Diary of an actress #26: From India to LA - Interview with motion picture editor, Archana Shinde

Candy Washington: How did you get your start in the film industry?
Archana Shinde: When I finished with my engineering school, I had no clue what I wanted to do in life. But my dad really wanted me to finish post-graduation. So I did Masters in Engineering. Then I started working for an Indian Computer Software company and started developing embedded software programs for audio and video processing. I always loved photography. But I had no idea how one could make a living out of it. At least I didn't have that resources or even any model. So I stuck to my job in Delhi, India. A year later, my sister Anjali Patil came to Delhi to finish her Masters in Theater at National School of Drama (NSD), the most prestigious theater school in India. I started visiting her at NSD on the weekends. That was really inspiring, just being in the legendary campus of NSD, seeing all the posters of all the maestros in Indian Theater from the old productions of NSD and watching Anjali and her classmates work day and night on a new production. I was inspired to tap into my potential of doing something different than an ordinary life of a young woman in India.

CW:  How was the transition from India to LA?
AS: Even though the theater inspired me to pursue a career in creative arts, I was more passionate about moving images. I decided to be a filmmaker. I had a choice to go to Mumbai and start working in films. But I had no formal training of filmmaking. Everyone has a different opinion about formal training and film schools. I wanted to explore what film schools have to offer. So I enrolled in Directing for Films And TV program at UCLA. I quit my job in July 2009 and in September, I flew to LA. I didn't know anyone in the city. But I met some really nice and kind people in first few days. They made the whole 'coming-from-a-small-city-in-India-to-LA' transition much smoother. They are still the closest friends I have in LA.

CW: What's the biggest challenge you've faced and how have you overcome it?
AS: The biggest challenge for me was to uncover what I really wanted to do in life. I struggled with that question for longer than 3 years. After a lot of soul-searching, the answer came to me, 'I should be a filmmaker'. At that time, it seemed impossible for me to leave my career in computers and start over again. But my family was enormously supportive. Once they were okay with my decision, I knew I could only go forward with it.

CW: I loved the promo for Green Bangles. Can you tell us more about the film?
AS: In late 2010-2011, I wrote, directed and edited a short film, "Green Bangles". I produced it with my sister, Anjali Patil. She is the lead actress in it. Honestly, it was just an exercise for me in the process of learning how to direct and edit. Everyone in my directing class loved it. Our course instructor, producer and director Richard Friedman made a special mention of it. Then I thought of sending it to Film Festivals. Uma DaCunha, editor of Film India Worldwide and casting director in India asked me to send her a copy of the film. She loved it and recommended it to Women In Film and TV India chapter. Women In Film and Television (WIFT) India chapter chose the short film to represent India in WIFT International Showcase 2012. The film was screened in 44 cities in 15 different countries. The short film was also screened in several film festivals in the US.

CW: What draws you to editing and what is your process?
AS: When I was a kid, I loved to make collage. I remember I used to spend days collecting pictures, alphabets, articles specific to a topic. But all that work would be worth the trouble once I would sit down to stick everything together and create something meaningful. I think my fascination of searching for the order in chaos draws me to editing. When I receive the footage of the recently shot video, short film or feature film, the same excitement that I had while making collages, rushes in and I can't wait to finish the work just to see how good it feels in the end, to watch a finished film.

My process includes reading the script, then watching all the footage, then focusing on individual scenes, then shots and then takes. I have to make sure that I am telling the story in the most effective way, paying attention to the director's vision and hand-picking the memorable moments delivered by the actors. 

CW: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
AS: In five years from now, I see myself being even better at editing and in general, at aspects of filmmaking. I would love to continue to write as well. So something will come to fruition from that too.

CW: What's your ideal project? AS: It's hard to define an ideal project. A good script is always a part of the ideal project. Also, the director and producer, the actors too play a definitive role in the ideal project.

CW: What can my readers only learn about you here on This is Candy Washington?
AS: Even though I prefer to be behind the camera, I'm also a trained Indian classical dancer. I'm a good cook. I love to host private dinners, mostly Indian cuisine with my close friends.

CW: Anything else you want my readers to know?
AS: If you really want to do something or pursue your dreams, just go for it. You will hear a lot of voices saying it's impossible, or it has not been done before or plainly you just can't do it. A lot of things were impossible until someone dreamed and dared to do it. You get just one life to go after your dreams. So use it wisely.





Contact Archana:
cineoramaa@gmail.com
View her reel: http://vimeo.com/cineoramaa/archana-shinde-demo-reel 

Last entry: Diary of an actress #25: A Milk Gallery Project Presents: Larry Clark Stuff

How to Brand Yourself in Fashion: A Guide x Fashionista

Came across this guide in Fashionista and it was just TOO GOOD not to share. Let me know your thoughts and questions on personal branding and I will be sure to respond!

Read the article on Fashionista here. 

1. Know That You Can’t Fake the Funk
Everyone we spoke to couldn’t stress this point enough. Don’t try to come up with a personal brand that’s not, well, personal. Don’t fall in with trends or try to fill a perceived void just for the sake of doing it. Your personal branding strategy needs to feel intrinsic and authentic.

“A brand has to be rooted in something organic and authentic, it can’t be created from nothing or something disingenuous,” said Penchansky.

“Consumers are too smart,” Beckman added. “They won’t be fooled.”

Framel, for instance, has built her brand around accessible glamour (hence the name of her site). She uses her background in designing and styling to inspire readers to create high-gloss looks in real life. And she makes sure this point-of-view extends to every platform, from Instagram to Twitter and back. “I’ve created all of this from a deeply personal place and therefore it has been very instinctual,” said Framel. Not only has this helped Framel gain loyal followers, who, particularly when it comes to personal style bloggers, are keen on sniffing out any phoniness, but it also makes Framel’s day-to-day decision-making a whole lot easier.

2. Have Talent, Skill and Dedication to Back it Up
Just like consumers won’t fall for a disingenuous marketing ploy, they also won’t be fooled if your product–be that your blog, designer label, party reporting skills, etc–isn’t up to snuff.

“If it’s not a superior product, [consumers] will walk away,” said Beckman–no matter how snazzy your personal branding strategy.

Work hard, stay dedicated, and make sure you’re creating something that is high quality; file copy on time, update your blog constantly, tie up every last detail. Most importantly, you have to believe in what you do.

3. Stand for Something.
Now, it’s time to go deep. Beckman recommends setting some time aside to think about what’s important to you, what appeals to you, and what you want to say. Ultimately, you need to figure out what you can bring to the industry that no one else can. This doesn’t mean you have to be the next Karl Lagerfeld or Cindy Crawford; simply having a unique point of view will do the trick.

“The word brand gets thrown around a lot but what’s really most important is finding and developing your point of view,” Penchansky said.

4. Don’t Try to Appeal to Everyone
So, you have a general idea of what you want to say and what kind of image you want to represent. Great. Now get specific. Now get even more specific. Whittle your branding strategy until it’s crystalized into a single, super-niche concept. And whatever you do, don’t try to appeal to everyone.

“A lot of young designers fail because they’re trying to please everyone and that’s not the right way to do it,” Beckman said. “[Instead] they need to aim to please a specific group. If their audience becomes too broad they become vanilla; they stand for nothing. Let certain segments hate you, then you know you’re onto something.”

Penchansky said one of the most common mistakes aspiring bloggers make is to follow the pack too much. “Trying to edit yourself to fit into a trend might gain short term results but ultimately does not help with your long term growth as a blogger or brand.”

5. Write it Down.
The first thing Beckman does with all his clients is create what he calls a “brand soul” document.
“It analyzes every element, it defines the brand vision, the brand mission statement, the core values what the positioning statement is, what the competitive landscape is, and where they fit in it.”

It doesn’t necessarily have to get too technical. “I guess if I had to characterize [my branding strategy],” Framel said I would say it’s just me, it’s the girl who dreams of faraway lands and wants nothing more than to find them, who believes that life is worth living beautifully,” said Framel.

It sounds whimsical–and we’re pretty sure Framel just jotted it down off the top of her head–but it’s actually a fantastic branding mission statement, perfectly crystalizing everything Framel and her blog stand for.

Writing down the basics, in your own words, will help you stay consistent and save time when you need to make tough decisions down the road.

6. Communicate Your Brand. Again. And Again. And Again.
Once you’ve figure out what you want to say, and who you want to say it to, it’s time to get your message out there. In this day and age you have access to all sorts of platforms to express yourself–a blog, Twitter account or Instagram account being some of the more obvious ones.

When it comes to your social media and online presence, there’s no one right way to do it. “[Social media platforms] are all unique and serve different purposes,” said Framel. “When I find a story that needs to be told or simply a moment to be shared, I pick the form that serves it best.”

The most important thing is that you stay on-brand and consistent. “Stick to your narrow focus and stand only for that in an repetitive and ongoing way,” said Beckman.

“It’s important to stay true to your vision,” said Penchansky. So don’t get distracted.

7. Foster Brand Culture
Just being the awesome you that you are is a great first step, but you can’t build longterm success on that alone.

“Just to have a strong personality and to look really good doesn’t mean you’re going to create a long term sustainable business,” Beckman said.

Ultimately what makes a brand successful, isn’t the brand, or the face behind it, it’s the consumers, the fans. Develop a personal rapport with your target audience, respond to messages and encourage discussion.

Even if your business is about say, custom belts, try to think of your audience on a more holistic level. What music do they listen to? What car do they drive? What kind of vacations do they take?
Asking these questions will help you figure out how to expand your brand beyond the parameters of your business and build a strong brand culture.

8. Don’t Be Afraid to Say No
So, about those tough decisions: Some of them will be about saying no. To really good offers.
Once your business starts picking up steam, you’ll start getting approached by other brands to partner up. These can be amazing opportunities–and often involve hefty paychecks–but be wary. One wrong partnership could alienate your audience and ruin your credibility for good.

“Opportunities come through our office and we reject 99% of the offers because they just don’t fit with the brand we’re working with,” Beckman said.

Luckily, if you’ve taken all the steps so far to develop the brand, you’ll have a pretty good idea about which brands are a right match, and which ones aren’t. Invest in your brand’s future, and wait for the right ones to come knocking.

9. Be Patient
“Brand development, if done the right way, takes time,” said Penchansky.

Don’t expect to come a sensation over night. Put in the work, stay on brand, and be consistent–don’t abandon your ethos when the going gets tough. It may take longer to develop, but in the long run, your brand will be the stronger for it.

Spring in the City - Bikini time

It's finally (trying) to be Spring and Summer in the City! Below are some of my celeb bodies favorites!

Interview with Lizzie Post, author of "How Do You Work This Life Thing"

Lizzie is a manners guru and great-great-granddaughter to Emily Post. Get the book here!

Last night's party: Liberated People Apparel Launch Party with Gbenga Akinnagbe

Last night I attended critically acclaimed actor and philanthropist Gbenga Akinnagbe private, invitation-only unveiling of Liberated People, his new t-shirt apparel line with a purpose and launch of his #LBR8 digital campaign. See below for pics and more info.

Where to shop: http://shop.okayplayer.com/

NEW YORK, NY — On Tuesday May 7 from 8 pm until 10 pm, Liberated People will produce an invite-only launch event at Miss Lilly’s on 132 West Houston Street, New York, NY. The inaugural event for Liberated People, a lifestyle brand that creates sustainable eco-friendly t-shirts and accessories to commemorate freedom fighters who have inspired democracy and independence in nations around the globe, will bring together 130 professionals in various industry segments, from finance to health and beauty and non-profit.

The launch event will be hosted by Liberated People founder, New York Times writer and actor and Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Savages, The Taking of Pelham 123, Damages, Lottery Ticket, The Wire) and Liberated People brand ambassador, three-time Emmy nominated media professional, Ojinika Obiekwe. The event will also feature Liberated People’s latest t-shirt collection, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, Liberated People branded swag bags, and music by two popular NYC deejays, DJs Boima and Eddie Stats. A portion of the profits from t-shirt sales at the event will be donated to a local non-profit organization, Beat The Streets, to help them achieve their goals of improving the quality of life of their youth members.

As part of the Liberated People’s mission of creating more awareness to inspire others to help each other and to help local non-profits succeed, Liberated People will launch a social media campaign called “#LBR8” at the event.

Individuals are encouraged to share their #LBR8 story of how they are making changes in the world through audio, video or in writing via social media platforms, including Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and YouTube. Additionally, individuals who have been who have been touched by Liberated People either through the messages on the t-shirts and/or its work with local non-profits like Beat the Streets, can leverage the “#LBR8” to engage the world about how platforms like Liberated People can become a movement to impact lives.

At the event, guests will get a chance to view and purchase the Liberated People Spring 2013 collection which features designs for both men and women in four color schemes: black, white, shades of blues, and greens. The super-soft, pre-washed, tag less, crew neck shirts are inspired by humanity's common struggle of overcoming oppression, and feature dates of liberation paired with designs of the nation's flag and/or inspirational imagery.

When describing his motivation behind the 2013 Collection, Liberated People founder and CEO, Gbenga Akinnagbe, says “with Liberated People, I wanted to create more than a fashion line. I wanted a movement around a message of unity, global purpose, and freedom that anchored in dates of liberation. I also wanted to educate and empower humanity one shirt at a time and one t-shirt on the backs of many. Liberated People will become a platform for a critical mass of change agents and freedom fighters that will be commemorated around the world.

“Okayplayer is proud to partner with Liberated People on the release of its clothing line," says Nate Parson, CEO Okayplayer online. “We support the liberation of all people worldwide through the spread of positive cultural influences and ideas. Liberated People tees are sure to be fashion's new must-have statement piece.”

The event is made possible by the generosity of sponsors around globe, including Amariya’s Kitchen, Essence Magazine, DJ Boima, DJ Eddie Stats, Flud Watches, Fan M Kanson Network, Heineken, Mike Cooke Photography, Miss Lilly’s, My Wild Spirit, NibMor, Ojinika Obiekwe , OkayPlayer, RJB Agency, To the Top Productions, Tyson Beckford.

About Liberated People: Launched by critically acclaimed actor Gbenga Akinnagbe, Liberated People is an intuitive eco-friendly lifestyle brand that develops innovative and transformative products for people around the world. Its bestselling product is a t-shirt collection with messages that empower people around the world to engineer changes in their lives and in the lives of others.

Sienna Miller, January Jones, Cara Delevingne, and Ginnifer Goodwin all wearing Genevieve Jones jewelry while in attendance to the Costume Institute Gala for the 'PUNK: Chaos to Couture'

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Get the Gatsby Look! x Elle Magazine

My editor's picks from ELLE's "Get the Gatsby Look" - see full selections here: http://bit.ly/Ybm8r3

'An Intimacy' debuts at Cannes Court Métrage | Festival de Cannes by Lit Kilpatrick Films

Written and directed by Georgetown alum, Lit Kilpatrick, An Intimacy is a poetic crime drama about a young woman who loses all sense of feeling in her materialistic world and makes a desperate attempt to reconnect. The short film will be screening at this year's Cannes Court Métrage | Festival de Cannes.

Help them on their journey to Cannes: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1702717497/downloadable-journal-of-2013-cannes-shorts-corner

Watch the trailer:


More info on the film: https://www.facebook.com/AnIntimacyFilm?fref=ts

Writer and director: Lit Kilpatrick
Co-director and producer: Sara Jewell

And they call it puppy love! Canine Star Lily Rose is on the rise!

Pretty and pampered pooch, Lily Rose isn't just starring in the upcoming feature film, Maintenance Required, check out its kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lilyrose/maintenance-required, but she's lucky enough to have owners that make all their own food which cuts down on her animal carbon footprint!

 

Roll over to her Facebook page and check out what else our cute canine has in store! http://www.facebook.com/LilyRoseLAStar

 

Still not enough? The film's website has a lot of behind the scenes photos from when they shot the teaser - get your puppy love on http://maintenancerequired-thefilm.com/