Today we’d like to introduce you to Paola Rocchetti.
Paola, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am Italian, born and raised in Rome and I come from an incredibly eclectic background. This is part of the reason why I ended up as a Designer and Art Director: in my career I have crossed many different design-related paths, from graphic design to styling and make-up, and from frame-by-frame 2D character animation to motion design.
I was very lucky to grow up in Rome’s historic center, surrounded by beautiful old buildings and centuries of art, and spent most of my twenties and thirties in London, where I found my true artistic home and calling. Being immersed in those cultures and spending time with all kinds of creative people has had an outsize influence on who I am and what I do. My aesthetic is very much informed by the places I come from and their subcultures, like manga/anime and goth/alternative.
LA is ideal as an artist and professional, it offers so many opportunities. Every other person who lives here is somehow involved with the entertainment business and I particularly appreciate being in West LA, because it is LA VFX and motion design hub.
I personally love living in Marina del Rey. In Rome, London and now here in LA I have always lived next to the water. The rivers, the canal, the ocean… seeing lights reflected on its surface for me is like magic, a dream, a call to relax.
On the other hand, I really miss access to a great network of public transportation and LA traffic can be a game changer when deciding to do something, with the result that often Angelinos stay in the area they live in.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I was a very sensitive and introverted child, so I had trouble asking my family to support me in my creative endeavors. My father, largely absent because of his job, was Manlio Rocchetti, Oscar-winning makeup artist, and my grandparents made custom wigs at Rocchetti Parrucche. I was always very interested in their work, and got much of my manual skills from helping them out, but I took a long and circuitous route to get here, including studying graphic design and fashion design in Rome and later on Character Animation at Central Saint Martins in London, which opened the door to a whole new way to express my creativity through animation first and then motion design. In fact, it wasn’t until I fully experienced working into video production that I really got into something that I could see myself doing for the rest of my life.
Nine years ago, I dove deep into that career and moved from London to Los Angeles, and has led me to mature into my new role as an Art Director, and fusing all the various disciplines I’ve been passionate about my whole life. When I work on a new project, be it a music video, a promo, visuals for a live event, or conceptualizing/styling a character, I like to explore different options and possibilities. Looking for that element that will stay in your mind and won’t be forgotten after you’ve watched the end product. Nowadays, with internet and social media platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest, is becoming much harder to come up with new original ideas. I believe that having an open mindset, experimenting, taking risks and not following the easy route, that anyone can take, is the key to producing inspiring and memorable work.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As an Art Director and Designer, I get to work on a variety of projects and wear different creative hats, which keeps me challenged and helps me grow as an interdisciplinary creative professional. A stylized aesthetic and the integrity of the artistic vision is very important for me and I love to be able to work in video productions that match my sensibilities. Through Void N’ Disorder I had the opportunity to art direct and also do the post-production for Korn’s music videos “Never Never” and “Love & Meth”. For these projects, we really got to flex our muscles, because we were working on very tight deadlines, and we were given a lot of artistic freedom since the band and VND share a very similar philosophical and aesthetic outlook. It was a challenge, but it was worth it and our work has been rewarded with numerous awards, including the Silver Telly Award for Music Video and Best Music Video at the UK Film Festival for “Never Never.”
In a more recent project, ODDKO’s “Disobey” music video, I really enjoyed designing the outfits for the main characters, creating a look for the singer, as well as his trademark makeup. I also designed and created the villain Hekate’s latex outfit and her mask. I was very proud when the video won two Telly awards: Silver in the Art Direction category, and Bronze for Music Video. Through art direction I get to use my brain in all sorts of creative endeavours, something that is challenging at times, but also exciting.
Some of the projects I have been involved with, like the video “Addictions,” and ODDKO’s music video “Disobey” also have a social conscience, and in the future I would like to use my skills to work on projects that aim at raising awareness about issues I personally care about, such as climate change, the environment, and animal welfare. For Void N’ Disorder I have also contributed to design a small apparel line inspired by the company’s projects. The clothes are made with sustainable and eco-friendly production methods, using organic cotton, bamboo, and hemp.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moments for me are when both the designer and the client are really happy with the outcome, despite the challenges to get there. When efforts are rewarded by appreciation. When your work speaks for yourself. When you make every single effort that you can to achieve your vision and then the final product takes the form you had envisioned.
I am also proud of the challenges that I have overcome in order to live and work in different countries.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.paolarocchetti.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @paola_rocchetti
Image Credit:
Images by Paola Rocchetti, Giovanni Bucci, Void N’ Disorder, Dave Tavanti (for some backstage shots)
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