Some people were just born to perform and actress Sarah Jurgens happens to be one of those unique individuals. Although she was originally born in England, Jurgens spent time in South Africa with her family as a child before migrating to Canada shortly after. Spending time in several different countries in her youth endowed Jurgens with an enriched worldview, but those experiences also prompted her fascination with dialects.
 
She says, "Because I grew up with the good fortune of traveling to different areas of the world where my extended family resides, I developed a keen ear for accents. I really enjoy dialect work, it often opens up an entirely new inner-landscape for me to draw on as an actor, and it brings an edge to the character that I otherwise may not have found."

Jurgens' ability to tap in and become a wide range of characters with starkly different backgrounds is something that not only sets her apart from most other actresses, but it has also proven to be an integral counterpart in her success.

In Michael DeCarlo's (Lost Girl, The Border, Queer as Folk) 2012 film Two Hands to Mouth, which was produced by 
Black Walk Productions, Jurgens took on the role of Anya, a Russian bombshell seductress and the wife of Frank, a business man involved in nefarious ventures who is played by Joe Pingue (Drive, The Book of Eli, Pompeii).

Chosen as an Official Selection of the 2013 Madrid International Film Festival where it was nominated for a Best Actor Award and a Best Editor Award, Two Hands to Mouth revolves around eight blindfolded guests who all meet at a secret pup-up restaurant for a dinner prepared by chef Michael Bradori played by Richard Zeppieri from 24 Hour Rental, Suits and The Bridge.

About playing Anya, Jurgens explains, "Working with a Russian dialect opened up a very specific emotional range for me. It was incredibly fun to play a woman so secure in her sexuality and power."

Jurgens also starred alongside Rachel Skarsten (Fifty Shades of Grey, The Vow, Birds of Prey, Flashpoint), Conrad Coates (Defiance, Saw II, This Means War, The Strain) and Gemini Award winner Ernie Greenwald (Men in Black II, Two and a Half Men, Cellular) in the film.

For Jurgens acting is more than just a career. She admits, "I chose acting as my passion and profession for selfish reasons really. It was the art form that I found most challenging and demanding in terms of self-exploration. As I grow as an individual, I also grow as an artist. It is an ever-evolving process and it’s one that keeps me asking questions, and keeps me engaged with life."

While she has reached an astonishing level of success on screen with leading roles in TV shows including Covert Affairs, Lost Girl, Republic of Doyle and Beauty and the Beast, as well as the films Swearnet: The Movie and The Man in the Shadows, Jurgens has also carved out a place for herself in the international theatre industry.

To date the actress has starred in an impressive list of high-profile theatrical productions including "The Bewitched," "The Clown Show," "The Penelopiad" and "Reasons to be Pretty."

In 2009 she formed the Canada-based theatre production company The Blood Projects with writer/producer and fellow actress Sasha Singer-Wilson. Through The Blood Projects, Jurgens produced and played the starring role of Eve in "This is It" directed by Mark Wilson, and Tessa in "Little Tongues" directed by Paul Lampert.

Although Jurgens admits that she has a strong connection to pretty much every role she's played so far, her role as Queen Ann in Peter Barnes "The Bewitched" has been one of her most beloved. 

Directed by Dora Award winner Nigel Shawn Williams, the production revolves around the true story of the last of the Hapsburg royal line, an inbred family of rulers whose resulting diseases prevented them from producing an heir to the Spanish throne.

"It was a challenging experience playing a historical figure. Maria Anna of Neuburg was Queen of Spain from 1689 to 1700 as the second wife of King Charles II. It allowed me to explore her explosive anger, resulting in seizures and phantom pregnancies," recalls Jurgens.

In Shakespeare's words, "All the world's a stage," that is, at least for actress Sarah Jurgens; and, as she continues to take on new and exciting projects we know that this dynamic performer will continue to dazzle us with her craft for decades to come.

 

 

 

 

Some types of artists, such as writers, tell stories with words. Other types of artists, such as photographers and painters, tell stories with pictures. Russian- born designer and visual effects (VFX) artist Vitaly Verlov tells his stories with motion graphics and special effects.

Modern motion graphics use digital animation to create the illusion of movement and rotation of 2D or 3D artwork. TV stations and commercials use motion graphics to locate viewers to their channels and brand their shows and products.

“Motion graphics is a general term. It's something that visually can be executed in different ways and styles,” Verlov explained. “It can be two-dimensional, flat or illustrated looking as well as three-dimensional.”

Verlov has created motion graphics that have appeared in commercials for some of the largest and most recognizable brands in the world such as Samsung, Nokia and Mitsubishi. He’s also created motion graphics for the worldwide music channels MTV and VH1 and for the Russian channel RUTV.

Even though Verlov’s work has boosted the image of some of the world’s most successful companies, his work is about much more than mere brand identity – Verlov’s work contains narrative.

“Motion design is storytelling,” Verlov said. “When making a TV show opener or a channel ident, you're actually making a short, animated 10- to 15-second piece, which tells a story visually.”

VFX, on the other hand, integrates photorealistic special effects into live action shots, a technique commonly used in film and TV shows to create scenes that would otherwise not be possible. Verlov’s style of motion graphics translated seamlessly to VFX, which has brought him consistent work in the film industry.

“My direction is more 3D oriented,” Verlov said. “That's why it substantially intersects with the visual effects field.”

Verlov was the lead 2D VFX artist for the Chinese sci-fi feature film Impossible, which was directed by Zhou Sun (I Do, Breaking the Silence). During the film’s post-production, Verlov worked on the film’s VFX in the Beijing studio of international VFX production company Pixomondo, which has created VFX for numerous major titles such as Game of Thrones, Furious 7,and Fantastic Four.

But Verlov hasn’t just worked on other people’s projects. In fact, he’s made two films of his own and was heavily involved in the VFX production for each title. 

Verlov’s first film, Forever After, was a sci-fi story about a couple’s encounter with a mysterious alien phenomenon. The film showed at the Cannes Film Festival, the most prestigious film festival in the world, in 2012. Despite the film’s modest budget,Forever After featured breathtakingly realistic VFX and high overall production value.

Redux, Verlov’s latest film, stars Hollywood actors Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, The Expendables, The Cable Guy) and Russell Fenton (Deceptors, Freshman Psych). The sci-fi drama about a scientist, an assault team and a time-travelling warning message features a retro-futuristic vibe straight out of the 1980s. 

Verlov, who wrote, directed and edited Redux, is currently working its VFX. Redux is the latest credit in what is already an impressive portfolio for Verlov, one that is sure to grow with even more ambitious titles in the future.

You can check out Vitaly Verlov's awesome reel below, and you can also find out more about his work through his website: http://primevalues.net/

Actress Ainara Landon rose to success in the Spanish film and television industry nearly a decade ago. Her first claim to fame came when she landed the role of Isabel in the hit soap opera Love is Forever, formerly known as Love in Difficult Times.

Known to Spanish audiences as Amar en Tiempos Revueltos, the series begins during the Spanish civil war in the 1930s and follows the way the rise and rule of Fascist General Francisco Franco affected the lives of Spain's people.

In the first season of the series, which focuses on the timeframe from 1936 to 1945, we see through the eyes of Landon's character, Isabel, the vast differences between life in Spain prior to, and during Franco's rule. We first see Isabel as a young woman being sent away to attend boarding school in England during the Spanish civil war, a time when the Second Spanish Republic governed Spain.

While Spain was in a tumultuous state of political reconstruction during the Second Spanish Republic, the regime's efforts were for the most part, in favor of the people. Prior to Isabel's departure in the show, the new government had made immense constitutional efforts to provide citizens with the right to free speech, and extended voting rights to women. However, by the time she returns home four years later, we see the stark differences between the place she once called home and the new version of the country, which is ruled by Franco and can only be described as being in a state of political and social crisis.

Landon's performance in To Love is Forever is a huge testament to her capacity as an actress. Over the last nine years the series has garnered countless awards including three Atv Awards, a Silver Medal from the 2007 New York Film Festival, the Award of the Spanish Actors Union in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013, as well as a Turia Award for Best TV Program and three TP de Oro Awards.

While Landon is no stranger to drama, something she's proven in the shows To Love is Forever and Red Eagle, the actress is also a highly sought after talent for comedy films and television shows.

"I like to try all different genres, I think it is important for an actor to show versatility," explains Landon. "You always find yourself more secure in some genre or character, but you grow more when it’s a challenge."

In the Spanish sketch comedy series La Tira (The Strip), Landon put her talents in the genre on display as Sonia, a nightclub-loving chick who never seems to leave the bar.

"Comedy is fun but it's always harder than it looks," admits Landon.

Despite comedy being one of the more challenging genres, Ainara Landon has definitely made her name known in the world of Spanish comedy. The young star was featured in the highly successful romantic comedy Stuck to Your Pillow, which was written and directed by Mari Navarro; and, she also made an appearance in the international teen comedy film G.B.F. directed by Darren Stein, the director behind the cult film Jawbreaker.

 Ainara Landon is also scheduled to play the starring role of Eva, an aspiring model who gets a wild shock when she moves to Miami Beach, Florida in the upcoming comedy series Sobe: Role Models.

The story of how Russian television journalist Liliya Anisimova rose to success serves as an inspiration for those who, through hard work and unwavering focus, aim to make their dreams a reality. More importantly however, her story holds the power to restore our faith in the fact that dedicated journalists with unshakable ethics still exist today.

Anisimova has worked as a television news journalist for Russian media outlets such as Teleinform and Moscow Doveriye (Moscow Trust), as well as a travel host and creator for Russian Travel Guide TV.

Born in Volgograd, Russia Liliya Anisimova began her journalism career at 13-years-old as a freelance writer for the national newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda's Volgograd regional edition, Volgogradskaya Pravda and Vecherniy Volgograd aka Evening Volgograd.

From an early age her ultimate goal was to become a television journalist and news anchor, and she did everything in her power to make it happen. Little did she realize that actually having her work published in several newspapers at such a young age would give her the advantage she needed.

Her early articles served as a necessary stepping-stone, which helped her gain acceptance to Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), where she would receive a bachelor's and a master's degree in broadcast journalism, as well as her second bachelor's degree in translating for communications.

Established in 1755, MSU is one of the county's most prestigious and competitive universities, which means getting one's foot in the door is not an easy task. 

"We had what's called “creativity contest”. Before you are actually allowed to take an entrance exam we had to pass this contest where the professors evaluated our “previous work experience”. Which is pretty crazy when I think about it now," explains Anisimova about the process of being accepted to MSU. "16 and 17 year old kids had to bring already published materials from newspapers, radio pieces or TV programs that they had already worked on that were aired or published!"

While at MSU, Anisimova began working as a news reporter for Teleinform, a regional cable television channel in Moscow. During her time at Teleinform, Anisimova wrote bulletins and news stories for the channel's anchors to deliver, and gained extensive experience conducting live and pre-recorded interviews, using her editorial judgment to decide the best angle to approach a story from, and managing technical crews for news shoots. But, the young journalist was hungry for a job that would give her a shot at being an anchor.

After working for the media group for two years she left and landed the opportunity of a lifetime through the news station Moscow Doveriye. Within a year of starting her work with Moscow Doveriye Anisimova was living her dream as a full-fledged news anchor with a handsome salary to boot. However, as time went on she was faced with a series of hard choices regarding her personal beliefs and the ethics of being a news anchor in Russia, where the station she worked for was run predominantly by the government and held views she didn't agree with.

Although she had accomplished her dream, sacrificing her morals and her dedication to delivering the truth to her audience was a non-negotiable matter. 

As a news anchor Anisimova covered a vast range of topics, but the stories she had always had the most passion for were travel related. So, when she decided to leave Moscow Doveriye, and landed a job as a host for the Russian Travel Guide channel she was ecstatic.

"It was more than experience, it was a life changing job. We travelled a lot, we shot a lot, it was just beautiful," recalls Anisimova. She adds, “RTG was an independent privately owned channel and has nothing to do with politics or state money at all, which is very rare for Russia.”

Travelling to a long list of interesting places including the Russian cities of Tyumen, Yaroslavl, Nizhniy Novgorod, Ulianovsk, Surgut, Yekaterinburg, Suzdal, Vladimir, St. Petersburg and many more, Anisimova exposed RTG's audience to some of the country's most beautiful hidden gems. While at RTG, Anisimova also represented the RTG team at national and international exhibitions including the World Travel Market and the Association for International Broadcasting Awards in London, the Hot Bird TV Awards in Venice, Italy and others.

While Liliya Anisimova's reputation as an honest and well-known news anchor and television host was not built over night, her success proves that anything is possible for those who dedicate themselves to making their dreams a reality.

 

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/