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Becca Tilley Talks Fashion and Digital Marketing at Simply LA

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August 11, 2018, Glendale, CA

 Becca Tilley, former Bachelor contestant turned digital marketing influencer, showed up to the Simply LA event on Saturday where she talked about turning her bachelor fame into a career as a digital influencer. She also shared her summer style with us at the conference! Becca showed up looking super stylish and when I asked her what she was wearing, she said, “This bag I got at a Lulu’s event recently and I thought that was so cute. And I have a free people set on and Steve Madden shoes. I just had to find my tallest shoes because my pants are too long!”

Becca talked about what she’s been up to since the bachelor and was so excited to share her tips on digital marketing with her audience. She said, “Digital marketing is my job, my life it’s just something that I think a lot of people have questions about…it’s fun to talk about it from my perspective of having been on the bachelor and it transforming into this which is really cool.”

She has her own blog where she talks about fashion, lifestyle, and travel. She has been busy since she appeared on Season 19 of the popular reality show. She said the biggest career move she’s made since coming off the show was getting her manager Ally. She talked about building her brand saying, “I was just kind of floating and I had all these Instagram followers but I was like what do I do with that. I’ve been really lucky to have people around me to inspire me and drive me.”

She also gave an inside look into what she’s learned so far as an influencer saying, “I go on these influencer trips and it’s so interesting to see how everyone works because everyone blogs differently and does photos differently.” She talked about the importance of bringing your own unique perspective to blogging.

Becca hung out with the other panelists and celebs backstage before heading out to her panel. She even took these cute photos with Lauren Bushnell! There were tons of fans excited to see and hear what she had to say!

On Saturday a panel of some of the top talent in Hollywood came out to talk about what it really means to be a celebrity stylist and dispel misconceptions about the job. The lineup included names like Law Roach who works for fashion icon Zendaya, Maeve Reilly who styles it girl Hailey Baldwin, Candice McAndrews who’s currently working for Kelly Clarkson on her tour and Etienne makeup artist extraordinaire.

The talented group shared their favorite parts of being a stylist as well as tips for how to make it in the cutthroat industry.

Maeve said her number one tip for anyone starting out would be, “Don’t try to find the easy way out of things. You have to work hard.”

The other stylists agreed and shared their own stories of staring out. Law said he had always loved fashion and told the audience about his start saying, “I came to LA and created my own way.”

Candice talked about growing up and loving fashion and shared that she fell in love with watching the outfits on MTV music videos.

The stylists also shared their thoughts on whether fashion or make up styling was more difficult laughing and poking fun at each other.

Everyone agreed that the best way for young hopefuls to get involved is to just “never say no to an opportunity”.

Each stylist remembered their days starting out as an intern and assistant and Maeve said that there are stories of being in the right place and the right time like what happened to her but you also have to be prepared for when that time comes. She told the audience her story of getting “discovered” saying that she had worked for years as an assistant before a music industry executive called her at the last minute to dress a star at the VMAs.

Candice said, “You have to be ready for it. you have to be a businesswoman and you have to be responsible because you’re working with other people’s money.”

But knowing when you’re ready to be in charge can be difficult and even once you’ve made it to the big leagues you’ll still have people questioning your talent warned the stylists.

Maeve said, “I just had to work with a client and they weren’t sure about some of my choices and I had to tell them like this is what you hired me for. Do you trust me?” Standing up for yourself and believing in your talent and abilities are an important skill to have in this cutthroat industry.

On moving up professionally Candice said, “Get an agent when you have enough people behind you that you don’t wanna negotiate anymore. It’s worth it but it takes a while.”

All the panelists agreed getting an agent was a laborious but important career step.

The stylists also talked about how the industry had changed since they were first starting out with Maeve saying, “The street style game has changed everything in the past 5 years with girls wanting to look like Hailey Baldwin, I can get her on Vogue’s top 10 of the week by just walking on the street. It’s crazy.”

The street style phenomenon has definitely affected Hollywood in recent years with names like Kylie Jenner and other it girls creating new trends every time they step out or post on Instagram.

Candice spoke about social media trends saying, “It’s good because you can find designers and designers can find you but it’s also annoying because I hate posting and having to talk about myself.”

All the panelists shared a true comradery though and everyone agreed that what happens in the stylists’ studios stays in the stylists’ studios. Maeve said, “That’s why I love being friends with other stylists and connecting over the crazy things that have happened.”

Law agreed saying, “It’s your job to make them trust you and not worry about it.” He gave an example saying, “A client could be like I need a red shoe and I could be like ‘Ok’. And I’ll be calling every store looking for it calling her stylists like ‘bitch, I need a red shoe’”.

The panel was definitely a success and the successful group of style gurus inspired the audience taking questions from guests hoping to break into the industry.

Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to honor Jennifer Garner with Star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame

WHO:         Honoree: JENNIFER GARNER

Emcee: Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, President/CEO Leron Gubler

Guest speakers: Judy Greer and Steve Carell

WHAT:       Dedication of the 2,641st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Motion Pictures

WHERE:    6920 Hollywood Boulevard in front of the new Miniso store

WHEN:      Monday, August 20, 2018 at 11:30 a.m. PDT

Event will be live-streamed exclusively on www.walkoffame.com

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that actress Jennifer Garner will be honored with the 2,641st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday, August 20, at 11:30 a.m. PDT. The star will be dedicated in the category of Motion Pictures at 6920 Hollywood Boulevard in front of the new Miniso store.

“Jennifer Garner is an actress that can show different aspects of her personality with her acting. She has played a variety of characters that run the gamut. From a CIA agent, a mom and a young girl coming of age and much more. She can do it all! Her fans from around the world have been waiting for her to come and collect her star and we are proud to welcome her to the Hollywood Walk of Fame,” stated Ana Martinez, Producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies.

Helping Emcee Leron Gubler, President/CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to unveil the star will be actors Judy Greer and Steve Carell.

The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce which administers the popular star ceremonies encourages people who are unable to attend and fans around the world to watch the event exclusively on www.walkoffame.com.

Award winning actress Jennifer Garner is a native of Houston, Texas but moved to Charleston, West Virginia at the age of three. She attended George Washington High School and played saxophone in the marching band. She later enrolled at Ohio’s Denison University where she changed her major from Chemistry to Theater. She then went on to study at the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater performance.

Garner’s impressive resume of acting credits includes the award-winning JUNO and DALLAS BUYERS CLUB opposite Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto as well as hits like, 13 GOING ON 30, LOVE SIMON, MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and PEARL HARBOR. Garner is beloved for her role as “Sidney Bristow” on JJ Abrams’ “Alias” for which Garner won a Golden Globe, a SAG Award and a People’s Choice Award for her performance in addition to nominations for four Emmy Awards, four Golden Globes and two SAG awards.

She will next be seen in STXfilms and Lakeshore Entertainment’s PEPPERMINT, an action thriller. From the director of TAKEN, PEPPERMINT will be in theaters, September 7th.

Shortly after, Garner will then make her much anticipated return to television in HBO’s comedy series “Camping.” Based on the British series created by Julia Davis, the project hails from Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner and also stars David Tennant and Juliette Lewis. The show will premiere on October 14th.

In addition to her successful career in both film and television, Garner recently co-founded the organic food company Once Upon a Farm with Cassandra Curtis and former Annie’s president John Foraker in 2017. Together the visionaries grew the company with a goal of providing children with the best tasting, most nutritious, and highest quality food utilizing sustainable methods. Its products can be found in stores nationwide.

Garner is also a dedicated philanthropist and serves as a Trustee and Artist Ambassador for Save the Children, and brought the organization’s early childhood education and school-age literacy programs to her home state of West Virginia. Over the past decade, she has advocated on Capitol Hill on behalf of Save the Children and traveled the country to see the effects of poverty firsthand. Garner has also served as a spokesperson for Capital One and their Venture Card since 2014 and is also the brand ambassador for skin care brand Neutrogena.

 

Vanderpupcation at The Mondrian LA

Mondrian Hotel, Los Angeles, August 15, 2018

Vanderpump Dogs teamed up with Mondrian Los Angeles on Wednesday August 15th for a poolside “Pumpcation”. Lisa Vanderpump of Bravo’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is well known for her charity work and love of animals. Vanderpump and her husband, Ken Todd, founded The Vanderpump Dog Foundation on the mission “to provide a more humane world for dogs”. This year, she’s partnered with Mondrian LA, located on famed Sunset Strip, to offer guests a “Pumpcation”. Guests are welcome to check-in with their pups to receive 10% off their stay, a single plush toy, doggy bowl and doggy pajamas. The event showcased these goodies which included a plush toy in the shape of a Sangria bottle and bedazzled puppy pjs as well as a Vanderpump Dogs adoption area. Jamie McCormick, founder of The Flower Daddy, was on site making flower crowns for the boho inspired fashion forward pets. “It was a beautiful experience. I love everything Lisa Vanderpump does for all the communities local, LGTBQ, Restaurant, dog, hospitality, nightlife etc. It was a great start to a beautiful thing. I think all the puppies found homes! It was fun interacting with all the dogs and owners and being apart of a community I never really thought about being in. Everyone was loving and welcoming and it was such a fun event!!! “, McCormick commented. Dr. Evan Antin, founder of Happy Pet, was also in attendance to support the cause. Happy Pet, the first doctor-created pet-focused wellness brand, was sampling goodies from his 3 pet lines, Clean Pet, Healthy Pet and Active Pet, which included dog sun protection spay, deodorizing wipes, and dry shampoo. Tyler Henry from E’s “Hollywood Medium” was there promoting his upcoming 4th season of the show with his friend Charlie Travers and said that he has a lot of exciting new guests for his readings.

Adam Paul Spott, Scheana Marie, Billie Lee and Bradley Kearns of “Vanderpump Rules” also came out to support their boss. Attendees got to cool down with their choice of “Cookies & Cream”, “That Dough Though”, “Tahitian Vanilla” or “Strawberry” ice-cream sandwiches from Cool Haus and open bar of colorful fruity cocktails.

If you’re interested in adopting a pet, be sure to check out Vanderpump Dogs in the heart of West Hollywood or take advantage of this sweet Pupcation deal for you and your pooch.

The 7th Annual SIMPLY LA Fashion & Beauty Conference: Video Recap

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The Americana at Brand, Glendale, CA, August 11, 2018

On August 11 SIMPLY and Who What Wear presented the seventh annual SIMPLY LA conference featuring keynote speaker Kat Graham. The event included two tracks: The Influencer Track and The Digital Marketing Track where guests could learn more about fashion & beauty industry.

During the day everyone had an opportunity to try beauty products at numerous displays, have lunch and cocktails, shop, take selfies; have eyebrows, hair and makeup done at several stations; and receive a VIP gift bag ($300 value).

SIMPLY LA was founded by Sarah Boyd. The ultimate goal of the event was to give bloggers, fashionistas, stylists, models, entrepreneurs, and business leaders an opportunity to find useful resources and make new connections.

Check our exclusive video coverage of the event here:

For more information about SIMPLY LA, please go to www.simply-inc.com/simply-la.

Copenhagen Fashion Week SS19: Everything You Need To Know About the Hottest European Trends

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August 7-10, Copenhagen, Denmark

The Copenhagen Fashion Week took place on August 7-10. This season it welcomed several Scandinavian brands. Both famous and emerging designers had a chance to show their newest collections during the event. Some designers to name: Ganni, By Malene Birger, Baum und Pferdgarten, Mykke Hoffmann, Helmstedt, Hoffmann Copenhagen, Résumé, J.Lindeberg, Holzweiler and Rodebjer.

What are the hottest European trends? Printed dresses and bright long coats, oversized jackets, and much more. They might not look like your everyday fashion wear, but that’s something to keep an eye on.

Check the best runway looks we chose for you:

Photo by: Copenhagen Fashion Week 2018

Kat Graham Talks Style And Fame At SIMPLY LA

August 11, 2018, The Americana at Brand, Glendale, CA

 “After Vampire Diaries I knew that it was important that I use my platform to focus on characters that show that we as women have multiple layers and dynamics and we can be sharp and funny and we don’t have to all be the same perfect girl all the time.”

Actress and style maven Kat Graham rocked the SIMPLY LA conference on Saturday as the keynote speaker closing out the jam-packed day full of fashion, beauty, and business.  She came to the conference dressed in the cutest frilly dress styled to be chic and a little edgy. Before heading out to her panel she gave Hollywood Glam an exclusive interview and talked about her OOTD as well as her latest fashion venture, her collab with Foster Grant sunglasses. When asked about her look she said, “It’s very curious, isn’t it?” According to Kat, she wore “a Chanel skirt and a Gainfranco Ferre top and some Lanvin shoes and most importantly foster grant sunnies.” But she added that she’s always wanted to keep her style accessible and relatable for her fans that were growing similar to the way she had without much money.

She talked about her recent collab with Foster Grant sunglasses excitedly saying, “the new collection is out, if you go on foster grant.com right now you can get the collection. They obviously have new collections every year but this year I got to collab with some amazing people and we put together this really remarkably cool versatile hip collection for the kids that wanna have some fun.”

The line is very personal to her since she always had a love for sunglasses growing up but could never afford them. On her panel she shared how she used to love going vintage and thrift shopping with her mom on Sundays in LA because she could always find cool pieces that her mom could afford.

She talked about some of her style inspirations on the panel as well citing Madonna, Grace Jones, and Cindy Crawford as some of her style icons. She shared, “I promised myself when I was younger that if I ever became famous I would still be my wild and crazy self. I’m a big vintage girl and my style is pretty specific.”

During the panel she shared with the audience her thoughts on the industry as well as what’s next since Vampire Diaries has ended saying, “I’ve been acting since I was 5 years old but over the past  years it’s definitely changed a lot because of showrunners like Shonda Rhimes and other powerful women in the industry…After Vampire Diaries I knew that it was important that I use my platform to focus on characters that show that we as women have multiple layers and dynamics and we can be sharp and funny and we don’t have to all be the same perfect girl all the time.”

She has been hard at work on all sorts of new projects and she hinted about some exciting upcoming work with Netflix that she’ll be doing later this year!

The actress also touched on social media sharing her favorite platform, which is not surprisingly Instagram. She said, “Instagram is the best. A picture is worth 1,000 words and I feel like I can express myself and nothing will be taken out of context. I follow different beauty bloggers and I’ve learned so much about even better ways to do my makeup too!”

She left everyone inspired and was super friendly to fans saying, “thank you guys so much for coming out to have girl talk with me today!”

 

30 YEARS OF JAZZ!

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Marcus Miller, Rachelle Ferrell, Boney James, Will Downing, Poncho Sanchez, Najee and over 20 Jazz Greats Scheduled to Celebrate the 30th Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival!

Long Beach, CA – (July 12, 2017) – It’s the most consistent, the most upscale, and the most celebrated family-produced jazz festival in Southern California. It’s the 30th Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival (LBJF) #LBJazzFest and under the direction of Kimberly Benoit, President of Rainbow Promotions, LLC., this annual event, for three days, will again transform Rainbow Lagoon Park into an oasis of premier music, food, health awareness and fun.

OFTEN DECLARED the Crème de la Crème of Southern California’s festivals, August 11-13, 2017, #LBJazzfest delivers class, sophistication and ambience like no other! AND… because it’s the 30th year celebration, all the bells and whistles are in order. The stellar lineup promises the best in jazz—from traditional to contemporary and fusion, funk, smooth jazz, Latin jazz plus rhythm & blues—genres for every jazz lover.

For over 2 decades, the #LBJazzFest has been a trailblazer consistently refining the essence of a premier jazz festival beyond celebrated artists and mellow ambience. The Long Beach Jazz Festival experience is more     than music, mingling, munching and marveling at merchandise. Attendees will enjoy marina breezes and a beautiful lagoon and park setting. The Vendor Pavilion offers a variety of freshly prepared foods and beverages plus unique clothing, art and accessories. A 2nd stage in the Pavilion features experts sharing knowledge about health and well-being—valuable information for creating healthy awareness of body, mind and soul. When the health speakers are not on stage, diverse musical groups provide listening entertainment.
WHAT: The 30th Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival

WHEN: August 11th, 12th, 13th, 2017

WHERE: Rainbow Lagoon Park E Shoreline Dr., Long Beach, CA 90802

TICKETS: Range from $60-$210 Tickets are available through Rainbow Promotions, LLC at (562) 424-0013 or

Online at http://bit.ly/LongBeachJazzFestival
CONCERT / MAIN STAGE SCHEDULE (BIOS SENT UPON REQUEST)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017

Marcus Miller

Rachelle Ferrell

Jazz Funk Soul featuring Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp, Paul Jackson Jr.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2017

Boney James

Will Downing

Nathan East

Eric Darius

30 Years of Long Beach Jazz

Featuring: Ndugu Chancler, Bobby Lyle, Craig T. Cooper, Alphonso Johnson, Bridgette Bryant

Jazz In P!nk

SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 2017

Poncho Sanchez

Ramsey Lewis and Urban Knights

Najee

Bob James

Spyro Gyra

Al Williams Jazz Society

Featuring: Barbara Morrison and Special Guests

HEALTH & WELLNESS PAVILION AND 2ND STAGE ENTERTAINMENT: Guests will continue to experience the always highly anticipated Jazz, Health & Wellness Pavilion where mind, body, and soul will be attended to. The event features inspirational and expert wellness speakers and leaders, treatment centers, vendors and healthy food sampling stations in addition to a 2ndstage of musical entertainment. Vendors and speakers offer strategies for leading a healthier lifestyle, feeling more energized, focused and de-stressed. The festival is an eco-friendly, sustainable event offering visitors a wide array of enjoyable experiences.

The areas of interest that will be promoted at this event include: Healthcare Providers, Organic & Healthy Foods, Organic & Healthy Products, Organic & Healthy Lifestyle.

THE VIP EXPERIENCE: For those with EXQUISITE TASTE, The VIP Experience allows VIP attendees premiere services such as a specially prepared cuisine and table service with dinner linens and wine. VIP restrooms are conveniently located.

Those seeking the exclusive touch have an option to reserve their own private cabana.   An increasingly popular choice for festival goers. The cabanas seat up to 6 and are furnished and private. They include a personal attendant (for cash bar service only). All guests receive Complimentary Souvenir Programs (6) and access to VIP restroom facilities. To purchase a cabana, you must call Rainbow Promotions, LLC office directly at (562) 424-0013.

The 30th Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival, THE MOST TALKED, THE MOST RECOGNIZED and one of Southern California’s LONGEST RUNNING FESTIVALS is expected to receive over 20,000 attendees over the 3 days including music lovers from across the U.S. and other countries. The vision of the Rainbow Promotions, LLC team has always been to create a jazz festival that offers a unique overall experience and the best in musical artistry and ambience.

About Rainbow Promotions

Rainbow Promotions is the producer of the Long Beach Jazz Festival, the Long Beach Bayou Festival, and new to the festival family, the San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival. In addition, various concerts are produced at the Terrace Theatre, Long Beach Center for the Performing Arts and other events throughout the year. For 30 years, Rainbow Promotions has presented the Long Beach Jazz Festival, one of the city’s major events. For more information regarding the Long Beach Jazz Festival go to www.longbeachjazzfestival.com or www.rainbowpromotions.com

Kostiantyn Sukhonosov: Music Is My Element

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Kostiantyn Sukhonosov is an international keyboard player and award-winning sound producer. He has served as a hit-making producer for a number of famous bands and singers from across the World including Payuschie Trusy, DZIDZIO, Ne Angely, DJ Mendez, Sofiya Rotaru, Dmitriy Malikov, TerryJosiah, NIKITA and many others.

Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, he started his artistic journey just a few short years after birth. At age 4 he was enrolled into music school and was always one of the top students and over the next 30 years, he continually enhanced his musicianship by performing in many bands of all genres and styles. In 2003 his musical career got a major boost after being invited to Skryabin.

Over the last two decades, Konstiantyn has been producing hit records for award winning films, bands and artists. After working as the sound producer for Skryabin, the band’s popularity rose significantly and their records made the top charts becoming one of the most famous Ukrainian rock bands in the history of the country. Throughout his career, he has worked with various artist from around the world. During a trip to the U.S., Konstiantyn was reacquainted with another Ukrainian musician – Henry Lipatov, who is also a world renowned visual fx producer for the world’s top music artists. Together, they established a collaborative project: 7EVER in Los Angeles which has been rapidly gaining popularity among electronic music lovers.

His talent to create authentic sounds based on his own musicality brought him to the top of Ukrainian music production. His ideas are unorthodox, yet classic which supported his transition into film, and working on film composition, sound design and sound fx for award winning films has proven that Konstiantyn is a valuable asset to both the music and film industry.

Konstantyn draws his inspiration from his global travels and his open communication with many talented people from around the World. His motto is “Only diligent hard-work and creativity will bring you to success.” With over 20 years in the game, he seems to be just getting started…there is no doubt we will be hearing a lot more from Kostiantyn Sukhonosov soon.

 

Splash & Burn Celebrates The Burning Man Festival

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August 4, 2018, Los Angeles, CA

On August 4 all guests and media enjoyed a Burning Man festival-inspired fashion experience that started as a pool party and included numerous over-the-pool fashion runways. Also, the event presented the first-ever Burners Bazaar, where guests could shop their favorites in festival apparel & accessories and purchase custom looks directly from the runway. What could be a better way to celebrate fashion, arts, Hollywood lifestyle and the upcoming Burning Man festival?

Splash & Burn is one of a kind fashion event that brought it all: runway shows with lots of small fireworks, a dance performance, pool fun at poolside cabanas, a shopping experience, glitter stations, music by DJs Justin Paul, Lushbunny, Art Of The Essential aka Chris Capparro, and Dj Mancat; live art, photo booths, and the coolest afterparties all presented by Raging Runways x Deep Downunder Productions.

Check out our photos of the hottest trends by Candy Pants, Love Wild Rose, The Lumi Shop, Miss Jie Couture, Boho Coats, Jypsea Local: Swimwear, Haus Of Pook, Reve Fashionista and Beatrice Holiday.

Glitter Beauty Bar: Face & Body glitter and jewels, flash tattoos, henna by Universal Soul and bindis by Golden Dragon Shop.

Photo by: HGM

Hollywood Presents: Searching

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Hollywood Presents: Searching    After David Kim (John Cho)’s 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective is assigned to the case. But 37 hours later and without a single lead, David decides to search the one place no one has looked yet, where all secrets are kept today: his daughter’s laptop. In a hyper-modern thriller told via the technology devices we use every day to communicate, David must trace his daughter’s digital footprints before she disappears forever. SEARCHING stars John Cho (Star Trek, Harold & Kumar), Debra Messing (“Will & Grace”), Joseph Lee and Michelle La. SEARCHING is directed by Aneesh Chaganty and produced by Timur Bekmambetov, Sev Ohanian, Adam Sidman and Natalie Qasabian. The film is written by Aneesh Chaganty & Sev Ohanian, while being executive produced by Maria Zatulovskaya, Ana Liza Muravina, Igor Tsay and co-produced by Congyu E. Juan Sebastian Baron is the Director of Photography. SEARCHING is edited by Will Merrick & Nick Johnson. Music is by Torin Borrowdale and sound design is by Nathan Ruyle. The Production Designer is Angel Herrera and casting is by Lindsey Weissmueller. SEARCHING is a Screen Gems and Stage 6 Films presentation in association with Bazelevs, a Timur Bekmambetov production. The film has a running time of 1 hour and 42 minutes. This film has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for the following reasons: Thematic content, some drug and sexual references, and for language.                                                                           ****

“The biggest challenge for any producer is just to find the right filmmaker,” says Timur Bekmambetov. “Then you just shake hands. I know that because I am a director myself, and it’s very important that when a producer makes a decision about a filmmaker, you have to let them make their own movie and especially with one like this, it was more important for me to be there for them in the edit. We at Bazelevs are looking for talented filmmakers that we can help AND learn from.” Indeed, as much as SEARCHING is shaped the way it reimagines modern technology and digital storytelling, it is, importantly, anchored by a riveting, dramatic mystery with unpredictable twists and a compelling emotional base. “We wanted to make a movie that we wanted to watch,” explains Chaganty. “Our favorite kinds of movies are gripping and emotional with a lot of suspense and intrigue, and from day one, we wanted this to be a story where you would just fall into the mystery and almost forget the way it’s being told.” In developing the screenplay, Chaganty and Ohanian watched dozens of missing person thrillers to see what worked and what didn’t, and various strategies filmmakers had employed in order to conceal information and subtly misdirect. “If you look at the actual storyline of SEARCHING,” says Chaganty, “you’ll see a lot of the traditional elements of the mystery thriller. Our goal was to mirror those things that we loved best and adapt that into the screen-life concept.” John Cho, drawn to the emotional arc of the characters, David Kim’s in particular, as well as the twists and turn of the plot, was also fascinated and challenged by the screen-life approach in telling the story. Though initially skeptical, he ultimately warmed to the acting challenge presented by the new format.

“I was surprised that one could tell this story, so large in scope and drama, through this paradigm. I wasn’t sure how we would be able to convey all this emotion in this way and stay honest but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s challenging for sure, the lens is very close to you so there is no way you can be fake. So, in that way, it is very truthful. It’s typically one angle per scene and it’s all told from David’s POV so it’s tough in the sense that there are no escapes, you have to be incredibly focused and present because you can’t count on coverage to cover up your mistakes. It was a very exacting and emotionally intense experience,” Cho says. Michelle La who plays Margot, David Kim’s missing daughter, related to her character.

“Margot is a bright, 16-year old person with a lot of life inside her. She grew up in a loving family but throughout the movie, we discover she’s had a difficult time expressing herself and finding her way through a tragic time in her life. I definitely understood some of what she went through. Being 16 is not easy. People sometimes write teenagers off as ‘misunderstood’ when it can be much deeper than that and trying to navigate all those emotions can be overwhelming,” she says. All the actors enjoyed a very interactive relationship with cinematographer Juan Sebastian Baron. During the shoot, Baron juggled the technical and creative aspects of more than a dozen recording devices used to film SEARCHING, each which revealed its own rules and constraints. And he found himself less occupied with lens choice or dolly movement, since most of the “cameras” recording the action were fixed, whether attached to a computer or mimicking surveillance optics. Baron, who met Chaganty in film school, relished the opportunity to break new cinematic ground with SEARCHING but was also grateful some of that had been done before him. “Luckily, Bazelevs, our production company, had developed a lot of technology in-house that helped us accomplish this, like some of those FaceTime conversations and stuff.

They had engineered this rig with dummy laptops with GoPros attached to them and LED lights to kind of mimic the screen, and they all go into this security camera switcher system – it’s this very Frankenstein contraption, but it really was the best way to solve the problem of doing scenes where the actors are talking to each other via FaceTime. And it also gave Aneesh the opportunity to watch playback and kind of have a more traditional director relationship with his actors,” he says. Authenticity was the overarching goal and as Baron points out, technical approach and performance intersected as everyone tried to discern a way to achieve that. Ultimately, John Cho became a de facto member of the live action camera crew. “The prep process for this movie was a lot of not only technical conversations, but we also had a lot of philosophical conversations, of ‘how are we going to do this? What is our approach? What does this mean? Are we going to have the actors operate the camera, is that part of our philosophy for this? Are we going to do a lot of the deterioration of the footage in post, or are we going to capture it as real as possible? Aneesh’s mandate from Day One really was, ‘I want to make this as real as possible. I want people to feel connected to this movie because it’s really relatable and very honest.’ In keeping with that, the cinematography has to be grounded. It has to be just as organic. And a lot of that rested on John Cho. We knew that if we wanted this movie to feel like John Cho’s point of view, there was no substitute to him holding the phone, among other things. And that’s intimidating, to be acting and also serving as a kind of camera operator. And seeing yourself as you are acting. After a few takes, everybody really embraced it, and everybody went along with how different it was. And I think it takes a lot of courage for an actor to jump into that,” Baron says.

The Bazelevs team and producer Natalie Qasabian proved to be vital creative partners in the execution of these complex series of assignments and production challenges for a “live action” film assembled like an animated one. “The entire process of editing was over a year. We had two editors working full time, and even though we were working in the modern age of digital, non-linear editing, the level of detail we had to bring to each scene felt like we were cutting on an old Moviola,” says Ohanian. “The rendering was so complex – we’d ask the editors to make a change, and they’d say, ‘come back in a couple of hours’ when we are so used to seeing things instantly, because of the sheer size of the files and programs we were working with.” While the process was painstaking and pioneering, the result is a movie that resonates with the familiar iconography and discourse of contemporary life.

“Ever since I picked up a camera I’ve always liked films that told stories we know in a way that we don’t expect. SEARCHING takes that to a whole new level. But when we were filming, I wasn’t thinking about the novelty of the approach. When you’re in it, you’re not thinking you might be doing something groundbreaking, you’re just doing the best work you can, trying to be true to the characters and story. But every once in a while, during this process, I 14 would take a step back and think ‘what we are making could be really, really cool,’” sums up Chaganty.