Art Director, Behind the Scenes, Commercials, Feature Film, Film, Hollywood, International Creative Talents, Interview, Production, Russian Talents

Art Director-Motion Graphics Designer Ilya Tselyutin Thriving in Hollywood

May 9, 2017 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

Art Director-Motion Graphics Designer Ilya Tselyutin works in one of the most fascinating, fast moving and over looked fields in modern media. Motion Graphics is a constantly evolving, creatively fertile niche that entails creating everything from eye-popping feature film title sequences to innovative television commercial applications. It’s a complex mix of graphic design, animation and cutting edge technology that requires innate resourcefulness, meticulous attention to detail and the ability to bring life to a very broad spectrum of images—qualities which the Russian-born Tselyutin has no shortage of.

“While studying computer science at university, I developed interest in 3D graphics,” Tselyutin said. “I was always curious how this technology worked. At the same time I started looking at works by some famous graphic designers and learned about typography. I wanted to bring all of this together – 3D graphics, animation and design. Also, I drew my inspiration from title sequences from Hollywood movies, as well as the special effects in sci-fi movies.”

A painstaking, gifted craftsman whose outstanding work has been recognized with international awards—Silver winner for Art Direction at Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards, and a Silver Win for Graphic Design/Animation at PromaxBDA, both in 2013—Tselyutin has distinguished himself with an impressive roster of career achievements. All this has led him to the field’s epicenter, Hollywood, where he enjoys a position at the prestigious Troika Design Group, a top branding and marketing agency that specializes in working with entertainment and media companies

“Troika is one of the most notable companies in the industry,” Tselyutin said. “I had learned about it a while ago and they were looking for a lead motion graphics designer to bring the quality of 3D graphics to the next level. Paul Brodie, the Managing Director, was closely following my work and invited me to join the company in 2016, where I am currently working as Art Director/Motion Graphics Designer.

At Troika’s Design Department, Tselyutin has successfully undertaken jobs for a disparate series of high profile clients. “We have a very busy schedule with plenty of projects coming my way every day,” Tselyutin said “The most interesting projects so far have been for AT&T Sports Network and ESPN College Basketball. The video for AT&T included working with the client’s static footage. As a lead designer on this project I suggested using a special technology in Cinema 4D software to cut the static footage into several pieces an then project them onto 3D models, and the result made both the team and the client happy.”

Tselyutin’s gift for surpassing expectations is a result of his widely varied cultural background and educational experience. With a Bachelors of Arts in Information Technologies and New Media from the Kuban State University, Krasnodar, Russia and a resume of jobs all over Europe, Tselyutin brings a refreshing international perspective to any project assigned him.

“While I was studying computer science, I started working at the local TV channel as a designer discovering the world of 3D graphics,” Tselyutin said. “I developed interest in design, typography and animation and after graduation, I moved to Moscow to work at the national largest TV network Channel One Russia, where I had the privilege to learn from the best and most experienced broadcast designers in the country.”

“My work brought me around the world,” Tselyutin said. “For example, I produced a 3D mapping show in at the Technology University of Mangalore, India. In 2013 I moved to work at VUCX creative agency in Cologne, Germany. Working and living in Europe with its variety of art museums, exhibitions and strong school of design was a great experience that helped me expand my portfolio and explore motion graphics even further.”

For the driven, ambitious Tselyutin, whose formidable resume is already packed with enough accomplishments to stand as the full measure of a professional career, it is only the beginning. “I am eager to continue my personal development as an artist, 3D professional and art director while growing professionally within the company,” he said. “I see myself working on large-scale commercially successful projects.”

“My motto is: be curious, be professional, never give up.”

Actress, Film, Filmmakers, International Actor

Actress Ariel Zhang captures split personalities in award-winning performance

May 7, 2017 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

International film festival — Ariel Zhang

Despite being an award-winning actress, Ariel Zhang remains humble. For the Chinese native, she is just thankful to be doing what she loves each day. Audiences around the world have had the opportunity to appreciate her talents, and with each project she takes on, it shows how versatile she truly is. This was never more evident than when she shot her film Consumemate.

Consumemate tells the story of Amalthea, a writer who wants to write a perfect story, but has her own internal struggles. It shows the consequences of Amalthea losing herself in her art. She sinks into madness as she immerses herself in her drive for perfection to live in the character of Piner, the protagonist of her story. She develops a split personality and cannot distinguish between reality and fantasy. Zhang played both Amalthea and Piner in the film.

“I like the theme of the project that is about success and ruin. The acme of desire is ruin, it’s difficult and important to make a balance. I believe the aim of every artist is to achieve perfection of execution. As an actress and artist, I always hope to find roles that are challenging and have perfect performances. Setting a goal is the whole life. In order to achieve that goal, I have to eliminate all the obstacles. Sometimes the obstacle is ourselves, so I start to fight with myself and seek a breakthrough,” said Zhang. “As an actress, I have to put myself into some imaginary circumstances and feel my characters. I have to have my heart open and be vulnerable. Sometimes, if I go deeply and stay in that imaginary circumstances for a long time, it can feel hard to get out. I also have a negative side in my body and feel self-denial and self-doubt. The feeling of failure is like an evil power, just like the writer Amalthea. The harder part was the ghost, Piner. She represents the dark side of people, she is like a powerful evil. I had to overcome my fears. I had to find out the dark side beyond myself.”

Although Consumemate just started its film festival run, it has already seen a lot of success, and was the winner of the Festigious International Film Competition 2017. Zhang has been recognized internationally for her outstanding performance. She won the Award of Merit – Leading Actress at the Best Shorts Competition 2017, the Festival Award – Best Actress at the Festigious International Film Festival 2017, the Bronze Award – Best Actress at the NYC Indie Film Awards, and was an Honorable Mention – Best Actress at the Los Angeles Film Awards.

still of Consumemate — Ariel Zhang as Amalthea in *Consumemate*

“When we were working on the first steps of rehearsals of this film, I thought this could be a great movie, so I gave my best, as everyone did. The fact that this film is doing so well on an international level is something that makes me feel really proud, and inspires me to keep working hard, because every victory means more and more work,” said Zhang. “It was fun and challenging having two different characters in the same movie. They were so opposite that I really needed my space and to work with each of them, and the director and the rest of the crew were really helpful about that.”

The success of the film truly came down to Zhang, as she had to fully capture both of the characters she had created. The director, Jun Xia, says he cannot imagine any other actress for Consumemate other than Zhang, and her acting in the film was complete perfection.

“Ariel nailed every single scene. Her understanding of the character and her journey was 110 per cent accurate, and even more important, believable. And for sure, she can make a project awesome just by having her as part of it. She has such a high level of professionalism as an actress. Also, the fact that she can deliver any emotion on screen completely real, makes the product basically perfect. She understands and works the character of the film as much as the director, so they end up giving life to any single detail of the film,” said Jun Xia, the director of the film.

In addition to being the lead actress, Zhang also wrote the film. Her idea to create the two characters were to create contrasts between them. She says the challenge is not only that the two characters have totally different personality characteristics, but they also live in different times. She was seeking to find different characteristics for each character. To do this, she explored the symptoms in schizophrenic patients, ensuring the feel was believable and raw. To set up the tone of ancient people, she also read a lot of ancient literature and watched many ancient themed movies. She truly wanted to explore more details to create a believable and truthful performance.

“After I created the two characters and the story, I also learned a lot of things from my characters. In a personal aspect, I learned that I need to appreciate the imperfect self, imperfect art and imperfect life. In a professional aspect, I found deeper areas of both myself and my role. I learned how to use acting skills and techniques to create characters, and not just playing myself. I knew more about my capability which will help me with developing different types of characters and different genres of films,” Zhang described.

Consumemate has been officially selected for the Los Angeles CineFest and Digital Griffix Online Film Festival, and there is no doubt that Zhang’s performance will once again be appreciated by those audiences, and many more.

Behind the Scenes, Production

Production Coordinator Victoria Marino Makes Shooting in Brazil Easy for Foreign Productions

May 6, 2017 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

Whether it be from Hollywood or any other country for that matter, when a production decides to shoot in a foreign country it’s imperative to have a strong production coordinator on the ground who’s familiar with the country they’re on location in to make things flow as seamlessly as possible. That’s where Brazilian production coordinator Victoria Marino comes in.

For several years now she’s been the production coordinator for high profile foreign productions who’ve gone on location throughout Brazil, including the Discovery Channel’s new series “The Wheel” and the network’s upcoming series “72 Dangerous Animals: Latin America” produced by the Australian production company Showrunner Productions Inc., the popular “UFC Embedded: Vlog Series” and “Road to the Octagon 24,” season two of the MTV series “Catfish: The TV Show Brazil” and more.

Over the years Victoria has accrued extensive experience in the film and television industry taking on practically every behind the scenes role imaginable, including working as a producer on the film “Goodnight Willy,” which screened at the Cannes Film Festival’s Court Metrage, and many others as an assistant director, production manager and assistant editor. The wide scope of her work and inside knowledge of how each department functions best, combined with her expansive contact list, are a few of the reasons that she’s become such a sought after production coordinator.

Last year Victoria was tapped to come on board as the lead production coordinator at Figura Media aka Brazilian Production Services, whose clients include industry giants such as Netflix, Disney, Marvel, Google, Fox, UFC, MTV and Discovery Channel.

About what drew her to join Figura Media, Victoria explains, “Being a Brazilian living in the United States, I was happy to find a production services company that specializes in providing production infrastructure to foreign clients filming projects in Brazil. This was the perfect position for me, because it gave me the chance to use my cultural Brazilian background combined with my production experience and knowledge of American client-handling.”

Her key role at the company has placed her in the lead as the coordinator on a long list of film and television shoots, as well as branded content, such as a recent project for the Wallpaper* Magazine and Pullman Hotels Global Nomad series, a series of films aimed at helping the sophisticated world explorer navigate the planet’s hottest cities.

As the production coordinator for the second edition of the series, which focused on São Paulo, Brazil, Victoria led the film crew around the city and ensured that the production ran smooth and nailed the client’s desires.

“For this project, our client had high ambitions in terms of the artistic look of the project, but a limited budget to accomplish it, so one of the main aspects of the production was to find creative solutions to make a beautiful film within the budget that we had,” explains Victoria.

“We were shooting at several different locations in São Paulo, so I personally negotiated location fees for each of them. I also had to find a crew that was ideal for the project, and coordinate all the other aspects of the production. At the end of the day, our client was really satisfied with the final project, and I was really proud of pulling off that production within the constraints that we had.”

Another project where Victoria’s skill and Brazilian familiarity proved her to be an invaluable asset as the production coordinator was on the docuseries “72 Dangerous Animals Latin America” produced by Showrunner Productions. The second edition in the “72 Dangerous Animals” series, the first of which aired on Netflix, the Latin American edition brings viewers up close and personal with the continent’s most deadly creatures.

Considering that many of those animals live in Brazil’s Amazon rain forest, having someone who not only knows the local film crews and culture, but also the often treacherous terrain was imperative to a successful shoot.

Carolyn Bertram, Senior Producer at Showrunner Productions, says, “In the production of a 12 episodes of a 1 hour international broadcast series, Victoria helped me navigate a minefield of challenging situations, and extreme locations… the guidance, help and expertise she added to our production, has enabled us achieve a much higher standard of content than we had dared hope for.”

Leading the way as a top production coordinator in Brazil, it will come as no surprise that more and more productions specifically request her to join their team on location in South America. Next up, Victoria Marino will be production coordinating the upcoming MMA documentary “Fightworld” for Netflix starring Frank Grillo, as well as an episode of NBC’s “The Voyager with Josh Garcia” in Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil, Cinematographer, Film, Filmmakers, International Creative Talents

Cinematographer Ernesto Pletsch is True Storyteller for Award-Winning Film “Akirah”

April 26, 2017 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

AKIRAH, 2015. Dhruv Lapsia (1stAC), Derrick Cruz (director), me and Andrés Hernandez (gaffer) — Ernesto Pletsch with Dhruv Lapsia, Derrick Cruz, and Andres Hernandez

Despite always having a deep passion for art, photography, and film, Ernesto Pletsch was hesitant to follow his dream. Growing up in Porto Alegre, Brazil, there is no film industry, and not many people believe filmmaking is a sustainable career choice. However, Pletsch was determined, and refused to give up on what would make him truly happy. Audiences are thankful for this perseverance, as now he is an internationally successful cinematographer.

Pletsch sees cinematography for what it is, a true and important form of art. He is a visual storyteller, giving a voice to people that may not have had one without him. While working on the film Akirah, the voice was more metaphoric, as there was no dialogue or speaking parts. The storytelling was completely dependent on the lens of Pletsch’s camera, and he was completely up for the task.

“I liked shooting this project because I put all I had into it. Derrick, the director, trusted me and gave me freedom to try something unusual. As the film is purely visual, we had a lot to experiment with. There was lots of camera movements and dramatic lighting. I think Akirah is a cinematography guided film, so that’s why I was intrigued to work on it,” said Pletsch.

Pletsch was extremely vital to the success of the film as the director of photography, and after premiering at Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank in September of 2015, it went on to have success at international film festivals. It was an Official Selection for the Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival in February 2016, where it won Best Student Short Drama, as well as the Gold Award Student Film at the International Independent Film Festival.

“It feels gratifying to have the film be so successful and recognized at these festivals. When directors, producers, actors or any other people who watched Akirah come up to me to congratulate, you feel gratified because you played an important piece in the success of it. And it’s only when each piece gets together that we can make something great,” said Pletsch.

Akirah shows the struggle of young gangs in a disturbed environment. It is a film about violence, an exploration of the psychological motivations of violence and the consequences that come with growing up in a culture of it. The film deals with our society structure and the people without a chance.

“Whoever is grown in this scenario is faded to the consequences of this culture. The culture of violence. My work was to take in consideration of this environment and try to translate this idea to spread this subject to a broader public,” said Pletsch.

To try to tell this story, Pletsch chose a specific style of cinematography, similar to that of David Fincher and Fight Club for look, colors and framing, and Akira Kurosawa in terms of the blocking of the actors and movement of camera. This approach was appreciated by director Derrick Cruz.

“Working with Ernesto has been one of the most seamless and easygoing partnerships of my career. His outstanding work lighting and composing shots speaks for itself. And I contribute his excellent craftsmanship and skill as the key factor in creating the quality and professional aesthetics of my films and TV show. But above all, what has kept me going back to Ernesto with my projects and films is his excellent on set demeanor, fearlessness and professionalism,” said Cruz. “Ernesto is great at what he does because of his passion and commitment to it. Watching him grow throughout our time together at school and now in our professional careers has been terrific. He is great at what he does because it is clear to me that every day he strives to get better and be better. And because of his dedication and love for photography and film he has continued to do so. I look forward to our continued partnership.”

It was Cruz who initially invited Pletsch to work on his film. He saw a bit of Pletsch’s work and knew he had the talent and skill to take the project to the level it needed to be. After discussing the project in detail, Pletsch was won over, and was eager to start working. Arriving to set, he knew no one, and now, two years later, the crew have made many films together with no plans of stopping.

“At first, filming Akirah was challenging. Being a film without any words, it was a big step to me in the pursuit of being a cinematographer. I was anxious. At the end of the shoot I was very pleased with the results. My crew was great, composed by talented people. Overall, it was a good stress. I was a little nervous by the responsibility put upon me, but it’s a natural process. We all have to pass through that at some point, and I did it,” Pletsch concluded.

Actors, Canadian Star, International Creative Talents, Television

Mike Goral’s narration truly takes viewers “Beyond the Hunt” on hit television show

April 26, 2017 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

Throughout his esteemed career, Mike Goral has become one of the voices of a generation. The voice actor started out as just a teenager, and his passion and commitment has led to him working with dozens of high profile networks in both his home country of Canada, and the United States. He has everything from television shows, documentaries, commercials, instructional videos, radio, and more. He is extremely versatile, and his voice is truly captivating; millions of people know this to be true.

Those watching Beyond the Hunt on The Outdoor channel have heard Goral’s compelling narration as he helped tell the story of husband and wife hunting duo Rick and Julie Kreuter on their outdoor adventures. Having heard Goral’s voice coming from their television speakers, the Kreauters reached out to Goral to be a part of the show. It was his first reality series, and it was a memorable experience for the seasoned voice actor.

“I thought this was an interesting story. I grew up in the city, and the people in this series were outdoorsy types. So, instantly, I was immersed in that culture. It was fascinating. It made me feel like I lived a real sheltered existence. They would go out into the wilderness to shoot footage for weeks. I had never met anyone who would go out into the wild for that long. I honestly don’t think I would do well in the elements for that length of time,” Goral joked.

The opportunity to work on something completely different than anything he had done before was enticing to Goral, so he immediately agreed to working on the show. Despite often just working alone in a sound booth, Goral had the opportunity to chat with Rick and Julie over the phone and through email prior to working on the show. Creating that familiarity helped to tell their story.

“There were some emotional twists and turns. Sometimes, the animal hunted would get away, and there would be times of disappointment among the cast. It was important for me to convey the tone of each scene carefully. The times, they would wait around for an animal that would never show up. It was a true game of cat and mouse,” said Goral.

The Kreuters act as producers on the show, as well as producer Jason Miller, who also scripted Goral’s lines. Miller has been producing television shows for the past 18 years, and says there is always a challenge when it comes to finding the perfect Voice-Over talent to fit a specific sound to put that perfect touch on a project.

“I was lucky to find Mike to be the Voice-Over talent for Beyond the Hunt with Rick and Julie Krueter. His voice talent, inflection, and professionalism to create the ‘perfect read’ always goes above and beyond awesome,” said Miller. “Over the years, working with Mike Goral has been a pleasure. Mike is just that professional that not only works to get the read done right, but, I’ve seen him be extremely flexible to get projects done after-hours and on weekends to help meet deadlines. Without a doubt, Mike Goral has just been awesome to work with.

He is an extremely talented voice-over artist. He has a talent for multiple sounds, inflections, and personalities to fit any project. It’s always a pleasure of mine to work with Mike.”

Goral agrees that working with Miller was a great experience, saying that his creativity added to the script. He once had Goral record the video of himself doing the voiceover session, and then used the video to actually feature him in the show. This was the first time Goral, as a voice actor, had ever made an on-camera appearance doing voice narration for a series.

“It was a lot of fun, and Jason came up with the concept on the fly. He is probably one of the friendliest producers I’ve ever worked with. We hit it off instantly. Jason was an amazing writer, so his scripts made my job such a pleasure. Really love telling great stories, and a great story starts with great writing. This was one of Jason’s many talents. He had so many creative ideas,” said Goral.

Goral’s voice was an additional character on Beyond the Hunt that viewers looked forward to hearing every week. There was no better choice as narrator, and Goral’s passion for what he does and eagerness to still learn despite his valued reputation and established career are what make him one of the best.

“I learned that it takes a lot of resilience to be out in the wild for weeks at a time. Seeing the challenges through the eyes of the cast, while recorded the narration rom my comfortable studio was very eye-opening for me. I was exposed to a culture and lifestyle totally different from my own. It was so interesting, and a lot of fun to be a part of. Nothing beats a great story to tell, and this, once again was my privilege as the in-show narrator,” Goral concluded.

photographers

Fashion Photographer In Focus: Irem Harnak

April 15, 2017 Lorraine Wilder 1 Comment

Some photographers have the rare ability to flawlessly capture a scene through the lens of their camera and create images that are nearly impossible to forget. And Turkish born fashion photographer Irem Harnak, who is known for her work as the photographer behind campaigns for Birdy & Grace, Titika, Joeffer Caoc, Zubaida Zang and Albert Yuen, is one of them.

While Harnak has become one of Canada’s leading fashion photographers since moving there over 13 years ago, she didn’t begin her photography career until she moved to London to study multimedia during college. There she says she was “inspired by the city, it’s rhythm, speed, architecture as well as various cultures…”

Harnak earned quite a bit of international attention in 2010 when she was selected as the Merit Winner of PDN’s international fashion photography competition, “The Look.” For the competition, which focuses on fashion and beauty imagery, Harnak captured her male subjects in a striking black and white photos series that tells a story of classic mod glamour.

“The photos are of male models getting ready at a fashion show backstage. It is a cinematic capture of the anticipation, stress and boredom of people at a hectic environment of a fashion show,” explains Harnak.

Over the years the cream of the crop of magazine publications, such as Marie Claire China, Superior Magazine, Flare, Fashion, Fantastics, 1968, Pause, FAB, Fiasco, The Fashionisto, PRESS the Fashion magazine and many more have all featured Harnak’s captivating work.

Whether she shooting high fashion editorials or attention grabbing street-style photographs, Harnak knows exactly how to set the scene and pose her subject in order to create captivating imagery. Her versatility behind the camera is immediately evident when comparing the slew of striking editorials she has shot for the popular Canadian magazine, PRESS The Fashion magazine, over the last few years.

In a 2013 editorial for the magazine, Harnak captured Elite Model Katya R. with a visual flavor that screams dark, vintage androgyny. What’s unique about the photos is the way Harnak manages to keep Moore’s feminine side intact, even in the midst of the highly contrasted images and the model’s wardrobe of suits.

In 2013 Harnak had another editorial included in PRESS the Fashion magazine, this time depicting model Carly Moore, who’s been featured in Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar on several occasions and has walked the runway for the world’s top designers including Gucci, Calvin Klein and John Galliano. Dressed in high-end Chanel and Dior pieces, Harnak captures Moore looking fresh, edgy and fierce in a black and white spread that undoubtedly caught the attention of PRESS’ readers.

Her shots of Eunique from Emer Olsen Models for the ‘Summer Flux’ editorial featured in PRESS The Fashion’s Summer 2015 issue are both fierce and fun. Through her use of a popping tangerine background in the shots of Eunique, who wears a dark hoodie by Silence + Noise and hip sliders by Opening Ceremony, Harnak created the perfect juxtaposition of fun summer vibrance with sporty chic sensibility.

“On each story I came up with the mood and did the casting to find the perfect girl that would fit the concept. For that reason it was really liberating and fun,” says Harnak about the editorials she shot for PRESS The Fashion magazine.

In addition to being the photographer behind numerous high-profile campaigns, Harnak works regularly with leading Toronto modeling agencies such as Elite, Sutherland, Elmer Olsen, Spot6, Ciotti, B&M and Lang for editorial and commercial work– something that has provided her with the perfect pool of diverse talents when casting for shoots.

While the striking editorials Harnak has shot for countless publications over the years have brought her to the forefront of the fashion photography industry, it’s her versatility as a photographer that has made her such a successful and sought after artist. As the photographer behind famous women’s golf apparel company Birdy & Grace’s spring 2014 campaign, Harnak proved her ability to capture commercial print photographs just as easily as she does high fashion. Her shots of Golf Channel’s spokesperson Win McMurry for the Birdy & Grace are stunning and right on point with the classy, upscale Birdy & Grace brand.

Over the past decade Irem Harnak has become one of the hottest fashion photographers in the industry today, however her skills are by no means limited to shooting fashion projects alone.

Harnak says “being able to capture a cinematic moment” is what drew her to photography in the first place. With that in mind, it’s not at all surprising that with her skill and creativity she has also been chosen to work as the director of photography on several film projects over the years.

To get a look at her work cinematic work in motion, make sure to check out the feature film “Personal Space,” a beautifully shot romantic drama starring Mark DeNicola from the series “Omega” and James McDougall from the award-winning film “SOS: Save Our Skins” and “ABCs of Death 2.”

Celebrity, International Creative Talents, Makeup Artist

Shu Zhang is first ever Chinese makeup artist to work on NBA players

April 14, 2017 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

As a makeup artist, Shu Zhang has done it all. Her time both working and volunteering around the globe doing what she does has earned her a reputation as one of the best, and that is why she works with the best. From doing the makeup for actresses attending the Academy Awards, to perfecting the image of some of the world’s best athletes, Shu has had international success.

While working with the Chinese media company Tencent, Shu had the chance to work with not only her idols, but those of her native country. The NBA has been loved and followed by generations of fans in China, and Shu was the first ever Chinese makeup artist to do the makeup for their players. Tencent had recently began the NBA network exclusive copyright for 5 years. The Tencent NBA official Propaganda “Not Just Competition” in the Chinese market turned out successfully, so Shu thought to herself “I would like to volunteer to be involved in this.”

“Being the first Chinese makeup artist to do makeup on NBA players is an honor that Shu deserves. She is great at time control and adaptable under pressure,” said Jackie C. Lin, who was working with the NBA Official Propaganda as a producer at the time.

While working on the ad campaign for the NBA, Shu had the opportunity to do the makeup for all-star players Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, and Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers. The players, with Shu’s makeup, were featured in various shots shooting baskets, dunking, and standing still, to promote the NBA.

“I feel easygoing and confident while doing makeup for celebrities, but male makeup could be tough. My application style is to guide the actor while coordinating the best makeup in a short time, before they lose patience and get less of a chance to bothered by the makeup,” Shu described.

Doing the makeup for each of the players was a very different technical experience for Shu. Chris Paul had a more sensitive skin type. To overcome any issue that would come up from this, Shu prepared medical level cosmetics and used a cotton pad. She applied a layer of anti-sensitive isolation cream before doing his makeup, and then evened out his skin tone safely and easily.

“Everything I put on the players had to be extra safe makeup, because on sport players, you have to prevent from any allergies or any other interferences that can impact their upcoming NBA game,” she said.

While working on Blake Griffin, whose skin was slightly drier, Shu knew to apply lots of toner before starting his makeup process. She then applied skin care products to hydrate, and gave him a more matte looking appearance with his wheat skin tone. She shaped his face using darker foundation, and then used light translucent powder to finish it.

While doing DeAndre Jordan, she felt extremely at ease despite his reputation as one of the best basketball players out there. She has lots of experience doing makeup for darker skin colors, which gave her the confidence to smoothly finish his makeup.

“They are not only amazing sport players but also have extremely professional work ethic,” said Shu. “DeAndre Jordan has an energetic and humorous personality, making him very easy to work with. For one shot, the production only had three chances to shoot his movement of a dunk, and aim to shoot and find facial expressions. This was a big challenge that Jordan seemed to do flawlessly, by being professional but also acting before the camera to achieve advertisement effects.”

As a makeup artist, she had to constantly work between shots to ensure the player’s real sweat did not ruin their makeup, and the fake sweat stayed on their face. There was also a time crunch on the shoot, as they were doing it in the LA Clippers Training Center. This was no problem for the makeup artist, as working with time constraints was nothing new to her.

“I kept a high efficiency in my work, doing everything I could to save time. Already being skilled in high speed makeup application, it helped me solve the problem of lacking time,” said Shu.

Her speed and talent thoroughly impressed all those she worked with, including Lin Wang, who was working with Shu on the NBA Official Propaganda shoot was the head of the art department.

“Shu is sufficient while working in high speed and still producing quality makeup application. She has an awareness for detailing, and knew to use highly safe makeup cosmetics on the professional athletes for this shoot, which is important to protect them from getting any skin irritations that could impact their game,” said Wang.

Shu’s bilingual background and flexible working style was invaluable to the process of working with both the NBA and Tencent. She values the diversified environment of working with both Western and Chinese teams. But it what truly made the experience was working with athletes, a new experience for her.

“NBA all-stars had been followed and loved by generations of Chinese fans, especially ones like Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan, and Blake Griffin who are unreachable to them. I’m honored to be the first Chinese makeup artist for NBA players. It’s a great opportunity to get involved in,” she concluded.

Film and TV Crew Interviews, Filmmakers, Production, Television

Esi Conway brings her line producing talent to Britain’s Next Top Model

April 13, 2017 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

Esi Conway’s natural instincts are what make her such a gifted line producer and production manager. Her innate talent for pulling people together combined with her outstanding organizational skills have earned her a spot as one of the best. She has worked for many of the world’s best television stations and some of the most recognizable shows, and throughout it all, she is doing what she loves.

One of the highlights of Conway’s career was working as a Production Manager for Britain’s Next Top Model. The mega successful television show, based off America’s Next Top Model, gave the line producer the chance to be both a fan and a large contributor to the show’s success. Having already been familiar with the Top Model brand because of the American format, she jumped at the opportunity to work for the British version.

“It was a great opportunity to get a diverse range of experience working with leading figures in fashion, acting, and the arts. The fast-paced nature of reality television meant that I would be kept on my toes, with story lines moving and impacting the brief of the show on a day-to-day basis,” she said.

Conway worked on the series for its first nine series, and is largely responsible for making the show what it is today. After the first season, she was given the chance to work primarily on the show’s foreign shoots, allowing her to travel ahead of the production team, and immersing herself in the country of her choice while negotiating deals with local talent.

“No two days were ever the same, from setting up a make shift production office in the middle of the Moroccan desert to working with Jimmy Choo to come up with challenges for the contestants in Malaysia,” she said.

It was an executive producer of the show that Conway had previously worked with that recommended her for the position on the show. He knew from first-hand experience that she was a skillful line producer, with experience in negotiating deals with brands and thriving in a fast-paced environment, and would be a great fit on the show. From there, all those that worked with her on Britain’s Next Top Model were instantly impressed. Robert Pearson, currently a senior producer for the hit show Real Housewives of New York, worked with Conway in Argentina on the show. Together, they went ahead of the team to work out challenges for the contributor, and meet with contractors. He describes working with the line producer as a pleasure.

“Esi is a level-headed problem solver and an excellent people manager. She is a dedicated team member who is able to motivate others. Her can-do attitude is an asset as well as her commitment to any project,” said Pearson.

Conway agrees that working with Pearson was a great experience, and the relationships she gained from working on the show was part of what made it invaluable. She also thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities the show gave her to work with local designers and creative talents, and gave them the chance to showcase their capabilities on a show watched by millions.

“I love the varied nature of the show, knowing that each day would come with a new set of challenges and problems to solve. I loved working with people in different countries across the globe to pull together to make a great show. I also enjoyed seeing the ideas and concepts come together seeing the contributors getting excited by the challenges the team had thought up or about receiving one the prizes that I had negotiated,” she concluded.

From her work with BBC, MTV, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, and many more, there is no doubt to both audiences and colleagues as to why Esi Conway is internationally recognized as an extraordinary Line producer/ Production Manager. Those first nine seasons of Britain’s Next Top Model were just the beginning, and now, years later, the world is not only appreciative, but also thankful for her talent.

Animator, Australian Talents, International Creative Talents

Designer and animator Cynthia Larenas is happy to do what she loves every day

April 13, 2017 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

CynthiaLarenas_14 — Animator and Designer Cynthia Larenas

Now that Cynthia Larenas is an internationally successful designer and animator, she looks back at her childhood and sees the signs that she was meant to do what she is now doing. She always had a passion for art, creating her own greeting cards and food packaging at a young age. She would design logos for her imaginary companies and hassle her mother to get her craft materials. It took her until her early twenties to fully realize creating was a part of her, but once she did, she never looked back.

Now, Larenas has worked with some of the world’s largest companies and helped define smaller businesses. She has created artwork and user interfaces for eBay and Citi, as well as boutique, socially conscious start-ups. As an animator, she has worked with Old Spice and Jack Daniels, and as a designer she has produced content for Ray-Ban and Dyson. There is no limit to what she can do.

“I create beautiful, engaging, and bold visual pieces both in static and animated formats. As a designer, I create solutions for clients that not only look visually stimulating but serve a function as well,” said Larenas.

In addition to working for companies like Electric Studios and Nectar + Co, Larenas has had her own independent practice for over four years. With her own company, she has been able to help other businesses build their brand, and has largely contributed to the success of many.

As Lead Animator for the video Elevate that was part of an immersive installation piece shown at the Vivid 2014 Festival and Sydney’s Ambush Gallery, Larenas’ talent was evident to all that got to experience the film. The piece draws upon the idea of elevating to a higher level of consciousness through a dream-like, rain cleansing, hypnotic experience. For the Ambush Gallery exhibition, this video was projected onto the ceiling under a staircase further adding to the idea of ‘rising’ or ‘elevating’. The viewers sat underneath the screen on bean bags and listened to binaural soothing beats as they watched various elements from the video coming down towards them. The final scene of the video shows rain falling down on the viewer as a symbol for a cleansing and renewal. This video was adapted and modified to be a projection mapping piece shown as part of the Vivid Festival. Vivid Festival features many of the world’s most important creative industry forums and has over 2.3 million visitors each year.

With her independent practice, she was also the designer and animator for Local Measure, a Sydney start-up with clients such as Qantas, Virgin, Village Roadshow and Hard Rock Hotel. In her position as Lead Designer for Local Measure, Larenas was responsible for all creative output for the brand including branding, product development, UX design, interface design, marketing material, website design, video direction and animation.

“I had lots of fun working at Local Measure and was so thankful that I got to use my variety of skills whilst I was there,” said Larenas.

Larenas first became involved with Local Measure when she was working at a Sydney start-up called Roamz. Having analyzed the market, the leadership team decided to take their findings from the Roamz app and apply it to a more unique and targeted market. The Roamz app then became Local Measure, a social analytics platform.

“When I first made the transition to work on Local Measure, the product did not even have a name yet,” she said. “It was an exciting time because I had the freedom to apply my wide range of skills to a multitude of creative outputs. I was really able to grow and feel like I was playing an integral part in building up the business.”

While working on Local Measure, Larenas worked alongside Aylin Ahmet. Ahmet says Larenas played a pivotal role in the successful pivot from consumer app Roamz into the B2B world, and overcame all expectations when she was tasked to design the brand, styling and product experience of Local Measure.

“Cynthia is a gem to work with. She possesses a unique blend of energy, creativity and discipline that exudes quality work in a consistent way. Cynthia is driven to make a positive difference for causes that she is passionate about. Her vast skill set beyond product design into animation, cinematics and photography makes her a truly unique, multi-faceted, talented and capable creative,” said Ahmet.

Another highlight for Larenas was working with Vince Frost as both an animator and designer, the founder and Executive Creative Director of Frost* Collective, in Sydney. She was first introduced to Frost through the Happy Billboard Project. The Happy Billboard Project is an initiative by Adelaide-based artist Sarah Connor. After taking to the streets with friends and holding up positive posters to passers-by, Connor noticed how much of a difference these simple posters made to the public. In 2014, Connor applied for a grant to take this concept to a large scale and put these messages in huge billboards around the most high-traffic areas in Sydney.

With this goal in mind, Connor approached Larenas to design these billboards. Larenas decided to create custom typography for these posters as she really wanted audiences to feel the human element behind the message. She provided Connor with two options; one colored by hand and one drawn on the computer. With the help of these posters, Connor won her $12,000 grant and made her dream a reality.

As part of the prize, Larenas was introduced to Vince Frost to serve as a design mentor for the campaign, and after seeing her portfolio, he invited her to work at his studio on a freelance basis. From there, she worked on projects such as City of Sydney, Dan Murphy’s and Green Square. In addition, while Frost was preparing for the promotion of his second book titled Design Your Life, he asked Larenas to do some visual effects and animation work for his promotional video for the book.

“Working with Vince Frost was an amazing experience because it gave me confidence to see myself as a great designer. Coming from such a respected and talented creative, who has been so highly successful is extremely humbling and rewarding,” said Larenas.

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind why Larenas is considered one of the best at what she does. Despite having such success, however, she remains humble. For the artist, it is just about doing what she loves every day.

“I really love this type of work because you get to see, experience and sometimes hold a tangible product at the end of a process. As a creator you’re incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to contribute to the environment around you,” she concluded. “I’m very thankful that I get to do what I love doing and that I took the plunge to follow what felt right.”

And those that see her work are very thankful too.

Commercials, Director, International Creative Talents, Interview

Director Jan Pavlacky shines light on EB disease with powerful PSA

April 5, 2017 Lorraine Wilder Leave a comment

It was when Jan Pavlacky was nineteen-years-old that he figured out his path in life. At that time, he did not know what exactly it would involve, but he knew he had to make films. He started off in the costume department, but when he got his first taste of directing, he knew without any doubt where his true passion was, and now he is an internationally recognized director.

Pavlacky has had an extremely successful career. He directed his film award-winning film BKA 49-77, worked alongside Hollywood’s biggest stars including Bruce Willis on the set of Hart’s War, Matt Damon on the set of Bourne Identity, and Luc Besson on the set of Joan of Arc with Milla Jovovich, and made commercials for worldwide brands such as Nike. He has worked with some of the world’s best production companies, including atSwim, which has an amazing international collective of producers, directors, and creatives from around the world.

“It’s a huge honor to be a part of atSwim,” said Pavlacky. “Working with creative people from different parts of the world broadened my own perspectives and I’ve learned to create work with more universal appeal.”

One of Pavlacky’s most notable projects with atSwim was a moving PSA commercial for the esteemed Debra company. The commercial was made to raise awareness for the company, which takes care of people with EB disease, an inherited connective tissue disease. The basic symptom of the disease is blistering all over the body surface, and also affects the mucous membranes, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract or excretory organs.

The commercial involved creating an annual calendar with 12 famous people from the Pavlacky’s native country of the Czech Republic, including artists, fashion designers, actors, singers, and scientists. During the commercial, projections were screened on the celebrities as they recited a poem by one of the EB patients. The footage of the celebrities was then projected on various materials and architectural elements, which created an abstract and inspiring vision that left a lasting impression on everyone involved.

“I loved that fact that I could use my knowledge or talent to create something of an moral value and contribute to the good of society. EB is incurable, and in many cases deadly, with very few medical resources and no known cure. Therefore, any attention and towards DEBRA, the organization taking care of EB patients, is important,” said Pavlacky.

While bringing attention to Debra, Pavlacky came up with the visual concept of creating light projections, which symbolized a second skin for the patients and evoked the situations and mixed feelings they go through as they battle the disease. This meant the shoot was very complicated, and called for an immense amount of preparation and technical aptitude. Before filming began, Pavlacky already had every shot planned to ensure the shoot was seamless for the entire crew and the famous celebrities. Pavlacky’s commitment and consistent planning ahead is appreciated by many of his counterparts in the industry.

“Jan has all the marks of a legendary director, and his genius is present in all of the projects he has been a part of. When atSwim was called upon to prepare a PSA commercial, I knew Jan was the right man for the job. The project was a resounding success, raising great awareness for the Debra company thanks to Jan’s groundbreaking direction, which offered a clever visual dynamic to accompany the important message. Additionally, the commercial achieved very high media buzz which was so needed by Debra, as well as helped us to further demonstrate atSwim’s distinguished nature as a leading production company. I can’t thank Jan enough for his great work,” said producer and founder of atSwim, Tomáš Krejčí. “Jan has proven himself time and time again to be a director of extraordinary ability made clear by his list of exceptional credits. He is truly among the top tier of directors working, and continues to impress me with each project he takes on.”

Pavlacky describes the experience of working on the commercial as wonderful, but it came with its technical challenges. There were lots of projections that were re-recorded in-camera. This process was done several times, thus creating a multilayered image all in-camera without post. He also had to synchronize all the images with sound, requiring a large amount of time in the editing room. However, one of the biggest roadblocks came from getting the celebrities on set, as they were extremely busy. Despite all of this, the commercial ended up being a huge success.

“The collaboration was very interesting. The celebrities from the PSA came from different backgrounds, some of them were experienced being in front of the camera some were totally unused to. I liked the balance between the professional and the authentic,” concluded Pavlacky.

You can view Pavlacky’s work on the powerful PSA here.