We recently connected with Holly Pavlik and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Holly, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

One of the more meaningful projects I’ve been a part of is the live-action film “The Seahorse Trainer” where I served as Editor and Co-Producer. This was a very ambitious project due to the VFX work that was required and the minimal budget and crew we had available to make it. The film had a full CG character and no VFX pipeline to accommodate, but as a team we were able to come together and build a guerrilla-style workflow that allowed us to complete the project successfully with polished, high-end results. The film went on to screen at numerous festivals around the world while picking up multiple awards in the process, many of which honored the film’s VFX work. Most notably, “The Seahorse Trainer” picked up one of three jury awards at the Seattle International Film Festival, which made the film an Oscar qualifier.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started my career as a Picture Editor for animated TV series. Wanting to learn more about live-action productions, I moved into the visual effects world and began VFX editing at facilities such as Scanline VFX and Sony Pictures Imageworks. While having the opportunity to work on big budget studio feature films, I simultaneously continued to work as an Editor (and sometimes Producer) on independent projects with a small team of other industry professionals who, like me, have a shared passion for outside of the box guerrilla filmmaking.

Together, me and my creative comrades at Rooxter Films satiate this need for wanting to make original art with the challenge of doing so on minimal resources. What makes us unique, is that not only are we interested in doing so, but we do so while continuing to work in the film industry on major studio productions. Additionally, each member of the team works on films in various departments and it is because of this, that we are able to bring knowledge from our specific areas of experience to the table, while brainstorming ways to do so with limited supply. At the same time, we’ve been able to yield visual results that are comparative to the typical big budget productions we are used to working on during the day to day.

Most recently, I have been serving as Editor for the upcoming music video “Like This”, written and performed by Lauren Bannon (aka Lloren), a finalist for The Voice UK. Produced by Rooxter Films, the video depicts the story of a woman who falls in love with a mannequin in the midst of an apocalypse. It is due to be released within the next couple of months.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect about being a creative is the collaboration process. Brainstorming and working with others sparks creativity and leads to the development of more unique and original concepts. It can help push the boundaries of what’s possible both creatively and technically. There’s always something new to learn in working with others – you can acquire new skills, knowledge, and approaches through the exchange of ideas and experiences and after the completion of each project, you come out better and stronger in your craft than you were before it.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

One of the top contributors to stifling an artist and their creative endeavors is a lack of money and resources. Particularly for those who are just starting out. Creating affordable studio and workspace options for filmmakers and other creatives would be a great way to support emerging talent, as it would help reduce financial barriers and provide a conducive environment for creation. Further, and this is an obvious one, an increase in funding for the arts through things like government grants and private foundations would certainly help to encourage an artist’s growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rooxterfilms.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_hollydays_edit/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-pavlik-0ab124a2/?originalSubdomain=ca
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3308879/

Image Credits
Photo 1 (profile) – Photography by: Daniel Perez Photo 2 (logo) – n/a Photo 3 – Still from “Like This” music video, Cinematography by: Naim Sutherland, Directed by: Ricardo Bonisoli Photo 4 – Still from “Like This” music video, Cinematography by: Naim Sutherland, Directed by: Ricardo Bonisoli Photo 5 – Still from “Like This” music video, Cinematography by: Naim Sutherland, Directed by: Ricardo Bonisoli Photo 6 – Still from “Like This” music video, Cinematography by: Naim Sutherland, Directed by: Ricardo Bonisoli Photo 7 – Still from “Like This” music video, Cinematography by: Naim Sutherland, Directed by: Ricardo Bonisoli