Tag Archives: Behind the Scenes

Terrasse: new challenges for a successful brand

August 9, 2021 lgreenbaulm Leave a comment

The Ukrainian brand Terrasse continues its successful path under the leadership of Kostiantyn Vlasenko

Opening a new store in the Retroville shopping center in Kiev, restructuring the brand to meet online sales, a necessity during the pandemic, and expanding the brand’s target audience are just a small list of achievements made by the brand Terrasse since Kostiantyn Vlasenko stepped in as a leader and production manager.

The Terrasse brand was created by an American designer of Ukrainian origin Viktoriia Vlasenko, whose career encompasses both fashion design and costume design for cinema. Several years ago, she transferred the management of the brand into the hands of her brother Kostiantyn, who continues to manage a large production in Kiev while also being integral to helping Victoria implement her new ideas.

*The poster of the online store Terrasse*

“Kostiantyn is literally my right hand, it’s hard for me to imagine how I would have realized all of my plans without his help,” says Viktoriia about her brother. “He has so much energy, he has so much experience, and he’s always finding new opportunities for us to grow, I rely on him for absolutely everything.”

While Viktoriia works from the United States and Kostiantyn from the Ukraine, the distance does not stop the creative collaboration this powerful brother and sister team have created. Over the past few years they have developed and implemented many new collections under the Terrasse brand, whose products are currently sold in seven of their own stores, as well as a number of additional outlets throughout Ukraine.

Kostiantyn previously lived in America where he graduated from the New York Film Academy, as well as starred in more than a hundred films, however he later returned to the Ukraine for familial reasons.

“Despite the fact that my soul remains devoted to the cinema, the production of clothes captures me no less… In addition, Viktoriia is full of ideas, and all of us in Terrasse, even during a pandemic, had no time to get bored,” comments Kostiantyn Vlasenko.

“We are intensively expanding the range of the brand’s clothing, and now it will focus not only on a youth audience, but also on successful and stylish older women, which means a change in concept and a completely different approach to production. All of these tasks are complex and interesting at the same time, especially in an environment where the coronavirus pandemic has caused difficulties in business. However, we have managed to cope with everything, we continue to go forward and this spring we opened another store in Kiev in the Retroville shopping center.”

*Brand Production Manager Terrasse Kostiantyn Vlasenko*

The family collaboration of Viktoriia and Kostiantyn is famous for more than just the unique clothing innovations that they’ve made with the Terrasse brand, but also for their unusual social and artistic fashion projects. Viktoriia Vlasenko’s largest social project, which received a wide response and drew the attention of the Milanese society to the war in Ukraine, was called “I can’t keep calm: Stop War in Ukraine,” with all of the fashion design created by her.

*Book published as part of the No War project*

Within the framework of this project, a collection of women’s clothing was created, as well as a collection of dolls, which were exact copies of the models at the shows. The project also included the release of a book of the same name, which sold 100,000 copies and the creation of the film “No War.” Kostiantyn Vlasenko also took part in the implementation of this large-scale project.

In addition, Kostiantyn and Viktoriia collaborated on the production of costumes for several films. Working together behind the scenes, Viktoriia handles the creative part of this process, including the creation of images, patterns and prototypes for the costumes, while the complex production process, logistics and overall management is headed by Kostiantyn. They’ve spent the last few years carrying out their cinematic creative work simultaneously with their work on the Terrasse brand, but this has by no means meant their fashion brand has become less successful.

Over the past few years, the Vlasenko siblings have received 17 awards from various film festivals for their costumes, and this seems to be the very beginning of a long and prosperous creative journey.

According to Viktoriia Vlasenko, in the near future she and her brother are planning to carry out another large-scale art project, the name of which has yet to be disclosed, but is intended to be released in both the Ukraine and the United States.

Behind the Scenes, Film, film crew, Reviews, Interviews & Features!, Women, Women in Film

script supervisor extraordinaire tamara hansen proves to be an invaluable asset to hollywood filmmakers

November 11, 2020 lgreenbaulm Leave a comment

The extensive and superior role of a script supervisor requires immaculate focus and attention to detail, not to mention the ability to overcome high-stress situations when unexpected curveballs are thrown their way.

With a superpower-like range of skills to her name, leading script supervisor Tamara Hansen is undoubtedly the ultimate behind the scenes ninja when it comes to filmmaking.

*Script Supervisor extraordinaire Tamara Hansen – photographed by Rolan Shlain*

A true master at multitasking, Hansen’s ability to go above and beyond her general job expectations made her an invaluable member behind the scenes of the recent 2020 conspiracy thriller film “18 ½”.

The dark comedy was produced by award-winning filmmaker Terry Keefe (“Slaves of Hollywood”) and directed by award-winning producer, author and screenwriter Dan Mirvish, who was recently named one of Variety‘s Top 50 Creatives to Watch.

The film, which stars two-time Primetime Award winner Jon Cryer (“Two and a Half Men,” “Pretty in Pink”) and award winning actor John Magaro (“The Big Short,” “Carol”), is a 1970s era Watergate scandal conspiracy thriller about a Whitehouse transcriber who obtains the only copy of the infamous 18 ½ minute gap in the Nixon tapes.

Hansen’s role on set was to ensure continuity and prepare the edit logs for all departments, including camera, lighting, sound, wardrobe, make-up and sets, helping to prevent any errors that could occur between takes.

Considering the size of each department, Hansen’s scrupulous organizational skills along with her ability to facilitate clear communication channels between all teams were integral to ensuring that production ran smoothly.

“For a director, having a strong script supervisor is essential. Tamara was a wonderful creative collaborative partner to work with, dedicated to the film, and loyal to a fault in helping protect my creative vision for the film,” says “18 ½” director Dan Mirvish.

He adds, “Tamara is easily the best script supervisor I’ve ever worked with, and she’s an invaluable member of the filmmaking creative community… We couldn’t have made this movie without her.”

Unfortunately, due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, the production of the film took an unexpected halt in March and only recently completed shooting in late September.

“Tamara’s calm but determined personality was exactly what our cast and crew needed,” says the film’s producer Terry Keefe. “Nerves were very frayed because of events happening in the outside world.”

Director Dan Mirvish adds, “She’s always got a welcoming smile on her face, whether it’s first thing in the early morning, or after a long night’s worth of filming. She’s incredibly even-keeled and supportive even when the rest of the crew is freaking out or panicking.”

“Dan always listened to my notes which was great,” says Hansen. “Now that we’re in the edit, Dan is sending me cuts of the movie to get my notes and thoughts on it, for a final edit, which is very exciting and I really appreciate his trust.”

The highly anticipated film is currently in post-production, and expected for international release in 2021.

Behind the scenes with Tamara Hansen – photographed by Greg Starr

Her exceptional work as the script supervisor on the 2020 horror “Dreamkatcher” had the film’s award-winning writer and director Kerry Harris (“Grip and Electric”) dubbing Hansen as the “Google” of filmmaking.

“Tamara is quite simply indispensable and I fear by singing her praises I may not find her available for my next film,” says Harris. “That said, the filmmaking world deserves to know.”

“Dreamkatcher” tells the chilling story of a young boy trapped in a nightmarish entity, and stars Radha Mitchell (“Man of Fire,” “Finding Neverland”), Henry Thomas (“E.T the Extra-Terrestrial,” “Legends of the Fall”) and Lin Shaye (“Insidious,” “There’s Something About Mary”).

After applying for the role via a job posting, it was her strong determination to follow up with the director after several weeks of silence that essentially landed her the job.

“I remember not hearing back from the line producer and thought I didn’t get the job,” she says.

“After two to three weeks I followed up and she let me have an interview with the director. I found out later that the director didn’t like any of the others who interviewed previously that’s why they were still looking. This is the best example for when persistence works out.”

Given that Hansen is extremely diligent when it comes to detail, it was her ability to maintain strong continuity between each department that ensured every shot remained unanimous in order to cut together for the final edit.

Her flawless edit logs became invaluable to the film’s editor, who thoroughly relied on her notes to effectively bring the whole film together.

She adds, “I made sure the editor had a record of what the director’s choices on set were, what takes he liked best, what worked out great and what didn’t. I made sure everything stayed cohesive and would cut together in the edit.”

The film, which was released in April 2020 by global entertainment corporation Lionsgate, is streaming across major digital entertainment giants such as Amazon Prime, Hulu and Netflix.

Official “Dreamkatcher” Trailer (2020)

But it’s not just Hansen’s studious leadership and organizational skills that sets her apart from the rest.

Notorious Hollywood directors and producers often rely on her ability to make decisive verdicts on set, which inevitably improves the final result of the shoot.

Her ability to actively support the production team extends to include more than just full-length feature films, and over the years she’s applied her unwavering work ethic to the detailed world of documented television series.

The historic docuseries “The Food that Built America,” which was narrated by award-winning actor and producer Campbell Scott (“The Amazing Spider Man 1 & 2,” “Jurassic World: Dominion”), tells the unknown stories of the innovations and rivalries behind the American food industry’s best known tycoons.

“Working on a tv-show is more fast paced than filming a movie,” says Hansen. “It was a recreation show, which was very interesting, because we recreated the stories of how Heinz Ketchup was invented, how McDonalds became a franchise etc., It was interesting learning and recreating real life events.”

Coming off the run of an incredibly strong first season, which drew over 18.8 million viewers, the hit series has been renewed for a second season by leading documentary channel History, which will include 18 episodes.

Hansen was asked by the show’s line producer to return for season two, however due to her prior commitments on a soon to be announced independent film, she was unable to commit.

“The Food That Built America” television series – History channel

When a director or producer requires integral information, whether a slight detail in a costume change, or whichever lens was used in the film’s opening scene, it’s guaranteed that with Hansen’s precise memory and intricate edit logs, she’ll always have the answer.

“18 ½” producer Terry Keefe says, “Tamara has an almost photographic memory, or maybe she has an actual photographic memory that may be a superpower, she keeps that a secret.. that really comes in handy in her work.”

With a stellar repertoire of success to her name, and with consistent praise from honored Hollywood filmmakers, it’s no surprise that Tamara Hansen is renowned as the ultimate right-hand woman when it comes to filmmaking.

Behind the Scenes, Cinematographers, Reviews, Interviews & Features!

Multifarious Skills Behind the Lens Make Zac Chia a Sought After Force in Entertainment

June 3, 2018 P. L. McGroarty Leave a comment

While the shot sequences and camera angles seen in a film or TV series are laid out by the cinematographer beforehand, capturing those key visuals falls on the shoulders of the industry’s skilled camera operators, those like Malaysian born Zac Chia.

Chia’s extensive skill in capturing visuals as both a camera and gimbal operator have set him apart from others in the industry and have led him to be tapped to work behind the scenes on a number of high profile projects.

Chia says, “I love so many things about film! It’s a business with the perfect blend of art, technology, human relations, and business in my opinion; and an art form with a lot of creativity, yet requires a lot of careful planning. And the collaborative aspect of it is absolutely amazing. Everyone brings their expertise onto the table, and creates a project together.”

Some of the projects he’s become known for include the series “Kore Conversations” and “Cupid’s Match,” which ranked as the CWseed.com’s second most watched show upon release, the films “The Shadowboxer” with Dalton Alfortish from “22 Jump Street,” the 2018 thrillers “Paracusis” with Chris Barry from “The Book of Life,” and “Monkey Man” with Richard Bulda from the series “Fashion House,” and more.

One skill that sets him apart from many camera operators is his seasoned experience using the gimbal to capture scenes with fluid movement, which is exactly what he did for the T-Mobile and Fox collaboration “The Four” aka “The Four: Battle for Stardom.” The series, which premiered in January, is a music competition reality show where hopeful music groups vie for the chance to win a recording contract with Republic Records.

Arden Tse, “The Four” cinematographer, says, “Zac was extremely critical to the production, to an extent that our productions wouldn’t have been able to run and achieve the shots we were required to get without him. The expertise that he brought to the camera operating side of our production made sure that we could make our days and keep things on schedule.”

Always in the perfect position to get the shot the production depends on– Chia’s foundation in the industry and the vast repertoire of work he’s created over the years stem from his astonishing talent as a camera operator; but this has also led him to be tapped to take on multiple other roles in the industry where visuals are concerned.

Earlier this year Chia was called in to serve as both the cinematographer and camera operator on the “Bodytraffic” promo video for the 2018 Bodytraffic Los Angeles tour, which debuted on May 31 at The Wallis. Founded in 2007 by Lillian Barbeito and Tina Berkett, the LA-based contemporary dance company Bodytraffic has taken to stages across the U.S. being named as one of 25 to Watch by Dance Magazine in 2013 and Best of Culture by the Los Angeles Times.

As the cinematographer and camera operator on the project Chia worked with director Ran Ro to map out how to capture the entire choreography of one of the company’s dance numbers, which was what the client was looking for. Chia opted for a lot of wide shots and strategically figured out how to capture specific dancers during certain points of the routine using the lighting available in the space.

“I realized we had access to a lot of natural light with the big windows, and so I discussed the use of lighting to highlight the dancers and/or moments with Ran. She loved the idea, and so we got a hazer, as fog has the ability to catch light, and in turn cause the streaks to look more concentrated on screen,” explains Chia.

“When we got to the location, I hopped on the sun surveyor app on my phone to see where the sun would be at what time, and we chose our backdrop and which part of the room to shoot at depending on where the sun would.”

Considering that the project contains so much movement, Chia’s skill as both a camera and gimbal operator proved integral to capturing the fluidity of the routine and including the dancers performance in the way the client and director envisioned. Using his gimbal, Chia was able to move with the dancers, syncing his movements in terms of speed and direction in order to ensure that they were the center of attention at all times.

“Zac was an incredible cinematographer and gimbal operator on the shoot… His role was crucial for the shoot as it involved filming energetic dance movements in a spacious location. It was a great experience collaborating with him,” explains “Bodytraffic” director and editor Ran Ro. “He came up with great ideas during the shoot and we were able to get shots with dynamic energy and movements although they were filmed spontaneously. He is also very patient on set and is a great communicator. I loved working with him.”

With the ability to move from working as a camera and gimbal operator to leading his department as a cinematographer, and the rare capacity to accomplishing both simultaneously, Chia brings a level of versatility to the table that makes him a unique talent for productions like this. Whatsmore, he’s earned quite a bit of praise for his work as a director as well, earning the Festival Award from the Atlanta Horror Film Festival for his 2015 film “Room 205” and the Diamond Award from the LA Shorts Awards for his 2017 film “Saptapadi.”

Chia has also been tapped to shoot, direct and edit numerous videos for the inaugural season of the Overwatch League, a professional eSports league for the game Overwatch created by Blizzard Entertainment, the creators of World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor.

“I was tasked to pitch, create, direct, shoot, and edit shows for the Mandarin audience with OWL’s Mandarin Host, Tutu,” says Chia.

In April one of the video’s Chia shot and directed aired live at the arena in Southern California in between the Shanghai Dragons and Florida Mayhem game, as well as on the platform Weibo in China. He’s also directed numerous other videos for the Overwatch League over the last three months, including ones that aired during the Seoul Dynasty vs Shanghai Dragons game and others.

Chia adds, “I absolutely loved the opportunity to pioneer content for a show in its inaugural season, and I was blessed with a lot of creative freedom from Blizzard Entertainment.”

Up next for camera and gimbal operator, who’s proven himself as a formidable genius behind the lense, is the film “A Good Thing,” which he will also be directing.

Costume, Reviews, Interviews & Features!, Wardrobe Department

Background in Focus: UK Costume Designer Jemima Penny

August 29, 2017 lgreenbaulm Leave a comment

While most creatives take many years to find their true calling and turn it into a career, often times there are hints during childhood as to the direction their artistry will later take, and London-based costume designer Jemima Penny is no exception.

Penny recalls, “I was always drawn to costumes. As a little girl my favorite game was ‘dressing up.’ I never wanted bought costumes, I’d always make them up myself.”

Over the past decade Penny has become known internationally for her work as the costume designer on a wide range of projects, including films such as the popular Nick Cave documentary 20,000 Days on Earth, which was nominated for a prestigious BAFTA Film Award for Best Documentary in 2015, the dramatic mystery film In The Dark Half starring Jessica Barden from the Golden Globe nominated series Penny Dreadful, the comedy film Where Have I Been All Your Life? with two-time Primetime Emmy Award winner James Corden (Into the Woods), and many more.

“I was always fascinated by how people define themselves and send messages to wider society about who they are through the way they dress. So I naturally gravitate towards character work over trend. And of course, storytelling is one of the most important and basic human needs. Its how we communicate and pass messages on to one another. So to be able to be part of this industry is a wonderful thing,” explains Penny about what led her to pursue her career as a costume designer.

Penny recently wrapped production on multi-award winning director Jonathan Hopkins’ (Goodbye Mr. Snuggles) upcoming horror film Slumber, which is slated to be released later this year and stars Maggie Q (Live Free or Die Hard, Mission: Impossible III), Will Kemp (Reign, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce) and Sylvester McCoy (Sense8, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey).

The film follows Alice, played by Maggie Q, a rationally minded sleep doctor who, after finding no plausible scientific explanation for the terror an entire family of clients faces while they’re asleep, is forced to abandon reason and accept the existence of the ‘Night Hag.’ In Slumber, we realize that this supposed mythical creature who paralyzes her victims while they’re asleep, one who’s been referenced and written about by practically every culture since the beginning of time, may not be as mythical as everyone believes.

Poster for Slumber — Poster for the upcoming film “Slumber”

For the upcoming film costume designer Jemima Penny has done a thoroughly brilliant job of representing the changing mental states of the characters into their wardrobe, which in the case of this film in particular, changes drastically over the course of the film, at least for some. One of the most drastic visual changes in wardrobe style that audiences will immediately notice is that of Q’s character Alice.

“Alice, the main character is a rational, scientific person who likes to have total control over every element of her life. She is ordered and methodical. However over the course of the film she starts to unravel as the Night Hag becomes more real to her,” explains Penny.

“We used her costumes to help depict this journey. At the beginning of the film she is very put together. Her clothing reflects her character– buttoned up, stylish, sleek, conservative and coordinated… As the film progresses and Alice’s mental state deteriorates we gravitate to more casual, rougher looks– jeans, boots and tees… and the colour palette becomes more earthy and darker.”

The reason Penny has become such a recognizable and sought after costume designer in the industry is due to more than just her skilled abilities as a designer and seamstress. At the end of the day her success can be attributed to the rare and unique way that she gets inside the head of each character she designs for… it’s the methodical way that she breaks down their personality, changing emotions and the outer circumstances that they can’t control to design their wardrobe scene by scene that makes her such a powerful force in her field.

Slumber star Maggie Q says, “Jemima is one of my favorite designers. Not only does she have an incredible sense of style, that is evident in all her work no matter what the brief, but she is totally dedicated to getting the costumes right for the piece, which, for an actor, is such an essential part of being able to fully become immersed in a role.”

Bringing such talent to the table, it is not at all surprising that Slumber is not Jemima Penny’s first time working as a costume designer on one of Jonathan Hopkins’ films. Earlier on in her career she served as the costume designer on his comedy film Minimus, which earned the Festival Award from the 2013 Chicago Comedy Festival. The genres alone reveal the polar opposite nature of the previous project compared to their most recent collaboration, but clearly Penny’s talent as a costume designer proves that her skill exceeds the limitation of any particular genre– or medium for that matter.

“Johnny and I have worked together for a long time. We started making TV commercials together nearly 10 years ago and have built a solid understanding of each other’s work. So after an initial meeting Johnny will ask me to develop designs for the piece and we have a very collaborative process… he is always open to new ideas and trusts in the rest of his creative team to bring valuable input to the project,” says Penny about working with director Jonathan Hopkins.

In addition to making a strong impact as a costume designer in the world of film, Penny has also created a dazzling repertoire of work that includes music videos, such as Calvin Harris’ ‘Sweet Nothing’ feat. Florence Welch, which has over 200 million views on Youtube, as well as an overwhelming list of commercials for globally recognized brands such as Nike, Virgin Media, ITV’s The X Factor, the BBC, Cadbury, Dyson, Disney, Absolut Vodka and many more.

Up next for costume designer Jemima Penny is Primetime Emmy nominee Polly Draper’s (Thirtysomething, Demolition) film Stella’s Last Weekend starring Nat Wolff (Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars) and Alex Wolff (Coming Through the Rye, Patriots Day), as well as the upcoming film Farming, which is set in Great Britain in the 1970s and follows a Nigerian child who grows up in a white working class family and ultimately becomes the leader of a skinhead white supremacist gang.

About the upcoming film Farming, Penny says, “It’s a heart wrenching terrifying look at racism in the not too distant past and it should be a very powerful piece. It’s also a fantastic era for costume.”

Behind the Scenes, Production, Reviews, Interviews & Features!

A Star Behind the Scenes: Victoria Marino on Adventurous Filming Around the World.

May 2, 2017 lgreenbaulm Leave a comment

The rapid pace and apparent dangers of reality competition shows set in the jungle and outback might suggest that productions simply throw contestants into unchartered territories, leaving them to fend for themselves. In actuality, hugely successful shows like “The Wheel” on which Victoria Marino is a production coordinator, require a detailed set of procedures, top-notch crew, and a precise plan of action to coordinate. We sat down with Victoria to discuss the importance of her role, how she got to where she is in her career, and why she loves her position in the entertainment industry.

That Victoria has a diverse skill set is simply one reason why she has provided indispensable contributions to film and television productions, particularly those shows filmed in South America. It helps that the company through which she completes most of her assignments, Figura Media (aka Brazil Production Services), specializes in premium documentaries shot in Brazil and has been responsible for the Netflix hits “Chef’s Table” and “Fearless.”

“Speaking the local language, understanding the work culture, having the local contacts of competent crew, equipment houses, etc, and having knowledge of Brazilian locations is what allows me to do my job,” explains Victoria.

She also tells us that her bilingual skill set definitely sets her apart, explaining, “The fact that I am Brazilian, but have lived in the US for a few years now, speak perfect English and have knowledge of American culture allows me to completely understand the needs of my clients and deliver results up to their expectations or hopefully, surpass them.”

For the survival show “The Wheel,” which airs on the Discovery Channel, Victoria had the critical responsibility of being the production coordinator for two of the Brazilian shooting locations out of the show’s six. Because those two locations were the Amazon Rainforest and the Pantanal certainly would have added obvious challenges, not to mention that Victoria helped lead a team of 40 people employed over a period of three months to make this production happen.

Ultimately though, Victoria enjoyed overcoming such obstacles. “‘The Wheel’ was a project in which I learned a lot because it was so big and so fast paced. I had to be connected with the crew at all times, and be ready to solve any problems as fast and as efficiently as possible.”

Brazil Production Services not only works on reality shows like “The Wheel,” but as Victoria explains, acts for a number of other high-profile companies: “We serve a variety of clients for fiction, institutional and commercial projects, including but not limited to several shoots for the UFC, an institutional photoshoot for Addison Design and PEPSICO, a second unit for a Marvel Disney feature and others.”

That Marvel feature was just one example out of a large number of big-budget projects in which Victoria has played a critical role. She elaborates, “I love that I get to work on a variety of projects that have different a theme, size and scope, and allow me to learn about the many different aspects of producing while adapting to the specific needs of each job.”

It’s not just Victoria who holds the opinion that she played a key part in the success of these projects produced by Brazil Production Services. Jud Franklin, VP of Production at PIV who is also well known in the industry for his executive roles in UFC shows, proudly exclaimed that his team “could not have been happier with the expertise and critical role provided by [Victoria],” adding that they “look forward to [their] continued work with her at [BPS].”

So it’s probably safe to assume that there are more dangerous adventures coming up for this successful globetrotter.

“This year, some of the exciting projects we have coming up are a premium documentary about MMA for Netflix, an episode of the NBC show ‘The Voyager’ with Josh Garcia and the second unit of a Brazilian feature film shooting in Orlando.” She adds, “I am leading new marketing initiatives at BPS to get new Brazilian clients that want to film here in the USA also, since most of our clients are foreign clients that want to film in Brazil.”