April/May - Food Stylist, Photo Stylist, Transportation Coordinator, Chef, Co-Owner of a Dance Studio & Talent Agency, & the Founding Partner of Placement Music

Bree Williams
Food Stylist
Klute75@yahoo.com
678-357-0126

How did you get into the business?

Like most people, when I started culinary school I figured I’d be working in a kitchen or running my own restaurant one day. I had no idea about the opportunities for food styling in print advertising, television and film, and the more I learned, the more I wanted it. I got experience working in many different kitchens then one day I was in the right place, at the right time, meeting the right people. I started with smaller jobs assisting and worked my way up, pretty burger by pretty burger, to where I am today.

What was your favorite moment?

I was working on a movie that filmed here in Atlanta this past fall. We had a Little League scene where our lead actor throws up a chilidog on one of the players. As a food stylist, my job was to make the hot dogs and, my favorite, the vomit. I handed over a cup of vomit, the director rolled, and when the actor spit all over the kid’s face, one perfect little chili bean landed on the tip of his nose and slowly rolled down. Disgusting as it is, it’s definitely my favorite food scene, and I can’t wait for the film to come out just so I can see my moment.

Why do you love your job?

Food styling gives me the creativity I crave, with the flexibility to work in all mediums. The role of food styling in print, television and film is ever evolving, which is awesome for me because it means I never stop learning and growing. Plus, it’s awesome to see your vision come to life. Being able to do that work alongside amazingly talented people from every specialty, and engage in the camaraderie that comes from being on set really makes my job rewarding. I love every aspect of this business, and I can’t imagine being in any other field.

—-

Heather Telhiard
Photo Stylist / Prop Stylist
htelhiard@me.com


How did you get into the business?

After getting my degree in Graphic Design, I soon realized that sitting fairly still all day was NOT my strong suit! Later, I met a Food Stylist who did print/ad work and began assisting her. Soon I was working on commercials, music videos, and movies in almost every department, until I finally landed in the Props dept - which lead to photo styling.

What were some fun/funny moments as a Props stylist?

I was working on an editorial piece for the Boston Globe, which my agent said would be easy, “just a few props to buy.” When I got home to check out my props list that night - it was not exactly a piece of cake!  The list read: one row of theatre and airplane seats, real park benches (which are always bolted down, so you know) build a picture frame that was 4ft by 6ft (which I constructed in my attic, not realizing it was just a ‘little’ too big to fit down the staircase! oops) and the list went on and on; with just the weekend to get it done. Once I arrived at the location on Monday, a loft on the 17th floor - the elevator was broken - fun times! As a stylist, you get a good work out carting props around and it’s always fun to spend other people’s money!

What do you love about your job?

My career is perfect for me because I’ve always thrived in “hands-on” type work and its a job where it pays to be a bit on the “energetic’ side. It utilizes my creativity and fulfills my need to debate “what looks good” and what doesn’t with the many talented, ‘quirky’ art directors and photographers I work closely with. I love the people I work with and I love what I do!! It’s rarely boring being freelance, as the clients change from studio to studio and so does the type merchandise you are making look good that day!

—-

Cindi Randall
Transportation Coordinator/ Captain
Cindir28@aol.com

How did you get into the business?

Between high school and college and that stage of what do I want to do with the rest of my life, I applied for a job as a receptionist at a cellular company. Already completing real estate school and modeling school, I wasn’t sure where my path was going to lead. I didn’t get the job, but the employer passed my name on to her friend, who happened to be coordinating the movie “Last of the Mohicans”. He hired me as a transportation secretary and in the first week I was ordering helicopters, tractor trailers to hull canoes and getting the owner of an ATV dealership out of the gym to sell us some Mules for the mountain terrain!

What made you decide to stay in transportation?

After working a few weeks I was having a blast! I began to search for possibilities for advancement within the Transportation department. I learned that the Teamsters made almost double what I was making on my flat rate and began to ask around. I asked my boss for his advise and he said “ women don’t do anything in transportation except drive vans and be secretaries”.  I found out years later that, that was his way of motivating me, which he did. I went to truck driving school. I joined the Teamsters, which opened up a whole list of possibilities!  I took classes in logistics at my local technical college and went to film school.

I am blessed to have a job that I love. Many people have guided me through and had faith in me to do the job and gave me a chance to prove I could do it and I thank you all!

What were your most favorite projects?

The Final Destination 3D, Shark Night 3D, and The Last Song.

—-

Deirdre O’Reilly
Chef/Owner Four Star Provisions, LLC
& Purus Fine Foods
Chefdeirdredo@AOL.com


How did you get into the Business?

It’s sometimes funny how life comes full circle.  Fifteen years ago I injured my back & had to take time from my culinary career.  While I was contemplating my next move, I received a call from a craft service girlfriend who had become double booked due to a rain day.  She asked if I could cover for her & it became my first job in the industry. One craft service job turned into another and one of my clients learned that I was a classically trained chef and suggested that I become a production caterer, as there were limited resources then. That client was Bruce Lane of Blue Planet Productions, who became my first catering client.  Word spread that there was a new girl in town & I started receiving calls from other productions. Within the year I was working with Good Eats & Turner Studios as my primary clients, & doing commercial shoots as well.

How have you grown in the Industry?

My company has expanded to include mobile units and larger staff now. Production catering has also allowed me to expand my commissary & kitchens to include my new venture, Purus Fine Foods- a new take-away and delivery concept that only produces natural “clean” foods. We specialize in gluten-free, vegan and the meals that people know & love, but made in a healthier manner.

What is your next step?

My next step circles back around to my beginning. I find the need to develop new talent that will understand & have the same passion for the business as I do. Bruce Lane, Jr., a new culinary grad has expressed interest and I intend to become his mentor and teach him the ropes.  It’s funny how it all comes around, isn’t it?

Our latest larger projects include “Inside the NBA on TNT”, “Rooms to Go” and “Reed Between the Lines”

—-

Sindy Schneider
Co-Owner of Dance 411
& blocSouth Talent Agency
www.blocSouth.com
www.dance411studios.com
sindy@blocsouth.com
404.622.4116


How did you get into the business?

I always had an intense passion for the arts, specifically the art of dance. I graduated from college with a degree in marketing/public relations and worked in corporate America for several years…but always longed to do something more with dance. My husband sensed that I was unfulfilled at my corporate job and helped me by starting an e-newsletter entitled “Dance 411” back in 2001. The biweekly newsletter included info on dance classes, dance tips, dance auditions, etc. As our database grew, we began holding large dance workshops and classes at various venues around Atlanta. We received many requests for talent for entertainment jobs and as a result opened up the very first exclusive dance talent agency in the Southeastern United States called Dance 411 Talent Agency. Our classes however remained popular so we decided to partner with bloc Agency and converted our agency to blocSouth while still having our studio for classes, Dance 411 Studios.

What makes what you do unique? 

Wow, there is so much I can think of that excites me about our business. We are the only dance studio that has a direct affiliation with an agency (bloc) and many of our instructors are true working professionals. So you can take a class from Kiki Ely one day and then turn on the TV and watch her performing with Nicki Minaj at the NBA Allstar 2012. It’s truly exciting and people feel like they are getting instruction from the absolute best .

Recent Projects?

Pitch Perfect, Footloose, and Joyful Noise.

—-

Tammy Hurt
Founding Partner
Placement Music, LLC
www.placementmusic.com


How did you get into the business?

My start in film and TV music came from the most organic, authentic place possible. I was fulfilling my favorite professional passion – playing drums. I was performing live on stage with a loud, experimental, instrumental guitar-oriented rock band. After the show, I was approached by a woman from CNN who asked if we could provide some lead-in’s and cue’s (music) for her on-air productions. My answer was of course, “Yes we can!” and that’s how Placement Music was born.

Our first big break came when, by a pure stroke of luck, I met an on screen director for FOX Sports. I mentioned that my company created custom music and he suggested I send him some tracks when we completed our first sessions. Needless to say, our team went into the studio the next day. We recorded on Monday. The director received our music on Thursday - and Placement Music debuted on the air on NFL on FOX that same Sunday.

What are some of your proudest accomplishments?
 
Within a year of launching, we were commissioned to create an original, orchestral, custom score for Super Bowl XLV, which aired to an audience of 111 million viewers. I co-produced the score titled ”Declaration Anthem” with composer Steve Dancz. The track was engineered by multiple GRAMMY-winner, Leslie Ann Jones at Skywalker Sound in San Francisco. We were honored with two Silver Telly Awards and a Hollywood Music In Media Award for “Best Score - Special Feature”.  We have provided custom music for Showtime’s Dexter, and placed tracks in Paramount Pictures Mean Girls 2, HBO’s True Blood, and the indie film Rough Hustle. Most recently, the team re-recorded Rosemary Clooney’s version of “Mambo Italiano” for Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva.  
 
Words to live by?

Never give up.

Feb/March - Animal Wrangler, Prop Builder, Voiceover Artist, Animator, Costume Designer, & Key Grip

Jason Clark
Animal Wrangler
President, Southeastern Reptile Rescue
www.SnakesAreUs.com
roadkruzer@hotmail.com

How did you get into the business?
One day, out of the blue, I received a call from a producer who wanted to know if I’d be interested in my own television show. After discerning this was no joke, I naturally said yes. In just a few days, I began shooting a pilot episode with my family. Not long after that, a full crew arrived at our home and began 18 months of filming for our series, SnakesKIN, on Animal Planet. After filming for our show wrapped, I was asked to provide some farm animals for Rob Zombie’s Halloween II. This is when I really realized that filming a reality TV show was much different than working on a feature film. The second movie I was asked to work on was Hall Pass. This time, I was able to accompany my animal in the scene as it was a 100-pound python that no one else was able to handle.

What is a lesson you’ve learned while filming with animals?
Yes, you can blow a tarantula off the set. This happened while working on a film about phobias. The tarantulas were to walk to their mark and then stop. To move a tarantula and stay out of the scene, blowing air works well. As long as you don’t blow too hard! Another thing that was a very important lesson is that many times you have to be more patient with the people than the animals. For some reason, our animals seem to catch on and warm up to their co-stars much quicker than the humans do.

What do you do when you’re not wrangling animals for film?
I run the day to day operations of Southeastern Reptile Rescue, which is where our animals come to us from. They are rescues. We house approximately 150 animals (mostly reptiles) that range from alligators to cobras. Between feeding, cleaning cages and traveling with our educational reptile exhibit and stage show, I stay busy all year.
—-

SCOTT FELDMAN
Prop Builder
www.atlantaprops.com


How did you get into the business?
I have always been creative and worked with my hands. When I was half way through my photography courses at The Art Institute, I met Arington Hendley and several other commercial photographers. They discovered right away that I was handy and I found myself building props, miniatures and sets. Before I knew it, I had a thriving business called Feldman’s Props.  I met my wife, Susan, who worked at a local production house.  We began building props and sets for photographers, production companies, advertising agencies and corporations.  Many years later, our company, known now as Atlanta Props, is still creating one-of-a-kind items.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT BEING A PROP BUILDER?
I like being able to have a client describe an object and see it in 3D. Rarely do you build the same thing twice. Sometimes it takes a lot of research and ingenuity to come up with the right solution and other times it is a simple fix. I love the challenge of figuring out the best process and materials to use.  I like it when an ad agency gets an account using my prop ideas. I enjoy the strange calls asking questions like, “Have you ever made a giant blood bag?” Most of all, I like being an artist and craftsman.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE PROJECTS?
I did three commercials with Ridley Scott. One of them was for “Miller Genuine Draft” at Atlanta Motor Speedway. For several years I was an Art Director for Nascar. That was fun.

Last year I created an Over-sized Big Green Egg Smoker that is on display in their Showroom. This prop was quite a challenge, but it is one of my best replicas.

I have recently completed a series of unusual Props for RJ Reynolds including a six foot tall, 3D Camel covered in sheet metal, a six foot camel collage, and a large interactive “Science Table” for events.
—-

Tasha Johnson
Voiceover Artist


How did you get into the business?
Like a lot of voiceover artists, I started in radio.

I was between radio jobs and wanted to strengthen my skill set and make myself more marketable to a station, so I set out to learn as much as I could about audio production from my peers.

I had a 6-month internship with an Atlanta advertising agency, where I got hands-on training in production
basics, did some copywriting and voiced half of the commercials coming out of the office. That’s how I built my first demo reel. I produced it and shopped it to agents myself.

After I started booking gigs, I found I enjoyed voiceover, so I kept doing it.

What’s great about your job?
I absolutely love my job! To be picked from dozens of voices nationwide to represent brands in television and radio commercials is wonderful, and each project I work on is my favorite.

In the booth, it’s great to feed off another actor’s energy. Also, hearing someone who’s at best an acquaintance, but more often a stranger, tell you what to sound like, then processing that direction in your head and attempting to give voice to what they asked for is fun for me. It stretches me as an actor.

Part of the fun for me in the audition process is the casting specs. I don’t have children, but my voice is often cast in a mom role. I guess I have a motherly vibe.

What would you say is your specialty?
My specialty is commercials, but I also do lots of long form narration. A recent 56-page project took almost 3 hours (and a half gallon of water) to complete. I’ve also been known to grace a TV promo or two, and a voice messaging system or three.

Three recent projects:
Radio commercials for Home Depot and Georgia Power, tags for AT&T.
—-

Jay Rogers
Jayro Design & Illustration
Owner/Creative Director
www.jayrodesign.com


How did you get into the Business?
Like many young artists, I had my sights set on Disney. I contacted their Feature Animation group, and they recommended a few appropriate college programs, so I put together a portfolio for Ringling College, and got accepted there. While I was a student at Ringling, I worked at Creative Arts Unlimited and got a taste of what it was like to be a professional in the visual arts, doing work for clients like FAO Schwarz, Macy’s, Marshall Field’s, and the Florida International Museum.

After I graduated, I was hired by CNN Headline News then transitioned to Cartoon Network. During my 11 years there, I got to work with a variety of fun and irreverent brands alongside some really great people. I eventually moved up to Art Director for their in-house creative department, where one of my most memorable assignments was designing the infamous national “RED” billboard campaign with mysterious and provocative slogans like “I POOTED.” and “I HAVE A MEAT BEARD.”

In 2010, I started my own design and illustration studio, and I’ve been busy working on everything from museum exhibits and magazine covers to UI design and illustration for games and apps, and character art.

What types of projects would you like to work on in the future?
Having a long background in children’s media and entertainment, I’d love to get involved with more of the current major kids brands and see what opportunities exist there. Since I’ve been doing a lot of digital work lately, I’d also like to work on an interactive storybook. My kids can’t get enough of them, and it’s always
exciting to show them something I’ve produced and see them interact with it.

—-

Melva Akins
Costume Designer


How did you get into the business?
I was working as a retail buyer when my spouse was relocated and I couldn’t find work in our new state of residence.  I started working in sales for a company that provided art department services to the production and entertainment industries.  Before long I was also assisting the company with set decorating and props.  Months later, to my surprise, the company went out of business. One evening I attended an industry meeting and met a wardrobe stylist.  She telephoned me days later to assist on a huge project insisting I had introduced myself as a wardrobe stylist - the rest is history. Over the years I improved my craft and expanded my experience by working as a music coordinator, trade-out coordinator and associate producer. These roles seemed second nature because the professional skills (presentation, building budgets, negotiating, project manage, oral and written communication) and decorum developed in previous tenures were helpful in carrying out production responsibilities. Also, my interest in learning more and giving back led to seats on local, state and an international board of directors.

Favorite Project to Date?
The opening for ESPN’s Sunday Night Football. I met NFL owners and worked with 30 NFL players, Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, professional dancers and a host of extras. In this project we shot an NFL parade that required setting up a full workroom with 5 seamstresses. Costumes were created for all and they appeared on parade floats, in the parade and as fanatic spectators. The project allowed me to be extremely creative and have fun in the process.

Dream Project?
My dream project is to costume design a television series about living legends or design a period movie. I enjoy research and working with hair and makeup to create “art”. I’m at my best when visually executing the director’s vision via the beauty of color and detailed work.
—-

ROBERT DUVALL
Key Grip
www.SavannahGripElectric.com
DuVallRobert@gmail.com

How did you get into the business?
First things first.  Yes, that’s my name.  No, Mom didn’t have a clue.  The benefit is that most folks don’t forget it.

First grade: had my lamb costume on, lines and blocking memorized, and was ready to go.  But I wanted to play with all the neat looking lights that were hidden up in the ceiling.  Getting into the business happened at age 15 as a stagehand in that same 1,400 seat theater.  Two years later, John Goodman was nice enough to give his old high school drama teacher a sizeable check to spend.  She turned around, told me the amount, and that I should go spend it on “some video equipment”.  That got us an S-VHS A/B roll suite, 2 cameras, accessories, and several big learning experiences for me.  On a visit 10 years later, it was still in use, and the instruction manual I wrote was taped to the wall.  

One thing led to another, and another, and another…  Now I’ve got 22 years of industry experience under my belt.  I’ve rarely worked outside of the industry, and starting young has been a great benefit.

What’s business like in a smaller town like Savannah?
 Savannah is location-rich for its size.  A few things can work differently here. Our biggest benefit and drawback is that we’re not a big city.  Getting whatever odd thing you need at three in the morning may only happen if you or your crew has a personal connection.  But we also have fewer limitations, rules, etc. to hinder a shoot.  Savannah crews are awesome because of the mix of great specialists and experienced multi-taskers.  I love being a Key Grip, running my business of renting gear, and referring great local crew.  Getting outside, working with my hands, and being mechanically creative are just a few of the reasons.  It’s an awesome contrast to my other life as a Technical Director for corporate meetings where I wear a suit and live in hotel ballrooms.  
 
What are your mantras?
“There are no problems, only challenges and solutions.”, “My favorite project?  The one I’m working on!”, “How can we make this better?”, and “Safety, safety, safety.”