Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristina Vardazaryan Jonathan Hoekstra
Hi Kristina Vardazaryan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Kristina Vardazaryan: I have always had a passion for movies. I am originally from Kiev, Ukraine, and it was impossible for me to do what I do today had I not moved here to LA with my family. I didn’t know that my job even existed at that time, but I have always wanted to be an artist. I wanted to have the ability to put my imagination on paper, and I started on my artistic journey in my 20s, which was pretty late compared to my peers at the time. I went to Art Center College of Design and got my BA there. I also met my husband, Jonathan Hoekstra, with whom I have grown to be a better artist and also shared a vision with.
Jonathan Hoekstra: I knew I wanted to be in movies since I was 10 years old. I grew up in Silicon Valley, where I started painting at an early age. Eventually, I went to my first art college where I focused on animation and 3D modeling. After briefly working in the gaming industry, I knew I needed to learn design. So I went to my second college, Art Center College of Design, where I received a BA. It was not a seamless start getting into the film industry, but with all of my schooling and the mentors I had, I quickly moved up the ranks.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Kristina: I wish it were a smooth road! But like everything else, it was hard. I think the hardest thing for me was catching up with everyone else who had been doing art since they were kids. I, however, was a musician first, and art is not something that you memorize… a lot of it is muscle memory. It also takes time to develop taste, and that takes time as well. Another thing that was hard was the money aspect, of course. I was earning money on the side as a piano player at an Italian restaurant. That was helping me through college. It’s funny how you never know what skill you will end up using in life, and I’ve got to say, music has always been my go-to.
Jonathan: My family has always been engineers, so as the first to go down this art track, I was on a path no one could help with and no advice I could follow. I was an engineer working for the government through high school and into college, but I wanted to leave and just focus on art. Once I was accepted, I went without looking back, fully committed to the path. I ran out of money, and at a few times, I was starving. At my lowest point, all I had was a single box of lasagna noodles. The world always felt like it’s stacked against you, but you have to believe in yourself and push through, no matter what.
After we both graduated, it was tough to find someone who would give us a chance. We both first worked at an advertising firm and on the side, worked on our portfolio. Finally, someone did give us a chance, and now we both have been working in the industry for about a decade. It’s hard to believe! I (Kristina Hoekstra) got a shot to be an Art Director at Marvel Studios and then a Production Designer on an unannounced project. Jonathan Hoekstra is an Art Director/Production Designer on the newly announced Watchmen animated feature.
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?
We both are Production Designers and creators. We love creating different worlds and stories. It’s exciting to work for major studios such as Netflix, Marvel, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Nickelodeon, to name a few. Our job is to help and support the director’s vision, which includes coming up with new and exciting ideas that support the story. Whether the story takes place in an alien landscape or 19th-century London, the characters and the world need to be created. Our job is to generate multiple ideas and variations that help to tell the story and make it visually exciting.
Besides that, we have our own stories that we are currently developing in game form, which is very exciting. We have partnered with other artists like ourselves and formed a game studio called Secret Society Games. We started with a group of artists and production experts who have all worked on feature films. The studio is lean but filled with experts who have a proven track record. It’s exciting to be doing something on our own and overcoming whatever obstacles we may face in the future. Currently, we are working on two games. One of them is ‘Land of Myth,’ our AAA game, and we are also developing another game for younger audiences which hasn’t been announced yet!
What sets us apart? We simply want to create cool games with great stories! It’s as simple as that. Even though the market is saturated with games and movies, which can sometimes be too political or forgettable, we focus on the story and making it fun to play!
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Supporting us on instagram, patreon and kickstarter would mean the world to us. We share our game development progress on instagram pretty regularly and just simply sharing and spreading our posts is a huge help for us!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/secretsociety.games?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
- Twitter: https://x.com/secretsocietygc?s=21
Image Credits
Kristina Vardazaryan, Frewin Hu , Solomon Carreiro
