Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carolina Takagi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Carolina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Nothing extraordinary happens without taking risks. It’s part of the thrill. The greater the initial risk, the bigger the feeling of accomplishment once you’ve conquered whatever mountain to chose to climb. That’s not to be confused with making rash decisions, or reckless moves. The kind of risks worth taking are the leaps of faith.

12yrs ago I was working for a production company in London, predominantly producing photography shoots for high end fashion. We’d just wrapped a special feature editorial for American VOGUE in homage to the Ritz in Paris, before they closed the doors for 3yrs to undertake full scale renovations of their electrics and plumbing. The mighty Grace Coddington lead the way as we captured the iconic Kate Moss in an access all areas shoot. It was exquisitely fabulous.

Everything shifted in the moment. That one statement had flipped my whole perspective. Of course I’d contemplated going freelance. But I’d also been busy focusing on all the doubt and fear…. will the phone ever ring ? am I good enough ? will anyone want to work with me?… It hadn’t occurred to me that staying in a position I’d outgrown would cast just as many question marks surrounding to my ability, ambition, stature and value, just from the outside.

Belief comes from within. It starts with you. Having faith in your vision, and the conviction that you have what it takes to succeed is crucial in establishing yourself and gaining external trust. I returned to London, handed in my notice and set up my own production company, Pink Production.

Faith means complete trust, being unafraid of the outcome. Fear when harnessed in the right way teaches you to trust yourself and your intuition. If you can find the courage to step towards your vision, embrace the fear element and alchemise it as your fuel, taking risks can be incredibly rewarding. A risk can be the biggest opportunity if you can find it within you to have faith.

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?

Pink Production was founded in London 12yrs ago. 6yrs ago I set up the LA counterpart, primarily so I could live in the sunshine and spend down time on the beach. Initially, I’d set out to be a photographer. Production was where I excelled.
Pink is a bespoke Photography & Video production company, exploring the intersection of art & commerce, bringing creative visions to life through the power of story telling & visual media. Predominantly in Fashion, producing for brands / magazines / editorials / commercials. Collaborating with some of the most talented artists and professionals in the industry.

As a Creative Producer, I am the fixer, looking after everyone and every aspect of a production from budgets / casting / locations / crew / logistics / talent liaison….I make it happen. I facilitated whatever is necessary to make the project come to life.

As a Director, I’m passionate about using the essence of creativity to connect people, to amplify the voice of the voiceless, and give presence to the unseen through Film. I’m a storyteller at heart.

I am currently in production in several short films and am in the process of writing scripts for features.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Pivoting in business or life is no different to pivoting on the field in sport, it’s an essential skill. You have to not only know how and when to pivot but most importantly be willing when the situation requires you to. Progress is not linear. You have to be prepared to course correct, to reframe, and find alternative paths. The road to your end goal may not be the one you planned, and most likely wont be. It’s important to see each and every turn and obstacle as an opportunity to learn, explore and enrich your experience. As a producer, pivoting is like second nature to me. As long as you keep focus on the target, it doesn’t matter if the journey takes a detour.

For me, stepping into the world of production was a major pivot in itself. I had set out to be a photographer. But after life threw me a few curve balls, I realised that in order for me to reach the level I aspired to be amongst, at the speed at which I set my timeframe to, and establish myself as a legitimate contender in the top arena, I wasn’t going to cut it as a photographer. I saw an opportunity to fast track myself as a producer, utilising other skills I’d mastered along the way to that moment and I took it. Recognising your strengths and acknowledging them, and having to ability to adapt, despite whether they are aligned with what you believed you wanted to be is an invaluable skill.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.carolinatakagi.com
• Instagram: pinkproduction_carolinatakagi
• Linkedin: Carolina Takagi

Image Credits
S1NGULAR poster – Ramon Goni S1NGULAR on set on monitor – Ramon Goni Portrait by ocean – Meena Amani