#etcreal

@aphotoeditor and Heidi Volpe interviewed Jordan Lutes on his Portugal promo.  

Read more on the photoeditor blog continue to read below:

Heidi Volpe: Who printed it?

Jordan Lutes:I printed through Overnightprints

HV: Who designed it?

JL: I designed it with the help of a few graphic designer friends I’ve been working with since college- they know my work and ideas as well as I do.

HV: Who edited the images?

JL: The images were chosen by me, all from a recent road trip camping and surfing through Portugal. Once we figured out the layout, the images were whittled down with the help of my reps at ETC. The goal was to show my lifestyle work, but also focus on smaller quieter moments to help let the piece breathe a bit.

HV: How many did you make?

JL: I had 400 printed, with 50 of those going to my reps, and another 50 staying with me for meetings and new friends

HV: How many times a year do you send out promos?

JL: Normally one big promo a year, and some personalized smaller ones to targeted people when it seems right. But this year I’ll be sending 4 since this promo is the first part of a new series.

HV: How did this zine come about?

JL: The Portugal zine is the first of part of a four-part series that will be hitting desks over the course of about a year, all centered on recent travels. I just got back from Jordan in the Middle East, so that will be the focus of the next one to go out. There’s already been a much better response to this than any postcard or poster promo I’ve sent; I think the zine has been a nice way to show a fuller perspective of how I shoot. I’ve been capturing a lot of motion on these trips as well -probably more motion than images actually- and working with an editor to turn each trip into a short travel piece as well.

REALNESS ISN’T PERFECTION

Capturing a moment of realness isn’t about a perfect smile. It’s a moment of emotion so real you can almost feel it through the screen. We create images for our clients that are authentic connections, connections that inspire action.

CORE: noun

the central or most important part of something.

VALUE: noun

a person’s principals or standard of behavior, one’s judgment of what is important in life.

REAL: verb  

of or relating to fixed, permanent, or immovable things 

not artificial, fraudulent, or illusory. Genuine. Being precisely what the name implies.

occurring or existing in actuality.

Visit our Pinterest boards to see our visual diary of realness.

At ETC Creative, being real is :

1. Being authentic. Being who you truly are and knowing the value in that

2. Embracing nuances that are imperfect. Being perfectly imperfect.

We are thrilled to announce that photographer and director Stephen DeVries has joined out roster.

When you meet Stephen, you will automatically feel his energy and his passion for what he does. Stephen’s character is spontaneous, energetic, and even contagious. He is also focused on the details that make for a dynamic still life portfolio. 

These dualities enable Stephen to take a road trip to a distant location to unearth the spontaneity of a beautiful travel story while he is also engaged in the extreme attention to detail that is the mainstay of exceptional food photography.

As we continue to explore #ETCInspire for the month of June, we wanted to ask Thomas Chadwick what inspired him to create his personal karate piece featuring the world champion karateka, Elisa Au Fonseca. Thomas’ work is often aspirational and humanistic and we wanted to find out what characteristics inspire him to create his memorable and heroic portrait studies.

What inspired you to create a piece about Elisa Au Fonseca?

Years ago, I had met John Fonseca, whose roommate was a friend of mine. At that time John was competing in the highest level in international karate tournaments. Over his career, he won many of those tournaments. 

We were both younger then, in our early twenties, and I was in awe of what he was accomplishing. 

Fast forward to years later where I enrolled my sons into karate lessons. John had started a dojo with his wife, Elisa, and I was excited for my kids to be taught under their wings. I would pick my kids up from karate lessons everyday and I got to know Elisa. I even started taking karate classes. 

Often I would see John and Elisa training their elite students for competition. It was mesmerizing to watch. Elisa is clearly above everyone around her. When I see someone that is that skilled - near to perfection, my mind goes straight to thinking about all the time and energy that went into getting there. 

What about Elisa is inspiring to you?

Elisa is a world-class athlete, has held countless titles and was the best in her field for almost a decade. She also runs a dojo, she is a pillar in my local community, and she is a mother. She is also beautiful in front of the lens and in person. 

Most importantly though, I am inspired to tell the stories of people who have taken their craft to another level. I like telling the stories of people who WANT IT. From a young age, she dedicated her life to being the best in the world. That takes a drive and dedication that I want to study and tell the story of as an artist.

The video is edited between quieter footage where Elisa is practicing a kata and action-packed footage of her sparring. What was the concept behind that?

There are 2 elements to karate; there is the practice of a kata, which is an almost meditative practice of self-control and mastering routine and discipline. Katas are a choreographed set of movements that you must master, from footwork, to breathing, to how you point your fingertips. It is you being master over your entire being. There is incredible grace and precise delivery of power. 

Sparring is defending yourself against the punches and finding the right moment to attack. Sparring is spontaneous.

Kata and sparring are the yin and yang of karate. The practice of doing a kata is to gain self-discipline and self-control. One is not supposed to use karate to start a fight; it is used to defend and disarm. I wanted to show how the mind body connection informs fighting in karate and how the two create a balance within the athlete and individual.

How did you achieve the concept from a technical point of view?

The kata was shot with my camera on a tripod to bring additional grounding, stillness and strength. I chose the location to shoot her in her space and lined her up against a bank of windows to create symmetry. The symmetry of the windows mimics the symmetry of the kata.

I handheld the sparring footage and got in close to shoot. I wanted the footage to be in the action to feel the movement of the fight. Through editing the footage, I was able to get fluidity from one hit to the next.

Did you intend on shooting video and print?

No, my intention was to concentrate solely on a motion piece. I had been told by another photographer / director that his advice was to concentrate solely on motion when you’re shooting motion. He said photographers can get distracted when they shoot both on the same day and that when he has shot both he had wound up with lot of great photographs and not enough motion to cut a good video from. I tried following that advice.

But, being a photographer, it felt strange being in a scenario I would normally jump at the chance of grabbing my camera and shooting. That instinct did get the better of me and I did grab my camera and fire off some shots. 

I shot with my camera for about ten minutes total. In the end, three of the photographs became pieces for my portfolio. 

When you come from a print background, making video is a whole new realm where you have to learn how to put your stylistic stamp on it. It’s become my goal to get my video work to be on par with my photography. One way I have been able to make that goal a reality is to shoot both on my personal projects.

How long did the piece take to shoot?

I shot it in 2 days, in time slots of 2 hours each day. Since I was asking Elisa and her sparring partner to give me 100%, there was a real physical limit on their endurance. On the first day, I shot the sparring footage. At the end of that day, the bottoms of Elisa’s feet were raw. On the second day I shot the kata footage.

What surprises me most about creating video projects is how much more time is needed for post. Editing is a process I enjoy but it isn’t instant gratification like print is.

What was your process for pre pro your shoot? Did you make a storyboard?

With this piece, I had a strong idea of what I wanted to do. I storyboarded the entire piece. I’ve always been someone who sketches out what they want to do, even with my print work. I keep a sketchbook. 

I had planned on doing a voiceover of Elisa. I wanted her to talk about the contract of kata vs. sparring.

After I captured the footage and got into editing with the voiceover, it felt like the piece moved to slowly- and maybe I was trying to force the message too much with the copy. 

At that time, I contacted my sound editor and asked him to source music to give the piece an overall punch and more impact. One of the most gratifying things about working in motion is having the opportunity to utilize the power of sound.

We discovered the book “ART and FEAR : Observations On the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking” many years ago. It was written by the insightful co-authors David Bayles and Ted Orland. It’s an intense and thought provoking on why we become artists, what gets in the way of making art (hint- it’s alway boils down to fear), and how we can get out of our way and keep creating. 

To entice you into reading it in it’s entirety, we highlighted 6 quotes that get us thinking.

“Making art means working in the face of uncertainty; it means living with doubt and contradiction, doing something no one much cares whether you do, and for which there may be neither audience nor reward. Making the work you want to make means setting aside these doubts so that you may see clearly what you have done, and thereby see where to go next.”

“....those who continue to make art are those who have learned how to continue- or more precisely, have learned how not to quit.”

“Making art can feel dangerous and revealing. Making art precipitates self-doubt, stirring deep waters that lay between what you know you should be, and what you fear you might be.”

“Art is like beginning a sentence before you know its ending. The risks are obvious: you may never get to the end of the sentence at all- or having gotten there, you may not have said anything.” 

“Simply put, making art is chancy- it doesn’t mix well with predictability. Uncertainty is essential, inevitable and all-pervasive companion to your desire to make art. And tolerance for uncertainty is the prerequisite to succeeding.”

“In the end it all comes down to this: you have a choice (or more accurately a rolling panel of choices) between giving your work your best shot and risking that it will not make you happy, or not giving it your best shot - and thereby guaranteeing that it will not make you happy. It becomes a choice between certainty and uncertainty. And curiously, uncertainty is the comforting choice.”

Harold Julian has been working with FCB on a series of portraits for the Blood Equality, an organization thats mission is to change the FDA ban of gay men donating blood. We wanted to know why agencies work on pro bono work and how they choose their causes. 

ETC: Why do agencies do pro bono work?

FCB Health: Pro bono work is in our agency’s DNA, and there are essentially 3 reasons: 1: To attract and retain the best people. 2: It elevates our game and forces us to think smarter and more stealthily. 3: We are humans. And we are lucky. We should be doing pro bono. We need to do it.

How do ad agencies select pro bono accounts that they want to work on?

Great ideas come from all over. FCB Health also created a “WHAT IF” initiative to proactively seek these kinds of projects. Usually it’s a passion project from someone on the team. A client or category often sparks an idea. Something in our lives or in the news strikes a chord.

How did Blood Equality evolve, or how did the project come to be?

A passion project from a team (Cameron + Marissa) sparked the original “what if” idea. It’s blossomed since then.

Tell us what Blood Equality is all about.

All blood is not created equal. At least that’s the message that gay and bisexual men are getting. Believe it or not, today gay men are banned from donating blood… even to a mother, child, husband, brother, or friend one… and even in an emergency.

Each year we turn away more than 600,000 pints of blood. Recently, a lifetime ban gave way to a new policy: gay men must now remain celibate for 1 year before they’re allowed to donate. So much for progress.

Every pint of blood is carefully screened – and it's time to put an end to a policy based on stigma, not science. There is no such thing as “gay blood” and treating it as something inferior cannot be accepted.

Blood Equality was created to spark dialogue, encourage scientific discussion, and accelerate the process towards a more rational, less discriminatory policy.

What does your campaign want to accomplish?  

Broaden awareness that a ban still exists, and accelerate the process to change the policy to one based on science, not stigma.

Has anyone whose taken part, or involved with Blood Mirror been effected by this discrimination or the FDA policy directly?

We all breathe the same air. Red blood courses through all of our veins. This policy effects all of us.

How large is the team of people that are assigned on this account at the agency? How large is the team if you consider everyone you’re partnering with?

It began as a small team, but has grown into a passionate tribe – at least a dozen at FCB Health, and 20+ including partners, notably GMHC. Everyone who believes in the mission can play a role.

With FCB Health being an ad agency specific to Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, was there ever any fear that challenging the FDA mandate in this way would have repercussions to the ad agency at large?

It’s an interesting question, but we look at it this way: taking a respectful yet determined stance for a belief is something everyone should be entitled to.

The campaign partners with a few people and organizations, including Jordan Eagles and his fine art installation piece Blood Mirror. Can you tell us how the fine art piece and the ad campaign are linked? Can you tell us about the other partners you have for the campaign?

Our initial research turned up a range of people speaking out on the issue. Jordan’s work immediately caught our eye. It’s moving, human and powerful. We met him, and were instantly struck – and it was Jordan who suggested we partner and launch an FCB Health Artist-in-Residence program. We’re lucky to have his passion and his thinking to help guide the effort.

There is a questionnaire you must fill out before you donate blood.  That questionnaire assumes that people are going to be honest. Do you have any insight on if the FDA has thought about the possibility of people being dishonest about their sexuality?

We can’t read minds, but we’re sure the fact that the questionnaire is based on “the honor system” was considered. It’s faulty, of course, on many levels. But the good news: we have screening processes in place to balance self-reporting weaknesses. Our opinion is that the question “are you a man who has had sex with a man?” is a remnant of antiquated thinking, and does not reflect today’s understanding of blood safety.

What were the steps you took, or are taking, to build the campaign?

The structure is in 2 parts: build broad awareness, and spark meaningful debate and discussion. Everything is being considered: from Film, television PSAs, amazing photography (thanks to the genius Harold Julian), social media everywhere, a “Selfie” tool to allow broad engagement, scientific panels, you name it.

How did you find the photographer?

It was kind of old school: an FCB Health agency producer has a relationship with an incredible photography producer/rep, they talk, and we discover the campaign strikes the same chord. Then we all agree to try to create something magical.

You have a lot of mediums for the campaign, digital, print, photo, etc. How was this the initial creative (Look/Feel) for the campaign developed?

The look and feel is all about the issue: deep crimsons and dark shadows. It’s the aesthetic of the issue. Jordan’s Blood Mirror work greatly influenced the campaign style overall. We feel it’s still evolving.

The first set of ads were released early in 2016 and more ads that are coming out later this year. How has the visibility increased to the cause since the web site and the creative has been released?

It’s early still. We’re pushing it all out there – but the focus now is on amplification. The issue deserves more attention. And more eyeballs are the way to spark dialogue and promote the kind of discourse that can change policy. June 14 is World Blood Donor Day – we’re gearing up to make it a true springboard for bigger/broader/better.

What is next for Blood Equality?

More film. More photography. More amazing things. More partnerships. More people with followings joining us.  And, of course, more pressure to evolve the policy to something that treats every pint of donated blood with the respect it deserves.

What does the word “Fearless” mean to Blood Equality?

Being true. Being courageous. Being relentless.

Agency: FCB Health

Creative Director: Rich Levy, Mike Devlin

Copywriter: Marissa Kraft, Kit Tang, Ysabel Cacho, Emily Dias, Rebecca Miller, Casey Ross

Art Director: Cameron Pollard, Arnold Calderon, Olivia Acerra, Alex Lally, Thomas Kwak, Kari Bocassi

Production: Matt Hall, Ian Smith, Cassandra Bull, Grace Na

Art: Jordan Eagles (FCB Health Artist-in-Residence), Harold Julian (Photographer, ETC)

Art Production Partners: Joe Lombardo (Agent/Producer, ETC), Philip Pavliger (ETC), and Erica Chadwick (ETC)

Account & Strategy: Jill Rossi, Phoebe Restrepo, Joe Fisher, Connor Jones

We’re excited to release the second installment in our series of interviews about the life and times of creative professionals in our industry.

We reached out to Cali Capodici, Lead Art Producer at DH Philadelphia to see if she could give us some insights into what her role is as an Art Producer. We also had the opportunity to ask her about upcoming trends, how photographers can get her attention, the highlights the best treatments she’s seen and the details on a favorite promo she once received.

A big thank you to Cali for taking the time to give us deep insight into the state of the industry from an art producer perspective.

What is your job title and how does that translate into what a week in your professional life looks like?

I am the Lead Art Producer for DH Philadelphia, NY, San Fran and our sister agency, Evolvr. I help out on a few other sister agencies so my week is very busy.  I’m juggling multiple productions, reuse requests and also trying to stay on top of the latest trends and news in the industry.  It’s different everyday, which is one of the reasons why I love my job.

What are the challenges in your job?

I would say staying organized and also trying to keep everyone’s best interests in mind. It’s my job to protect the agency and my client, but I am always looking out for the photographer and the rep as well. I take my relationships very seriously and I always want to make sure our requests are fair to the artists. I firmly believe that if you take care of them, they will always take care of you.

Staying organized, because there is so much going on. I’m running from one meeting to another, trying to put out fires or just keep things moving. My desk can get a little cluttered.

Are you seeing any changes in the industry?

It seems that a lot more productions are for multiple platforms: video, digital and print. Gone are the days of just a plain old photo shoot for a one off insert in a magazine.

What is different about working on a shoot with multiple platforms as it compares to a print only shoot?

The obvious stuff: bigger team, more players, more opinions and decisions. But also it’s great to see everyone collaborate and bring to life a campaign with multiple pieces that still has consistency in the look and feel.

Do you see any new trends that are presenting themselves?

Clients are loving moving portraits, that seems to be a big hit right now. And anything that can set them apart from typical print production, new ways to utilize these assets.

What makes a photographer interesting to you? Do you like seeing personal projects, a social media presence and the genre of work they shoot, for example?

All of that! I really love when a photographer has a passion project, something that speaks to who they really are. My biggest thing I look for in a photographer is to just work hard and be nice to people. If I’m going to be on production with someone, and as we all know it can be stressful. I want someone who can pivot and keep their cool, someone who is flexible and wants to get the best possible creative. I also want to know that they are going to take care of my team and I. We put all our trust and money into that one artist. I want to know they are a solid person and will deliver.

When you are in concept phase for a campaign are you already thinking of the artist you would like to use?

Absolutely, I like to get an idea as early as possible but I’m always willing to adapt as the creative comes to life.

How do you typically find a photographer that would be a good fit for a campaign?

From doing this for a while, I have a good idea or meeting someone new at Fotoworks. I also go to Reps sites and scour their artists. Honestly, I go on the Art Producers forum a lot and ask my peers. I love getting personal recommendations.

How often do creatives know the talent they want to work with for a campaign before you show them your suggestions on artists?

That’s one of the great things about working at DH. My creatives really truly trust me. They may send someone my way as a type of work they like, but they want me to send them the artists who I think will be the best. Then we make the decision together, as a team.  It’s one of my favorite things about the amazing people I work with. They value my creative eye and opinion.

With respect to budgets, when you receive a set of layouts, do you generally have an idea of where the quote for that photography will come in?

Yes, but that’s because I am normally telling my team where I think the costs are going to come in. So I can get a sense from my team if this is something they can afford to do or not. I always share my budgets too unless I genuinely don’t have an idea.

How often are treatments required for a photographer to secure an assignment?

Almost always, and honestly sometimes it sways the creatives decision. I have watched first hand how a photographer who was really just thrown in the mix to fill out a triple bid come to take the lead because they were so charismatic on the call and really took the time to learn the brand or the idea behind the campaign. They asked all the right questions and then delivered a stellar treatment. Every photographer should be EXCITED about a creative call. We are looking at you and believe you are the one with the eye and the talent to bring this to life. Remember, this campaign is often something that my team has worked on and fought for months, so if you aren’t really jazzed about it then it can hurt their feelings or make them completely uninterested in you.

What do the best treatments have in them that is compelling?

Saying thank you, saying you’re excited, talking about your work and why you would be right for this campaign. If you have a personal experience that you feel really sets you apart from someone else. And pulling in the right kind of photos for reference, even if they aren’t your own!

Do you work with the same artists frequently?

Yes, because I know I can trust them and they will deliver. Also, because I have strong relationships with them or their agents. I have certain expectations when I work with someone, I know everyone needs to get paid, but at the end of the day it’s really about building relationships. I love having people I can count on and they know they can count on me to have their back. That being said, I also love finding new artists. I think it’s important to bring in fresh work for my teams to see.

What is your preferred method of receiving promos from artists?

Just give me something different, something that makes me stop and look or makes me want to hang it on my wall. I also love anything with a good sense of humor.

What is the most memorable promotion you’ve ever received?

A few years ago for Valentine’s Day I got a heart shaped box with a magnum condom in it, I thought that was hilarious, it had all the Art Producers at BBDO talking about it.

Is it easy for a photography agent to reach you by phone?

No, please don’t call me. Just email or if we are close shoot me a text. I hate phone calls.

How many agent or photographer meetings do you have in a typical month?

If I’m not traveling I try to do at least two. I think it’s important to meet new people or show fresh work. I also just love meeting people and chatting about the industry. I love this work, so I love hearing other people’s stories.

You have a lot of portfolio shows. Tell us what stand out about the best of them?

Good food, someone who is present but not too in your face. Someone who is just there to have a good time and genuinely talk about how talented their artists are. I think when you are genuine and truly excited about your artists it really comes through.

Please identify a few ways that photographers/directors can make your life easier.