate the hall sound. Besides, there are few studios that have room to fit a large orchestra.” While operating a large sound system requires one skill set, recording a performance while delivering the unique qualities of an individual location is a completely different talent.
Mannheimer Rosengarten in Mannheim, Germany has hosted concerts by contemporary artist like Sting, Simply Red, and many others but, it is mainly home for the classic orchestras and operas for which it was designed. Cadu and Handel traveled there to record the opera Der Prinz vom Homborg by German composer Hans Werner Henze. This Art Noveau structure was built between 1900 and 1903. As a traditional concert hall, Rosengarten has beautiful natural acoustic qualities. These characteristics can be overwhelming or beneficial depending on the abilities of the engineer in charge of assessing them. Byington explains, “When you enter a new hall, you have to sit and listen for all its qualities. Listen carefully to the rehearsal, and “learn” the hall. If you have a profound knowledge of your gear, you will know what to do in order to have the sound. The halls have dampeners and baffles, but in much bigger proportions. Based on the style of the repertoire, you’ll base your approach on more or less reverb, more or less microphones. This means that the venue characteristics as well as the piece of music and style need to be factored in when making the choice of microphones and placement.”
KKL concert hall in Lucerne, Switzerland is both aesthetically and acoustically stunning. This world famous venue is home for the Lucerne Summer Festival. Cadu travelled there to record the performance of Turkish pianist Fazil Say who played Ravel’s Piano Conceto in G. For this recording, Byington needed to take a delicate approach which took advantage of the tremendous natural attributes created in Jean Nouvel’s impressive design. Byington describes, “We did a light set up with 12 microphones, using a main mic technique known as the Decca Tree. The Decca Tree consists of three identical microphones positioned in a triangular shape above the stage. It takes this name because of the DECCA RECORDS engineers who made it popular as a nice way to get the overall sound of the orchestra while at the same time having a nice stereo image. In addition to the Decca Tree, we used other spot mics placed close to sections (like strings, woodwinds, brass) and a pair for the piano solo. The hall has such a wonderful sound that using too many mics can result in eliminating the characteristics for which it is known and loved.”
The final recording took place in The Tonhalle in Zurick, thought by many to possess the best acoustics in Switzerland. Cadu was recording a production which partnered American rapper Saul Williams and composer Thomas Kessler. A mix of rap lyrics with classical music. This truly unique and modern pairing required an engineer with both traditional and modern sensibilities. It was further proof that Byington was the perfect choice for Handel on this project. For a number of reasons, the mobile approach was well suited for this situation as Cadu relates, “It is very difficult for a traditional orchestra to go to a studio nowadays. It is very expensive to have an orchestra inside the studio just for a recording, that’s why we record live and on location. For the recording in the Tonhalle, we did three days of recording. We had singers, and a full orchestra with a lot of percussion, which required a setup of around thirty microphones. The approach was very similar to KKL Lucerne, but we captured the audio with much more detail, closer positioning, and more mics. The piece was an orchestral arrangement for some Saul Williams texts ‘said the shotgun to the head’.”
The experience was quite demanding of Byington, Handel, and everyone involved. A myriad of microphones was required to cover any possible situation. The recording crew also needed to travel as lightly as they could, assess each venue quickly and accurately, and set up as efficiently as possible. While recording in a studio allows for multiple takes and splicing of takes, this recording project meant that each recording had to be perfect as there would be no multiple takes or overdubs. Although everyone spoke the universal language of music, the technical aspects of recording and the different locations often necessitated the musicians and engineers to communicate verbally in a language that was not their native tongue. It called for everyone involved to conduct themselves with the highest level of professionalism. Byington feels that he grew in his abilities as well as his appreciation for the musicians whose performances he recorded. He notes, “I learned a new standard in my profession, the standards of Europe for classical music is the reference for the rest of the world.” The recordings themselves pay tribute to the honorable history of the venues, the talented musicians who performed the pieces, and the mastery that Cadu Byington used to deliver them to the world.
It is extremely difficult to make your dream come true, but so rewarding. It is that much more difficult when you have two dreams, but Priscila Zortea is beginning to feel the immense satisfaction that comes with achieving both dreams: dancing and acting.
Since graduating from HB Studio’s acting program in New York City, the Brazilian native has been quite busy. Priscila appeared in the regional musicals A Chorus Line, The Music Man, Joseph and the amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, as well as several commercials and industrials, which launched her career into a large list of achievements.
She acted in the feature film A Journey to a Journey directed by Canadian Barry Germansky, the short film Unveiled directed by Klemen Novak, and the webseries Distortion based on super hero fights. She danced with Gotham City Cheerleaders in New York, which is an unofficial dance team that supports the New York Giants, and with them had the opportunity to dance on HBO’s Last Week Tonight With John Oliver. She also was a dancer in the 2015 season of LA KISS football, making her rock ’n’ roll dream come true.
In a short time, Priscila Zortea, has an ever growing list of achievements. To find out more about this up-and-comer, make sure to read below.
PZ: My mom took me to my first ballet class when I was three years old and I haven’t stopped dancing since! I fell more in love with ballet and performing as each year passed and in a way I knew I wanted to keep doing that. When I was around 12 my dream to become an artist became stronger and I felt like I could talk about it and try to improve myself. I told my dad that I wanted to dance “seriously” and asked if I could attend a better school. We lived in a very small town and there weren’t opportunities available for me. I’m very thankful to have a supportive family! My dad said yes and my mom started driving me to a bigger city an hour away a few times a week so I could take dance classes and perform.
My love for acting also was always there but once again I didn’t know what to do about it. I remember playing in the background of my house as if I was an actress performing something, or I would dress up and sit by the trees and pretend I was Alice in Wonderland, or a character from a TV show I happened to be watching at the time. But there was no way to really go after it. I did some theatre in school but that was about it.
Then also when I was about 12 or 13 I went to my first audition for TV. I read about it on a newspaper, it was an audition for the Brazilian version of Argentinean TV hit Chiquititas. I had no idea what to expect but I went to this audition in the capital of the Estate I lived in. I had a great time, even though I had no idea what I was doing.
What do you like about acting and dancing?
PZ: I think art in general is such a wonderful way to express yourself and connect to other people. I always felt like myself dancing, like my best self, like my true self, like the person I wanted to be. And then when I found out I could also talk it was even better! Acting is an amazing exercise to get to know yourself and I feel like I’m always learning how I truthfully react to things and how I feel about different situations that I don’t get a chance to explore in ‘real life’. Also, the fact that a character has the power to connect to the public, it makes my work even better. It’s such a powerful thing when you can relate to characters you see on TV or films. You can feel like you’re not the only one who’s going through that. You can feel supported. You can feel hopeful. You can dream about a happy ending just like the one you saw and that’s priceless! And as an actor I’m the one who will pass that message to you, the public. And I love that responsibility.
What are the challenges to acting and dancing?
PZ: Being vulnerable in front of strangers, be willing to show your true self, those are challenges to all artists. We just use our experiences and our emotions, and we show the most beautiful and the ugliest things about ourselves. That’s a scary thing. Human beings tend to hide and feel comfortable and by avoiding their honest feeling. Artists are not allowed to do that. It seems vague but those things are a huge part of our daily challenges. A dancer needs to always be in shape, eat well, be strong, have technique, but also be artistic. We need to learn choreography quickly and give a voice to it immediately, and those are lifelong challenges for us. There’s no such thing as perfection but we’re always working towards it. Acting makes you question so much about yourself in different situations and your relation to other people. then you put yourself in a position of being judged for who you are, the way you look, the way you speak, the way you react to things, the limitations people say you have, and much more. You really need a tough skin to keep true to yourself and move forward believing that the answer you have is the right one, and one day you’ll show it to the right person and the right time and it’ll give you a career and sense of fulfillment.
What made you want to move to LA?
PZ: I graduated from a theatre program in New York City and then worked there for a couple of years. I then found an audition to be a dancer for the arena football team LA KISS in Los Angeles and moved here to dance for them last year. It was a dream come true! The owners of the team are Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons from the band KISS and I’ve been a huge fan of them since 1997. Rock ’n’ Roll is my biggest passion after acting and dance! I couldn’t believe I got the opportunity to represent their brand!
What are you currently working on?
PZ: I’m in a play called Wonder Women at The Next Stage Theatre in Hollywood. It’s a comedy directed by Chris Berube. I play the role of Mistress. She’s slightly based on the Catwoman and it’s a very fun role. The play is about female super heroes who decide to rebel and go against the league that makes them be sidekicks to male heroes, wear skimpy outfits and never get the job done by themselves. They’re showing that they are better than that and deserve respect!
I’m also collaborating with screenwriter CJ Walley on a short film to be shot in Vancouver in July.
What are your plans for the future?
PZ: I want to be a working actress in American television. I want to help bring even more diversity to what you see on your TV and I want to be an example to everybody who thinks they can’t dream too big because they were born in a small town with no opportunities, or because someone told them they have limitations. I want everything to be possible for me and for anybody who dreams. I dream of being the first Brazilian actress to be respected worldwide and accomplished in different fields.
Brazilian Director of Photography Samar Kauss embodies a humanitarian sensibility within her superlative filmmaking endeavors.
The highly successful and prolific Director of Photography, Samar Kauss, is a Brazilian creative force who has made far reaching cultural change within the Australian Department of Health. Kauss, known for her work as a longtime editor for several of Brazil’s most popular television shows on the leading network TV Globo, has helped the Australian government lead the charge in documenting and spreading awareness on the plights of aboriginal tribes across Australia. The government-funded 2013 documentary, Big Day Out, in which Kauss performed as the Director of Photography for, aimed to raise awareness to the health issues and concerns of seclusion that the Wadeye community undergo almost 5 months out of every year. Kauss worked tirelessly to capture shots of the Wadeye and their home, in an attempt to unobtrusively capture the everyday life of a tribe member. Kauss has proven herself as an international humanitarian, as she has helped the Australian government in their strives to create a positive cultural impact through their documentaries, on which she at times found herself immersed in a community entirely different than her home back in Brazil.
Kauss was also approached again by the Australian Department of Education to create the Young Achievers Program documentary. She worked closely with the Australian government as their Director of Photography for the documentary, attempting to determine through extensive interviews whether or not the average Australian student received adequate resources to reach their academic goals. As the Director of Photography, Kauss was crucial in documenting the students in a way that empowered the argument of the filmmakers while expertly capturing the ongoing concerns surrounding the future of public education across Australia’s public school system.
Few filmmakers can easily make such graceful and critical strides on key social issues that Kauss has undoubtedly taken on throughout her career as a successful Editor and Director of Photography. Kauss’ history as a Director of Photography for some of the most culturally and socially impactful documentaries that the country has to offer speaks volumes to her abilities as a filmmaker of genuine impact and marks her as a key Brazilian creative force to watch.
Producer Daniel Ariano was a force behind Brazil’s “O Aprendiz.”
It is pressure-packed, inspiring, impromptu and thrilling all at once. Daniel Ariano described it as a job where everything can and will happen.
“To be a producer for reality TV,” he said, “you have to be aware that everything is possible. I have to be ready to face an unexpected challenge every day. You have to be calm, easy going and most of all, you have to love it.”
It’s that passion and formula for success that Ariano has subscribed to, which has made him one of Brazil’s foremost film and TV producers. Specializing in the reality genre, Ariano has produced for hit shows such as Brazil’s “Ídolos,” “O Aprendiz” and “TUF Brasil,” which are his home country’s equivalents to the states’ “American Idol,” “The Apprentice” and “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Through it, he’s developed and refined the tools of a seasoned producer – leadership, enterprise, communication, management, problem solving and creativity. Ariano has taken on leadership roles as a producer that demand high-ranking responsibility, shifting challenges and his close collaboration with top talent who went on to compete in front of national TV audiences.
Ariano’s rise to producing prominence began with his initial inspiration and love of media. While growing up, his friends had dreams of becoming lawyers, doctors and engineers. But it was Ariano’s love of music and movies that guided his heart toward a career in film and TV.
Influenced by legends such as Woody Allen, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Jerry Bruckheimer, Ariano said, “All of those and more did something that made me watch and think, ‘I want to do that.’ I want to do something people will admire and watch.”
From there, it was a matter of taking the idea of what he wanted to become and putting it into action. While attending high school, Ariano, of São Paulo, worked as a music teacher. When he assimilated into college, he worked for Jovem Pan, the biggest radio station in Brazil.
His mind was still set on TV though, and the foot-in-the-door opportunity materialized. Ariano was invited to do some camera operator work and parlayed the experience into a production assistant position on the São Paulo-based “Amaury Jr. Show,” a talk show covering celebs and luxury. After learning TV production from the inside for a half a year, another opportunity arose.
“I received an invitation that changed my life,” Ariano said. “It was to be a part of the “Ídolos” production crew, my first reality show and it was a music one. After that, I knew I wanted to produce for the rest of my life! I fell in love with the storytelling and the big productions.”
Ariano began producing for “Ídolos” Season 4 in 2009. The show, created by the 14-time Emmy nominee Simon Fuller, is headquartered in São Paulo and distributed by Rede Record. Pop singer-songwriter Saulo Roston won Season Four and signed with Warner Music Brasil.
“I had the responsibility to deliver to the show and all the outside shoots with quality and with the proper storytelling,” said Ariano. “The big challenge was the winner was there in the middle of the crowd. And we had to have him since the start of the process.”
The contestants being vetted were voluminous, many with marked talent and merit for the televised competition. Ariano estimated he’d listened to thousands of hopeful voices positioning for musical glory on “Ídolos.”
“I’ve seen so much talent, so much really good singers and really good people with amazing histories,” he said. “The Idols have to have talent. This is the most important thing we look for – talent. But the story behind the talent is something that brings the Idol closer to the audience. Brazil is an enormous country filled with talented people. I just wish all of the good ones could make it.”
Ariano returned to produce “Ídolos” Season 5 in 2011, and Season 7, the show’s final run, in 2012. He also produced in 2012 “Ídolos Kids” Season 1, which followed the same premise, but searched for talented kid contestants.
In 2010, one year after Ariano’s inception into “Ídolos,” he expanded his producing career and joined the show, “O Aprendiz,” for Season 7. In the hour-long Brazilian apparent to the Donald Trump-hosted “The Apprentice,” contestants compete for employment contracts with leading companies such as the WPP Group or for investments. The show was created by five-time Emmy winner Mark Burnett, longtime producer of “Survivor” and “Shark Tank.” It was hosted by Roberto Justus.
“The Apprentice” was the most challenging job I ever had,” Ariano said.
During filming for “O Aprendiz” in Turkey, producer Daniel Ariano (left) studies the scene setup.
Ariano worked in producing “O Aprendiz” for Seasons 7, 8, 9 and 10. Contestants ranged from college students to entrepreneurs and celebrities. The production traversed Brazil-wide and traveled to shoot in Orlando, Washington, D.C., South Africa, Italy, Turkey and Colombia. With it came droves of producing duties for Ariano.
“When you give the contestants a task, and time to do it, you never know where will they go and what will they do and it’s up to you to be ready to face everything,” he said. “Working on the show taught me everything is possible. It opened my eyes to the infinity. There is no limit. What we see on TV is just the tip of the iceberg. The production is the entire Arctic.”
Also in 2010, Ariano would produce for a season of the Brazilian version of “Artzooka,” a Gemini Award-winning kids TV show that was produced in Toronto, Canada. The series guided parents, teachers and daycare providers how to create art projects using recycled materials. It was broadcast in Brazil on Discovery Kids and featured Ariano producing in a rare role.
Producer Daniel Ariano (right) worked closely with host Daniel Granieri to deliver “Artzooka.”
“I loved to do it because it got me into working with a Canadian crew,” Ariano said. “I do believe that this was a unique opportunity in life, that just a few people got the chance to do. I was the only Brazilian producer for the show, so I had a really big responsibility to make it great.”
“Artzooka” host Daniel Granieri said of Ariano, “Without him, “Artzooka” wouldn’t be able to happen. He was vital to the project. He has a look in his eyes all the time, like, he is thinking further, like he is always producing! He is an easy guy to work with and to deal with. He is very professional and very intelligent. You have to have someone like him in your production crew, if not just him. There’s a few people in the world who has an ability to deal with production like him!”
Ariano has served as producer for other shows such as Latin America’s “The Amazing Race,” HBO Brasil and for the Season 2 of “TUF Brasil” (The Ultimate Fighter Brazil), which was distributed by Rede Globo. The latter producing taught Ariano much about the globally popular UFC world, while also showing him a different side of the fighting-based programming.
“It’s talented fighters, focused on their dream and working hard to do it,” he said. “This was different than any other reality TV. It is about how do you control your body and how do you make it do the extraordinary. I loved the experience and it made me admire even more this world of art that is UFC.”
Continuing his producing prowess, Ariano is attached to work on the forthcoming debut season of “X-Factor Brasil,” and he is attached to produce writer-director Albert Dabah’s “Extra Innings,” a coming of age feature baseball drama film set in 1960s Brooklyn.
“He can do everything. I got a nickname for him: “Superman,” Dabah said. “Besides having a good eye for production and being very organized, when the time comes, he is up to everything! He can be an addition in every department. It’s hard to find someone like him, and I’m glad I found him.”
Of “Extra Innings,” Ariano said, “I’m hoping that the movie can open eyes of people about real problems of life that is there around us, in our family, in our lives, and we don’t realize it or we pretend it doesn’t exist. I think the screenwriting is perfect. I know it’s going to be a big hit.”
Despite her flawless beauty, Gisele Góes is actually the one behind the scenes, or rather screens, computer screens that is. Gisele is an incredibly motivated tech writer and content producer. As one of the lead producers and managers of content for the successful websites TechTudo.com, Globo.com and Socialbakers.com Gisele works tirelessly to bring the online community the most relevant and up-to-date news in the tech industry. She is also one of the creative individuals behind Blogo, an award-winning blogging app for Mac OSX.
Not only is she a talented tech-savvy writer, but Gisele has also begun extending her work as a tech producer into the world of film. To find out more about Gisele’s work in the tech industry, and how she managed to take her skills as a producer from one industry to another, read our interview below!
TTNN: What did you go to school for?
GG: Bachelors in Social Communication, Emphasis in Advertising & Marketing
TTNN: What do you do for TechTudo?
GG: Write articles covering real-time industry news, digital culture, social media, product reviews, ratings (software, hardware), how-to’s, tutorials, featured downloads. Also monitor new sources for topic proposals and make sure to follow the tight deadlines (timing is everything). Without competent and good qualified writers, TechTudo wouldn’t have good and updated content.
TTNN: Why do people use TechTudo/What is the website all about?
GG: TechTudo is the biggest tech website in Brazil and it’s part of Globo (largest media group in Latin America). TechTudo is separated by sessions: News, Articles, Special Articles (interviews, etc), Tutorials & Downloads.
The website covers all news about technology and digital culture making this kind of content accessible to general audience (more than 10 million unique visitors).
TTNN: Have you always wanted to be a writer?
GG: Actually I’ve wanted to be a photographer but writing started to become a good hobby when I created my first blog (Keep Calm and Blog On). After following my work with my blog the staff from TechTudo invited me to write for them and then everything made sense. I found out I could use my passion about photography to pick up cool images or even write about the subject and have fun writing at the same time!
TTNN: What genre or category does your writing fall into?
GG: I love writing about everything but I like online focused content and approaching subjects like new products/services, games, tech culture, pop culture and entertainment. Even though I enjoy long articles I really love the challenge of trying to be straight but giving the right details to touch the audience. This is actually what prompted me to start working on an ebook about how technology is changing our writing habits.
TTNN: Why have you chosen to work and write in this field specifically?
GG: I’ve always been into tech. When I was little I used to spend a lot of time in the computer, my grandparents would call me out for that and tell my parents “this girl spends too much time on the computer”. I love having access to new information but more than that, I love sharing it with people from all over the world. And that wouldn’t be possible without technology. I’ve lived in 10 different cities in 2 different countries, so I’m fascinated about communication and how it changes from culture to culture. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I love talking to all kinds of people from different places about something that I love and exploring good content everyday that deserves to be shared with the world.
TTNN: How did you begin working in app development?
GG: I worked in a Globo.com’s affiliate company that developed apps and tech products. After getting expertise in the process behind the development I started writing for TechTudo about tech related news and studying more about startups and getting more into the field.
I was one of the 18 young talents selected for a summer program in Silicon Valley in 2013 called Startup Dream Team and had workshops about all the steps a startup or entrepreneur needs to follow to start a new business / app / service / product.
TTNN: What is your area of expertise in app development?
GG: Communication, Written production (UX interface), Copyhacking and growth. Everything that involves promoting, increasing the online performance and connecting with an audience and press.
TTNN: What is the Blogo App all about?
GG: Blogo is a desktop blogging app for Macs. It simplifies the blogging workflow by getting rid of everything that is not necessary. All the features were carefully thought, selected and designed to make blogging easier and faster. It’s the easiest way to manage multiple blogs and publish content.
TTNN: How did you come up with the idea for Blogo?
GG: Blogo was not my idea. In fact, Blogo was created in 2008 and gained a lot of attention, described by Mashable as a “bad ass blog editor,” but its development halted after a Mac OS update. Five years later, the original creator (Ivan) gathered with two new partners and got the project back on track. Ivan and I were friends already and he knew I was coming back from Silicon Valley and thought I was the perfect fit to give Blogo a “human touch” and take charge of their communication.
TTNN: As a producer for Socialbakers, what specifically do you do?
GG: Produce and coordinate all the content distribution in Brazil. Pitch Socialbakers to Brazilian media, look for media opportunities and come up with ideas for country specific content, arrange special articles and interviews that increases Socialbakers’ brand performance in Brazilian territory in order to attract more attention from possible clients and public in general.
After reaching an incredible level of success as a writer and producer in the tech industry, Gisele Góes began extending her skills beyond the tech world. Drawing on her unparalleled ability to raise funds and publicity for projects she believes in, Gisele began applying her talents to the film industry. In addition to being an irreplaceable force in the creation of content and the overall management of TechTudo.com, Globo.com, and Socialbakers.com, she is also currently working as a producer for the films “The Umbrella”, “Crystal Crypt” and “Susannah’s Lesson.”
TTNN: How did you transition from working as a producer in the tech world to producing films?
GG: I’ve always wanted to work with film– that was one of my options while I was in college but I ended up focusing on technology. Today I believe that is possible to work with both. Technology is completely changing the film industry because it empowers the community and independent moviemakers to easily spread the word, and get the support and funding needed to make a project happen.
TTNN: What skills from your background as a tech producer do you use as a producer of films? What are the similarities?
GG: Writing and content distribution mainly; but also my expertise interacting and approaching the community and that’s because independent movies use a lot of crowdfunding to help raise enough money to produce their films.
For a crowdfunding campaign to succeed, it is crucial to understand how to promote the right content to a community in order to generate spontaneous communication, etc. Just like in technology, you have to understand your target and make sure you’re delivering the right content, on the right channel with the perfect approach.
TTNN: What are your strengths as a film producer?
GG: As I said before, technology is changing the film industry completely. Movies like Crystal Crypt had so much support from the community and that has everything to do with their success. I believe that my knowledge with online tools to promote content and experience with content distribution, writing and PR is really useful to help in the movie’s production, as well as when it comes time to pitch them to the media in the best way.
TTNN: What do you like about producing films?
GG: I’ve always loved movies. I can’t spend a week without watching at least one movie, and it’s amazing being able to be a part of something like that. There’s a lot behind a movie and it combines everything I love– photography, music, writing. It’s fascinating to see all these amazing factors being worked out together and turned into a “piece of art”.
TTNN: What are your favorite kinds of films to produce?
GG: Independent ones. Mostly because they have a big influence from the online community and they’re directly related with technology. As far as genres go, I like Sci-fi (which is the case of Crystal Crypt) but I don’t have a specific genre that I prefer. I think it’s all about quality.
TTNN: How did you get involved with the upcoming films The Umbrella, Crystal Crypt and Susannah’s Lesson?
GG: Shahab Zargari, the director of the film Crystal Crypt, knew me from my work here in Brazil as a writer and he thought I could add a different approach to these projects, that is how it began. He wanted someone with a different perspective that could add a lot and seek different approaches to promote and produce something unique.
TTNN: What do you hope to achieve over the course of your career as a writer and producer?
GG: Of course I want to get involved with awesome projects, but I also want to be able to promote and create great communities around these projects to guarantee their success. Technology keeps empowering us and today funding or raising money is just a matter of getting the right people involved and working together to make great ideas happen.
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