A Career In Film Takes Different Routes - Creatives of Houston PART 4
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.
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.
A Career In Film Takes Different Routes - Creatives of Houston PART 3
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.
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.
Tom Vaughan
Screenwriter/Director/Teacher
University of Houston
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
I never really did anything else. I started writing and making stupid movies with my brother when I was in 7th grade. I acted in high school plays and studied acting and playwriting at the University of Houston. I opened a small theatre when I left school and that led to me working as a screenwriter in LA.
Did you go to school?
Yes. I studied playwriting with Edward Albee at U of H. I had been acting, writing and producing theatre for about seven years before I switched to screenwriting. That served as a pretty stable foundation.
Did you apprentice or intern?
Not exactly. I was largely self-taught when I transitioned to screenwriting. That was a tremendous amount of work, but I enjoyed it. I was fortunate enough to have a producer in LA work with me and teach me a great deal about being a professional. That served a bit as my apprenticeship.
How would you define the work you have done?
Still a work in progress. I have had seven films made at this point, and I can’t say I am satisfied with how any of them turned out. I am grateful for each experience, but I am still working towards having everything fall into place at once. I love that chase though.
What is the advice you have for the upcoming generation?
Do it yourself. Learn. Get better. Do it yourself again. Find the healthy middle ground where you’re a perfectionist willing to fail. But never ask permission. Go do it.
Graham Painter
CCO/Cofounder
WOND3R Creative Agency
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
As a philosophy grad from a liberal arts school, I had no idea what I wanted to do after college. I guess in the back of my mind, I knew I could write creatively, so I began poking around for writing jobs in Houston. After having been rejected from numerous PR outfits (for not having an MBA!), I had one last interview with the Executive Creative Director of Ogilvy & Mather. He liked my style and gave me my first gig.
Did you go to school for this?
I did not go to school, nor did I study advertising – initially. After working for a few network agencies and at Grey Worldwide in New York, I decided to up my game and go to Miami Ad School, which is a portfolio school for creatives. This was a great move on many levels. First off, as a writer, it allowed me to collaborate with many different art directors. If you really want to work for good agencies as either a copywriter or art director, you really need to identify a partner who can (in the case of a writer) visualize your ideas (or as an art director, write the copy for your visuals). The second reason Miami Ad School was a brilliant move is that it allowed me to spend the entire second year abroad, which helped me become the Gypsy, global-dwelling creative director I am today.
Did you apprentice or intern?
I started out with internships. First at Ogilvy & Mather Houston and later with Miami Ad School in Bucharest, Romania. After ad school, I landed my first job in London and have been in apprenticeships ever since. Our industry is all about learning your craft from other creatives whether paid or not. In the best advertising cities, like London, creatives usually intern two years (after ad school!) before they get their first job. I was an exception.
How would you define the work you have done?
I like to think of my work as communication, rather than advertising. I have always hated obvious ads. Though most of my work (in various media) would be considered advertising, I try hard to make it entertaining without feeling ad-like or salesy. I think of all advertising as pick-up lines from brands. You're initiating conversation (often interrupting people) and you're often trying to convince them to go with you. As with singles in bars, if your pick-up line sounds like a pick-up line, you're probably not getting very far. Conversely, in advertising, if your ad looks, feels, smells like an ad, I don't think you've communicated effectively. In a nutshell, I do ads that don't feel like ads.
What is your advice for the upcoming generation?
Creative, in any capacity, is not a job. It's a lifestyle. If you don't live creatively, your work will be the same way. Don't worry about what you major in. Don't worry about grades. Just pursue lots of interests and stay curious. The more you can do that doesn't make any sense at all – but that just interests you – the better off you'll be. Embrace your weirdest fascinations without abandon. And travel! It's not enough to just visit places. Move somewhere you know nothing about and embrace it. The ultimate trick is to always stay out of your comfort zone.
Tammy Franklin Davis
Sr. Event Manager
Ward & Ames Special Events
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
Hated everything else and didn’t even realize I had made this choice. I was selling ad space for a magazine and signed up for video electronic college on a whim. It advertised a promising career in a new field.
Did you go to school for this?
KGTV - Video Electronics College in Baton Rouge La. First career. Event planning was learned at Ward & Ames from Danny and Nancy.
Did you apprentice or intern?
Never interned in either field. Only worked for $$ but worked my way up at both film and events.
How would you define the work you have done?
Hard, Interesting, entertaining, and rewarding while sometimes very stressful. But, I love it.
What is your advice for the upcoming generation?
If it feels right -- give it your all. That is the key to success. You have to put your heart and soul into it. Neither of the businesses I have been in are for the faint at heart. They require drive and determination.
Kalli Carter
Assistant Director, Production Manager, Production Development | Bird House Productions
Business Development Coordinator | Houston Creative Endowment
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
From a very young age, I was fascinated with theater, film, and television. I’ve always loved the land of make-believe and story-telling is my passion. My creative industry career started in acting, directing and producing for the stage in New York, NY, and Austin, TX, from 2001 – 2008. I learned through great success and great failure, both. It was an extraordinary initiation into the arts world. In 2008, a cinematographer was so moved by the work my team and I had done, she asked if we would collaborate with her on a short film. It was that collaboration that brought me to the film and television industry. It was love at first sight, I had never been so inspired, the medium of film was IT for me. I never looked back. In 2011, I produced my first feature, a documentary called TO GO VIKING with MP FILMCRAFT, and then opened my first production company in Austin, TX, called BW FILMS, which ran successfully in commercial, film and television production until 2014. Life and love brought me home to Houston, TX, in 2014. Now, I work as an Assistant Director, a Production Manager, and in Production Development with Houston’s premier production company, Bird House Productions. I have also taken a position at the Houston Creative Endowment as a Business Development Coordinator. I will return to directing in 2020, collaborating with Houston’s best on my debut feature film, a drama-thriller.
Did you go to school?
I attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, to study acting, in New York, NY, in 2001, and then moved to Austin, TX, where I started producing and directing for theater in 2002. I schooled myself in film and television, seeking experienced filmmakers that were willing to teach me the ropes. I learned by doing primarily, getting my hands dirty with any and every department that would have me. I chose this path as every film school I looked into taught theory, but rarely taught practical training and I needed a tactile learning experience.
Did you apprentice or intern?
My apprenticeship in the Theater was under Ken Webster, celebrated Artistic Director of Austin’s famous Hyde Park Theatre, and my film apprenticeship still continues to this day as I am always learning. I am a devoted student. Primarily, these days, I focus on studying the art of story-telling, taking every Master Class I can get my hands on, studying the fascinating Hero’s Journey and working on several scripts, a drama-thriller feature, a fantasy-drama TV series and several competitive short scripts, all of which will be produced in 2020-2021, in Houston, TX.
How would you define the work you have done?
My early works were highly experimental, somewhat dark, and I found them incredibly intriguing. As I progressed as a creative over the years, my work has become more elevated and thoughtful. Now the work I do as a writer, I would define as purposeful and inspired. The work I do as an Assistant Director and Production Manager I define as fun! My days are filled with joy and laughter at Bird House Productions, and I have such passion for the work that we do. I usually feel like I am getting away with something. Production is the backbone of the industry in so many ways, and I adore seeing a project come together from the ground up. I love my production life and am so blessed to have been welcomed into Houston’s creative community by Lynn Birdwell and everyone at Bird House Productions.
What is your advice for the upcoming generation?
Stay present in your passion. Persistence, productivity and passion are key to succeeding in the creative industry. Be willing to collaborate. Film is the most collaborative art form there is, in my opinion, and knowing how to work with other creatives is so critical. Don’t give up, no matter how hard it is, how competitive, believe in your vision and commit. Respect everyone, from the Executive Producer on a project to the greenest Production Assistant, every single entity on a film set is CRITICAL to that project’s success. Have fun! This might be the most fun, rewarding, exciting industry to work in. Never forget that.
Jessica Green
Artistic Director
Houston Cinema Arts Society
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
My friend and legendary graffiti artist, historian and archivist Alan Ket, who has just launched the first Graffiti Museum in the world in Miami, was starting a hip hop magazine in the mid-90s with a group of friends and asked me to join the team. It was titled Stress, and we published it from 1994-2000. It was the first magazine to feature Jay Z on the cover and the first hip hop magazine to feature Eminem on the cover. It was distributed around the world, and I started out as a senior editor and eventually served as editor-in-chief and was a co-owner of the mag.
Did you go to school for this?
I double majored in writing and literature and black studies at Eugene Lang College at the New School in NYC, so in a sense, yes.
How would you define the work you have done?
I consider myself a media maker and content professional. I have worked in magazine publishing, the internet (I was the executive editor of BET.com from 2000-2005), and film (I was the director of the Maysles Cinema in Harlem, NYC from 2008-2018 and worked in post production on a Noah Baumbach and Ira Sachs film). I am motivated and moved by storytelling and narrative, and the medium is less important to me than the message, although I remain fascinated by how intertwined medium and message are.
What is your advice for the upcoming generation?
Embrace the grind. It will find you or you will find it if you seek success.
A Career In Film Takes Different Routes - Creatives of Houston PART 2
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.
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.
Michael Robinson
Marketing and Communications Manager
Houston Cinema Arts Society
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
I mostly stumbled into this industry. I was on track to major in Chemical Engineering in college, taking a few film classes on the side for fun. After getting a grant to make a documentary in Jerusalem, I realized I was much more excited about the prospect of creativing than crunching numbers. From there, I got an on campus job working at the cinema. It gave me a small window into the creative scene of Houston, but that’s all it took for me to get excited about interfacing with so many artists outside of my regular sphere. After graduating and while looking for a job, I volunteered for QFest, which was really the start of where I am.
Did you go to school for this?
I did! I majored in film and anthropology, expecting to make documentary films and get a PhD in anthropology with a focus on ethnographic filmmaking. But through a series of jobs, went more towards art administration, which in turn helped both a creative practice and have a stake within the broader creative community in Houston. The school aspect was the groundwork, but there was so much more to it afterwards.
Did you apprentice or intern?
I informally apprenticed! I work with QFest, Houston’s queer film festival. I got started by just asking to help out in any way I could, initially starting with social media and email blasts and eventually began helping with programming. This also helped open the door to my current job at Houston Cinema Arts Society.
How would you define the work you have done?
I feel like I’ve done a lot and a little during this period! I have mostly done curation with arts education and general administration (marketing, event planning, etc) thrown in there, too.
What advice do you have for the upcoming generation?
Networking is important but can get easily misconstrued. It’s much more about forming relationships and getting connected with the community. View every opportunity as an investment in yourself rather than trying to climb a ladder. Additionally, criticism is so incredibly valuable within the making process,especially as a young creator. Seek out feedback from people who you don’t know well, from people who work in a different creative practice.
Javier González-Herba
Creative Director
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
I love the arts in all its forms since I was a child. I worked in the theater many years, acting and directing. It’s amazing what an open mind can create. I have been a creative person all my life, even before I knew it was a thing. I consider myself to be a highly strategic and multitalented creative professional. Oh yes, and multicultural, too.
Did you go to school for this?
I did. I have a BBA in Business Administration and a BA in Communications from St. Thomas University in Houston, Texas.
Did you apprentice or intern?
A little of both, I guess.
How would you define the work you have done?
Daring, fun, and sometimes crazy. Ha-ha. I’ve been fortunate to create award winning work for clients such as Walmart, Miller Lite, Dr Pepper, Goya Foods, Geico Auto Insurance, The Texas Lottery, Fiesta Mart, and others.
What is your advice for the upcoming generation?
Open your mind, be curious, and dare to experiment.
Janavi Folmsbee
Artist, Writer, Scubadiver
janavimfolmsbee.com #janavimfolmsbee
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
I was born and raised in Mumbai, India. Art has been something I have been creating since I was a child. My mother always encouraged me. It was something that came extremely easily to me. My father however wanted me to be a structural steel civil engineer and take up the family business. I had to fight by proving my talent, and it was worth it to be the artist I am today. It took having a solo exhibition at 16 and selling out to be able to go to the school The Art Institute of Chicago.
Did you go to school for this?
Yes. I went to one of the hardest and best art schools in the world. SAIC. https://www.saic.edu
Did you apprentice or intern?
I am a full time professional working artist. I studied in the advanced painting program at SAIC. I was a Teacher's Assistant in the wood and metal shop for one year. I have sort of created my own path and actually have had students intern with me.
How would you define the work you have done?
It’s hard to define your own work. I feel like I have been working for 16 years. I am young and this is just the start. At the same time, I have created art that has been collected internationally and some part of wonderful collections. I even have work on the Google Earth app. My client list is pretty wonderful, too. So, I feel proud to say hard work and determination pays off.
What is your advice to the upcoming generation?
Believe in yourself, constructive criticism should be heard, remove the negativity if it comes your way. Hard work and working smart are extremely important. My goal is to make something monumental. Try it.
Emilian White
CEO/President
EVW Media Firm
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
In high school and college, I sought out to be a radio DJ because my good friend was the number one DJ in the mornings in Cleveland, Ohio. But, that all changed when my professor said that DJs are a dime a dozen, and if you want to get into the radio industry or television, you need to get in for sales for longevity!
Did you go to school for this?
Yes! Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.
Did you apprentice or intern?
No. Six months after college, I went straight into my field!
What is your advice for the upcoming generation?
Alway, be focused on your goals, be persistent, don’t take no for an answer, be creative with selling yourself and your approach, never ever quit on your dreams, and be careful with social media! Also, you never get a second chance to make a first impression with people!
Fleurette Fernando
Director, M.A. in Arts Leadership Program
University of Houston
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
I was a dancer from the time I was 4 years old, so I was always in a creative environment. I was lucky enough to attend an arts integrated public school - elementary and high school - which was the first such program in Toronto. I knew I wanted to be a director/choreographer at a young age. I was inspired by Bob Fosse and Alivin Ailey and wanted to craft a similar career.
Did you go to school for this?
Yes. Aside from from daily school work, I would go to New York in the summer and study dance at Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Broadway Dance Center. I did an undergrad in dance, an MFA in Theatre, Directing and also attended the National Theatre School of Canada in between degrees where I studied directing in Montreal. My time in Montreal was really defining as I came to understand the craft from a more "French Canadian" perspective, which at that time integrated a lot of movement and dance (like Cirque du Soleil and the work of Robert Lepage). It was a wonderful place to be young and creative...it still is!
Did you apprentice or intern?
I did a lot of apprenticing in high school working with directors and choreographers in theatre, television, film and music videos. I was working a lot in Toronto when the Canadian hip-hop scene was in its infancy...years before we knew about Drake! It's amazing how far the industry (film and music in particular) has come in Canada since then. (Go Drake!)
How would you define the work you have done?
I would define it as being an artist, practitioner, arts manager, educator and arts advocate. I think I bring a creative and collaborative sensibility to all the work I do, including to my work now as a professor at U of H.
What is your advice to the upcoming generation?
I think the more skills you have in management, business and public policy as an artist the better. You will always need to manage a certain amount of administration in creative work, and artists have to advocate for the arts place in our society perpetually. The more artists engage in public discourse, the better off our sector will be.
A Career In Film Takes Different Routes - Creatives of Houston PART 1
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.
Professional Creatives Share Their Story Into the Creative Industry
January 28, 2019
Film is the only art form that supports all other art forms.
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 talk to successful professionals on different career paths to see how they got their start in the creative industry and what the next generation should learn from them.
Temple Northup
Director of the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
From a young age, I’ve always seen myself in the “creative industry.” My brother and I would shoot short movies on a Super 8 camera, which eventually was replaced by a camera that recorded on VHS—but we spent countless time telling stories. That passion has followed me throughout my life—after college, moving to LA to work in the entertainment industry there. And then once I left there, finding my way to Houston to try to help train the next generation of creative storytellers. My role has certainly changed over time, but my passion for this industry has never wavered.
Did you go to school?
I did—but never exactly in this field. My undergraduate degree was in anthropology, which on its surface may not seem connected, except that I like to say it’s because I was a cultural anthropologist and was fascinated with the study of people. Industries like this one is very much a people industry, so I actually think my degree is relevant to understanding how people operate. After working in LA for many years, I did go back to graduate school and got my MA from Syracuse University in Media Studies, and a PhD from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in communication—but both of those degrees are research degrees, not necessarily creative. That said, it allows me now to study the media such that I am able to merge a passion for this industry with a more academic pursuit.
Did you apprentice or intern?
I did not as an undergraduate ever have this opportunity. I went to a university that didn’t really have any sort of film program at the time (they have built a good documentary degree now), and so I spent my years working on my own projects for fun, but never really had the chance to do something with anyone professional until I moved to LA after I graduated. There, I was fortunate to have some incredible mentors, but never a true apprenticeship or internship.
How would you define the work you have done?
I am very proud of what we are building at the University of Houston, and proud of what I accomplished when I lived in LA. When I moved there, I had the goal of writing for a network prime time TV show, and was able to do that. In Houston, I’m taking my experiences and understanding of the industry to try to create one of the premier programs in the country, and feed into a truly great creative industry here in Houston. I think we have made some tremendous steps forward over the past few years and there are a number of other visionaries at UH who share this belief that we can help create a vibrant industry in Houston.
What advice do you have for the upcoming generation?
My biggest piece of advice for the upcoming generation is to intern and work as much as possible during college, and to take every opportunity possible to learn from and network with others. There is tremendous talent in Houston and there are often talks and workshops that are arranged through us and other organizations in Houston. So many students fail to see the importance of taking every opportunity possible to get out there and meet those who are actually working now.
Kim Gagne
Emmy Award-Winning Supervising Producer
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
I have known since I was 7 that I would work in television. I spoke it as a child. So for me, the path was set out. I knew I needed to go and learn about the business and decide which side of the camera I wanted to be on. In front or behind.
Did you go to school?
Yes. Jack Yates School of Communications and the University of St. Thomas. Both in Houston and both gave me the valued learning I needed. I have a BS in Communications
Did you apprentice or intern?
Yes. I did two internships at Fox 26. One of my teachers at UST also worked at Fox TV and she gave me my first internship. After I did that one, I begged to do a second tour. After that internship, I was able to get a job in the newsroom and that set me on my course.
How would you define the work you have done?
Well, I just wrote a book and going back over things in the book helped me realize I have done a lot. I've won three Emmy Awards. One regional and two daytime Emmys, so that has been awesome. I've worked in TV news, court shows, film, reality and talk, so I feel like I am well rounded. I have helped to shape and create a few shows. I love being a TV/film person. This gray hair ain't for nothing.
What advice do you have for the upcoming generation?
Keep plugging. Don't give up on your dream and passion. You will hear a lot of nos, but it’s just the one YES that will set you on your way. I think young kids nowadays give up to easy and go work at Starbucks if they don’t get their dream job after six months. You have to keep at it. Move back in your mom’s house for a while, but keep plugging. Keep hustling, and relationships in this business are EVERYTHING. I still reach out to people I worked with years ago for opportunities or advice. It's like mom said, don't burn your bridges.
Maggi Poorman
Art Director, Houston TX
Columbus Business University, Columbus, Ohio
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
I knew someone who knew someone who knew someone. My job was in 1989 with David Berman Films as a shopper, which led to me working on “Blind Fury” assisting the amazing production designer Peter Murton and art director John Myhre (2-time Academy Award Winner) before most of the people in this business were born.
Did you go to school for this?
Not really. Studied fashion design - it’s close.
Did you apprentice or intern?
No.
How would you define the work you have done?
I breathe life into other’s ideas.
What advice do you have for the upcoming generation?
Find a good therapist and put them on speed dial.
Jana Erwin
Founder and Designer, NEST Design Group
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
I have been doing interior design since I was a child. I had an unfinished basement in Oklahoma that was my playroom. I painted murals on the walls, had multi-colored carpet samples and old furniture my parents didn’t want anymore, which I would move around and have shows. I took a ceramics class with all the old ladies at my church and taught myself how to arrange flowers. No one in my family has made a decision on their homes since I was about 8 years old. My Mom would take me out of school to go to the home tours in Tulsa. It was never a question of what I would be doing for a career.
Did you go to school?
Yes. I have a BA in interior design.
Did you apprentice or intern?
Yes. To become an “official,” licensed interior designer, you had to intern for two years then take the architectural examination.
How would you define the work you have done?
I have done everything from residential homes to restaurants to dental offices in every style you could imagine. The main thread that defines them all is a unique ability to reflect each individual client and their style.
What advice do you have for the upcoming generation?
You have to love the journey -- not just the result. If you only like install day on a design project but have the six months of work it takes to get there, then you won’t be fulfilled. This goes with any career. You need to love the day-to-day.
Nina Juliano
Writer, Director, Producer
Film, TV & Commercial Production
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career?
I decided to become a career filmmaker when I was accepted into FSU film school. I didn't realize it was such a well-regarded film school until I got there, and they really taught us how to start working in the industry, to hit the ground running. As a kid, I was always into creative things: art, performance, even making movies with my siblings on our dad's Sony camcorder he won at work (he was a Sony salesman for a time!). I took lots of art classes growing up, played the piano for a time, was an avid theatre-goer and performer, and loved creative writing. I studied art history on my study abroad trips at the University of Delaware and was in heaven. I was always drawn to all things creative, and film sort of ties all of those interests together in a perfect package, so now when I look back on it, it was a very natural choice for me to become a writer/director.
Did you go to school for this?
I did. I went to Florida State University, as I mentioned. I graduated with an MFA in film production. For me, studying film was important because there were no opportunities to learn the craft where I grew up in Wilmington, Delaware. Living in Delaware, no one was a filmmaker around me - there were no directors or films being made there that I was aware of, I didn't think of it as something I could do as a career until I was in my 20s. In an atmosphere like that, I wouldn't have even known where to begin, where to move, what to start doing to learn how to make professional films. So, studying filmmaking in school felt like the only option for me if I wanted to pursue it as a career. There were a lot of benefits to going to film school. 1. We each made 3-4 short films that were included in the cost of our tuition. 2. I was able to get in-state tuition due to a law called the Academic Common Market, since there were no film schools in Delaware, so I didn't spend a fortune. 3. In school, I was not niched in typical gender role jobs as a female. I was able to study to be a director and not relegated to certain jobs that are usually considered suited for women in the industry. For example, as a woman, when you say you work in the film industry, many people still assume you're a make-up artist or something like that (that's a very respectable and important job, but it's often relegated to women), and they are still surprised to find women who are directors. Little by little, we are chipping away at those sorts of assumptions.
Did you apprentice or intern?
I interned at Focus Features in New York City. It was my favorite film production company, and I was so excited to be there. I met lots of great people during that internship and still keep in touch with some of them! That internship was focused on distribution. So while I learned a ton of stuff about production in school, I was able to round out my knowledge with some training in distribution and how that works through my internship. I always thought Focus did a really great job with their distribution strategies and rollouts, and they still do.
How would you define the work you have done?
The work I have done is a bit eclectic. To survive in this industry, I think it's good to be versatile and adapt to whatever project comes your way. I have had to direct films that are dramatic, comedic, western; I've directed feature documentaries, sketch comedies, even corporate videos. Of course, I also work on commercial and music videos too in various capacities on production teams. My biggest directing successes so far have been in telling stories about the Italian immigrant experience here in the US through documentary and narrative films. This taps into my heritage, so I feel equipped to tell these stories from an authentic perspective. My current goals are to make some films here in Texas and pursue a TV series about an Italian immigrant family.
What advice do you have for the upcoming generation?
My advice is to keep learning, keep practicing, and keep trying. This profession is not for the faint of heart. If you don't think you can stomach 99 rejections for every 1 acceptance, then this isn't the field for you. Think of your failures as stepping stones toward success, as many who have gone before me have advised. I think this is the best advice I've received, so I'd pass that along. Usually, you have to put yourself out there more times and for longer than you can imagine, and continuing on in the face of so much rejection involves a certain degree of delusional confidence and the ability to keep getting back up when you feel knocked down.
Elena Coates
Writer, Producer
Staging Solutions Inc
How did you find yourself in a creative industry career? Did you go to school?
I always wanted to be in a creative job; it’s just more fun. I studied literature and theatre and had worked in professional theaters and arts organizations for almost 15 years when I started partnering with a video production company on theatre education projects.
Did you intern?
In graduate school, I got an internship at a theatre company, which gave me valuable insight into project management, fundraising, marketing, and a host of artistic things – all applicable to production, scriptwriting, directing, etc.
How would you define the work you have done?
The work I do is about connecting people to ideas, ideally in an emotional way.
What advice do you have for the upcoming generation?
As for advice, when I figure out what I want to be when I grow up, I’ll feel better positioned to dispense it; until then, I would say pay attention to what makes you lose track of time, or motivates you to get other things out of the way – that’s where your interest is.