APA Scope | Building Safe and Collaborative Spaces, Episode 1

APA Scope, February 12, 2024

Creative Director/Producer Viewpoint: Creating Change: Building Safe and Collaborative Spaces from Start to Finish

Guest: Karen Williams Moderators: Jyotsna Bhamidipati, Jill Broussard, Martine Séverin

Description of the Series: Nurturing a culture of safety and inclusivity on the set is not only essential for the success of a photo project but also for the well-being and creativity of all involved, including your crew, creatives, talent, producers, and other stakeholders. As a photographer, you play a pivotal role in making this happen.Our workshop series is designed to facilitate meaningful discussions among talent, talent agents, producers, and artist representatives. It offers a platform for the exchange of best practices, enabling us to address concerns and establish secure, collaborative spaces on set. By the end of this series, our aim is for you to gain new insights and practical strategies to create a warm and productive environment where everyone, regardless of their role, feels valued and can contribute their unique perspectives to the photo project.

In this installment with producer Karen Williams, we learn the essential questions to ask to guarantee smooth sailing on any project.

Bios:

I’m Karen, Visual Creative Director. I develop, plan, and execute visual imagery. With 10+ years of experience at major media and brands, I have created and art-directed images for Square, Airbnb, AARP, MasterClass, Wired, and San Francisco Magazine.

Stay in touch with Karen Williams: https://www.blackvisualqueen.com/

I’m Jyo; which is short for Jyo-t-sna of Jyotsna Bhamidipati Photography. I’m a Commercial & Editorial photographer based in Sacramento, Northern California but travel throughout California and Nationally/Internationally for commissioned assignments year round.

From environmental portraits, lifestyle portraits & branding visuals for small and larger businesses to creating food images for restaurants and editorials for magazines, I love telling stories visually to make an impact as a powerful narrative through my lens.

Jill Broussard loves a good story. In fact, she can find the humanity in just about any narrative, create still and moving images to represent it, share and amplify that humanity. With nearly two decades of experience in the commercial world, Jill seeks to create strong partnerships, create beautiful stories, and use her platform to create channels of respect and dignity in all aspects of the commercial industry. Currently she is working on joint stills and motion projects that use documentary narratives to drive stories.

Martine Séverin is a Chicago + LA based lifestyle, advertising and editorial photographer whose vibrant work aims to push boundaries and celebrate inclusivity. She’s worked with clients around the world, including France, Belgium, England and Boston. Martine credits her love of color and diversity to her home country of Haiti. Interested in creating narratives that reference non-western norms, she strives to collaborate with brands who speak to a diverse audience.

Martine is also the host of the podcast, This is How We Create a show that digs deeper into the creative life of contemporary artists of color.

Second episode: Creating Change: Building Safe and Collaborative Spaces from Start to Finish, Agent, Casting Director Viewpoint, March 11, 2024

Third episode: Creating Change: Building Safe and Collaborative Spaces from Start to Finish, Agent, Casting Director Viewpoint, April 8, 2024