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Creative Editor Haansol Rim Nails the Mark for MATTE and FNT

10/12/2019

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Editor Haansol Rim shot by Chiao Chen
The beating heart of every visual production is a story with a purpose, and it’s one that countless talented individuals join forces on, often working grueling hours, in order to make it into a reality. After the shoot has wrapped and the cast and most of the crew have gone home, it becomes the editor’s job to translate the multitude of takes and countless hours of raw footage into a story that will resonate with viewers.

The job of an editor can be intense and arduous, but for Haansol Rim, it’s a labor of love. Rim’s ability to sift through hours of footage, select the best shots, create the sequences, transitions, and determine the perfect rhythm to unite the story as a whole is a talent and skill that’s been honed by experience. Rim as worked extensively as a creative editor for several production companies over the years, including MATTE, an innovative creative agency and production company whose clients include Adidas, Alexander Wang, Chanel, Cartier, Prada, Red Bull, Under Armour and more.

Over the years Rim has been the creative editor on numerous high profile projects for MATTE, such as the Chainsmokers’ video campaign for their World War Joy Tour, Prada’s 2019 Chinese New Year digital film and photo campaign, the promo commercial for FNT (Friday Night Throwdown) NY VOL. IV, the Under Armour X AWGE Launch Event for A$AP Rocky's SRLo sneaker, the CB2 Holiday Grand commercial campaign and more.

Prada Lunar New Year from MATTE on Vimeo.

MATTE associate creative director Danny Yirgou says, “Whenever I hand a project to [Haansol], I know it’s in great hands. Haans is great at pitching ideas to the creative team regarding the editing. He’ll suggest changing the tempo, or adding some effects and fast paced transitions, or edit in ways that add value to the final film.”

One of the reasons that Rim has become such a powerful and sought after force in his field is due to the vast range of skills and creativity that he brings to the table. Aside from his vast technical ability when it comes to using editing software and various other tools of the trade, Rim spent some of his early years as a music producer and composer, and he studied fine art in college. Rim’s strong connection to music and his sense of pacing combined with his fine art background all serve as compliments to his editing work and give him the capacity to think outside of the box. 
 
“My aesthetic, first and foremost is to highlight the visuals. My style is heavily visual. But as a filmmaker and editor, the ‘key thing’ depends on the project,” Rim explains. “For example, in a commercial or music video, sometimes more focus is required on the visuals. But on a narrative film, the storyline tends to be the main focus. There’s no one answer to all. A good filmmaker is one who knows what to put his focus on depending on each project.”

Though he’s Korean, Rim was born in Munster, Germany where he spent a good portion of his childhood before moving to South Korea at the age of 6. His multicultural upbringing has undeniably endowed him with a rare perspective on life, people and cultures, and that’s something that shines through in his work. As a child Rim describes himself as an ‘artsy kid.’ An avid painter and professional cello player, it didn’t take long for him to discover that he could combine his passion for visual imagery, music and storytelling through film.

“My life would be completely different had I not chosen to pursue film. I might not even be here working in New York City, and maybe be a fine artist, or maybe a music producer, but definitely everything would be different,” Rim assures us. “I am a very career and passion driven person, and I always wanted to pursue what my passion was, which is what I am doing. Film has allowed me to combine all kinds of art media--photography, art, music, everything. I am able to edit, which involves a lot of sound mixing, and direct, which is visual. Film is my life so far.”
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Rim’s capacity to translate what the director envisions into an effective story on screen is second to none. When it comes to editing projects in the world of commercials, he not only has to meet the desires of the director, but those of the client as well, so it is imperative that everyone is on the page with the overall goal of the story. Rim is a master of creating a ‘vibe’ with his edits, and though that vibe will invariably change as per the project, his boundless creativity allows him to  continually deliver projects that wow the client and capture the attention of their audience.

Earlier this year Rim was the editor on the promo video for the FNT event that took over 30 Wall Street with a bang during New York Fashion Week in February. Formerly known as Friday Night Throwdown, FNT is an underground fight series started by Bekim Trenova nearly a decade ago. In the years since its inception FNT has become a cultural phenomenon in the way that it bridges fight culture and nightlife through a unique underground party centered around a boxing ring. 

FNT NY VOL. IV - 2019 (PROMO) from MATTE on Vimeo.

With FNT’s NY VOL. IV edition, their first event of 2019, taking place on Wall Street in the midst of Fashion Week, the promo campaign had to depict the rawness of FNT’s underground vibe, the unique contrast of Wall Street’s formal atmosphere, and entice audiences to attend a party like no other; and Rim managed to do exactly that in a matter of seconds with his edits. Weaving together clips of NY skyscrapers and life on Wall Street and swiftly transporting viewers underground to the FNT event where glistening fighters go toe to toe in the ring surrounded by an amped up audience partying and dancing the night away, Rim created the perfect promo video to attract attendees to the event. Proving to be a major success, the event had a massive turn out and garnered attention from media outlets such as the popular Paper magazine and Kulture Hub. 

MATTE associate creative director Danny Yurgou says, “In [Haansol Rim’s] editing, he is able to very quickly understand what needs to be done, or what needs to be added. He can switch shoes and see things from the perspective of a director, or art director, without overstepping his boundaries, and will edit accordingly.”
 
Rim’s seasoned experience taking on various roles in film production gives him a strong edge in the industry in the sense that he can bring so many different skills to his work as an editor and creative editor. Earlier this year Rim’s work as the creative editor, director and art director of the flawless music video “The Light” for the electronic band Sailli was recognized with esteem when the video was chosen as an Official Selection of the Atlanta Film Festival. The video, which Rim marks among one of his favorite projects to date, was also chosen as an Official Selection of the 2018 San Francisco Dance Film Festival, in addition to garnering international media attention from outlets including Visla Magazine, Rhythmer Magazine, HDUP and more.

“There are a lot of things that make cinema, the story, cinematography, editing, art direction, casting, etc. Cinema involves all these aspects, and that makes good cinema. But in my personal opinion, the essential part of any good cinema is storytelling. Good cinema sheds light on any and every story in a unique perspective that is also relatable by many,” says Rim.

“I want my viewers to have a like a deja vu moment when they see my work. I want them to think ‘I’ve never seen this before, but there’s something familiar. I felt this before…’ something like that.”

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Adrian Prospero: Killing It

9/3/2018

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Adrian Prospero (center) directing on set for a big-budget project near the Australian outback
By Jack Shearer
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Award-winning director Adrian Prospero represents yet another Aussie ‘killing it’ on the international stage. The Australian Director’s Guild and Australian Writer’s Guild member, who broke onto the Aussie scene when he won the Raw Nerve Funding Grant and Revel8 Audience Award over a decade ago, has recently signed on to direct US feature The Clairvoyant, to be produced by James Broadhurst.

The Clairvoyant represents one of many projects the acclaimed multi-hyphenate is working on and expects to bring to the US. Adrian is also known in Australia and Asia for helming big-budget commercials, and is the go-to-guy for Australia’s number one network, Channel Nine.

It helps that White Pixel, Adrian’s company, has joined the ranks of companies similar to other Hollywood A-list directors that not only puts out films, but multi-dimensional content for different mediums and business objectives. In the process, Adrian has developed a reputation for creating jobs in the Australian market for actors, producers, editors and cinematographers when the industry was otherwise on the decline.

“Adrian has helped bring life to the industry when no one else was - he’s literally generated millions for the economy,” one industry insider stated.

Australia, it seems, is lucky to have him but will soon have to look from afar as the exceedingly talented filmmaker is beckoned to America.

“I feel pretty blessed,” Adrian told our editors.

“When I won Revel8 over 10 years ago, it was seemingly the tip of the iceberg at the time. They had a screening for my short film at the iconic Astor theatre in mount Lawley as part of the Perth Film Festival, and we won Audience Choice! I was so happy at the time, and just knew that if I could continue making a living at it and making films, I’d be happy. To be working on multiple projects still excites me like it did when I was a kid.”

Indeed, there’s no doubt Adrian is at the top of his field internationally, and at long last sees America as something he can give back to in a way that the industry has supported him.

“It feels great to have projects and companies lined up I can use my skills at - that’s the biggest compliment for any artist. We get paid to wait around, but I think most creatives joke we’d pay to act or write or direct any day.”

Adrian’s hard-work is clearly paying off, and audiences should look to be thrilled by The Clairvoyant in the next year on its release.

Prospero recently judged at the Washington West Film Festival, after spending a year touring the festival circuit with several projects: award-winning comedy series Unrealty and thriller The Hunt.


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Film Producer Alon Juwal Moves into Music Videos

6/30/2017

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Producer/director Alon Juwal
Israeli producer/director Alon Juwal, who has written, directed and produced a series of international award-winning films over the last few years, has followed in the footsteps of one of his longtime icons, M. Night Shyamalan, and has recently begun producing and directing music videos for several artists across the globe.

“The thing I enjoy the most is making movies, but I also take great pleasure in bringing songs to life with cool music videos,” said Juwal.

Earlier this year Juwal produced and directed the music video for famed Israeli singer/songwriter Guy Barak’s single “Ad Hadad.” After hearing the song, Juwal admits that he was, ‘flooded by overwhelming feelings of freedom and happiness,” and what better way to visually representing those feelings than through a road trip narrative!

As the producer of the video, Juwal went to extensive efforts to find the perfect locations and bring together a strong cast and crew. Juwal purposefully shot half of the music video in California, where he currently lives, and the other half in Israel. The artist wanted the video for “Ad Hadad” to contain a strong narrative, one which Juwal shot in Joshua Tree, CA, as well as a live performance; and, seeing how Barak resides in Israel, traveling there to shoot the performance was really the only option for Juwal in order to nail the project.

“I wanted to create a piece that fitted the tone and mood of the song... I drew the biggest inspiration from Tim Berg's ‘Seek Bromance’,” Juwal explained. Adding, “[The music video] received thousands of views and helped Guy lunch his new album, also titled ‘Ad Hadad’.”

After the positive reception he received as the producer and director of the “Ad Hadad” video, Juwal, although he is still working on several upcoming film projects, made it a point to continue riding the music video wave; and so he took the initiative to discover other artists that he would ideally like to produce and direct music videos for.

Juwal says, “I recently got really into the Synth wave genre, which was extremely popular in the 80's and is slowly starting to come back thanks to films & shows like ‘Drive,’ ‘It Follows’ and ‘Stranger Things.’ I figured that there is no better way to kickstart my music video career than with a song that I really like.”

With that in mind, Juwal approached the Liverpool-based artist Kalax, who’s song “The Ride” perfectly fit the bill. After seeing Juwal’s past work, Kalax was instantly on board. Kalax’s song “The Ride” has already been featured online by DRIVE Radio, Digital Mass and E Radio-- the buzz that has resulted around the song from this alone makes it the perfect time for the music video to be released.

Juwal is slated to begin producing and directing the music video for Kalax’s song “The Ride” around LA at the end of June, with locations spanning Beverly Hills, Malibu, Downtown LA, Angeles Crest Highway, The Griffith Observatory and LACMA Museum.

Juwal explains, “The song has a strong feeling of adventure and I want to bring that to the screen by filming in some of the most iconic scenic spots in the LA area.” ​

Later this year Juwal is also slated to produce and direct the music video for the artist Valu’s song “Quiet.” While the song depicts the lyrical story of a broken relationship, Juwal prefers to maintain a strong distance from that overdone cliche in terms of the video’s visual narrative.

He explains, “I wanted to give it a little twist instead of shooting a boring boy leaves girl video so we decided to shoot a narrative with kids instead of adults. It's gonna have strong tonal similarities to ‘Stranger Things’ both visually and story wise.”

Juwal is slated to begin production as the producer and director of Valu’s upcoming music video in August, which will be shot around Los Angeles. Thanks to his extensive experience in the film world, Juwal, who is represented by Parimore Entertainment, brings a unique vision to the music videos he produces and directs. His capacity to create a strong narrative that fits the artist’s song is definitely one of the driving forces behind his success in the field.  ​

Early on in his career Juwal produced and directed the award-winning film “Castor,” which brought to life the story of an Israeli Army dog handler who takes his dying canine companion for one last walk into the desert before having to put him down. As the producer of the film Juwal managed to secure filming locations across Israel, as well as pull in local hires to make the film happen.

Visually engaging and emotionally powerful, “Castor’s” touching story earned Juwal international attention for his skill, with the film going on to take home the Best Foreign Film Award from the Williamsburg Independent Film Festival, nominations at the Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival and the Madrid International Film Festival, as well as being chosen as an Official Selection of the St. Tropez International Film Festival, Catalina Film Festival, Silver Springs International Film Festival and others.

Last year Juwal made a huge impact in the U.S. film industry with his sci-fi film “Visitors” starring Kei’la Ryan (“Bad Friends & Family,” “Kingdom,” “Night Crawlers”), Nick Unger (“Front Seat Chronicles,” “Phil of the Future”) and Tim Juliano. The film earned Juwal the Festival Award for Best Director of a Sci-Fi short at the New York City International Film Festival, the Honorable Mention Award from the Boston Science Fiction Film Festival, and was chosen as an Official Selection of the Phoenix Comicon Film Festival, USA Film Festival, Vail Film Festival and Newport Beach Film Festival.

A riveting and suspenseful sci-fi film that depicts the story of two siblings returning home to their estranged father’s house for dinner one evening where the tensions are high, Visitors is full of twists and turns that the audience will never expect. Over the course of the film Juwal uses specific devices to subtly allow viewers further access into the world of the characters’ past-- but he’s careful to keep the turning point of the film a secret until the climax occurs. His methodical approach in presenting the story within “Visitors,” which makes it impossible to turn away from the screen, is the reason for the film’s international success. ​
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With an established repertoire of work as a film producer and director that also includes the films “Four Tires,” “Claw Hammer,” “The One That Got Away,” “Cleansing” and more, Alon Juwal has managed to flawlessly translate his talent for bringing powerful and visually intriguing film narratives to the screen to the world of music videos. We eagerly await the release of the upcoming music videos for Kalax’s “The Ride” and Valu’s “Quiet,” as they’re assured to be something special.

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An Insightful & Honest Storyteller: Director Onn Nir  

5/31/2015

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Writer and director Onn Nir
Nearly a decade ago multi-award winning Israeli born writer and director Onn Nir began wowing audiences around the world through his captivating portrayal of stories on film. Nir's career really began taking off after he landed his first professional job as the director of the film Reality 01 written by Shuky Nachsho.

 "It was a short film but the budget was pretty decent and I got to direct fight scenes, gunshots, and car chases, which was definitely a good learning experience," recalls Nir.

In fact Reality 01 was more than a "good learning experience," it was an integral piece of Onn Nir's puzzle as filmmaker as it helped to lay the foundation for the majority of the successful films he is known for today.

Some of Nir's most recognized films to date include Bamidbar, which received the Audience Award at the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival, as well as two nominations at the Shanghai International Film Festival and another nomination at the Champs-Élysées Film Festival last year, Pressure Point, which was nominated for awards at the prestigious Hamptons International Film Festival and St. Louis International Film Festival, and Born Guilty, which was the recipient of an award from the National Board of Review.

Nir's intricate knowledge of the technical aspects of filmmaking and how to effectively apply them in order to provide his audience with a multisensory experience allows his viewers to get lost in each of his stories as if it were there own.

"The work of the director entails seeing the project from conception to execution and beyond - enhancing the storytelling on the page, working with actors, and digging deeper into the psychology of the characters," explains Nir. "By creating a unified vision of a visual story –from camera movements, to editing, and into music - the director creates a coherent experience of sound and vision."

While the films Pressure Point, Born Guilty and Bamidbar are all related to the realities and side effects of war in one way or another, a subject matter Nir has proven through the sheer number of awards won that he is capable of portraying effectively, his other films demonstrate that he is far from a one trick pony.

In the 2013 dramedy film The Inside Story in Africa starring Scott Forrester (Two Birds and a Boy, Angels in Stardust, Trent & Tilly, Cellmates, Meet Dave) and Kelly Lohman (Days of Our Lives, The Hillside Strangler, Gilmore Girls, Bones) Nir brings to life a tale of husband and wife who travel across Africa in a mechanical elephant in hopes of capturing shots of a rare monkey in its natural habitat.

Nir brilliantly captures the comedic quarrels of a husband and wife as they impatiently wait for this coveted African monkey to appear; and in fact, that is one of the most extraordinary testaments to his talent-- that he manages to keep his viewers engaged during the "waiting" period, which any wildlife photographer knows is a natural aspect of capturing the shot.

Any viewer who has had the opportunity to see some of Onn Nir's earliest work, for example the 2004 film The Green Door, which he both wrote and directed, then the astonishing success this filmmaker has had since comes as no surprise. Based on O. Henry's short story "The Green Door," Nir's film follows Rudolph Steiner, a lonesome piano salesman who is given an opportunity to discover true love by chance.

After a stranger on the street gives Steiner a business card that leads him to "The Green Door," a series of unpredictable occurrences ensue; and although it is not the same door as the one assigned by the card, what lays behind it is more pertinent to his heart's desire than he could have planned.

Like many of Nir's films, The Green Door parallels the coincidences that are apparent in each and every one of our lives, and how the decisions we make on an individual level lead up to the total portrait we paint through our experiences.

Onn Nir is definitely one of the most thoughtful writer/directors working in the international film community today, and frankly, we cannot wait to see what he comes up with next!

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Nuh Omar's Unceasing Creativity Takes Him to the Top

3/19/2015

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Writer and Filmmaker Nuh Omar shot by Christian Villarreal

Writer and director Nuh Omar’s passion for film has spanned practically his entire lifetime; and, like many young film geniuses destined for incalculable success, he began honing his talents at an early age.

“I started recording films with my parent’s video camera and my action figures,” Omar said. “I joke with my peers that I made ‘big-budget-effects movies’ about The Incredible Hulk, X-Men and Spiderman years before the studios got to them.”

Just like the superheroes he idolized as a boy, his powers evolved as he grew into a man, and today he is one of the most impressive names in screenwriting and directing; his passion still burns with that same spark, but his technique has come light years since those formative years.

Omar was born in Karachi, Pakistan but left with his family at an early age. So when he made his return to Pakistan to direct several tribute films for the Engro Corporation in 2012, his abilities were put to the test in more ways than one.

“I didn’t speak a word of Urdu at the time I landed, and I jumped into three massive projects for a large conglomerate,” Omar said. “I had to have a translator with me wherever I went, and I directed the crew using only hand gestures. Which only goes to show, the language of film is universal.”

The first of the three films was Shahid Sajjad - Mojiza-E-Fun, a documentary style film focusing on the life and work of renowned Pakistani sculptor Shahid Sajjad. Due to the fact that Sajjad was in the midst of old age and had fallen ill prior to the shooting of the film, Omar made the creative decision to focus the film on Sajjad's achievements in hopes of erecting an image of the sculptor in his prime rather than his current state of deterioration. 

"My goal was to remove the actual subject of the film, sculptor Shahid Sajjad, from the piece, besides photos and stock footage of the man. It had to be a memory, a tribute to him," recalled Omar. “I wanted this film to be sensual, to hit every sense, like being in a dream that begins to fade.”

Giving audiences the feeling of looking through a time capsule, Shahid Sajjad - Mojiza-E-Fun encompassed Sajjad’s breathtaking work and life, and had a profound effect on the vice president of Engro Corporation, who reportedly began tearing up upon seeing Omar’s moving, emotional retrospective of the great artist’s life.

Serving as proof of Omar's brilliant vision as a director and his ability to adapt when faced with obstacles like that of speaking a different language than his cast and crew, Shahid Sajjad - Mojiza-E-Fun received incredible praise from audiences around Pakistan. The film, which Omar both wrote and directed, was shown alongside two other films he wrote and directed for the Engro Excellence Awards, a prestigious civilian award ceremony in Pakistan that honors individuals who have made notable contributions to the fields of art, social science, literature, social & humanitarian services and physical & applied science. The other two films focused on the work of Pakistani urologist Dr. Rizvi, and ex-UN Assistant Secretary General Dr. Hafeez A. Pasha.

Omar also wrote the script for the film ‘We’re Americans, Eh?,’ which tells the hilarious tale of two Canadians trying desperately to make it across the border into America. In an impressive display of raw storytelling talent, Omar manages to tell the richly detailed story with fully defined characters while staring down the film’s time constraints like the barrel of a gun. The film was an award winner at the well-known 24 Hour Film Race in the Los Angeles region in 2013 where it was voted by audiences as one of the Top 5 Films in the competition in addition to winning the award for Best Costume Design.

When it comes to film, Nuh Omar's passion extends beyond just writing and directing. In 2010 he served as the documentarian on the film Loves Me Not where he displayed his unique ability to capture the intense process the actors and filmmakers went through during the shooting of the film. Loves Me Not won the prestigious Crystal Reel Award in 2011 for best Director in the Short Film category, and was nominated in the cinematography category as well.

The film opens by leading audiences to believe that the main characters were merely lovers, but as Loves Me Not progresses viewers quickly realize their relationship was actually a case of modern-day slavery, with the heroine suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Omar's video footage captured the powerful tone that was present on the set and provided viewers with a somber look into the making of this gritty drama.

“Because of the sensitive, intimate and dark subject of the film, the environment of the set itself heavily reflected the subject matter,” Omar said. “We decided I would shoot video and stills of the cast and crew to capture the more ‘intimate’ moments of the production. It was more of a documentation of the creation of this project rather than some promotional photography.”

Omar's talents as a writer also garnered the attention of IAL Saatchi & Saatchi, one of the leading advertising agency's in the world. Several years ago the company hired Omar as a creative writer, as such he has created more than a dozen advertising campaigns for corporate giants like Fortune 500 Company Procter & Gamble.

As Nuh Omar prepares for several upcoming projects set to begin shooting this year, his name is swiftly becoming the talk of the town.

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Jonathan Bensimon Continues to Impress Audiences with his Captivating Work

2/11/2015

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Originally from Montreal, Canada, Jonathan Bensimon has been taking the entertainment industry by storm on an international level, as he continues to wow audiences with his impeccable work as both a director and cinematographer.

Bensimon first rose to success in the film industry over a decade ago after working as the cinematographer on a commercial for telecommunications giant Nokia.

About the commercial Bensimon says, "We created an operatic piece where we blew up TVs, Cameras and stereos and we would get beautiful highlights and light glimmers as all these pieces flew through the air, and at the end the footage would play backwards to create the phone. It was a mix of artistry and technology blending."

One of the perks of being sought after by clients of this caliber is that Bensimon is always privy to using the industry's most cutting edge technology. Bensimon shot the footage for this particular commercial in super-slow motion, using a prototype digital camera that could record 1500fps, something he says at the time, "Was a new frontier for digital cinema."

Eventually, Bensimon's unique visual style as a cinematographer grabbed the attention of an executive producer who, to make a long story short, put the talented young filmmaker on a path towards directing in 2006. Since then, Bensimon has gone on to work as the director and cinematographer on an impressive list of films, music videos and commercials.

In 2014 Bensimon received several awards for his work, including a Gold, a Merit, and two Silver Awards at the Advertising and Design Club Of Canada (ADCC) for the film Zombie, which also took home three awards at the Applied Arts Advertising & Interactive Awards and made it onto the Cannes Lions' Shortlist. The film also received the Gold Pro Bessie Award at the 2015 Bessie Awards, one of the biggest awards shows in Canada.

Zombie follows Antoine Zombé, a Canadian actor and zombie who struggles to break into the American film industry, which doesn't flock to his easy-going Canadian nature, that is, until he lets go of his niceness and becomes the kind of rabid angry zombie audiences have come to expect.

"I took the film in a biopic direction where we follow this zombie actor's career. We start with his struggles and go on a journey that leads us to the eventual breakthrough into the business," explains Jonathan Bensimon. "I worked very closely with the lead actor (Ian Matthews) to create a comical tone, that was simultaneously absurd and relatable."

Prior to creating the film Zombie to promote the Canadian Film Festival (CFF) in 2014, Bensimon worked as both the cinematographer and director on several other projects for the festival including the short film Canadian Sin, which garnered a Silver Award at the 2013 London International Film Festival and the Gold Award in the cinema category at the 2013 ADCC. Bensimon also worked as the director and cinematographer on Canadian Mafia for CFF, which took home the Silver Award at the 2013 ADCC, and two awards at the Applied Arts Advertising & Interactive Awards.

Even in the early stages of his career, Jonathan Bensimon was widely recognized throughout the industry as someone destined for greatness, something proven by the fact that several management and production companies across Canada vied for the chance to represent him for his work. Prior to finding representation for his music videos with The Field, Spy Films (Toronto) and Les Enfants (Montreal), Bensimon was represented by Industry Films.

While working with Industry Films, Jonathan Bensimon worked as the cinematographer and director on several high-profile commercials for global brands including "Passion," "All You Want," "Relief Worker" and "Father of the Bride" for Tylenol, "His and Hers," "Test Drive," "Trade In," "Checkered Flag" and "Silence" for Honda, as well as Nissan's "Choosing," Villagio's "Everyone's Favorite," Advil's "Advil Air," Honey Bunches of Oats' "Multiple Mouths" and countless others.

Although Bensimon has become a highly sought after director and cinematographer for commercials, his talents in the field extend far beyond commercials alone. In 2010 he directed, as well as worked as the cinematographer on the film Tokyo/Glow, which received the Bronze Award in the film category at the Telly Awards. Upon his first visit to Tokyo, Bensimon was not only mesmerized by the beauty of the city, but was also drawn to one of the city's unique features-- a cross-walk sign, which ultimately led him to create the film Tokyo/Glow.

Bensimon recalls, "I was in awe of the entire city, but something really simple caught my attention: the cross walk sign, rather than being a stick figure like every other crosswalk sign in the world this one had a suit and a fedora. I wanted to bring him to life and see him journey through the city."

Incorporating stop-motion animation, Bensimon's film captures the beauty of the city's nightscape alive with movement as one man, who is literally lit up like a light bulb, moseys through the busy streets.

Bensimon explains, "Our lead actor was wrapped in a 100 meters of LED rope light as he walked at a snails pace in order for the world around him to move at rapid speed."

Aside from receiving a Telly Award, Tokyo/Glow reached incredible success in Canada where it aired nationwide on Bravo!, in addition to being featured on several blogs including Style.com, Tokyomango.com, Madewithjapan.com, and many more.

About the way his work as both a cinematographer and director affect his overall approach to a project Bensimon says, "Being a director/cinematographer allows me to see things in a very unique way, it makes my preparation very intense and makes me develop a special relationship with the actors and the crew because I constantly look at things from multiple angles. Also, it allows me to have a very clear idea of the direction of the mood that will be in the final piece."

Over the past decade Jonathan Bensimon has created an unparalleled reputation as an artist who is able to not only morph his creativity to the fit needs of his vast range of commercial clients, but one who is able to continually create groundbreaking work and frankly, we can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

Make sure to check out Jonathan Bensimon's "Social Innovation" commercial for Hitachi below, where he was both the cinematographer and director, and if you would like to see more of this talented filmmaker's work you can check out his profile on Spy Films, Les Enfants and The Field , the production companies currently representing him.


Hitachi - Social Innovation - Jonathan Bensimon from Industry Films on Vimeo.

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Director and cinematographer Jonathan Bensimon
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Behind the Scenes Spotlight: Award-Winning Cinematographer Guy Pooles

2/2/2015

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PictureCinematographer Guy Pooles
One cannot overstate the integral role of the cinematographer in bringing a director's vision to the screen. Often referred to as the director of photography (DP), it is one of the most challenging jobs in the film industry. Not only do these individuals set the film’s tone by carefully crafting images to create a visual language, but they also serve as chief of the film's camera department and lighting crew. The role of DP befits a person who is able to use both their right brain and their left brain, as this work inevitably requires the creative capacity to infuse images with life and emotion in addition to vast knowledge concerning technical aspects of illumination and effective use of camera techniques.

Celebrated English cinematographer Guy Pooles says, "It is the job of the cinematographer to tell the story visually. I collaborate with the director to devise and build a visual language that ties into their vision for the film, then I move forward and manage the Lighting, Grip and Camera departments to ensure that every creative and logistical choice made is in keeping with the execution of that vision. It is my job to hone each visual element, be it lighting, color or composition, to a place where it complements and elevates the drama of the narrative."

Pooles discovered his desire to work in film in his youth, but it wasn't until several years ago, while attending Royal Holloway, University of London, that he realized cinematography was his true calling. Though incredibly demanding, Pooles sees cinematography as an avenue for endless exploration into the way images transcend verbal language.

"In a way, the emotive power of cinematography is an infinite mystery. I’m not entirely sure why a certain lens on a certain camera in a certain place can make me feel safe and comforted, or why a particular quality of light raking across a wall can fill me with sadness, all I know is that they do. There’s a humanity encoded within imagery that transcends language or definition, and the exploration of this is forever surprising and enjoyable," he explains. "It is an unquenchable curiosity that draws me towards cinematography."

Pooles has fulfilled his dream of working internationally as a professional cinematographer, and he has been honored with numerous awards for his work, including the American Society of Cinematographers’ Linwood Dunn Heritage Award, which he received last year for his work as cinematographer on the film Dirty Laundry. 

Over the years, Pooles has amassed an a impressive repertoire of work as a cinematographer, including films like Wake, Happenstance, What Must Be Done, You're a Little Late, Martha, and a documentary entitled Best of The Pacific Northwest.

One of Pooles' most recent projects as a cinematographer is the film Open 24 Hours, a dark comedy directed by Henry Chaisson. According to Pooles, "Our goal for the film was to take an utterly mundane setting --a secluded, small town, gas station-- and construct a visual language for the film to suggest that a sinister and unusual energy existed beneath the surface of this seemingly-harmless world."  

After testing several lens systems to achieve the aesthetic goal, Pooles and his team selected Cineovision Anamorphic Lenses from Old School Cameras, as well as a RED Epic Dragon camera body with a 6K sensor. Pooles explains, "For me, the joy of the Cineovision lenses was that they possessed all of the visual characteristics of an anamorphic lens that I enjoy -- softness, flaring and fogging, slight breathing/distortion -- but with a subtlety that allowed the lenses to still be easy to work with on set." 

A testament to the film's powerful imagery and the quirky story it portrays, Open 24 Hours was recently chosen as an Official Selection of the 2015 Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival where it will screen in February. Guy Pooles’s work has demonstrated that he has the kind of adaptable creative vision that can endure the test of time, and film is not his only area of expertise.

Last year Pooles was asked to work as both director and cinematographer for Bryarly Bishop’s music video for the song "In the Bright Daylight." The indie musician's budget for the video paled in comparison to Pooles' recent projects, but because he loves a good challenge, he brainstormed until he devised a concept that would fit both the song and the musician's budget. Pooles says, "The key to keeping the budget so low was the utilization of natural light."

Pooles turned to the Sony a7S using a native ISO of 3200 and a S-Log 2 curve, which he says possesses incredible latitude and very high sensitivity, making a large and expensive lighting package unnecessary. "I needed only to utilize the overcast ambient daylight coming through the window of the location as my key light, and then shape it to my desired look with plenty of negative fill," he explains. "For a low-budget music video such as this, the minimalist approach worked perfectly, allowing the shoot to be not just cheap, but also fast."

Looking to the future, Pooles is slated to travel to China later this year where he will work as the cinematographer on an upcoming film. He says, "My wish is to keep moving forward and to try new things. I think the mark of a good cinematographer is the ability to move from genre to genre and from medium to medium whilst leaving their own personal style at the door."


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Danish Director Jacob Lundgaard Andersen is Hollywood's Hottest New Talent

1/12/2015

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Picture
Director Jacob Lundgaard Andersen on the set of his film "Dustland"
It hasn’t taken long for Danish filmmaker Jacob Lundgaard Andersen to make a name for himself in Hollywood.  Though he credits some of his success with Hollywood’s recent fascination with all things Danish, it seems that sheer talent, and not a Danish passport, has held the key to Andersen’s success.

After completing an education dedicated to filmmaking, first at the European Film College in Denmark, then the prestigious American Film Institute in the U.S., Jacob jumped right into writing and directing short films and music videos, which immediately found acceptance and recognition in festivals and on MTV. Since then he has worked for prominent Danish directors Thomas Vinterberg and Nikolaj Arcel, and has gained international experience filming musicians like 30 Seconds to Mars (fronted by Jared Leto), Raphael Saadiq and Enrique Iglesias on their respective world tours. He is a recipient of the Nordic Film Foundation Scholarship and the Bridges/Larson Grant for socially responsible filmmaking.

Jacob has thus far directed nearly a dozen films, including the multi-award winning Dustland, Maria Bonita, As Long As You Watch My Heart, Sad Animals, Rumspringa, The Unfortunate Turth and Be Here Now, which have won recognition and accolades from film festivals around the world, such as the Saint Petersburg International Film Festival (Russia), the prestigious Rhode Island Film Festival (USA), Kitzbuhel Film Festival (Austria), HollyShorts Film Festival (USA), Filmques (USA), just to name a few. 

I asked Jacob to discuss some of his most memorable productions. Of course this is an unfair question to ask a filmmaker, as each of his productions is the culmination of his blood, sweat and tears, but when pressed, we ended up talking about his films Rumspringa, Sad Animals and Be Here Now.

Be Here Now was Jacob's first independent film. He was deeply inspired by the work of experimental filmmaker Jesper Just, and the early work of Lars Von Trier (Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville). Working on Be Here Now, Andersen realized that “film can be completely submersive and even more communicative without being mainstream or Hollywood. It was like becoming aware of abstract art.” Andersen spent about 6 months thoughtfully writing the script, spending a lot of time in the parks of Copenhagen listening to Leonard Cohen and Jeff Buckley. As he created the film early on in his career, he admits it was a challenge making a high quality film with no budget, but he succeeded. “I had to borrow and beg everywhere, like most people making shorts for zero cash, but I think I got extremely lucky with my collaborators, or maybe they just extended an extra courtesy for a young naïve filmmaker.” The film screened at several venues in Copenhagen and participated in the prestigious International Short Film Festival Detmold in 2011.

As someone fascinated by the Amish ritual of Rumspringa, I couldn’t resist asking Jacob about the story, the inspiration, and his experience making the film Rumspringa.  Rumspringa is a rite of passage that many Amish youth take part in whereby they have the option of leaving the strict confines of their insular religious communities to live in the non-Amish world.  After their Rumspringa, they choose whether or not to be baptized and confirmed into the Amish community, or to leave forever and live in the secular world. Rumspringa was Andersen’s first project in Los Angeles, and he explains, “This was my first fiction project in Los Angeles and I wanted to explore some of the more extreme versions of this new world in a fairytale kind of setting. I thought it would be a good place to start and try to get a more well-rounded view of my very naïve look on Los Angeles.” Just as the main characters in the film experience the ups and downs of the world outside their sheltered upbringing for the first time, working on the film in a new country was an eye opening learning experience for Jacob in a lot of ways. 

The next film we talked about was a challenging one-take called Sad Animals, which Jacob both wrote and directed. Sad Animals is a film that takes a comedic look at a suicidal man’s very emotional journey to his own death after discovering he has brain cancer.  If the subject matter weren’t enough to make the film a stand-out, what really makes this film special is that it’s shot as a one-take, which means that the entire film is one continuous shot, with no “cuts”.  He explains that he was “a bit surprised” that it turned in to a comedy.  Jacob explains, “I do not want to make light of the struggle of the people that are actually suffering with suicidal thoughts, but I guess it is a Scandinavian approach to the existential crises.” He cites Roy Andersen as a big inspiration for this film.  “A one-take demands a lot of preparation and perfect timing. Once you say ‘action,’ the film takes on a life of its own, and there is nothing you can do about it. We also had kids and stunts, which are two classic no-go’s.” The film is not only quirky and endearing, but beautifully shot as well.

Jacob Lundgaard Andersen’s is currently working on an upcoming feature comedy, as well as collaborating with musician Rapheal Saadiq. Jacob's work proves that he is one of the most talented Danish additions to join the American entertainment industry in recent years, and we can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

Check out the trailer for Jacob Lundgaard Anderson's film Rumspringa below!

Trailer for Rumspringa from Jacob Lundgaard Andersen on Vimeo.

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Inspiring Filmmaker and Multi-Talented Actress, Nina Ljeti

5/12/2014

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An artist to the core, Bosnian multi-talent Nina Ljeti is not only an incredible actress, but an inspirational director, and skilled screenwriter as well.

A contemporary of the incomparable actor/director James Franco, Nina has starred alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest actors, including Golden Globe winners Winona Ryder and Jessica Chastain, Emmy winner Josh Hamilton, Lily Taylor, Heather Graham, Mila Kunis, Zach Braff and a long list of others. For someone who is only 23-years-old, Nina has accomplished more in the film industry than most people ever will. Some of her titles as an actress include the award-winning film Child of God, The Letter, About Cherry, Tar, and many more.

In addition to being an incredible actress, Nina is also a talented director with a unique vision. In 2013 Nina wrote and directed the film Jeffrey, which explores the lesser-known and more mundane aspects of the life of Jeffrey Dahmer, one of America’s most infamous serial killers. However, her most notable directorial title to date is the feature film Memoria, which stars Golden Globe winner James Franco and is scheduled to be released early next year.

Nina co-directed, as well as co-wrote the screenplay for the film with longtime collaborator and friend, Vladimir de Fontenay. The duo met while attending NYU’s Tisch School of Arts, one of the most prestigious film schools in the world, which boasts an alumni list that reads like a film industry who’s-who, including luminaries like Woody Allen, Oliver Stone, Joel Cohen, Martin Scorsese, Marcia Gay Harden, James Franco, and Angelina Jolie.

The screenplay for Memoria was adapted from three short stories found in James Franco’s book Palo Alto, and explores how the spirit of a once honest and kind-natured person can be completely destroyed as a result of living in an environment that is devoid of love.

Based in Palo Alto, California, Memoria centers on the life of Ivan Cohen (played by James Franco), an anti-social boy whose turbulent relationship with his mother and stepfather lead him to retreat into an imaginary world where he is able to connect with his real father, a member of the Russian military.

Personally, I am very excited about the release of the film, and am looking forward to seeing more of Nina’s work as an actress and director in the future. She is undoubtedly a one-of-a-kind talent who has created a solid place for her self in the film industry.

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