Category Archives: Film

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BRIDGING THE GAP: CALEB CHERNYSH

September 10, 2016 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

Childhood, for most of us, is a wonderful time when we are provided for and loved unconditionally; we have the feeling that anything is possible. This is the spring from which the ideas that make up fairytales flows. The world seems to be such a welcoming and magical place that almost anything is possible…even the magically impossible. Adulthood is quite a different place. The real-world practicality and day to day of surviving and providing is the experience of most adults. Still, children often give the adults the motivation and joy to accept a sense of selflessness. There is a space between these two worlds and this is the inspiration for Mark Pedlow’s film The Gap. This film is comprised of three different tales about the curveballs life can sometimes throw us which begins to pull our life experience from this comforting fairytale world into the realities (and dangers) of the real world. The Gap has a lofty goal in its attempt to link the world we aspire to with the one we are forced to accept. The unique approach of The Gap is what first interested actor Caleb Chernysh to the film. Chernysh has played a heroin addict (in Mule), a serial killer (Fractured), even a father of twin sons…one whom “sees” his dead brother everywhere (James in Sea Change), but never before has he been a young father.

As a student of the Actor’s Centre (the same Australian school which has produced actors such as Hugh Jackman), Caleb continually searches out varied and challenging roles by which to challenge himself and increase his palette of experience. Chernysh recalls how he came to the film, “Mark Pedlow, creator and director of The Gap, was holding auditions for John, the father in one of the three stories contained in The Gap. I was attracted by the script, as I’ve never played a young father and it would involve fight training. When I got the script, I fell in love with it and begged Mark to let me audition. I wasn’t aware of this fact but Mark already knew that he wanted me for the part. I’m thankful that he was aware of my work and abilities but he didn’t want me to know that. He wanted me to audition, not to see if I would be good enough, but to confirm that I seriously wanted to do whatever it took to get the role of John. After the audition, I was thrilled when he said I would be John in The Gap.” Pedlow states, “I had a lot of applicants, but Caleb’s resume stood out the most. I decided to meet him and asked him what he thought of John. When Caleb described his version of John, it felt like he brought more layers to the character then I even thought of.

Getting the part may have been the easiest facet of his involvement as Caleb had to venture into a completely unknown area for him, fight training. Chernysh was excited to train but admits that it had its uncomfortable moments. He notes, “The Gap was the first movie which I was in that had fight choreography. I was so excited! There were nights where we had to train leading up to production and I would come home bruised and sore…but with a smile on my face. When it came to the shoot, we added some more fight sequences. I still remember getting an uppercut from one of the thugs and I literally picked myself up and threw my body backwards onto a box. It must have been impressive, because I remember people gasping when I crashed into the box. When I got up, people were saying ‘Geez, you’ll do anything for your performance!’ It looked like the uppercut was real and had a powerful force behind it.”

That uppercut comes courtesy of one of the attempted kidnappers of John’s daughter. In one of the tensest parts of the film, Caleb’s character John (one of the lead character’s in this film) has gone to a café with his young daughter and, while she wanders downstairs, two men attempt to kidnap her. This particular scene which so clearly states the film’s theme of the difference between the fantasy life’s abrupt collision with reality, was highly motivating to Caleb. Though not a father himself, Chernysh believes that in each man resides the protective fatherly instinct towards his children. It was that character trait that he unearthed for John commenting, “I’ve never played a young father before. So I really needed to put myself into the role and imagine that I have created this beautiful life and have raised it for 8 years. This beautiful life is the most treasured being in my world and I would not let anyone or anything harm it. That was my mindset in the performance, which also helped the fight scene.”

Caleb Chernysh is currently working on a webseries in which he plays Boris Djerkich, a man who want to be the next Eurovision star. One character is Bosnian born Boris Djerkich who has moved to Australia and wants to be the next Eurovision star. Caleb also plays Cameron Tomes, a flamboyant ex-dancer who goes to a job interview and it bombs! Caleb is working on extending his series with more characters.You can subscribe and view on YouTube.

actor profile, Actress, Film, International Actor

THIS ACTRESS IS OUT FOR BLOOD

September 2, 2016 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

Here’s a statement you won’t often read; this woman is really happy about becoming a vampire. Well…okay, actress Ana Roza Cimperman is quite happy about her role in Nympho’s Diary and all of the attention and praise the film is receiving. The title may be slightly misleading about this bad girl turned into a completely different type of bad girl, but the film has many unexpected turns; such as leading the audience into rooting for a cold blooded killer. Filmmakers and fans alike are always searching for a new twist or angle in the tried and true vampire formula; Savvas Christou has successfully achieved it in Nympho’s Diary. This film is a modern day yarn which introduces us to Amy and the pitfalls of romance, promiscuity, and the Nosferatu lineage. Many of the recent tales of vampires and their social interaction with humanity border on the ridiculous; often using excessive gore to make an impact. Nympho’s Diary takes a personal view of a vampire’s victim, addressing the mental and physical partition between mankind and the walking undead. The result is a film much more about how the transformation from human into vampire affects someone at the core of their being, in multiple ways. Cimperman’s performance in the lead role of Amy requires a level of physical movements and contortions that escalate throughout the course of the film, partnered with the emotionally agonizing process her psyche undergoes.

Nympho’s Diary has already accomplished a major achievement. Within less than three months of being released, the film has been accepted into 6 festivals including; the Roma Cinema DOC, Hellfire Film Festival, Arctic Monthly LIVE, Cyprus Comic Con Film Fest, Los Angeles CineFest, and the Fright Night Film fest. The good reactions of industry insiders who have viewed the film has led to a great deal of excitement surrounding Nympho’s Diary. Ana Roza Cimperman is particularly pleased as Nympho’s Diary is only her third US film and her very first filming experience in Los Angeles. It seems like a quick ascension for this Slovenian actress who only recently made up her mind to roll the dice and take the gamble on a career in Hollywood. Ana states, “I have been thinking about it for years but could never make that final decision because there were just so many things involved, including leaving behind people I care deeply about. Just before my birthday, I realized it was now or never and within two months I managed to sort out everything including finding a place in Hollywood, renting out my apartment in Ljubljana and getting the paperwork to transport my dog whom I just couldn’t leave behind.” Her entry into Nympho’s Diary was anything but normal for Hollywood films as she recalls, “I was invited to audition for the role. It was an audition with no dialogue but with very specific instructions so I was immediately intrigued. I had to prepare a one-minute performance of the character of Amy waking up and realizing she has a bite on her neck and then slowly starting to turn into a vampire-like monster.” Nympho Diary’s writer and director Savvas Christou was immediately taken with Cimperman’s interpretation and quick implementation of his specific directions. He confirms, “Not only is Ana a talented, inspiring, and passionate actress but she is one of the easiest to work with…even when situations are less than ideal. We had an overnight shoot in the cold and it was raining. Rather than complaining, she delivered the same high level performance with the attitude an approach of a consummate professional, which is exactly what she is. Any director would hope for such an actress in the lead role.”

Nympho’s Diary is the story of Amy wakes up in the middle of a parking lot with a strange mark on her back. She can’t remember what happened the previous night. She soon starts feeling sick. Her body starts changing and within minutes she is transformed into a vampire. Amy is not in control of her body and some unknown force compels her to go to her boyfriend’s house where she attacks and kills him. For the remainder of the night she walks around aimlessly. While eating her next victim, the memory comes back of the tall stranger that she brought home the night before and she suddenly remembers that it is he who made her into the creature she has become. Ana found Amy to be very intriguing and multidimensional rather than simplistic. The arc of this character allowed Ana to investigate and emote a discovery into an individual’s motivations and social interaction through Amy’s journey. Cimperman concludes, “Amy is a nymphomaniac who picks up men in bars and takes them home even though she is in a committed relationship. She is selfish and reckless. She keeps a diary of her conquests which later turns into a diary of her victims. She’s a very sexual person who enjoys being admired and wanted. Her transformation strips her of this and we see her as the lost, scared girl she really is. I wanted to show different layers of her personality and what is underneath it all – the basic human need to survive. I liked how free she was in pursuing her desires and her independence but she sometimes treats people like objects, simply there to satisfy her needs. Portraying Amy as vapid would be too simplistic; she is much more interesting if the audience finds a way to care about her. This film reminded me how we shouldn’t judge people but instead, try to think what it would take for us to end up in their place. That is what I took away from Amy and I feel it is also what the viewer can take away from it. In the beginning Amy is the antagonist but by the end of the movie we are all rooting for her.”

Even though Nympho’s Diary is a horror movie which focuses on character development, this genre always involves experiences during filming which actors don’t get anywhere else. Ana Roza lauds praise upon the crew and cast members she worked closely with (Kartik Garimella, Kevin Gordon – Dave the vampire who turns Amy), but tells of a uniquely horror movie experience with Onur Tekin who played Josh/Amy’s boyfriend. Cimperman reveals, “Onur is the Turkish actor who plays my boyfriend, whom I unintentionally end up killing and eating. He was very professional and patient as the scene where I am eating his face (in the form of jello and hard boiled eggs) took more than an hour to shoot because we could not get the perspective right as it had to look like I was leaning over him and tearing out his brains…not a common set experience for either of us.” Ana Roza Cimperman’s portrayal in Nympho’s Diary is far from common place as well. This Slovenian actress can also be seen in Eight and a Half Circles, Jefferson, Perception of Art, as well as numerous TV productions.

actor profile, Actors, Canadian Star, Celebrity, Feature Film, Film, International Creative Talents

IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD & ALEX MACPHERSON FEELS FINE

August 16, 2016 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

Who likes the idea of a Zombie Apocalypse? Nobody, right? Well, except for Alex MacPherson. Maybe it’s because he is such a fan of the genre. Maybe it’s because he feels as if he has already lived through it with his role in Dead Rush. The film was released earlier this year and was an Official Selection of the Canada Film Fest. Unless you have been hibernating or living off the grid for the past several years, you know that zombies are ubiquitous in film and television. Walking Dead and movies like 28 Days Later ignited a zombie fire that has seen TV and movies about them set records. One thing is for sure, people love seeing zombies and MacPherson is no exception. Whereas most zombie scenarios show a group paradigm, Dead Rush takes an extremely personal perspective by following one man as he loses everything. It’s this individual’s struggle in a world that is crumbling around him that implies the modern concern for our planet and how society is causing it to fall into a state of disrepair; one from which it can never fully recover…or maybe it is just good old’ fashion Hollywood scare tactics.

Dead Rush is simply the zombie version of the “riches to rags” story for one man. Early in the film the main character’s wife dies as they attempt to escape the chaos that follows the apocalypse, soon all those around him are dying and becoming zombies. We follow the journey of the main character and his attempt to find refuge with survivors. MacPherson is literally the first person we see in the film. Sadly for him, he is killed trying to escape and is impaled by a pole; his death resulting in his rebirth as a zombie. Even the long periods required to be in the makeup chair couldn’t dull Alex’s enthusiasm as he recalls, “It sounds a little crazy to say that you love a car crash scene but I didn’t have any of the negativity of an actual crash or the repercussions that follow so it was a lot of fun. The Art Department had beaten the hell out of this old van. They shoved a pole through the windshield, hooked up smoke machines, it was pure Hollywood magic! The Makeup artists were incredible so when I saw the zombie it really was terrifying. He looked so real!”

Zac Ramelan directed (along with writing and producing credits for) the film. Ramelan (known for his work on feature films like Late Night Double Feature, Zombieworld, and others) often works with cinematographer Karl Janisse. Witnessing the professional relationship between the two, Alex comments, “Working with director Zac Ramelan, and Director of Photography Karl Janisse, was the best part of this project for me. The two were like peanut butter and jam, working so well together. I remember sitting back and watching with admiration as they broke down a scene. Zac, who also wrote the film, had such a clear vision of everything, and of course, that always help as an actor, when you have strong direction.” It would be quite difficult for anyone to understand what motivates a zombie (other than eating brains, of course) but MacPherson confirms that working with Ramelan made it easy, noting, “When you have a director with a vision as strong as Zac’s, not much research is required. As for putting my mind fully into the film’s character, it really wasn’t hard with how detailed the set was, which was just done so well. It truly felt like I was in a post-apocalyptic world.” The film’s cinematographer Karl Janisse praises MacPherson’s abilities and contributions that helped achieve such a positive public response declaring, “It was an immense pleasure to work with Alex on Dead Rush. He is so creative. Working in this genre you need the story to be fresh but you also need the actors to bring something new to a role, something that entices the viewer; Alex does that. He is a wonderful actor. I’m scheduled to work with him soon on a project for Mimic Entertainment and I am really looking forward to it.”

It would seem that the misfortune which befalls the cast on screen is not without a real life counterpart, although in a much more benevolent sense. When the cast walked the red carpet at the film’s premier (at the Canada Film Festival) they were caught in a torrential downpour…in Canada…in winter! This occurrence (soundtrack provided by fellow Canadian Alanis Morissette’s tempting of fate) still did not dampen the cast’s spirits. According to MacPherson it has more to do with Canadian’s love of film that anything. He states, “Studios like to pick up horror films because they sell! Much of the feel of a horror film can be created with lighting, color correction and music. I don’t think Canada in particular has any specific things that make the horror genre so prevalent but there is just so much filming here! Toronto and Vancouver are film capitols, and the amount of filming there is actually increasing!”

Never content to settle, Alex has several projects in the works. He recently wrote and starred in Palmer’s Pumpkins. He wrote the film specifically as an ode to the 80’s horror films that he grew up loving, although it is more fun and fantasy based than horror. When Earth Sleeps is a trilogy set in a post apocalyptic world (a theme Alex is familiar with) in which the main character Aydin searches for solace. While maintaining a heavy workload of filming in his homeland of Canada, MacPherson hears the sirens beckoning from Hollywood. He reveals, “As much as I love Canada, and Toronto specifically, Los Angeles has been calling to me for a while. There’s something about the Hollywood dream that calls to all actors. I visited LA a few times over the last few years, originally thinking that I wouldn’t love the city, but would have to learn to at least accept it; the funny thing is, after my first visit I absolutely fell in love with it. That and every fiber of my being was screaming out that I had to get there. To this day I have a strong intuitive notion that my next chapter in film will occur in LA. Whether Toronto has a ton of projects shooting or not, there is still something about LA that Canada doesn’t have, when it comes to the entertainment world. As an actor and screenwriter, Los Angeles’s appeal is paramount. I’m also really lucky to have become close with a number of LA-based directors and producers. I am super excited to have a bunch of projects lined up already. It is one thing to want to get to LA as an actor, but it’s another thing altogether to have LA film people want to work with you. It’s like something out of a dream. What a life!”

Actors, Canada, Canadian Star, Child Star, Feature Film, Film, Hollywood, International Actor

Breakout Child Actor Samuel Faraci Stars In Three Upcoming Movies

July 29, 2016 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

Samuel Faraci

The award winning child actor, Samuel Faraci, has three hit movies making their first debut to audiences around the world over the next few months. In “Country Crush,” “Blood Hunters” and “The Headhunter’s Calling,” Faraci shares scenes with some of Hollywood’s most riveting stars. While all three films differ in genre, they all share one surefire similarity: they all succeed at showcasing Faraci’s sought-after talents.

“Country Crush” is an upcoming musical drama from writer and director Andrew Cymek (“Night Cries,” “Agency of Vengeance: Dark Rising” and “Dark Rising: Warrior of Worlds”) that follows a city girl named Nancy Taylor, played by newcomer Madeline Merlo, who meets good-hearted Charlie Bishop, portrayed by Munro Chambers (“Degrassi,” and “Turbo Kid”). After sparks fly and a promising romance begins, Nancy and Charlie return to New York City where Nancy’s music career is beginning to flourish, until she’s faced with a choice: Will she continue along her career path as an opportunistic music producer, or follow her heart instead? One Tree Hill’s Jana Kramer (“One Tree Hill,” “90210” and “Entourage”) also stars in the film.

“I portray Cody Bishop Jr. in “Country Crush,” who is a sweet, good-natured boy who idolizes his dad. Cody’s father is Charlie’s older brother,” said Faraci. “and a soldier who serves his country overseas.” The film was shot in the Canadian countryside of Northern Ontario during the Summer, “A beautiful landscape that was close to forests and lakes,” Faraci fondly described. After a one of a kind experience working alongside the widely known country singer and actress, he commented, “Watching her work, I realized how hard it is to sing and perform at the same time. Jana is very sweet and a wonderful actress.”

The theatrical release of “Country Crush” will be introduced this fall, the home video launch set to take place on the Q1 of next year.

Additionally, in just about a month’s time now, Faraci’s second film titled “Blood Hunters,” directed by the acclaimed Tricia Lee (“Silent Retreat” and “Clean Break”), will be presenting its world premiere at the Horror Channel FrightFest Film Festival in London, England on August 29, 2016. Faraci plays a boy named “Hunter” in the film, the lead character’s son. “I auditioned for the role of Hunter and got a quick and positive response. I was so happy because I knew how good Tricia’s work was,” Faraci said.

The indie horror flick stars Leo Award nominee Lara Gilchrist (“Bates Motel,” “Rookie Blue” and “Supernatural”) as Ellie Barnes, a single mother who overdoses and wakes up in a medical facility to find that everyone around her is dead – and that she’s nine months pregnant.

Faraci is no stranger to the style of this elevated genre creature feature, as his prior film credits consist of the full-length film “Antisocial 2” and the horror TV series “Hannibal.” Elaborating on his character in “Blood Hunters,” Faraci explained, “Hunter is a precocious boy whose mom has not been the most attentive and whose dad has never been around. He has learned to not only take care of himself, but of his mom who leaves the stove on, food too long in the fridge or forgets to go to appointments. He understands more than his mom thinks he does, but loves her very much and will defend her to the end of the earth.” Furthermore, Faraci describes his scenes in “Blood Hunters” as, “Pretty emotional.”

“The Headhunter’s Calling” is the rising star’s third upcoming project, a Mark Williams (“The Accountant,” “Flawless” and “Shuttle”) family drama, follows a ruthless corporate headhunter played by Gerard Butler (“The Ugly Truth,” “P.S. I Love You” and “300”) who arranges jobs for engineers and is more focused on his job than his family. When his child is diagnosed with cancer, Butler’s character puts his overtly successful career on hold, leading to a clash of his personal and professional priorities.

“I play Kyle who is one of Ryan’s classmates. Ryan is the son of Gerard Butler’s character,” Faraci explained. “Kyle has an exchange with Elise, Ryan’s mom, when she stops by to get Ryan’s homework at school.” The character Elise is played by Boardwalk Empire’s very own Gretchen Mol (“Boardwalk Empire,” “Life on Mars” and “Mozart in the Jungle”).

Originally, Faraci had auditioned for the main role of “Ryan,” but didn’t book it due to physical traits the character needed to match. Just days after this unfortunate news, the casting director invited Faraci to perform the role of Kyle without the need of a new audition. “While I didn’t work directly with Mr. Butler,” Faraci also mentioned, “It’s exciting to have your name involved in a big production with A-List talent such as Alison Brie (“Community,” “BoJack Horseman” and “Mad Men”), Gretchen Mol, Willem Dafoe (“Spider-Man,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “Finding Nemo”), and Alfred Molina (“Spider-Man 2,” “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angie Tribeca”).”

“The Headhunter’s Calling” will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, also known as TIFF, this September.

For more information on Samuel Faraci, please visit: http://www.imdb.me/samuelfaraci/

Follow Samuel Faraci on Twitter: https://twitter.com/samuelfaraci

For more information on “Country Crush,” please visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3901944/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

For more information on “Blood Hunters,” please visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3646592/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

For more information on “The Headhunter’s Calling,” please visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1718924/?ref_=nv_sr_1

award winning films, Behind the Scenes, Commercials, Composer, Entertainment, Film, Film Composer, Guitarist, international musician, Music, Musicians, Score Composer, Songwriters, Theater

DIVERSITY IS A GUITARIST’S BEST FRIEND

July 6, 2016 Lorraine Wilder 2 Comments

Indian born guitarist Nipun Nair is a music purist…when it comes to being a great musician but not about the genre he is playing. Consider his latest work on Anthony Cruz’s premier major release “Cosas Del Destino”. Cruz is riding the wave of Latin pop artists whose ever increasing fan base is steadily taking over major radio and popular concert tours (Nair’s guitar work can be heard on the first single “Me Vuelas La Cabeza” currently in major rotation in New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, and many other markets). The songs are catchy and the musicianship is top grade. All of Nipun’s influences combine in a way that lifts the songs and supports the vocals. It’s no wonder that Tushar Menon (music journalist for Prog Magazine, Rolling Stone, and other music publications) referred to Nair’s playing as, “that elusive combination of technical and enjoyable. There is much in his music to satisfy seasoned musicians as well as excite non-musicians.” Top level music production and great recorded performances, combined with Cruz’s matinee good looks are a steady move towards a Hollywood ending; seemingly a world away from Nipun’s early success in India with his band Public Issue. Public Issue garners its identity from the world of rock and funk. Bordering on soulful and even progressive rock at times, the band started out as undergrad friends who wanted to play as a hobby. The group was as surprised as anyone when they immediately started winning competitions and fans, playing to crowds of 5,000 or more. Tours and television performances on music channels like VHI and Channel [v] followed. Press fast forward just a short amount of time and Nipun has travelled to the U.S. and, within days he was contacted to perform in a band, one of whose vocalists happens to be Anthony Cruz. Not only did Anthony take notice of Nair’s abilities, but the creative team behind him did so as well. This team includes Deborah Corday, Randy Phillips, and Rafael Esparza Ruiz (cumulatively they have worked with; Toni Braxton, Rod Stewart, Ricky Martin, Santana, Justin Timberlake, Prince, and many others). Their recognition of the guitarist’s talent and their desire to have him involved is quite an achievement in itself. The weight of the moment is not lost to Nipun who tells, “I was in disbelief at how I was able to come so far so soon. It felt like the moment I stepped into the country things started to happen. Now Anthony’s music is playing on all the Latin radio stations in the country; the songs for which I recorded guitars. The feeling is overwhelming and incredible.”

Some of the most successful artists in today’s music market are those who are the most diverse. Modern artists use their association with well known products and services (Apple, Kia, etc.) to jump start a new career or give new life to former glory years. Placement is as valid an avenue for artists as radio, possibly even more so due to the ubiquitous nature of music in our society. Many advertising agencies recognize this and employ contemporary artists as composers to create a sound canvas; artists like Nipun Nair. Nipun has enjoyed a successful career as a music composer with Rubecon Creative Solutions in India. Nair has created numerous scores for Rubecon’s campaigns which aired on major television networks (Zee TV, Star Plus, Channel V, etc) and in large cinemas like SPI Cinemas. Massive audiences were exposed to his work. Rubecon’s Alexander Zachariah confirms, “Not only did Nipun prove to be crucial to the success of the productions we did for our clients, but he also proved to be an integral part of the success of our agency.” Nipun has put these skills to use here in the U.S. working with Barbara Cohen to compose music for Dunkin Donuts and Hewlett Packard. Award-winning composer Luis Guerra is the founder of Terremoto Productions Inc., an audio production company that has compositions in feature films like Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (Tina Fey), Fallen Angel (CBS), and countless commercial campaigns for companies such as Honda, Samsung, and others. Guerra hopes to make use of Nair’s abilities creating music for projects with Mountain Dew, Disney Channel, and building the Terremoto Music Library.

For 2015’s Dreaming is a Private Thing, Nair was given a multitude of challenges. Filmmakers Alan Sardana and AJ Smith needed a score which would resemble and reinforce their film’s topic of corporal and electronic existence. They needed a modern sound with a sense of humanity. The film is based on the story by legendary science fiction writer Isaac Asimov and has a cast of three characters; Eli Lee (played by Leo Lee [Swordfish, The Replacement Killers, Contact]) the world’s last filmmaker and Sam’s creator, Sam (Dan Mousseau) the android/camera, and Samantha (Susie Park [Spider-Man 2, Miracle on 34^th Street, The Chaos Factor]) the lead actress in Eli and Sam’s films. Due to the small size of the film’s cast, the score needed to become the fourth member of the ensemble, enabling the audience to further connect with the characters. Nipun’s score achieved this as well as complementing the characters. At times the music is dreamy and digital and yet, intermittently introduces overtly analog and “human” traits. Vacillating between man and machine was a goal the score achieved…all within three days! Nair reveals, “Short on time for submission to festivals, he [AJ Smith] would send me scene after scene and I was writing and recording as quick as possible. I’d watch the scene and compose something to capture the feel of it…but I didn’t have time to think about it. I was going on instinct and first impressions. It was exciting but a little crazy as well. I was happy that AJ and Alan were excited about the score. Dreaming…went on to be screened at the Toronto Short Film Festival as well as a win [for Best Production Design] at the Ryerson University Film Festival in Canada.”

In addition to composing for film, Nair has been a part of creating music for live theater for years. As any actor can tell you, the two are similar but very different animals at the same time. For many years, Nipun worked with The Little Theater and its founder (award winning director and playwright) Aysha Rau. The theater, which focuses on fostering the creativity of underprivileged children, has received worldwide acclaim for productions like The R.E.D.Bean Can which has toured internationally. The R.E.D. Bean Can was selected out of sixty productions from all over the world to be performed at the 22^nd International Children and Young Adults Theater Festival in IRAN. This production was Nair’s most recent compositional offering to The Little Theater. Founder Aysha Rau comments on his work, “I am floored by Nipun’s ingenuity as a composer. He brings a sense of freshness to his work that galvanizes the theater time and time again through his original compositions. It is because of his talent and dedication that our productions have been immensely successful and garnered significant press coverage.” Nair has composed the music for countless productions at The Little Theater; one of the most popular is the annual Christmas Pantomime which has attracted sponsors including; Coca Cola, Ford, and Citibank, to name just a few.

Nipun has also used his skill as a composer in live theater to benefit the Theater of Will in southern California. This non-profit arts and education company is supported by LADWP and performs musicals about water conservation. Award winning author/playwright/actor/director and president of Theater of Will, Willard Simms, confirms, “As his diverse array of achievements clearly indicates, Nipun Nair is among the most elite composers and performing musicians working in the field today.” The success did not come as an easy happenstance for the India born composer. Nair emphasizes, “The Water Wizard shows and the concert series posed specific challenges as a musician. You are trying to educate kids through music in a way that is fresh, stimulating and entertaining…but in a not too obviously educational way. The key is great lyrics and catchy melodies. Having a charismatic stage presence really helps when you are performing for an audience of hundreds.” It seems that Nipun will soon be performing for crowds of thousands (or more) again alongside Anthony Cruz; that charisma on stage will come in quite handy.

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Spanish Photographer and Videographer Captures Wedding Memories that last a Lifetime

June 30, 2016 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

DSC00339 copia — Wedding photography from Padilla-Rigau is brought to breathtaking life by Cristina Tomas Rovira.

Cristina Tomás Rovira knows she’s done her job when goosebumps are part of the end result. She is a photographer and videographer who specializes in photographing and filming wedding videos for Padilla-Rigau, a celebrated photography company headquartered in Barcelona.

“You are witnessing a very special day and you need to make your clients feel like Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant,” said Rovira, an outstanding photographer who is also recognized for her work in music and fashion. “I always want them to have chills while watching the video. If the couple says they’ve got goosebumps while watching it and they love it, that’s all that matters and I feel proud and happy.”

Rovira oversees all of Padilla-Rigau’s filmmaking and has served in the role since 2010, when the company was formed by Bernat Padilla and Anna Rigau.

“This is the 6th year that we’ve been shooting weddings,” Rigau said. “We’ve evolved and we’ve created the Padilla-Rigau style. Lately, a lot of the couples that hire us tell us that they knew that they would hire us before they were even engaged. That is amazing — they love how our videos and our photos connect. Cristina’s work connects with the people, and given we work with emotions here, she knows how to make people happy.”

Padilla-Rigau’s videos range from three and half to four and a half minutes long and highlight all the intimate happenings at weddings, from the preparation moments just before the ceremony all the way to the bride and groom’s exit following the reception.

It’s a day-long shooting process that captures memories made for life.

Rovira, who has also collaborated with famed music photographer Joseph Llanes (Rolling Stone, Billboard, Spin and many more), said, “By the end of the day, all the guests and the couple are so used to us being there that they give us the best reactions. We are like four more friends who brought a camera and are capturing everything nonstop.”

The videos unfold as short romantic films shot in HD and set to music. They evolve from season to season and are altogether emotion-stirring, beautifully crafted, stylized and artistic.

The required ability of a photographer and videographer in the case of weddings extends beyond technical camera aptitude. There’s a need to develop rapport, to blend into the environment naturally and to shoot with delicate sensitivity. Rovira’s talent resonates deeply in this regard and lends itself to exceptional photography and filmmaking.

“I like people, I like emotions and I like to capture those emotions,” she said. “I treat every wedding as it was my own or one of my friends or family members, and I think to myself what I would want to see as a bride, as a friend and as a family member. After so many years shooting weddings, you kind of film instinctively.”

Rigau notices the same sentiment featured in Rovira’s work and said, “She’s been doing this for a long time now and she is great with emotion and her way to capture those emotions is beautiful. I think she sees weddings through her lenses, thinking she is filming a romance comedy movie. And it’s amazing. The other day, we were talking about how the four of us can sense when is going to be a high five, or a kiss, or a hug before it happens. She knows that she is filming one of the most important days of someone’s lives, and she treats that day the same way the bride and groom do.”

It’s a team-oriented approach that’s propelled Padilla-Rigau to the pinnacle of wedding photography.

“What makes Padilla-Rigau special and step out from the rest is that we are a team of two photographers and two videographers,” said Rovira, adding that Ferran Clotet rounds out the team. “We work together and synchronize. Like playing any kind of sport, sometimes you throw the ball without looking — you know your team is going to catch it because you’ve know each other really well. That’s our thing.”

The strategy and collaboration has certainly been working. While wedding season traditionally ran from mid April to September, Rovira noted how the schedule has expanded to a nearly year-round basis. Padilla-Rigau has booked more than 65 weddings in the last two seasons, Rovira said.

With a bevy wedding photographers shoring up the industry, Padilla-Rigau has risen to such outstanding heights in large part due to its dynamic video productions spearheaded by Rovira. It was a creative decision to trim down and succinctly portray the essence of weddings in a way that would bode well for sharing on social media.

“We were one of the first companies in Barcelona to do these highlight reel videos,” Rovira said. “When we started, Facebook was only like four years old and in Spain it got really popular around 2007. We decided to focus on that. People wanted to share their life and fast. So we wanted to step out of the old fashioned wedding videos that lasted forever and that families were forced to watch.”

An important component inserted in the videos during editing and post-production is the accompanying music selections that help set the tone and ambiance. A few clients may request specific songs, but most entrust Padilla-Rigau for musical selections.

“I think they like to be surprised by it and I love music, so finding the perfect song for the perfect moment is what makes me love my job even more,” said Rovira.

And the most rewarding part?

“It feels awesome to hear back from the couples who tell me that they felt all kinds of feelings watching the video and they felt like they were living again that day. I’ve cried reading most of their emails or feedback,” said Rovira. “When you hear from them and what they say is good, you feel such relief and happiness. As in any other job or in your personal life, you feel over the moon when you make someone else happy.”

Padilla-Rigau also shoots for events and fashion. In these areas, Rovira has photographed for a Friday’s Project branded campaign, for Shana Shops and for the Oysho free yoga Barcelona, Barcelona Night Out, Hard Rock Cafe Barcelona and luxury hotel events, among others.

“In fashion, we’ve noticed that our clients love Cristina’s work because she listens to them,” Rigau said. “She makes their ideas and thoughts real. She puts the same effort as she does at weddings to show emotions, even in fashion. She wants to make the people feel something while watching the video. She is fast, and a lot of times, she makes a great video when at first hand it could seem impossible.”

For more on Padilla-Rigau, visit: www.padilla-rigau.com

Watch their wedding videos on Vimeo:

https://vimeo.com/padillarigau

For the latest and greatest from Cristina Tomás Rovira, visit: www.cristinatomas.com

Asian, Entertainment, Film, Film and TV Crew Interviews, Film Festival, Sound Design and Sound Editing, Uncategorized

International Sound Designer Xiao Hou is the King of Foley

June 24, 2016 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

Xiao Hou recounts mimicking 1930s actions to recreate perfect sound

Xiao Hou is an international sound designer with a passion for the craft burning so bright it pushed him to move his entire world from China to Savannah, Ga. in pursuit of his Masters Degree in Sound Engineering. However, Hou’s devotion to sound had its root far earlier than his post-undergraduate days.

“I’ve always been a big fan of music,” he said. “I love recording and mixing it, and really got a chance to explore live sound while in college for several years as an undergrad in China. So one day I told my parents that I wanted to dedicate myself to sound, to audio, to anything related to sound. Luckily, my parents supported me. To study abroad is a lot of energy, time and money, but my family was fully on board.”

The investment and dedication would pay off. Hou got a call in Jan. 2013 to work as sound designer on the short drama film, “Until the Dust Settles.” The story follows a father and his two sons who reconnect while traveling through the American Dust Bowl in 1932.

The call to Hou came after various colleagues sang Hou’s praises to the sound supervisor — Mike Patterson (“Battlefield Hardline” and “The Walking Dead: Michonne”) — who is a fellow Savannah College of Art & Design alum.

Patterson raves about Hou. “As the leading sound designer of the film, Xiao absolutely excelled in his duties of recording custom sound effects to reach a more realistic aesthetic for the film. He recorded these sound effects in an environment similar to the location of our main characters in the early 1930s to achieve a more realistic vision for the film as a whole,” said Patterson. “While an uninspired sound designer could have easily pulled catalogued noises from sound libraries, Xiao took it upon himself to go the extra mile.”

Hou recalls director Alex Gangi’s high standards for the film’s quality and sound. But it wasn’t Gangi that pushed Hou to supersede expectations — Hou’s hard work is innate and is one of the reasons he’s amassed many outstanding achievements in film. His brilliant sound can also be heard in titles such as Lionsgate’s “Compadres,” in commercials for Paris Hilton and the LA Clippers and in other acclaimed short films such as “Once” and “God Save the Queen.”

“It was very challenging,” Hou said of “Until the Dust Settles.” “The director wanted to have really great sound, so I sifted carefully through the sound library, but for some actions I couldn’t find the exact sound I wanted, so I ended up recording the sound in my kitchen, and bathroom.”

Hou carefully explains the delicate and intriguing process of “foley,” whereby sound designers mimic on-screen actions to recreate precise sounds. Hou adds that since the film was set in the 1930s, he had to be very careful and precise while re-enacting. “I had to custom record by myself and cut those sounds into the film,” he said. “In the end, it turned out pretty great.”

Great is an understatement. “Until the Dust Settles” went on to win a handful of awards and festival selections: winner of the Savannah Film Commission Award at the 2013 Savannah Film Festival, winner of Best Student Short at the 2013 California International Shorts Fest, a nomination for Best Student Short at the 2013 We Like ‘Em Short Film Festival, 2013 official selections at the LA Shorts, Cincinnati Film Festival, Orlando Film Festival, Big Bear Lake Film Festival and Bald Shorts Film Festival, and 2014 official selections to the Macon Film Festival and Speechless Film Festival.

“I’m very happy to be the behind the scenes person. I have always been obsessed with sound. I call myself an audiophile,” said Hou.

His passion for the field oozes out of his pores, as he subscribes to magazines, reads articles and continues to keep his skills fresh and sharp. “The most important learning process is working on projects,” Hou said. “The ultimate dream would be to continue working on exciting projects and traveling to work with other countries. I’m an international person and so my goals aren’t limited to just the United States, but all over the world, working with different people.”

Brazil, Cinematographer, Documentary Filmmaker, Editor, Entertainment, Film, Uncategorized

Brazilian Director of Photography Makes International Impact Across Australia

June 21, 2016 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

Photo5_Kauss — 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.

Photo2_Kauss

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.

Actors, Film, Model, Television, Uncategorized

Top Model to Leading Lady On Screen: Ashiko Westguard

June 15, 2016 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

unnamed — Ashiko Westguard shot by Stephanie Daniel

Hollywood has no shortage of beautiful actors who first began their careers in the public eye as models. Ashton Kutcher, Cameron Diaz, Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel all come to mind, and right along with them is Canadian beauty Ashiko Westguard. Growing up in the small town of Innisfil in Ontario, Canada, Ashiko was scouted by Next Models at the age of 18 and that is when everything really began taking off for her.

About signing with Next, Ashiko recalls, “They were amazing, one of the best if not the best. It was this hot fresh agency that had an amazing list of models. I was always told since I was so short not to expect to travel and do major runway shows or campaigns or even to travel to certain markets. But that did not faze me. I knew I was going to do all those things.”

And she did.

As a model Ashiko has been featured in massive campaigns for Honda, Garnier, L’Oreal, Lancome, Dita Von Teese Lingerie, Triumph, Nivea, Coca Cola, Revlon, Nike, Redkin and many other household name brands.

Her career as a model has taken her around the world several times over. An exotic beauty by anyone’s standards, Ashiko knows just how to use her looks and express emotion with her eyes to meet whatever a client needs; but even before becoming a model, Ashiko’s sights were set on acting.

She explains, “As a child I always dreamed of being an actress. My family had no idea what to do with me but my mother did enroll me into a theatre group. I had such a hard time overcoming being shy yet I wanted to be an actress more than anything. I laugh now at how silly that sounds but somewhere, somehow, I got over being shy.”

Ashiko first began honing her skill as an actress in the theatre in her youth, and despite having an incredibly busy modeling career, she has always found the time to take acting classes in order to perfect her craft.

One of Ashiko’s first on screen roles came in 2007 when she guest starred as Beverly on Syfy’s Leo Award winning action-packed drama series “Painkiller Jane,” where she acted alongside award-winning actress Kristanna Loken (“Burn Notice,” “The L Word”), Noah Danby (“Bitten,” “Defiance”) and Stephen Lobo (“Continuum”).

Shortly after “Painkiller Jane,” Ashiko landed a role on the series “Kaya” acting alongside Danielle Savre from “Heroes” and “Hollywood Heights,” Mike Dupod from “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” and “Man of Steel” and Cory Monteith from “Glee.”

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The role she has become best known for over the years however, was the critical role of Eve in the sci-fi crime thriller “A Dark Matter” directed by James Naylor (“Under the Bridge”).

Produced by Film Folks, “A Dark Matter” follows Angus, played by Daniel Briere (“The Parent Family,” “Antony and Cleopatra”), a talented but tormented artist whose girlfriend Laura, played by Shauna Bradley (“Hemlock Grove,” “Nikita”), leaves him without warning, the main catalyst in a chain of events that ultimately lead him into a dark underworld where he encounters a demonic mix of unsavory characters.

In search of answers to why she left, Angus discovers that Laura harboured a dark secret that ties her to The Albino, played by David Tompa (“The Conspiracy,” “The Returned”) and Ashiko’s character Eve.

While Eve at first appears to be a tool of seduction used by The Albino to distract Angus from his missing girlfriend, over the course of the film we begin to realize that devious Eve may just be the mastermind behind Angus’ slow descent into insanity, and the person who murdered his girlfriend.

“Playing the femme fatale character Eve was very interesting. She was so vulnerable and dark and beautifully complicated. I feel like during the filming I really took on Eve in my life. I was happy to finish filming though. Eve was evil and used people as pawns… It was hard to be her for a few weeks… especially with consecutive night shoots,” explains Ashiko.

Regardless of the challenges though, in the end Ashiko’s portrayal of Eve was the standout performance of the entire film, unforgettable to say the least. The raw energy she brought to her character, and the way she seemed to effortlessly exude Eve’s dark and evil nature was enough to send a shiver down the spine of even the most jaded viewer, which makes it easy to understand why the actress was happy to release her character back into the story and return to her charismatic and bubbly self after the filming was over.

In addition to making her name known in film and television, Ashiko has also been a featured actress in several music videos over the years, including Crazy Town’s video for their hit song “Come Inside” off the album “The Brimstone Smugglers.” Released last year the music video for “Come Inside,” which garnered thousands of views on YouTube and was featured on The PRP, Pop Deflators, Metal Nerd and several other high profile music outlets, reveals Ashiko once again as an undeniably sexy vixen with a dark side on screen.

One area where Ashiko has brilliantly blended her work as a model and an actress has been as the lead in commercials, and she’s done many. From major roles in globally released commercials for Axe Deodorant to nationally released commercials for Honda, May Company, Workopolis and Leons in Canada, and those for Sony Ericsson and Nikon, which aired nationally across the U.S., Ashiko has proven her skill to immediately captivate an audience and leave a memorable impression in their minds every time.

In 2014 Ashiko was the lead actress in Old Spice’s ‘head to toes’ stairs commercial, which aired thousands of times across the country and followed a robot who claims to love human women, so naturally he uses Old Spice to smell more like a human man. Not only does Ashiko look dolled up and dazzling in the commercial, but she plays her role so believably anyone would believe that robot or not, Old Spice products are enough to get the girl of their desires.

With beauty, charm and an impressive range on screen, Ashiko Westguard is one model turned actress that we cannot help but love.

Composer, Feature Film, Film, Film Composer, Film Score, Hollywood, International Creative Talents, international musician

U.K.’s EMILY RICE ENRICHES HOLLYWOOD, BLENDING TRADITION AND CONTEMPORARY

June 8, 2016 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

British born composer Emily Rice is a member of the club of young composers who began as serious instrumentalists but angled into the path of composition. While many gifted performers seek the adulation of a live audience, a subset chooses instead to influence and affect generations of audiences by writing music to interact with other art forms; in Emily’s case, film and television. The choice to have your work be supportive and shine the spotlight on another’s performance implies both talent as well as a complementary nature. No doubt, her early years as a cellist in London taught her the importance of each individual’s role in an ensemble, as well as the emotional impact the entire group could elicit on an audience. Following a successful series of compositional endeavors in the UK, Rice began fielding offers from Hollywood with highly successful results.

Najmia is a film about the last days of a pregnant twelve-year old Yemini child bride before undergoing labour. The uneasiness of the subject matter in terms of social conformity and the life endangering experience of Najmia coupled with the presentation of this piece led to a win in 2015 at the Forum on Law, Culture, & Society’s International Short Film Competition. Ethical discussions were bound to arise concerning the situation in the film but Rice states, “Our main focus was to communicate the topic of humanity, especially towards the central character Najmia. The film ends ambiguously with Najmia giving birth and the audience is left not knowing whether she survives the labour or not. The film’s aim wasn’t to make judgment on child marriage and the pregnancies that result from these marriages, but to raise awareness about the need for proper midwife training and better sanitary conditions in these situations.” The film required a score that would match the intensity of the story being displayed on screen. The compositions Rice created more than achieved this goal, as proven by her nomination for Best Composer at the Underwire Film Festival in 2015 (Najmia has received four nominations in addition to those previously mentioned). Rice took some extra precautions to assist the filmmakers in avoiding any preconceptions by the audience. She comments, “We wanted the audience to come away thinking that Najmia could be any young woman, not just a young woman from the Middle East as depicted in the film, and this is why I avoided using ethnic instruments. Also, emotion is something that strings provide very effectively. As a string player (I started my musical life as a cellist), they were the obvious choice.” Emily used an early musical form known as a passacaglia as a base to create the cue in the climactic scene in which we realize that the main character is in trouble. The composer’s knowledge of the prejudices that we may carry with us helped the filmgoer experience the true message that was intended.

2015’s award winning Clone Counseling is a stark contrast in subject matter to Najmia. A comedy that concerns a man in couple’s therapy with his clone; the film needs to evoke a completely different color of the emotional spectrum when it comes to music. Emily worked hand in hand with Aaron Burch to compose a sonic backdrop to set the proper tone. The subject matter of technology and its contributions to society are not lost on Rice and her approach to composing as she utilizes a blend of organic instruments, loops, and electronics. Highly recognized composer Bruce Broughton (Academy award-nominated, Emmy award-winning, and ASCAP award-winning) recognizes Rice’s abilities and achievements. He relates, “In all of the musical combinations, whether large or small, whether with live musicians or with electronics, regardless of the demands of musical or dramatic style, Emily does a fine job in demonstrating her skill in approaching and successfully negotiating a broad range of contrasting and dissimilar requirements.”

As an artist who is cognizant of the evolution of TV and Film and the need for the compositions that accompany it to grow, Emily constantly seeks out new challenges and ways to widen her palette. In addition to live action films, animation has been popular for many decades and continues to change with technology. As continued validation that Rice is clearly a respected and contemporary member of the film and music community, the Los Angeles Live Score Film Festival recognized and selected her to score the animated film Cowboys in a Saloon (awarded Best Picture at the Los Angeles Live Score Film Festival). The score was recorded by the LA based ultra modern ensemble the Helix Collective. Emily takes an active interest in the live music scene in Los Angeles but it is her deep love of film and television composing that drew her to the city and industry. Her achievements working on commercially successful films such as the Jerry Bruckheimer production “Deliver Us from Evil” (Grossing $65 MM) and the $100 MM Worldwide hit “The Last Witch Hunter”, starring Vin Diesel, have benefited from Rice’s focus as well as longer formats like the WGN’s TV series “Underground”.

Emily continues to immerse herself in new challenges and musical experiences here in Los Angeles. The composition and orchestration for 93 Days, about a Liberian-American racing against the clock in a foreign country against the Ebola influenced panic, demands an intensity and suspense similar to other big budget films. It’s a situation to which Rice has already proven herself to be more than appropriate to contribute. Firefly (2016, currently in production) sees Emily being challenged with the dichotomy of wonderment and suspense. The child’s perspective of Maya (the film’s central character) has led the composer to seek a nontraditional approach in order to bring something fresh to the story. The score of Firefly is based on musical motifs, including a “monster hunting” theme. Rice reveals, “The ‘monster hunting’ theme is quite rhythmic as it accompanies Maya while she prepares traps for the imaginative monster. I’ve also used a lot of instruments that are typically ‘light’ to reflect the childlike qualities in the story…mostly harp, piano, celeste, and a small amount or strings and percussion.” Sometimes it takes a light touch and approach in a score to leave a strong impression.