WHAT DOES YOUR LAST PHOTO SAY ABOUT YOU?

WHAT DOES YOUR LAST PHOTO SAY ABOUT YOU?

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The ‘Last Photo’ Project is an ongoing video series where WNW Member #96 Ivan Cash asks strangers in different cities to share the last photo on their phone. With ample opportunity to pull back the curtain, the project plays out as a fun, sociological experiment.

When we featured this project over two years ago, Ivan had made stops in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles. It is fascinating seeing not only how much a person can be defined by a recent snapshot, but how the collection of last photos offers a commentary on each city. Ivan has since visited six more cities with their own stories to tell, most recently Honolulu. The project has become a viral sensation, received international recognition, two Vimeo Staff Picks, over 1M collective views, and inspired off-shoots across the world.

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FROM DESIGNER TO FILMMAKER IN EASTERN AFRICA: RYAN LECLUYSE

FROM DESIGNER TO FILMMAKER IN EASTERN AFRICA: RYAN LECLUYSE

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WNW Member #9493 Ryan LeCluyse traveled to Eastern Africa a designer and returned a filmmaker, creating Under the Tree in collaboration with Mama Hope. As a reaction to the NGO and international development world often providing broad sweeping facts and statistics, Under the Tree is an immersive portrait of "three distinct entrepreneurs around Eastern Africa who are attempting to better their communities."

We were curious to learn how Ryan came to branch out from his experience as a designer and take on the role of filmmaker: "I fundraised to buy Mama Hope some camera equipment and didn’t have much left in the budget to hire anyone." Ryan also generously offers some great advice for those looking to step out of their comfort zones and explore a new medium or field: "Don’t wait for the ‘perfect timing’ or a paying client. Also, don’t wait around wondering if it’s really a pursuit for you (e.g. I think I like film, but I don’t know I like film). Worst case, you’ll do something and learn a lot in the same time period you’d otherwise be dragging your feet."

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Tell us a little bit about your creative background. Who is Ryan LeCluyse and how did he get here?

The path probably all started when I was around 11—I wanted nothing more than to make video games. A mentor from an online video game artist community called Polycount pointed the way, “To work in video games, you need to learn to draw.” That led me to UNCSA, a performing arts boarding school, where my drawing instructor noticed my penchant for typography, “You know, there’s a career called graphic design.” When I made it to design school, a professor taught me, “Design doesn’t just have to sell shit, it can also help make the world a better place.”

The last one really stuck. From then on I realized that, if I could apply what I love to trying to better the world around me, then I wouldn’t want to do anything else. It’s been challenging, but I’ve dedicated my practice to communicating ideas and building products that are based in positive social impact.

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"I’ve dedicated my practice to communicating ideas and building products that are based in positive social impact."

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What lead you to Under the Tree? How would you describe the project to our readers?

I was working as a designer at Google X. After about 9 months, I realized that I felt too removed from the impact I wanted to have. X was a fascinating place, but it wasn’t for me. Around the same time, a friend introduced me to Mama Hope and the work they were doing really resonated with me. One day, I came knocking at their door with a proposal for how to facilitate the story of their impact and they were totally game. That idea became Under the Tree.

What is it? I describe Under the Tree as a portrait of three distinct entrepreneurs around Eastern Africa who are attempting to better their communities. The idea is as simple as that, but it has manifested as a web series. Each episode is about a single Mama Hope partner and is composed of film vignettes I created from that location/partner.

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Had you been to Africa prior to this project? Where in Eastern Africa did you travel for Under the Tree? How long did you stay to get all of the footage, interviews, and intangibles required for the project?

I had never been anywhere in the continent. This was going to be completely new for me! I spent four months between Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. The idea was to stay a few weeks with each partner, getting to know them, their families, their communities, and their projects. I wanted to get a basic trust and comfort level established before I began filming or adopting a point of view. After the initial rounds, I came back to each location for a longer period, about a month, to live with the families and to capture anything and everything.

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"I wanted to get a basic trust and comfort level established before I began filming or adopting a point of view. After the initial rounds, I came back to each location for a longer period, about a month, to live with the families and to capture anything and everything."

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Under the Tree is not a series of snapshots addressing a broad issue, but rather an immersive exposure to the daily routines and struggles of specific individuals. How did you decide on this approach to addressing these issues of health, education, and livelihood?

Under the Tree started out as a reaction to a lot of what we see coming from the NGO, charity, and international development world: broad sweeping views of facts and figures that paint a simplistic and overbearingly ugly picture… I wanted to ask what would happen if we simply told a story. My hunch was that the inherent issues would still surface, but they would come up in context and therefore be understood on a personal scale rather than an intangible, less empathetic, global one. It also made me much more comfortable talking with and filming people—I didn’t have a hidden agenda and people were much more willing to participate.

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"Under the Tree started out as a reaction to a lot of what we see coming from the NGO, charity, and international development world: broad sweeping views of facts and figures that paint a simplistic and overbearingly ugly picture"

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How did you straddle the line between inhabiting the role of "journalist" and embracing your instincts as a creative? Did your background in design influence your approach to this project in any particular ways?

Calling this journalism is probably generous… Really, I simply spent time with people in each of these places and then would write a brief for myself. Creativity came into play when I would then try to imagine outcomes. Then, I’d collect as much material as possible for any imagined outcomes—stories, footage, audio, pictures—the more the merrier.

More specifically, to that last point, I think my background in design kept a final product at the forefront of my mind. As I worked, I could always imagine what it might look like. This was both good and bad, but it certainly allowed me to anticipate what I might need to capture in each phase of production so that ‘designer me’ wasn’t left empty handed.

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"My background in design kept a final product at the forefront of my mind... It certainly allowed me to anticipate what I might need to capture in each phase of production so that ‘designer me’ wasn’t left empty handed."

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This project seems like a massive undertaking. Did you have a small or large team working with you?

Yeah, it’s big. A year later, I’m still working on it.

There have been core collaborators, but for the most part, I’ve had to take it on myself. Andrew Weathers is a brilliant musician and has done a great job helping me capture a unique feel with his original score. David Gouch is an incredible engineer/design who did a majority of the code that I then tweaked for Episode 2 and will continue to work on for 3. Hannah Clyne, field coordinator for Mama Hope, spent the first month traveling with me and helping me get my sea legs (she also taught me enough Swahili to ingratiate myself to most people I met). Then there have been friends who watch the films with me, read my writing, look for bugs etc… So, the people who have been interested in helping have come and gone and they’ve all been a part of what the project has shaped up to be.

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What’s next for Under the Tree?

Next, there are a couple of things: most importantly Episode 3, which marks the end of the series. Beyond that, I’m currently working on how to bring Under the Tree to different platforms. The website has been great for creative control and expression of the truest form, but it’s not so great for getting the message spread and heard. I’m planning some exhibitions on the west coast and potentially another format through which to release the online series.

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Under the Tree extends beyond your wheelhouse as a designer into documentary filmmaking. What lead you to mix things up? Do you plan to continue to explore both mediums or do you see yourself transitioning into filmmaking?

It wasn’t so much about mixing it up as much as it was about getting this project done with the resources I had. I fundraised to buy Mama Hope some camera equipment and didn’t have much left in the budget to hire anyone.

But yeah, that dive into filmmaking and storytelling has certainly affected where I want to take my practice. I would love more opportunities to produce documentary work for new technology platforms—like the slew of VR documentaries coming out, how awesome is that!?

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"That dive into filmmaking and storytelling has certainly affected where I want to take my practice. I would love more opportunities to produce documentary work for new technology platforms—like the slew of VR documentaries coming out."

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What are some top tips you can offer our members who are thinking of stepping out of their comfort zone into another field?

To just make it happen. Don’t wait for the ‘perfect timing’ or a paying client. Also, don’t wait around wondering if it’s really a pursuit for you (e.g. I think I like film, but I don’t know I like film). Worst case, you’ll do something and learn a lot in the same time period you’d otherwise be dragging your feet.

Pitch your idea to some creative peers or an organization you have a line into (even if it’s a nonprofit two doors down) to hold you accountable and get to work.

Who are some WNW members you most admire, and why?

I went to college with Nick Hum. Then and now he impresses me with his approach to design—he is just teeming with crazy and amazing ideas that people are naturally drawn to because they are funny as hell or weird. His work is his voice, and who wouldn’t want his voice added to theirs?

Nitzan Hermon has been a mentor and a friend for a long time. He’s an incredibly thoughtful designer who, I think, approaches design in a very academic and systematic way. He produces work that addresses longevity and the entire ecosystem of a challenge.

Ike Edeani is an incredible photographer who had collaborated with Mama Hope before I knocked on their door. Just looking at his photography of the places I was about to go to really helped inspire my vision for what the films could look like.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Thanks so much for showing the work! I’d simply ask that, if readers are inspired by it, then share it, learn more about the issues it talks about, and keep on doing cool shit.

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HOW TO DIRECT A FILM ON A SMALL BUDGET

HOW TO DIRECT A FILM ON A SMALL BUDGET

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Let's face it: directing a film looks really hard. WNW Member #7027 Mikél Leyva embarked on his first directing gig so we had a few questions for him. Like how he juggled his creative brain with solving logistical challenges, getting the crew to work as a team, and keeping his day job in advertising. Oh, and the pressure: "As a director, the final outcome of the film is on your shoulders alone. No one is going to accept anyone else’s mistakes as excuses. In the end, you either made a good film, or you didn’t." 

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What inspired you to direct Falling?

I’d been wanting to direct a film for a long time. Whenever I heard interviews with my favorite directors, I often felt that their way of deciphering life-stories was closest to the way that I related to life. But I’m aware that no one’s going to hire you to direct a film if you’ve never made one before. So in 2008 I decided to just go for it and direct my first one.

Where did the story come from?

I was living in LA working on a music project with a drummer friend of mine, while looking for a story for my film. And a close friend there was about to marry into quite a volatile relationship. Their tense wedding planning made me contemplate that need to secure an idea of love at all costs. I wanted to figure out what drives all of us to continually fall in and out of different versions of love, and that seemed like a good beginning for my film’s story. My focus was on the need for love, and not the discovery of it.

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"I wanted to figure out what drives all of us to continually fall in and out of different versions of love, and that seemed like a good beginning for my film’s story. My focus was on the need for love, and not the discovery of it."

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Where did you find the time while working on commercial projects?

It wasn't easy. I saved money for a few months to start with a small budget, and to take time to do pre-production. Then I set off to San Francisco to lead a large online project for Microsoft while preparing my film. I’d wake up before 6am every day and send film pre- production tasks to my crew. Then I’d go into the agency to lead the Microsoft project during the day. And then follow up on the film tasks in the evenings. I found it more natural to treat both projects pretty much the same, rather than to try to switch modes between personal and client projects. I must say that a huge number of people helped along the way, friends and many (then) strangers too.

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"I’d wake up before 6am every day and send film pre- production tasks to my crew. Then I’d go into the agency to lead the Microsoft project during the day. And then follow up on the film tasks in the evenings."

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Any advice you can share on learning to sit comfortably in the director's chair?

The phrasing of this question made me laugh – maybe Ridley Scott actually ’sits comfortably’ in the director’s chair, but I think the rest of us are on our feet orchestrating everything under pressure. But as for directing advice, I might just repeat what my good friend (and producer) David Levine said when he called me after reading the script for Falling. He said something like: “Mikel, no matter what happens, don’t compromise. Just don’t compromise." I’ve worked in every creative channel, and this advice has felt particularly meaningful in filmmaking. But it took me making a film to really understand the value of it. When making a creatively affected film, there were many more moments than usual in which you choose to either push on, or compromise.

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"If you’re going to make a film, dig in deep, find something honest in you that you can be passionate about. Because it’s likely to take all of that to do a good job, and for your story to be worth sharing; then godspeed."

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Another element I find important is motivation. I’d say that each of us sees the world in our own unique way, and our own way of living and understanding our experiences. And there’s already more half-hearted bad films out there than any of us will have time to take in. So if you’re going to make a film, dig in deep, find something honest in you that you can be passionate about. Because it’s likely to take all of that to do a good job, and for your story to be worth sharing; then godspeed. You will succeed in some ways and you will also make mistakes. But that’s okay, just learn from it all, and keep going.

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What were some of the biggest challenges on set?

Film pre and post-production can have a project pace close to advertising, but directing on set is quite different. During filming, time is quite unforgiving, and you’re all working to create one big event, with parts that are being recorded at the same time, like an orchestra or scenes in a play. You prepare actors and crew for weeks to play scenes in meticulously transformed spaces that you only have for a certain amount of time, in which budget and the options for shots are directly linked. This event would be challenging to replicate.

And although you work with so many people, as the director, the final outcome of the film is on your shoulders alone. No one is going to accept anyone else’s mistakes as excuses, and having to re-shoot is not a viable option. In the end, you either made a good film, or you didn’t.

Compared to leading an ad agency project over a set of weeks (or more), one directs the course of a shoot by the second. And there’s a rhythm; it’s more similar to making music. Also, when under time pressure, people are hesitant to risk working in ways they haven’t worked before, which sounds understandable, but trying new things is often what you need them to do. And as a director you’re shaping the creative environment constantly and quickly. You define when and how it is collaborative, and when it’s time to keep moving, in a much faster pace.

I was operating in such a driven mode that when someone on the team wasn’t 100% on board, it was very noticeable to me. And so began this dynamic between my creative ambition, and my team’s skills and motivation, which I had to navigate constantly while making this film.

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"As a director, the final outcome of the film is on your shoulders alone. No one is going to accept anyone else’s mistakes as excuses. In the end, you either made a good film, or you didn’t.

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What differences did you notice in how you approached your work in advertising and this personal project?

Inspiration was gold. At a big ad agency you already have some of the best talent in their field and a team structure. But on a personal project there’s no accountable company structure or obligations. People don’t really ‘have to’ do what you ask, and your team could potentially walk away from your project at any time. So to make the best personal film possible with a rather small budget, and the majority of the team being junior volunteers, you have to find what will drive people to care as much as you do.

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How did the process of Falling make you think of teamwork differently?

I'd like to think that I've always treated my teams with empathy. But directing volunteers while striving for professional quality means that I had to push a lot of people further than they expected to go. And I'm very grateful that this challenge made me consider what each person is getting out of working on the project, and out of working with me. In advertising, the client experience, the portfolio pice, and pay are often enough, but we don’t often think about what we have to give back to our teams. And I actually really enjoy nurturing talent. I’m the eldest of 3, maybe that’s got something to do with it.

In post-production, the dynamic changes again. And you may have a very clear idea of where you want something to go and feel compelled to micromanage. But if you do that you could block that person’s ability to make creative decisions, and you end up shooting yourself in the foot. So you need to read your effect on the team..

There are times when you just give a direction to aim for and that’s enough, but there’s often times when you need to support your team member enough to enable them to get on that journey with you.

Having directed a big project depending on a lot volunteers has been a gift in a way. You get more candid reactions from your team, and you learn to read people better. And without a budget, you really have to learn to inspire people to care for the work as much you do. Not only does this make you a better leader, it also reconnects all of you with the core reasons that drive the work you do.

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"To make the best personal film possible with a rather small budget... you have to find what will drive people to care as much as you do."

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What's next for you?

I’m currently most interested in how the emotive aspects of film/video can mix with the uniting power of digital media. I'm also looking into ways that I can contribute to projects that provide a social benefit - especially in the area of bridging perspectives. In terms of filmmaking, my next step is to continue developing my voice, and make more films. I want to find my ‘dream team’ of writers, producers, cinematographers, and crew to continually work with on many projects to come.

I’m currently editing Part 2 of Falling, and plan to finish it by Spring. 

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JASON ZADA WILL SCARE THE BEJESUS OUT OF YOU

JASON ZADA WILL SCARE THE BEJESUS OUT OF YOU

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Cheers to WNW Member #5385 Jason Zada, whose first feature film, The Forest, just hit theaters on Friday. 

Previously, Jason started the renowned digital advertising agency Evolution Bureau (EVB). He has directed broadcast and digital projects for the likes of Wieden + Kennedy, CP+B, and Sid Lee, and is the mind behind Facebook's terrifying viral sensation TakeThisLollipop.

It turns out "terrifying" is a sharpened skill in Jason's toolshed. The premise to The Forest: A woman goes into Japan's Suicide Forest to find her twin sister, and confronts supernatural terror.

Jason is returning intrigue to the same forest explored last year by Gus Van Sant, but this time to both horrifying effect and box office success. The Forest, starring Natalie Dormer from Game of Thrones, has already earned $15 million in under a week. Not a bad way to kick off the New Year.

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ON AMERICANA: CHRISTOPHER LANE

ON AMERICANA:
CHRISTOPHER LANE

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Fun fact: WNW Member #1439 Christopher Lane came to the United States from England in 1995 to pursue a professional golf career. He ended up playing golf for the Savannah College of Art and Design, but soon after shifted his focus to photography. He's an ADC Young Gun, specializing in documentary and portrait photography, with a real draw to all things Americana. 

Christopher was kind of enough to sit down with us in person and walk us through the inspiration and process behind some of his photographs. Accompanying each image is a sound clip, so you can hear Christopher's stories behind the shoot, in his own words. He's negotiated image prices with Jerry Seinfeld, developed friendships with the Ms. Senior America contestants, and bossed around President Barack Obama.

As a Brit living in the US, Christopher is particularly fascinated by Americana and the access being a photographer affords him: "The amazing thing is when you have the camera, sometimes you can end up in the White House or end up in a cell. It's pretty fascinating sometimes. That spectrum really is an amazing privilege."

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ON STREET PHOTOGRAPHY 

Sometimes you can go around the city of New York and everyone will say, 'No, I don't want my picture taken.' But I think it's a feeling that people get from you, how approachable you are. If you’re in a happy good mood, usually people can pick up on that. It's a weird kind of aura. 

I ask a lot of questions like, "What did you dream last night? And what's the greatest invention in your lifetime?"

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ON NAILING THE SHOT

It was pretty amazing when we asked Jerry to perform. He did the shot where the coffee is spilling out. It was the the first shot, the first time we tried it. We sort of got it in one take and he saw that. Jerry was like, "Great, we got it!" It's always nice to do a few but I didn’t want to destroy the studio too much.

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ON PHOTOGRAPHING THE PRESIDENT

When he arrived, I wasn’t ready. He says, “You’ve got 10 minutes and you can do whatever you want." I did push the boundaries a bit. But I think it was good.

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Before you go into a shoot, do you already have an idea of the essence you want to capture? 

I’m finding nowadays there’s a lot more art direction, a bit too much even. Before, they’d let you do whatever you liked. With creative freedom, I used to do a lot of research, looking at paintings, going to museums, looking at old newspapers and magazines. I used to kind of be a hoarder and collect old New York Times Magazines. Inspiration comes from everywhere. I like to look at a lot of older photographs. One of my favorite photographers is August Sander.

How do you adjust your approach to match your subject's energy?

It's a lot more controlled these days. I frequently find the subject will say, “I’m not going to do this, I’m not going to do that.” So I find it's important to have several ideas and there will always be one that they’re willing to do. Sometimes you just have to go with what you’re given.

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ON NOT GETTING STAR-STRUCK

I find it's a lot easier with actors since they’re used to the camera, to the performance. A lot of times you only have a few minutes with the subject, especially celebrities. It's rare that you get more than twenty minutes, sometimes you literally get 20 seconds. So you have to have something ready to go. It depends if they’re willing to interact with you as well.

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Do you get nervous photographing celebrities, or does nothing phase you at this point?

I think they’d pick up on the nervousness. I guess you become a little bit heightened, but it's important not to get nervous and to make them as comfortable as possible. It's the one time that they’re not in control, and you get to boss them around. If you’re confident about doing that in the nicest way, I think they actually appreciate it. Basically everyone’s kissing their ass. So they do live in this kind of fantasy bubble and it’s nice just to have that reality check and just be a bit more normal to them.

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ON PERSONAL PROJECTS

I like to at least do one or two personal projects a year. I feel you get the most reward out of doing your own personal work. It’s so hard to do especially when you’re bombarded with commercial work, but I think it’s always the most gratifying for me and it’s where I can be the most artistic as well. I don’t have to answer to anyone, no deadlines and I don’t have to get the images the next day. I can relax and then can really enjoy the subjects.

I usually find inspiration from going out onto the street and especially in New York it’s pretty amazing. If you’re stuck for ideas, just to walk down 5th Avenue and see all the different characters. I always find it’s really good just to walk with the camera to find different subjects or different ideas for a new project.

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ON MS. SENIOR AMERICA

It's for 60+ ladies who like to have a good time. It's a bit like the dog show, but for seniors. I went down on a whim but then I became friends with some of these ladies and they wanted me to come back. 

Ms. Nebraska did this charity thing where she rode a bicycle from Nebraska to New Jersey and she got run over by a garbage truck... she nearly didn't make it.

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ON PHOTOGRAPHY AS DOCUMENTARY 

The prison system has become a Wall Street corporation. It's easy to get prisoners, and there's a dollar bill on their head. People are making profits out of this. They use the prisoners as circus acts, they make them do bull riding. So six or seven times a year they put on these performances where the prisoners are the bull riders. But they’re horrible bull riders since they never get to practice. And many of them end up injured or in the hospital... they risk their life. But I think they can earn over a $100 or $500 which in prison, is like winning the lottery.

Photographs taken at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola.

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