​  You should always consider how your actions will affect the world. You can be unwittingly inspirational to others. Case in point, Adrian Puan was a small boy when he watched a Chinese show called “Justice Bao.” The music was so intriguing to him that he sat down at his sister’s piano and figured out how to play the melody. When his parents inquired as to whether he might be interested in lessons, he declined the offer. He had no desire to spend his time under private tutelage when there were sports to be played. It’s ironic that Adrian would be the first member of his family to relocate to the United States to pursue his career as a songwriter, especially since he never learned to play an instrument. Nothing about this songwriter seems to be the result of an obvious conclusion. As a composer and co-writer of award-winning songs in Malaysia, Puan has made a career, and continues to achieve unexpected results all via heart and imagination.
  There is a vast difference between creativity and technical mastery. A commonly held misconception is that there must be a positive correlation between the two in order to achieve success. Although this does happen frequently, every rule has its exception. Puan is quickly proving to be that example in the modern music industry. He was convinced in his teens that he would be volleyball pro and later that he would be a psychologist. Although he completed his studies for a degree in Psych, it was an extracurricular activity that paved his career path in music. Adrian founded his own event organizing club in college and realized that he had a creative side. His goal was to plan events that had never been done before. A by-product of the process was working with entertainers. One of the bands that he booked in 2010 was Beat The System (BTS). BTS was a Malaysian band with a large following and had a somewhat hard rock sound. He connected with the group’s charisma and soon began working with them for their own promotion. Puan had always enjoyed writing poems so he seemed a natural resource for Gerald Sellan (BTS bandleader, drummer, and songwriter) when BTS was composing a song and having trouble completing the lyrics. Gerald recalls, “When I read what Adrian had written, I was stunned. I knew that he had a natural ability to come up with melodies but I didn’t expect his lyrics to be so strong! A lot of people think that lyrics are just words that you sing but there is much more to it. They have to flow well off of a vocalist tongue. They can’t seem stereotypical or trite. There is a rhythm and an emotional quality to certain words. I think Adrian’s background in poetry gave him keen insight into that.” The Asian Voice Independent Music Awards felt that the song was so strong that they awarded it (entitled “Shine”) Best Collaboration, Best Genre Bender, and Song of the Year in 2012. With an award winning tone set for Puan and Sellan, they partnered up again the following year to compose “Hero” which won for Best Rock Song at the ABM Music Global Awards. Sony Music Malaysia General Manager Hermond Chong reinforces the fact that Adrian established himself among his peers in the Malaysian music scene declaring, “Adrian skills as a songwriter are extraordinary. His talent and abilities have surpassed those of his peers in a very short amount of time.”

​  With Malaysia in their pocket, the writing team composed ten original songs in thirty days for (A&R and CEO of Monster Hits Music) Diana Meltzer in order to convince her of BTS’s ability to take their place amongst her other musical discoveries. Meltzer discovered Grammy award-winning band Creed, Alter Bridge, Drowning Pool, Evanescence, Thriving Ivory, and more. Adrian and Gerald each composed half of the ten songs which convinced Meltzer so strongly that she brought Adrian and BTS to the US to record with Grammy-nominated engineer Damien Page Lewis and (four time Dove Award-winning) producer Andy Anderson. Anderson notes, “I’ve seen many great bands and artists. One of the main ingredients for the success of a band is great songs. With Adrian Puan adding his songwriting ability to the sound of BTS, I am certain that they will do great in the American music market.”
  Adrian’s process for songwriting is, well…unusual. Never having learned to play a conventional instrument, he dictates his melodic ideas into the recording function of his iPhone. He states, “I will get a melody idea in my head and record the idea into my iPhone. I’ll revisit it the next day and if I still like it, I will take it to the band. Gerald is the middle man for the song evolution process. If he doesn’t like it for BTS I may keep it for some other artist at a later date. If he does like it, as leader of the band we will demo it. He is a much better singer than I and can lay down a scratch vocal. Once we get the vocal melody where it needs to be, we will use that in pre-production or in the studio to give May (Leigh, vocalist for BTS) a guide for her part. We all work together in the studio. I am fortunate in my situation as exclusive songwriter for BTS. Some artists are only interested in their individual interpretation of the song but all of the members of BTS work with me in the studio to help deliver my vision for the song. 

​  Now residing in Queens as BTS records their American debut JOURNEY, Puan feels as if he has a new well spring of influences to inspire his songs. “America is an exciting place and of course New York City is a city in which something is always happening. The people are actually very nice here. I arrived in December, right in the heart of winter; as you can imagine, the cold was quite a shock. Still, those new experiences are the ones that awaken ideas in you. For a songwriter, change can be quite invigorating. There has been so much change for me lately. In the amount of time it takes most people to earn a degree, I went from not being involved in music to writing and hearing songs of mine on the radio and winning awards all across Asia. Now I am the first member of my family to travel to the other side of the planet and I’m working with people who have won the most prestigious music awards in America.” comments Puan.
  Even though Puan has been a vital part of BTS’s forthcoming US release JOURNEY (seven of the album’s eleven tracks were composed by Adrian), he is still looking for new ways to create. Although he has investigated several of the apps that mimic instruments, nothing has clicked for him. One of the most welcome new influences for Puan has been the people themselves in America. He confirms, “Malaysia has cultural and racial diversity. That exists here in the US as well but I notice that the people are different. Gerald (Sellan) Stewart (Sellan, BTS guitarist) and I are all from Malaysia. May (Leigh, BTS singer) is American. She is so openly joyful and vibrant whereas we are much more reserved. It’s exciting to be around people who carry themselves in such a different manner because it challenges me to question my perspective…which will hopefully lead to great song ideas.” Adrian Puan would appear to be on the inspiration precipice of many new songs. Look for his latest compositions on Beat The System’s JOURNEY, to be released in early Fall 2016.

​  Gerald Sellan is sitting behind his drumset with a big smile on his face. Half of the reason is because this is where he loves to be more than anywhere else in the world. The other 50% could be for a variety of reasons. Maybe it is because his band Beat The System (BTS) is rehearsing for a promo tour that will include making the rounds on American talk shows. Perhaps it’s because their first American released album is entitled Journey, after a song by the same title; a song which Sellan wrote about his own personal journey as a musician who wants to make the world a more positive place with his music. It is possibly because he looks to the side of the stage and sees his brother Stewart (guitarist for BTS) and realizes that they (along with songwriter Adrian Puan and American vocalist May Leigh) have done what no other Malaysian band has ever achieved; signed, recorded, and are releasing a major rock/pop record in the US. There’s no sense in asking Gerald to stop smiling; he has been told many times that something can’t be done and his self belief has proven every naysayer wrong. On BTS’s mission of positivity, Gerald Sellan is the proof that believing in yourself truly creates opportunities.
  New York City is where Sellan wanted to be when he was beginning to play drums during his adolescence. While he was pursuing percussive endeavors in his home county of Malaysia, he was also paying attention to the music from the UK and America. He loved the melodies of songs by artists like Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey while at the same time being excited by the drumming and musicianship of bands like Mr. Big and Iron Maiden. Honing his skills at church gave him a keen insight into melodies. Gerald recalls, “I always listened to what the singers were singing as well as what they were saying. I learned a lot from them about supporting the vocal melody. I learned to respect the melody and to connect with it on an emotional level.” In the years that Gerald was learning to become a great drummer, his older brother Stewart founded BTS. Recognizing his younger brother’s talent, Stewart asked Gerald to audition for BTS when the drum chair fortuitously became open. The musical connection was as well…two siblings. Before long, Gerald was both drummer and bandleader for BTS. 

​  Like most Malaysian bands, BTS had followed the template of non-stop live gigging, prior to Gerald’s involvement. That continued to a certain extent with him as bandleader but he had other ideas about how to achieve success. BTS has always been heavily influenced by American music and due to this; their lyrics were almost exclusively in English. By singing in Malay (the mother tongue of Malaysia), they could have gained greater acceptance and airplay. With the exception of a few singles (“Penipuan Berwaris” released as a single by Warner Music Malaysia, “Transisi” written and produced by Beat The System for Warner Music Malaysia/EMI artist Fiq) the band focused on music that echoed the artists which inspired them. There were frequent hits and accolades. BTS partnered with Malaysian Idol winner Jaclyn Victor for the song “Shine” which won Song of the Year, Best Collaboration, and Best Genre Bender Awards at the 2012 Asian Voice Independent Music Awards. Having achieved major success with the new pop tinged direction of BTS, Gerald set his sights on the goal he had always held in the highest regard, proving what he and his band are made of…in America!
  Although Sellan had reached out to numerous labels and management companies in the US, the one he least expected to respond was Diana Meltzer (A&R, Chief Executive Officer) of Monster Hits Music (formerly of Wind Up Records). Meltzer was instrumental in discovering Creed, Evanescence, Alter Bridge, Drowning Pool, and many other bands; bands that Gerald had been a fan of and inspired by. Meltzer had received “Shine” and in her own words, “It was a good song but not a great song. I felt that there was something deeper going on with this band and I wanted them to find it.” Sellan understood that being vetted by a serious music industry player like Meltzer could establish BTS in a quick way. In their first phone conversation, Gerald doubled down his bet and promised Diana ten newly written, produced, and demoed songs with one month. Realizing that he had bitten off quite a bit, he enlisted songwriter Adrian Puan (whom had previously been associated with the band) to compose as well. The ten completed songs impressed Meltzer enough that she flew to Malaysia to spend a month with the band and see in person what was going on. Her experience set her resolve that the band had loads of talent and inspiration but not that everyone had the same vision. The outcome saw Gerald Sellan, Stewart Sellan, and Adrian Puan travelling to NYC as the members of BTS…ready to fulfill their dreams but without a singer.
  New York City can be an intimidating place for anyone. It’s exciting but you have to really hustle to make your own success there. There are great musicians everywhere, so imagine how precarious it feels if you have just moved from the other side of the planet to NYC with a dream and one hand tied behind your back! If you are a band with great songs and musicians but no singer, that is a fairly appropriate analogy. Still, Gerald Sellan is one of the most optimistic people you could ever meet. He felt that something was sure to happen. Singer after singer was auditioned. Gerald comments, “There were so many great singers but no one really fit.” Hearkening back to his early days working with singers in the church and what he learned he states, “When we finally met May and played through the songs with her, I knew it was perfect. It’s one thing to be a great singer but it takes a real pro to connect with the songs emotionally. It makes me play better as a drummer.” 

​  Summer of 2016 finds Gerald Sellan right where he has always wanted to be; in fact, in many ways he is way ahead of schedule. He and his band were discovered and signed to a label by Diana Meltzer. He wrote (in addition to others) the title track of his band’s first major American release. He recorded this record with (4 time Dove) award-winning producer Andy Anderson and (Grammy nominated) engineer Damien Page Lewis. Rehearsals are on going to prepare for the band’s promotion of their life’s work. Impossible has become I’m possible for Gerald Sellan and his goals. It’s no surprise that his smile is getting even bigger. 

​  The music business has changed. They always say that change is inevitable, and they’re right. You can however, rely on artists to speak out in a loud voice, challenging whatever ills society may be accepting. The loudest of these voices has often been punk music. The swinging voice has been that of funk and when you mix these combinations the result is Fishbone, or the Red Hot Chili Peppers, or most recently…LABrownies. More than five years of hard work and talent has led the band into the forefront of the Southern California music scene. Recordings with Grammy-award winning producers, slick videos with well known directors, and scores of fans have cemented LABrownies as a staple of the LA scene. Their secret weapon is guitarist Daniel Hernandez. 

​  If Austin, Texas is a guitar slinger’s town then Los Angeles is a band guitarist’s town. Don’t forget that LA produced technical and sonic ground breaking guitar wizards like Eddie Van Halen and Tom Morello, still…Los Angeles has traditionally produced guitarists that are “song-centered” ranging from Frank Zappa to Bradley Nowell to Lindsey Buckingham…but always with a dash of Randy Rhoads. Southern California guitarists require lots of attitude and ability, which is often kept in reserve until just the right moment. Daniel Hernandez was the perfect fit for LABrownies. Vocalist & Bassist for LABrownies, Krishna Katukota confirms, “Daniel’s hard work ethic and attention to detail have helped me to launch the label and enabled the band to achieve great success. None of this would have been possible without him. He is a part of that legacy.” Drummer Michael Delgado echoes this praise stating, “My experience creating an album with Daniel was nothing less than amazing. Daniel has a natural gift. Creating an album is no easy task, it takes time and money. The success of the two LABrownies albums allowed us to produce six videos to accompany the hits, with celebrated filmmaker Dylan Avery.” Avery is no stranger to controversy as exhibited with his series “Loose Change” and work with Discovery Channel, musician Wes Davis, and actor Alec Baldwin. Working with such a recognized and respected film producer was an achievement in itself. Dylan was happy to work with the loud and unapologetic LABrownies to create a series of music videos. The filmmaker was particularly taken with Hernandez’s presence on camera as well as his professionalism noting, “I shot seven music videos with LABrownies and Daniel gave it his all during every shoot. Daniel is the LABrownies Shavo Odadijian (Bassist for System of a Down). He commands attention both on stage and off. Days on set can sometimes be long and performers can lose their gas, but Daniel was always ready for more. That kind of attitude and professionalism shows you who really wants it. He shreds through solos and does multiple takes without batting an eye. Daniel is always fun to hang out with and I consider him both a professional contact and a friend.” The most current of the Avery videos is “Pay to Play.” An obvious statement about the financial situation of LA Bands (filmed partially at the Viper Room on the Sunset Strip). The fact that LA Brownies has succeeded in this environment is a major accomplishment. The video for “iFormer” boasts a slick look, sets, and multi camera shoot that is indicative of the upper echelon in which the band finds itself. A recent nod to the “Don’t Sleep” video got a pre-nomination as Best Music Video by the Artist in Music Awards. Daniel takes an interest in music videos just as he does with LA Brownies music. Hernandez recalls, “Due to my studies and experiences on set, I have some knowledge about shots, camera angles, lighting, etc. This helps throughout the development of the story and concept of our videos. I found myself as a middle man between the band and Dylan [Avery, Director], between the music and the picture. When we did the video for ‘Takeover Makeover’ he [Avery] did a first set of shoots and then came to me asking ‘Danny, what do you think?’ Dylan understands the band, the music, and the message so it was a real sense of pride for me that he took my input with confidence.”

​  LABrownies simultaneously released two recordings Citizens United & #Deuce. These were produced and mixed by (Grammy Award Recipient) Producer/Engineer/Musician/Educator  Darryl Swann. Swann is well known for his work with the famed production team of LA and Babyface as well as his association with artists such as; Macy Gray, Mos Def, the Black Eyed Peas, Erykah Badu, and many others. As a producer and engineer closely associated with legendary producer Rick Rubin, Darryl has made a career out of noticing talent that has both merit and growth potential. It was Hernandez who first captured Swann’s attention and led to his role as a producer and engineer on the LABrownies recordings. Swann comments, “Daniel is a dedicated music professional. I had the pleasure of producing and mixing his band’s recordings. We had a compelling experience making the record.” In fact, the experience so impressed Swann that he, “asked Daniel to partner with me on subsequent projects.” Darryl Swan has created music for MTV, NBC, and advertisers like; Pepsi, Honda, Motorola, and Apple; being asked to partner with such an established musician and producer is a major accomplishment and a step towards being ingrained in the LA music fabric. 

​  It seems that LABrownies never rests. It comes as no surprise the band is already at work on their next record, tentatively entitled Maybe. While the group is known for blending hard rock, punk, and soul influences, they hope to take it even further with Maybe. Daniel reveals, “I’ve had to go for a very specific tone because of the nature of the new material. It varies from Bossa Nova, to Swing, to Metal/Rock. We’ve been working really hard on the songs, arrangements, and harmonies to make things sound amazing.” In addition to all of his accomplishments with LABrownies, Hernandez is also working on a progressive metal project called HAROS whose first recording 100 Years will be released in late summer 2016. Daniel is also involved in multiple film projects both in scoring and as an engineer. If you didn’t know better, you might think that LABrownies award-nominated video “Don’t Sleep” was inspired by their guitarist’s tenacious work ethic. 

​  Lest there be any confusion, Nick Fulton is a writer. He may have been involved in organizing live music events and hosting radio shows, but he is a writer. In fact, he is the best type of writer; the type who cares immensely. Isn’t that what we want from everyone in our lives? We want politicians who stoke the flames of selfless commitment to a better world. We desire artists who stir us to better ourselves. We want a chef who lives for the splendor of food. We are transfixed by athletes who push themselves to new heights. We want communicators who care so deeply that they will immerse themselves in situations and place their preconceptions behind them in order to expose us all to what is happening in our world. Society is built and torn down by those who place their passion before their own comfort and worldly appetites. Writer Nick Fulton has spent his life in the pursuit of personal and societal truths. All of us have a lens with which we frame our views and conversations. For Nick it is music. We are inundated with music every day, in all forms of media. That ubiquity leads many to stop paying attention. Nick hears music clearly and loudly. As someone who listens and understands the music, Fulton has made it his life’s work to help point all of us back in the directions of the speakers, in order to hear what is being communicated. In any conversation, we may not always hear pleasant things but, if we aren’t paying attention, how will we know and how will we retain the valuable parts of the message? The world needs writers like Nick to help us put our phones down and start paying attention.
  You may not think of math when you think about music but there is a direct link. If society is multiplied by strife, the exponent that increases an artist’s abilities to offset that equation are writers. The masses almost never take recognition on their own of an artist who defies society’s thoughts or traditions; from the Beatles to NWA, they all shock the general public until someone writes about their message. Commonly an artist’s rejection of what is proper frightens society. Nick Fulton has always found interest in the dichotomy of music and actions. He recalls, “I wrote a story recently about a week I spent in Oakland, California in 2012. I arrived in the city late at night and was picked up by a girl who I’d met a few times in New Zealand. I was tired and wanted to go to sleep, but instead she drove us to a party where a group of punks were hosting a rather unconventional wedding. Despite the carnage and my feelings of being out of place, wearing a Rolling Stones tee and Chuck Taylors, everyone was really friendly.” Enduring the self conscious nature which most of us share in order to take a chance at experiencing less than comfortable environments has been a vestment Nick has often donned.
  With headstrong steadfastness, he steered directly in the face of conflict with his article for Cuepoint magazine. German-American artist Mark Roberts sampled the famous quote from Eric Garner, “I can’t Breathe” for use in his electronic recording of the same title. As suspected, the samples are simultaneously stirring and sobering. Nick was looking for something quite different from sensationalism.  He comments, “The song had a profound impact on me. It was chilling to hear the words of a dying man – a man whose death sparked a national debate about violent police tactics towards African-Americans and was a catalyst for the Black Lives Matter movement. I decided to speak to the artist who created the piece of music and find out what motives he had. I wrote the article not only to talk about the song, but to decipher some of the feelings the artist had.”  
The way in which information is disseminated as well as the perspective is dramatically different from what it was from a decade ago. As the public becomes more aware of the motivation behind major news organizations, they seek alternative sources. One of the most recognized of these is Vice news. Vice uses a guerrilla approach or “peer” sources to obtain access to information. There is no trickle down data. Vice’s online music magazine is Noisey. As a valued contributor to Noisey, Nick has penned articles about the apparent need for musicians to leave their local area to become successful as well as about current recording engineers whom are discovering ground breaking talent. Editor Tim Scott of Noisey feels that Fulton is in line with this modern news approach stating, “Nick has written a number of features for Noisey. His writing is always fresh and engaging. He truly understands the audience that Noisey attracts and is at the highest level of his profession.” You might have seen HBO’s Vice news. The reporters truly connect with those involved in the stories. Fulton’s approach mirrors this. He comments, “I like to think about the consequences and the outcome of a piece before I start writing because without a clear purpose, I find it very difficult to stay motivated. I like to form relationships with the people I’m writing about so that I have a basic understanding of what they are trying to achieve and why they are doing things a certain way. It is obvious to me when a writer doesn’t have a basic understanding of the subject they are writing about. Experience enables you to avoid these types of mistakes.”

​ Although a writer for a number of domestic and international magazines, Fulton is format-crossing. He has been involved as a promoter in live concert events at Auckland’s Whammy Bar and has hosted a radio show on New Zealand’s largest alternative music station, 95bFM. The live music experience is something he cares deeply about. The factors that affect this experience are something he wrote about for (Chicago based) Pitchfork Magazine when he composed “It’s Time To Put Our Cameras Away” about a concert he attended in Melbourne, Australia. Nick’s comments about it were so impactful that Luke O’Neil, writer for the Village Voice, wrote a response to the piece stating, “There’s little in the way of language about the actual music performed that night, because, as author Nick Fulton writes, he was too distracted by everyone with their dang phones out to properly immerse himself in the experience.” From the opposite side of the planet, Fulton is finding ways to relate our shared experiences as well as provoke us to chime in about them. Fulton, now a noted and respected writer in the global online music community reminisces, “I’m always excited about helping expose the world to talented artists. I think my attraction to the underdog stems from my youth. I grew up in a small town where, if you weren’t an elite sportsman or from an affluent family you were basically ignored.” That is analogous for the undiscovered and ground-breaking artists that Nick has devoted his life to bringing into public view. One thing is obvious; no one is ignoring the writing of Nick Fulton. 

​Modern dating is difficult. There is a plethora of apps, websites, and groups designed to make it easy, and yet, it has become the opposite. There are so many different personalities out there, all looking for something completely different. The “just seeing each other” phenomenon has slowly and sadly swept the globe, and for those single millennials looking for something more, the future looks pretty bleak. So much so, that it is actually humorous. Funny or Die’s recent video sketch The Dating Diaries, highlights just how outrageous these situations can be.
 
The Dating Diaries stars Lucas Zaffari and Alison Balnar, and centers around three different matches at a speed dating service. The first table seats a young woman and a man who claims to be 27, but is obviously much older than that. The conversation between the two of them highlights the drastic age difference between them. The second table shows a young woman and a young man, played by Zaffari. Zaffari’s character is very into self-appearance and jumps at the first opportunity to toss in the word “crossfit”, and implies that even throws out the modern dating catch-phrase “Netflix and chill”. Finally, the last table shows a man and a woman, played by Balnar, where the woman immediately jumps into a conversation about marriage and children, and preaches about veganism. All three situations are display common problems that many face while on the tireless search for “the one” nowadays.
 
“The idea came from a collaboration with Lucas Zaffari and another actress, Michelle Marx. We were motivated to release our own comedic project,” said Balnar. “Soon after, the concept and story about three comedic speed dates came to life. We wanted to tell a comedic story of dating situations that stems from reality.”
 
Funny Or Die is an Emmy-winning comedy video website and production company founded by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy and has received tens of millions of hits.
 
“It feels fantastic to have the video up on Funny or Die. It's a great website with wonderful comedic content so I am thrilled that this project is on such a great platform,” she said. “I loved the creative freedom that was involved with making The Dating Diaries. When it comes to releasing a project on an online platform, there is so much freedom. The story and characters can be whatever you want them to be and there are very little restrictions.”
 
Zaffari agrees that the website was the perfect place to host the film, which premiered on the website on May 21.
 
“Funny or Die is internationally known for presenting entertaining well-made content and The Dating Diaries is all about that,” he said.
 
Balnar, who has had many more serious roles recently, wanted to experiment in the comedy genre, which required her to be more detailed-oriented than usual.
 
“My character, Mimi, was clingy, obsessive and extremely focused on finding a husband. When portraying her in a comedic sense, it was important to highlight those characteristics immediately so the audience could understand her purpose. I had a lot of fun playing her and the comedic atmosphere was a lot of fun on set,” she described. “Comedy requires very specific timing and choices. A big part of my preparation was finding those moments and consistently bringing them to the scene.”
 
That was not the only difficulty she faced.
 
“A challenge was keeping a straight face while shooting,” said Balnar. “There were definitely some bursts of laughter. However, laughter is always a great thing to have on set.”
 
Zaffari agrees that playing a comedic role is, in his words, “a delight.”
 
“Comedy, most of the time, is a light subject which by the end of a scene you feel light and energetic, while a dramatic scene that you’re breaking up a long term relationship for example, makes you feel drained and tired because it really is an emotional hangover and your body feels that way,” he said. “Comedy is always fun to do.”
 
Playing these roles gave Zaffari and Balnar both the opportunity to highlight their versatility, displaying that they command the screen both in heavy dramas and light-hearted comedy. Elizabeth MacDonald, a co-director on the project, agrees.
 
“It was a great pleasure working with the cast of this comedic short. Alison and Lucas bring strong work ethic, commitment and originality to their work, making them easy to direct and collaborate with,” said MacDonald. “Alison portrays her character, Mimi, with ease and demonstrates her natural comedic timing in her hilarious portrayal of a clingy and obsessive woman. Lucas also does a fantastic job at capturing his ‘frat boy’ inspired character. He takes direction easily and applies any adjustments with grace." 
 
You can check out the film here.

  A staple of movies for decades has been the female ingénue. Everyone from Lauren Bacall to Anne Hathaway has taken on the role. We quietly hope for their triumph and, as society has changed in their view of women, so has the arc of these characters. Thirty years ago, success might have meant a comfortable place in suburbia whereas now it means standing shoulder to shoulder with the famous and powerful. Part of the reason for this popularity is that we all secretly want to prove that we can enter in to a tough environment, conquer it, and earn the respect of our peers. There is a power that women have increasingly owned over the last couple of decades; no one displays that more accurately than Kate Mahon. 
​

​Making her mark in the advertising world with her exemplary work as an Art Buyer and Creative Producer with Saatchi & Saatchi, Kate has used the famous from the world of politics and film to bring record breaking campaigns to fruition for many companies, but also used advertising imagery to change the way the public views themselves. She still finds time to champion social causes with her talents and connections…all the while setting a tone for her career that proves one only need view her as a true leader in her industry. While some advertisers like to rely on the easily accessible “characters” that  are staples, Kate Mahon has made her mark by presenting advertisers with images that defy these and present a modern option that markets with reality.

​    Almost fifteen years ago, Kate Mahon was looking for a job that would foster her creative outlet and give her some variety and excitement. When a friend recommended her for a position at Saatchi & Saatchi in London; it seemed interesting. She had always loved photography and her friends who were involved in similar roles in advertising always seemed to be doing something interesting. It seemed like an interesting way to spend some time if you are a young lady in London. Ms. Mahon never expected it to turn into something that would have such massive impact on her life, or conversely that she would impact so greatly. She travelled Europe as an Art Buyer for Saatchi & Saatchi, researching photographers to build up the company’s database of fresh and visionary artists. This experience laid the groundwork for Kate’s ideals of adding new images to challenge the public’s view of what they might find intriguing and appealing. As Kate began to prove herself, she was promoted to Head Art Buyer and Creative Producer. Saatchi & Saatchi’s Chief Creative Officer Kate Stanners hand-picked Mahon for this promotion and boasts of Kate’s gifts and achievements stating, “Kate Mahon was undeniably a leader to our organization and to our numerous productions as she led a team of artists and photographers in creating vibrant, highly detailed print and digital campaigns for well-known, and world renowned brands and companies.” The direction of one of the most highly successful campaigns which Kate’s team produced was with banking service HSBC. True to form with much of Kate’s work, rather than focusing on the material possessions that many financers use in advertising, the ads chose to present a focus on how your life could be more simple and free to enjoy the basic pleasures. The images displayed were those of universally accepted tranquility and ownership of your own time rather than possessing an object. The images were so universal that HSBC has used them globally up to the present day. 

​  As Kate’s role at Saatchi & Saatchi increased, so did her work with celebrities. Sometimes the creative part of Ms. Mahon’s personality fused public interest to pop media with a dash of humor. Another highly successful campaign of hers was for Direct Line insurance. Oscar nominated actor Harvey Keitel revised his role in Reservoir Dogs to become Mr. Wolfe, an insurance “fixer” for home owners and others. Although this series of ads was a whimsical break, Mahon continued to use celebrities like Gold Medalists Jessica Ennis (Olay campaign)  and Michael Phelps (Head and Shoulders campaign) to ground her work in a more reality based theater.  Sometimes the focus is completely reality based such as in the 2007 Labour Party campaign that Kate oversaw. Simple and direct images helped to communicate a message that was drastically different from the universal appeal of much of Kate’s other work…yet somehow infused with Kate’s trademark relatable images. 

​  Working with politicians, celebrities, and athletes, all in coordination with creative photographers and illustrators is a lot to manage. Often times the photographers are icons in their world. Kate has worked with the best of them including; Annie Leibovitz, David Ryle, and Martien Mulder. Mark Norcutt, Saatchi & Saatchi Creative Director declares his admiration for Ms. Mahon’s work, “Kate’s impressive negotiation skills and wide knowledge of photographers allowed her to pull in the best in the field to work on campaigns. Her extensive knowledge of photography genres also meant she was able to attract photographers with specific skills, resulting in massive success for many international clients.” Although Kate duties include researching talent, negotiating production costs, wardrobe, and other aspects…it is the adventure and challenge of it all that she truly loves. She reveals, “Finding the right people for a campaign is crucial. I might travel to Shanghai, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Abu Dhabi, or LA. When you produce something with so many creative people involved, with varying budgets and schedules…and there are no weaknesses…the result is quite rewarding. From a girl who was simply looking for adventure to having so many once in a lifetime opportunities…taking a chance at a career as an Art Buyer/Creative Director was a great choice.” Kate Mahon continues her career assuming this role at Proximity where she delves into digital platforms and social media. Kate Mahon; even today approaching with the wide-eyed outlook of the ingénue, but with the wisdom of a seasoned and successful veteran in the world of advertising imagery. 

​The American dream, at least the musical version of it, is alive and well. Anyone who needs proof of this can simply ask Indian born guitarist and composer Nipun Nair. He left behind an extremely successful career in his homeland with the band Public Issue.   

​ The group was featured on India’s VH1 and MTV. Public Issue performed headlining tours, playing many festivals, and winning multiple awards (Nipun has won 20 awards for best guitarist in national level competitions). The loss of the band’s bass player in a tragic accident placed Public Issue on hiatus and, after some time away, Nair set his sights on furthering his career in America. In a narrative that seems too optimistic to be true, Nipun landed in LA and went straight to a T Mobile store to obtain cell service. The salesperson who sold him his cell plan was in a band called Destino with (at that time) an undiscovered singer named Anthony Cruz. The two exchanged information and within three days Edgar (the musician/ T-Mobile salesperson) called Nipun to play guitar in the band. Within Nair’s first week of living in the U.S. he was now booked at legendary clubs like the Whiskey a Go Go, the House of Blues, and many others on the iconic Sunset Strip. It wasn’t long before Anthony Cruz was discovered by Randy Phillips and Deborah Corday (music industry legends famous for work with Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, Toni Braxton, and more). Nair began his role as the guitarist on Cruz’s songs with songwriter/producer Rafael Esparza Ruiz (known for his work with Santana, Ricky Martin, Chayanne, and many other world famous Latin artists).  

​The Grammy nominated and ASCAP Award winning Rafael saw Nipun with Cruz onstage at a live performance and confirms that he was instantly aware that Nair was a major asset to the music. Esparza also used Nair to play guitar on a host of other Latin songs he was producing.  One of these songs, “Inesperado” has already been selected by EMI music for future release by world-famous artist Anahi. Rafael states, “As an internationally renowned musician, Nipun was undoubtedly leading and crucial to the recording of the songs and to my studio.” He continues confirming, “It became immediately apparent to me upon working with Nipun that he was not simply a session musician, but an artist in his own right. I was amazed at the skill and mastery he has with the guitar. Needless to say, I was overjoyed with his work and would collaborate with him again in a second.”

​  Not only delegated to the world of rock and pop music, Nipun composed music for The Little Theater in Nungambakkam, India. This brainchild of Aysha Rau provides a creative and educational outlet for children to explore the arts in a way not provided by the school system. The Little Theater has quietly been helping underprivileged children since 1991. Its original musical production of “The R.E.D. Bean Can” was one of only 6 productions selected from among 60 all over the world to play at the 22nd International Theater Festival for the youth at Hamaden, Iran. The Little Theater was recognized for its achievements and selected as #10 Best Theater in India by Broadway World. The productions, featuring Nair’s compositions, have played to sold out crowds across Europe and Asia. Nipun revels in the challenge and experience relating, “Working with the Little Theater has been nothing short of an adventure; always pushing the limits of our creativity. We push our productions each year to go one step further, often resulting in incredibly tight deadlines. It is an extremely creative and inspiring project for a musician to be a part of. I scored the most recent production of nine tracks within a week and a half. It turns out that some of your best work comes out when you are under pressure. I’m extremely proud of two productions I have done for The Little Theater. ‘Atita…The Curse of Xenu’ (a post apocalyptic sci-fi Broadway style musical for which I composed the music, trained the vocalists and musicians, and actively involved in brainstorming the plots of the script) and The R.E.D. Bean Can. Both received international attention.” 

​  Continuing his work in live theater here in the U.S., Nair became the in house composer for the Theater of Will, a non-profit arts education company based in southern California. Willard Simms is the president and artistic director. Simms has achieved major notoriety for his work in Biographical drama (winning the 2014 New York Theater Solo Fest award for Best Biography “Einstein: A Stage Portrait, which has also been aired on televisions in the U.S. for three years).  Theater of Will is dedicated to biographical theater and school education programs. They stage dramatic presentations that extend the knowledge of great and influential historical figures on the public stage. Sponsored by LADWP, the musicals focus on the importance of water conservation in both an entertaining and educational format. Simms confirms, “Our shows could never have attained the degree of success that they have without the leading contributions of Nipun Nair.” The theater performs annually at the Grand Park in downtown LA every year (among other performances) and performs in front of thousands during the summer concerts and plays at Warner Park. 

​  Dreaming is a Private Thing, a film produced by Alan Sardana, taps into the increasingly popular concept of Artificial Intelligence. The film was featured at the Toronto Youth Festival and won the award for Best Production Design at the Ryerson University Film Festival in Canada. The question of “where does machine end and humanity begin” is approached in an original way in this tale (based on a short story by Isaac Asimov) of an android named Sam the sampler. Set in the distant future, Sam’s creator is the last filmmaker on Earth and Sam is essentially a camera in human like form. The cast includes Leo Lee (Swordfish, Contact, The Replacement Killers), Susie Park (Spider-Man 2, The Chaos Factor), and Dan Mousseau as Sam. The emotional theme of the film is one of birth, awareness, and even love. To enrich these themes and bring them to the surface, the filmmakers asked Nipun to create a score. What he composed is a dreamy and soothing soundscape that draws upon elements of blues and classical music. Dreaming’s director AJ Smith approached the composer after hearing some of his music online. Nipun recalls, “He [Smith] asked me if I’d like to score the film. I said ‘Absolutely!’ We were short on time, preparing for the festivals. They would send me scene after scene and I kept churning out music…we finished scoring the entire film within three days. It was crazy! I’m glad they were so happy with my work, especially considering the time frame we had to work with.” Director AJ Smith praises Nair commenting, “Upon the first listen, I was instantly impressed with the music Nipun created for the film. He seamlessly merged ambient electronic sounds with a more commercially minded orchestral score to tremendous success and effectiveness. It was a major achievement to have a score like this in our film.”

​  As with many other modern composers and artists, Nipun has found an outlet for his talents in a somewhat more practical outlet avenue. Still exercising his creative abilities, Nair has been lead composer and musician for Rubecon Creative Solutions. Rubecon is a large, award-winning advertising agency in India known for national and international clients such as; Citiband, Ibaco, Arun Ice Cream, Prince Jewelry, and others. Nipun views working with Rubecon as a great opportunity noting, “Rubecon is a creative agency that is always looking to make their commercials as creative and big as possible. Working closely with their CEO and creative head Alexander Zach has been nothing short of inspiring. Working with Rubecon has helped me push the boundaries of my composition and to further my skills with each project.” Rubecon Creative Solutions has been recognized with awards like the Gold award at the Campaign for Dignity and the prestigious Silver Medal for the Times of India at the 2015 Goafest, proving that Nair’s talents have been a major contribution to the company’s impact. Nipur may soon be using his skills in the same arena here in the U.S. via a deal memo with Terremoto Productions. Terremoto is an audio production company founded by award-winning music composer Luis Guerra. His compositions have been featured in commercials for Honda, Samsung, and Mentos, as well as the Netflix documentary Art of Conflict and the Tina Fey feature film Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Among other projects, Nipun would take part as a composer and musician for Disney Junior Channel’s Doc McStuffins. No doubt his time with The Little Theater will greatly aid in his ability to communicate with younger generations. With so many possible paths for Nipun’s career to steer towards, it will be interesting to witness how he navigates them all.