A Career In Film Takes Different Routes - Creatives of Houston PART 4
Their Path to a Creative Industry Career
Houston, Texas
Film is a team sport. It takes a range of professionals to collaborate in making a film -- set designers, wardrobe, directors, producers, art directors. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and have different passions, yet all can come together to create something beautiful and well done.
This week in the Bird Feed blog, we continue our series of Creatives in Houston and how these successful professionals took different career paths into the creative industry, and what the next generation should learn from them.
Gen Quintanilla
Production Designer
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
Always been interested in the art field. Either drawing, sculpting, building or enjoying a monster movie. Not knowing what the future would bring, I plunged into the business in 1994. First job was on a mini series "Woman of Independent Means" doing layout board on historical houses. It was a team of me and my brother, Cesar. Basically laying out boards on the floors and walls to protect the home from all the equipment and crew during shooting. I met many talented artists and have been happy being part of a team that brings creative ideas to reality.
Did you go to school for your career?
Not specifically. I studied mechanical engineering and later transferred to Theatre Arts at Texas A&M. Graduated with a Bachelor in Arts. I have used both in my field.
Did you apprentice or intern?
I was an apprentice and learned from many. I also figured things as I went. Every shoot is unique and brings new and fresh solutions.
How would you define the work you have done?
I'm always trying to give my best even under the restricting budgets. I give it my best shot at building a set or prop, working out the effects, or buying the right set dressing for a shoot.
Charlie Le
Co-Founder
WOND3R Creative Agency, AWC, CROSSxOVER
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
Through my love of illustration and graphic design, I found a career that allowed me to show my artistic side married to my creative ideation side. I've also found that through my idiot sense of exploration has let me tap into finding the beautiful within the weird, which has given me a different perspective in the ad business.
Did you go to school for this?
I did. I went to school at UT Austin to be a lawyer. I took one creative ad class and was hooked, so I switched majors my last semester of my senior year. Since then, I've worked in the ad industry since 2005 and haven't looked back.
Did you apprentice or intern?
I interned at Think Street in Austin for a summer or two. I highly recommend interning as it gives students a taste of the creative business. I sometimes kick myself for not accepting that Wieden + Kennedy internship though (although traveling for the summer through Malaysia wasn't bad either).
How would you define the work you have done?
I'd define most of my work as creatively fulfilling and, hopefully, results-driven for my clients. It hasn't always worked out that way, but if the work isn't fulfilling, then you won't get the results you're looking for no matter what you're telling yourself.
What is your advice for the upcoming generation?
Move around and explore. Don't let the one or two places you've lived in dictate how you view life and how things should be. There's more out there, and it can be extremely uplifting, creatively satisfying, and overall just cool, to let it seep into your creative process. Be the best listener in the room. Be the best collaborator. But when you have something to say, say it. No great idea ever came from being silent.
Dan Trezise
Visual Effects, Editor, Director
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
Ever since I saw Star Wars at age 7, I’ve dreamed of creating fantastical worlds and stories with film. I was intimidated by the challenge of the visual effects I saw in some of my favorite films but still dreamed to create similar films myself. So, I embarked on a journey to master the craft of creating amazing worlds, creatures and experiences with visual effects. This journey included working with Kodak and Autodesk as a tech support and field engineer to support their industry leading vfx software, Cineon and Flame. During this time, I used the opportunity to establish myself as an artist and make the leap over to working directly in film production. In all, I spent over the past 20 years creating visual effects for feature films, television and commercials.
Did you go to school?
I studied film and television production at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Did you apprentice or intern?
R.I.T. has close ties with Kodak. This enabled me to get an internship with Kodak’s Cineon Group. At that time, Cineon was one of the industry leading software for creating visual effects for film. This internship gave me access to the software and engineers to learn and grow. The opportunity arose for me to work over the summer on “Starship Troopers” as a junior artist. After that, I caught the bug and decided to continue pursuing the path of becoming a digital compositor.
How would you define the work you have done?
I’ve been lucky to have been able to work at many of the most prominent visual effects houses in the world and on some exciting and challenging projects. As a compositor, I have the unique privilege of seeing my work as the final touch before going into theaters. It is very satisfying to see my own work projected in IMAX in front of an audience. There are several significant projects that I’m proud to have worked on, but for different reasons.
“The Matrix : Revolutions" - because of the scope and quality of the production and the excellence of the vfx crew.
“The Life Aquatic”, “Lords of Dogtown”, “Adaptation” - because we were able to interface with the directors and work on projects that were creatively inspiring.
“Superman: Man of Steel” - because I got to fulfill the dream to work with Weta Digital in New Zealand. I was with the same crew that made the recent “Planet of the Apes” trilogy. This was by far the best team I have ever had the privilege to work with.
“The Astronauts Wive’s Club” - because I enjoyed the challenge of supervising and nurturing a large team of junior artists to deliver this mini-series with top quality vfx in a fraction of the time and budgeted. Most of those junior artists went on to rise quickly in their careers as a result of their experiences on this project.
What is your advice for the upcoming generation?
Working in the film industry is a moving target. The technologies, sensibilities, deliverables, crews and audiences are ever changing. The only constant is that everything changes. To succeed in the film industry is to be able to change with the times. You need to be able to adjust with the day as it unfolds but also project and see where things are heading down the road so you’re able to travel down that road. The popular opinion of the film industry is that it is hard to get into and succeed. I actually think it is NOT too hard to get into or to succeed. But, I would argue it IS hard work. Much harder than most are willing to invest. But I have found that everyone I know that has made the investment, stuck it out, and put in the effort necessary, has been able to break in and succeed. The truth of the industry is that it is overrun with “looky-loos'' who hope to be discovered for how amazing they are but are unwilling to do the actual work. This truth is actually the key, the secret sauce. Simply put, the industry is so tired and weary of the wannabes that when someone actually shows up to work hard and shows talent, that person sticks out and is snapped up as fast as possible. So the best way to be discovered is to passionately, but soberly, work hard for your dream. Similarly, surround yourself with the doers, not the talkers. Tons of people talk about making movies, but it means nothing until they actually make one. Find those who are doing it and say, “What can I do to help?” And then do it again, and again… and then make one yourself and find those who will help - actually help.
Susan Debakey
Writer
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
When I started my own retail business, I didn’t have the money to pay someone to develop ads, so I studied what kind of marketing made me react in a positive way and did my best to emulate the formula. As a fiction writer, I was a voracious reader since childhood, and wrote many stories, plays and poems for class projects. In my twenties, I was one of those that said, “Hey, I can do better than this!” So I started taking it seriously and began writing contemporary romance. I later took my love of history and spirituality to combine the two into works of paranormal historical fiction.
What was that creative industry?
I developed branding and advertising for my retail and wholesale jewelry and gift business. I’ve done everything from developing catch phrases to hiring models, photographers, make-up artists, and stylists. I’ve done set design and layout. I’ve also enjoyed designing jewelry.
Did you go to school for this?
For advertising, it was the school of hard knocks. Hiring the wrong local ad agency and paying a fortune for little to no result, led me to surrounding myself with those in the industry who could teach me by example. For writing, I studied at Rice University under American Book Award winner Professor Kulkarni. I then studied under Romance Writers of America Founder Rita Gallagher.
Did you apprentice or intern?
In novel writing, producing several manuscripts with a respected writer and a well-educated critique group is the internship! In advertising, I just learned on the job. However, I would say that the techniques learned as a novel writer on how to elicit reader emotion and reaction were invaluable to advertising.
How would you define the work you have done?
Whether it is novel writing or advertising, I try to take the reader on a positive, educational journey while telling a story with which they can connect. Empathy is everything.
How has it affected other things you have experienced in your business life?
When called upon to help others raise awareness or funds for charities with which I believe, I have felt very confident in my ability to help produce the written and visual materials needed to produce a positive fundraising result. I’ve also been asked to write a series of articles for magazines on different aspects of the jewelry business.
What is your advice for the upcoming generation?
I’ve raised two great young men. The oldest has started his own tech company, and the youngest is in his last semester of college getting his engineering degree. When I was younger, women were told that after age thirty, they were more likely to be killed by a terrorist than find a husband. Now grads are being told the same thing, only about having a successful career that can pay their student debt and a mortgage! I’m a testament to taking an entry level job and treating it like it was the most important job at the company. Be willing to ask higher-ups if you can take on some of their work load and learn on the job. There is never any wasted experience, however menial or insignificant it may seem at the time. I can’t tell you how many times something I learned that I never thought would be relevant to my life or career has been valuable later on. I’d say, in a generation of complainers convinced the playing field is rigged against them, be the one who is positive and willing to work hard and learn. Never stop learning. If indeed the consensus of millennial mediocrity is accurate, then it should be that much easier for your hard work to stand out!
Megan O’Sullivan
Creative Director
Soula Creative
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
I imagine the seed was planted at a young age when my Aunt Maureen would watch me. She watered that creative seed and would inspire me to create at her house. And then I learned so much from my dad, observing how he would solve a problem in the most creative way. The way he would look at something, take a moment, then have an idea that would be both practical and ingenious. By watching him, he taught me the process of creative problem solving. And then there was my grandma who grew up on a farm and ran a business with my grandpa cutting glass and building custom frames in their barn while maintaining their 80 acres in the country all by themselves. The things she would create out of repurposed materials back then are now trendy today. I grew up around a DIY sort of family, which I guess turned me into a DIY sort of learner. Being a self-taught creative, I make it a point to never stop learning. I look at everything I do as creative problem solving. I never saw myself fitting in one box, thus the creative industry called to me. I now do branding for small businesses, including graphic design, websites, video and marketing with a business development perspective.
Did you go to school for this?
Not officially. My major is in Communications from the University of Texas in Austin, focusing on design and film towards the end. I thought about going to graduate school and decided to learn in the field instead. We have every resource imaginable online, it really just takes determination. I strategically choose to take jobs that I could learn from, viewing it as continuing education. I refined my craft by working as a graphic designer at a local printer and then as the head of marketing of a community newspaper media group before starting my own company. I’m a big fan of Lynda.com and Masterclass.com. Anything you want to do is attainable.
Did you intern?
The synchronicities of life put me at VT2 Studios, and I was able to study film, graphic design and production from the best in Houston. It was an unpaid internship that I did after I graduated. When I was there I showed up. I had a thirst to understand how everything worked, helping wherever I could, asking lots of questions and genuinely caring about the people I met along the way. I was fully present. Today many of the people I met through there are lifelong friends and clients, including the lovely Lynn Birdwell.
How would you define the work you have done?
I help people and businesses communicate their story. Soula Creative is a creative boutique specializing in branding for small businesses. At the core of the businesses I work with is a person taking a chance to make something they are passionate about profitable enough to sustain their vision. Through graphic design, websites, video and marketing, I help them communicate what makes them unique so the world can understand. I keep things affordable by reducing overhead costs and focusing on tangible solutions from a business development perspective with the purpose of increasing revenue and the value of the brand.
What advice do you have for the upcoming generation?
Every experience you go through and every job you take has value to you and makes you unique. Use this experience to discover new problems to solve. Anytime there is a problem, there is also an opportunity. It’s not about having all the resources in the world, it’s about being resourceful with what you have.