Throughout Jordan Claire Robbins’s childhood in Bermuda, she wanted to be an actress. So upon finishing high school, she moved to Toronto to make this dream become a reality, and thIs is exactly what she has achieved. Her goal of acting transformed from a far-off idea into something she was actively pursuing and accomplishing.
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Canadian fashion director and wardrobe stylist Kirsten Reader did not always know what her path would be. She just knew that she had a passion. She did not always expect to team up with one of Canada’s most successful men’s fashion designers, Christopher Bates, as lead stylist, but her passion and innate skill led to such an opportunity.
Reader worked with Bates for two of his fashion shows, lookbooks, and the short film Check Mate, which featured all of his 2015 menswear collection. The short film opened the fashion show, and the lookbooks were designed to promote the brand. As lead stylist, Reader had to work seamlessly with Bates, the creative director, and the client, as well as remembering the goal of gaining fans and new customers. “Fashion videos are a fun new approach to promote fashion aside from stills, and this one had a great story line and concept that made it tell a story with the wardrobe yet with no dialogue,” described Reader. “It was a great short fashion film.” Reader knew that she wanted to work with Bates. Both of them have an appreciation for what the other does and can bring to the table, making an extraordinary team. They also worked with award winning photographer/director Ramin Deravian for the project, which only added to its success. “I had enjoyed Christopher’s designs and thought it would be great to collaborate with the designer to promote is designs for him,” said Reader. “There is something great about collaborating with the artist themselves to help realize their vision.” Bates had seen Reader’s work and knew he wanted to collaborate with her for the project. “I have worked with Christopher and pulled his collections to dress many of my male clients including some of the members of Walk off The Earth for the Junos red carpet,” she said. “He reached out as he felt I had a great understanding of what he would be looking to achieve with his collection while providing some outside views.” Bates, who was included in the list of Canada’s 100 most influential people, truly believes that without Reader, his line would not have achieved the success that it did. “Kirsten’s leading and critical role of stylist helped me create looks that enhanced the brand imaging,” said Bates. “She falls into a rare breed of artists that can stick true to her vision and show marketability at the same time. Her artistry and adaptability gives her the ability to work with celebrities and fuse runway pieces with unique wardrobes in a way that is successfully wearable from red carpet events to personal appearances.” The shoot was one day at the Trump Hotel in Toronto, where they had access to an exclusive private residence penthouse that had yet to be completed in construction, but it did not come without some challenges. “Fashion videos do present a bit more difficulty compared to stills as the wardrobe has to look perfect from every angle. We can’t cheat it with pins and clamps like a still shot so the attention to detail is that much more focused,” said Reader. “I also had to style the female model in wardrobe that complimented but didn’t detract from Christopher’s collection.” “We also had to create strong and new looks that influenced the way designs were viewed by the media,” added Bates. Bates has the highest faith in Reader and believes she overcame any challenges that may have been presented to her with ease. “She has created strong looks and unique perspectives on styling for both still and motion that allowed for outreach for brands in ways not thought of before,” he said. “She has an incredible understanding of wardrobes and her innovation shines through it.” As for Reader, the overall process was definitely a positive experience. “The team was a lot of fun to work with,” she said. “Christopher has great amount of energy and enthusiasm all day long that really keeps the day feeling fun and you almost forget you are working.” Multi-talented filmmaker Emeric Le Bars has been making a name for himself in the Hollywood film industry over the last few years. A talented young creative genius, Le Bars has fulfilled several roles in the process of filmmaking including director of photography, camera operator, colorist, producer and others, but what he has come to be most widely recognized for are his exceptional abilities as an editor. Originally from Angers, France, Le Bars discovered his passion for film in his youth, and while he majored in communications in college he was careful not to let his passion for filmmaking simmer into a simple hobby. Instead he took a concentration in video production, which accompanied his college degree, while also shooting and editing his own work in his free time. “I started working as an editor in France as a freelancer. I was mostly working in freelance, shooting some documentaries about local people and editing short movies,” explains Le Bars. “The first time I technically worked with editing software was about 10 years ago when my cousin and I were filming and editing some small budget movies. At the beginning editing was just a hobby, but I loved it so much that I wanted it to be my profession!” Driven to make his dreams a reality, Emeric Le Bars began working for City Hall in Angers, France, where he shot and edited several videos of the city and honed his skills in the creation of time-lapse videos from start to finish. Le Bars recalls, “City Hall used the videos to promote the city so my work was broadcasted in different theaters in Angers before the movies, and also in 27 countries on Euro Channel.” Today Emeric Le Bars is working as the editor of several projects in Los Angeles including the upcoming feature films Perception of Art and Lily’s Light, as well as for Smile TV where he is working on the show LaArt, which airs on PBS, and others. When it comes to Le Bars’ motivation to continue working as an editor he says, “Every project is different, every client is different so even if it seems to be the same thing over and over, it’s not! The only thing that I know now is that I want to keep doing what I am doing, because if you do what you love, you will never have one day of work in your life.” Although his busy editing schedule currently takes up most of his time, the talented young editor still manages to find time to create his own projects. One of Le Bars’ projects entitled “Unlimited City” serves as proof of his incredible talents as both an editor and a filmmaker. Le Bars says, "I shot the timelapse for Smile TV as stock video footage to use in our productions. Then I created the 'Unlimited City' video from that." A time-lapse video that takes viewers across Los Angeles from sunset and well into the night, Le Bars’ “Unlimited City” was chosen to represent the city of Los Angeles in the 2014 Bordeaux Wine Festival. Jane Shim of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board explains, “[Emeric’s] time lapse video, Unlimited City, was an essential addition to the Los Angeles Pavilion at the 2014 Bordeaux Wine Festival. The looped video was projected onto an oblong balloon “screen” which provided some 500,000+ festival visitors with an intriguing visual experience of LA’s cityscape and cultural offerings. We are proud to have presented Emeric’s work as he truly embodies LA’s impetus for beauty and creativity.” Adding to Emeric Le Bars notoriety, the “Unlimited City” video has also been used by the Staple Center and the Los Angeles Kings, as well as to promote the Budweiser Made in America Festival, which was founded by 19-time Grammy Award winning artist Jay-Z. An unstoppable creative force in both the French and American entertainment industries, we will definitely be seeing a whole lot more from leading editor Emeric Le Bars for many years to come. Make sure to check out Le Bars' "Unlimited City" below, and if you want to find out more about his exciting work in the world of film and television make sure to stop by his website http://emericlebars.com/ Throughout her accomplished entertainment career, Canadian born theatrical artist Rebekah Miskin has continually demonstrated the multi-faceted nature of her acting talents. Well versed in a myriad of creative abilities such as acting, writing, producing, djing and dancing, Miskin has established an impressive track record for such a young talent with her increasing presence in the Canadian film industry, as well as abroad. Given her passion and talent for the arts, it’s not surprising that Miskin has built a repertoire of award-winning productions in which she has played a myriad of diverse roles, but what is astonishing is the fact that she is not even 20-years-old. One such part includes her role on Mayday, a documentary television program investigating and reenacting a range of disasters such as air crashes, hijackings and more. The series received a Gemini Award as well as numerous nominations at the Canadian Society of Cinematographers Awards. Some of Miskin’s other recent acting projects include Records for Maggie, Long Story, Reviving Ophelia and Murdoch Mysteries. “I think the most important quality to possess as an actor is the ability to diversify… I think I’ve been incredibly lucky in the sense that I haven’t gotten boxed in or typecast into playing one certain kind of role,” says Rebekah Miskin. The film A Subsequent Life, which was released last year, is yet another testament to Rebekah Miskin’s diverse talents in the industry. In the wake of her only brother’s death, A Subsequent Life is an account of selected excerpts of a young woman’s life forever changed by tragedy. A Subsequent Life was chosen as an Official Selection at The Toronto International Short Film Festival, Toronto Independent Film Festival, LA Femme International Film Festival, International Film Festival of Cinematic Arts– Los Angeles, as well as Montreal and New York’s Zero Film Festival, and others. Starring alongside Katie Boland from The Master, The Life Before This, Sex After Kids, Growing Up, and Daydream Nation, and Kit Weyman from Warehouse 13, Flashpoint, and Degrassi: The Next Generation, Miskin gave a knockout performance in the starring role of Zoe. Proving her broad understanding of all aspects of filmmaking, Miskin not only played the leading role in the film, as well as produced the film through her production company Matchstick Motion Pictures Inc., but she also co-wrote and co-directed A Subsequent Life alongside Katie Boland. Boland has received countless awards over the course of her career including Best Screenplay at the Hamilton Film Festival and Best Actress at the Lakeshorts International Short Film Festival for the film Sweetieface, a Young Artist Award for her role in Salem Witch Trials, as well as numerous Gemini and Leo Award nominations. Boland and Miskin also star alongside one another in the hit television series Long Story, Short. When asked about her upcoming goals, Miskin says, “I plan to act as long as I can talk and walk! I want to continue to collaborate more and more with awesomely talented and wonderful people!” She further elaborates, “I’d like to play roles that genuinely connect with an audience - enough for me to make someone think, or laugh, or reflect. I think the greatest actors eternalize certain characters that take on a meaning and importance of their own.” Rebekah Miskin embodies authenticity in her projects and professional life. Over the years she has proven time and time again that she is a leading force in the entertainment industry, and she promises to continue to show us more of her astonishing talents for many years to come. Often times we see child stars thrust into the entertainment world before they are old enough to understand how to navigate life in the real world. Over the years, horror stories have continued to flood the media with nightmarish tales of how the high price of fame has taken many glorified young actors and turned them into confused and displaced adults. Thankfully, however, there exist many young talents, like Mexican actress Daniela Mandoki for example, who have the necessary dedication and self-awareness to remain continually successful and level headed in the cutthroat world of today’s entertainment industry. Daniela Mandoki began her career as an actress at the age of 7 when she began landing starring roles in several acclaimed Mexican telenovelas (soap operas). Mandoki’s first big break in the television world came when she landed the role of Daniela on Televisa’s hit show María Belén. A dramatic children’s series, the show followed a young orphan girl named María Belén, played by Danna Paola, and her friend Daniela, played by Daniela Mandoki, as they traversed many difficult situations in search of Belén’s biological father. “It was an amazing experience for me,” explained Mandoki. “I worked on the project for two years and I loved it, it had a great message for kids, and it touched on important subject matters such as bullying and how important it is to speak your mind and value others no matter where they come from, or what social class they belong to.” Having already developed a reputation as a versatile actress early on in childhood, Mandoki went on to join the cast of the show La Rosa de Guadalupe, where she played various roles including Brenda in the episode ”A Change of Story” (Cambiar la Historia), Graciela in ”Easy Temptation” (Fácil Tentación), Gisela in “The Boyfriend Thief” (La Baja Novios), Mariana in “Moms Today” (Las Mamás de Hoy), and Alicia in “My Heart is Yours” (Mi Corazón es Tuyo) to name a few. While Daniela Mandoki’s break into television didn’t come until she was 7, she began pursuing her craft even earlier. “My mom is a casting director and theater director so I grew up in the theatre playing while she worked. I knew all the actors dialogues and I was never tired of seeing the plays over and over again,” said Mandoki. “When I was 6 years old, I told my mom I wanted to take acting classes, and ever since then I have been studying to perfect my craft as an actress.” Although Mandoki hit the big screen rather early in life, her love for acting was never motivated by the appeal of celebrity stardom, instead her drive came from a place far more organic—the desire to transmit life-changing messages to international audiences. “For me the most important thing is the story and the message that we want to communicate to the audience. I believe as artists we have the opportunity to reach a lot of people and we must transmit ideas in which we believe in and that are useful to connect with the audience and see beyond our day-to-day lives,” said Mandoki. Since beginning her career, Mandoki has never ceased to amaze audiences with her brilliant portrayals of diverse characters across virtually every platform imaginable. Her most recent film projects include Xabiani Ponce de Leon’s film Divina Confusión where she played the starring role of Valeria, as well as Obediencia Perfecta where she played Laura. Daniela Mandoki will also be starring in the theater production of “Judgment on a Gray Beach,” which will debut in March of 2015 at the La MaMa Theater in New York. With a vast repertoire of work already under her belt, there is no doubt that we will continue to see more of Daniela Mandoki for many years to come. |
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