We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Vanessa Plaza Lazo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Vanessa below.

Vanessa, appreciate you joining us today. Too often the media represents innovation as something magical that only high-flying tech billionaires and upstarts engage in – but the truth is almost every business owner has to regularly innovate in small and big ways in order for their businesses to survive and thrive. Can you share a story that highlights something innovative you’ve done over the course of your career?

In Production Design a way to innovate is to find different ways to bring the viewer a little closer to the world you create and turn it into an immersive experience. For me, the way to do that is to combine different platforms and art techniques that will add an extra layer or dimension to the set.

In 2018 I had the chance to design for a Youtube limited mini series called: Greenwood Avenue: A Virtual Rality Experience. This show was shot with a 180 degree wide angle lens and was edited in a way you could use a VR headset and immerse yourself in the story. The show talks about a very important event in American history: The Tulsa Race massacre of 1921.

This story is addressed through the eyes of a young black girl who was living her first love. Told by the last survivor of this event, the show invites the viewer to immerse and travel in time back to 1921. The sets I designed, recreated the old neighborhood houses and Greenwood Ave. businesses that were burned down between May 31st and June 1st in 1921. The viewer is able to walk throw the street and go through the main character’s home while using the VR headset as well as being witness of the event.

Vanessa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I was born in Guayaquil Ecuador, grew up my first couple of years in Graz, Austria but were raised most of my live in Ecuador attending to a German school. I moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2010 to go to college and start my career in the Art Department. Now I live in Los Angeles, California, were I moved in late 2016 to go to CalArts, get my MFA in Production Design and take my career to another level. I’m constantly exposed to multicultural exchanges and learning about it. I’m certainly grateful for my life journey that has developed in me a unique creative and artistic vision.

I’ve always been interested in Arts, craft and creativity. Production Design is a career that has offered me the chance to combine all of those skills and practices with the plus of encountering constant challenges that make me learn something new every time as well as improve myself.

Every set is a new story to tell, a new world to create for a different character, and maybe a different time period to travel to. With this comes always the challenge to give the new set a unique visual look in comparison to the previous work I’ve done or the work that is out there.
I like to sketch, draft, model and render the sets I design to be able to show my clients a clear vision of what I have in mind for the world we want to create. I’m very detail oriented and have a deep passion for textures and patterns which are for me the ones will describe the most fine details about the space and character to whom the space belongs to.

As a Production Designer it is super important to understand how the different areas/departments that compose the Art department work. Thus, I’m very proud of the journey that I have had, that have given me experience in other areas of Art Department like construction, set decoration, scenic art, props making, etc. This has given me the advantage of being more efficient communicating my ideas with other departments and knowing how to be more practical and resourceful all the time.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I first moved from Buenos Aires to LA, I had thoughts of insecurity and regrets about my decision of moving. When I was living in Buenos Aires I was working already as Art Director at a big TV production company, working on international TV shows and living a great stage of my career. However, when I moved to LA to do my MFA with the goal of taking my career to another level I had to step back for a little bit from what I was doing to learn new things that complemented my previous experience and strengthened my skills.

It was hard, it felt like starting over at some point: going back to student productions, low budget films, start creating a new network in a new industry, in a new Country with a different language. But then I realized, you should never stop learning, and that it actually is great to constantly step back to see what’s happening around you, learn from the others and take it in your favor. It’s about learning how to enjoy the process, being persistent and patience. My previous experience and portfolio definitely helped me to get faster to where I am now, but It still continues to be a long run where you should always aim to keep improving and learning. Be humble.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is the infinite possibilities of things you can create. In my case as a Production Designer, the idea of turning into reality a world that doesn’t exist, make it tangible and turn it into an experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.vaneplazalazo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vaneplazalazo/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaplazalazo/
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9818475/