Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Emelianova.
Maria, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Moscow, Russia, during the collapse of the USSR. The formation of the Russian Federation was going complex and dangerous for most people in the country. I will not be joking if I say that I was the only newborn in a whole hospital when my mother delivered me. Most people were so scared of the future that they could not imagine starting a family.
My parents tried to keep me away from the dark environment during those challenging times by creating a loving atmosphere at home. It was not only games and fun but also very educational and creative. When I was a teenager, I liked to spend my free time with my father, who told me stories about history and science, other countries and cultures, music and films. My mom gave me the knowledge of traditions and art. I grew up in a creative environment and had the possibility of trying new things and learning from mistakes.
After high school, I got a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management at Moscow Aviation Institute. At around the same time, I started to work with Russian filmmakers and understood how deep my passion for film was. I have made many short movies that have been nominated and awarded internationally. At some point, I realized that I could not go back to business and management, but all the knowledge I gained during my Bachelours had become an excellent background for my producing career.
My passion for film was so powerful that I decided to additionally graduate classes at The Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, a.k.a. VGIK – the oldest film school in Moscow, Russia majoring in Film and TV Producer. Continuing to make short films, I upgraded my skills as a producer, choosing projects which were challenging to make. Back then, most projects had an extremely low budget. I was handling many positions at once, learning every moment. I loved to spend my time finding challenging and incredible locations for free, figuring out complex logistics in stressful circumstances.
After my experience with narrative shots, I realized that I have room to grow as a producer. I decided to get into the industry of creative formats like commercials and banded content. I researched the best Production Houses in Moscow, and I checked their content and what they are interested in and inspired by. I sent my portfolio to several leading PH in Moscow, all the emails I could find, and even to the executive producers. A month later, I have become a part of Fresh Films (http://freshfilms.pro/). Mostly I worked as a Producer Assistant. I was involved in the production of advertising campaigns. Over my only one year there, I understood how each department works. I’ve tried myself as a Talents’ researcher and built excellent relationships with many directors and DPs from Russia and other countries. Also, I had experience as 1AD, 2AD, UPM, and even as a Prop Master, trying to help every department as much as I could. The opportunity to work with a new team almost every week and with different creative agencies during short-term productions inspired me so much.
I have worked with local and foreign teams on projects in Russia and abroad for clients like Mitsubishi, KIA, Unilever, Neste, Nivea, Alrosa, and more. Pretty soon, I’ve made my way to the Junior Producer and decided to try my luck and apply for a producer’s job in the most famous Russian production house, called HYPE (https://www.hypepro.tv/). HYPE became a family to me, giving me opportunities to work on complicated projects and grow up as a producer.
Over the past three years, we filmed over 100 commercials for the most iconic brands, including McDonald’s, Sprite, Nike, IKEA, VISA, Netflix, NESTLE, FerreroRocher, Nutella, Megafon, Yandex, Sberbank, AlfaBank, and VTB bank. HYPE commercials have received Bronze, Silver, and Gold at the prestigious Cannes Lions Festival.
Working on commercials for multiple years, I have realized that it is not only the result and satisfaction of the final product which makes me happy, but it is absolutely about the process. It’s all about people and communication, and collaboration. I remember that one of my favorite hobbies in childhood was collecting puzzles of thousands and thousands of pieces. Every department in production is a piece. For me, every project is a box full of chaos containing small parts that can be organized into a great product.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I think all creative people have challenges on the way to success. For me, it was not smooth at all. It’s kinda a roller coaster with ups and downs. I remember the very first challenges which I had when I just started my way and how I felt that ground going out my feet. It was a time to understand that every critical situation has a million ways to resolve.
One of the most memorable examples happened to me during one of my very first projects. We have been shooting a commercial for a Finnish oil company called NESTE in Karelia. We had planned many rides in the car with some stunt elements. On the first day of production, we had an accident. Our stunt driver miscalculated the speed and hit the tree by the car with a camera hood mount. Thank God the driver wasn’t hurt at all and by the luck, the camera had no damage. However, the car was destroyed. It was quite an unpredictable challenge since we had this picture vehicle in every shot of the story. Ironically, the flexibility of the production could not allow us to find a replacement. Not only we did not have time, but also it was the newest model of the vehicle nearly impossible to find in Karelia.
While some of the crew members were panicking, the director and I decided to approach this challenge creatively, changing camera angles and shot selection to hide the damaged side of the car. And of course to cancel driving shots and replace them with special visual effects to create an illusion that the car is on the move while keeping it stationary. I remember how on our last day of production I was proud and happy with the result. It all looked authentic and if you would not know all the nuances – you would never be able to find the difference. Whenever I have challenges today, I always look back to that example, gaining the power of the creative approach to any unexpected circumstances.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a producer. I worked as a manager my entire life, and I have always been good with timing and deadlines. I believe that it comes from my natural interest in how things can work together and how to achieve the best possible result. When I became a part of a HYPE team I had focused my interests on production and there was a natural evolution in my career. I feel equally comfortable working with creative minds as well as with technicians. I see myself as someone who serves as a liaison between two worlds.
Nothing can make me happier than seeing great content being born in a friendly collaborating environment.
I’m proud to be surrounded by extremely talented people from other disciplines, I truly learned that every creative person is a unique storyteller. I believe my background is an important part of my way to create producing process.
Any big plans?
I always loved to learn new things in my life and after all my experience in a short format, I want to get into the filmmaking business and create authentic content for TV series and feature movies. I believe that I have fully explored storytelling in a short format and it is a good time for me to work with a bigger narrative.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm13654116?s=78c09132-e049-bb4a-5464-1c6e1de16d23&site_preference=normal
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maria_holic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariaa.holic/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm13654116/
