Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Estelle Simon.
Hi Alicia, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
As many do, I started watching movies early in my childhood and quickly found a passion for storytelling and wanted to become a director. From nine years old to 16, my family and I moved throughout Europe to countries such as Belgium, Ireland, and multiple cities in France. After high school, I moved to Los Angeles where I studied at the Los Angeles Film School. It was there where I learnt that there were other positions on a set and this is where I found a love for production design. Along with collaborating with my peers at school, I decided to work with other universities all around LA to gain more experience. Upon graduating in February 2020, I began to work as an Art Director on a TV show which was being produced for a new streaming service. Unfortunately, with the pandemic the shoot was put on hold midway through shooting. Then, after couple months into the pandemic, I found myself with opportunities designing and art directing in music videos and commercials.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a smooth road for the most part, but the little bumps along the way will always push you to do more and learn more. One example of a small bump was during my second year at university, they had taken away the Production Design concentration. After discussing it with multiple teachers, I decided to focus on Cinematography to give me deeper perspective in a neighboring position that could enhance my understanding of film and more importantly production design.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialized primarily in Production Design and Art Direction. My main love is for narrative stories where as a team we are able to create worlds for characters to live in and accentuate whatever past or present the characters are going through. The most challenging aspect of these projects it to create a realistic world for the actor’s character to live in. Also, to create the illusion on-screen for audiences to believe that the world is real is most rewarding.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One of my favorite childhood memories was making my first short film with my brother and sister. I had written a small thriller when I was 13, where my eight year old sister acted as a 60 year old man using an old Halloween mask and stuffing her belly with a cushion and my 10 year old brother acted as the man who had captured him. Not knowing much, I only had a camera and a flash light. We used my backyard and the garage to shoot the entire short film at night. Due to my sister’s voice being of an eight year old girl my brother had to speak all of her lines off-screen while I had the camera pointed at her. Since I was much younger and I hadn’t known about editing, I shot the entire short film in chronological order as well as shooting the shots exactly the length of what I needed them to be.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.aemsimon.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aemsimon/
Image Credits
Yarden Lior
