Creative Connections: Insights for the new normal
to keep our creative community connected, inspired and supported.
Times are uncertain and with feelings of separation high, we want to know how you are staying plugged in, what is keeping you creative and what might be getting in the way?
LANDIA Directing Duo Supernova answered:
Please give a brief introduction to yourself and/or studio.
We, Supernova, are an international directing duo, consisting of Matias G. Petric and Ignacio Ricci, who are passionate about everything we do. Although we are based on opposite sides of the world (specifically Buenos Aires and New York), we try to be as nomadic as possible. Together, we channel our creativity through the intersection of film-making, photography, and digital content. We are currently represented by a production company LANDIA in the U.S. and Caviar in Paris.
How are you?
Fortunately we are safe, healthy, and most importantly, busy with work these days! Still, we are very aware of the tragedies that have occurred, what is currently happening around the world, and the lasting impact these will have. Despite all of that, we see the future in a very optimistic way: one that is filled with a lot of learning and social evolution for everyone.
How is work and the pace of your projects? Busier, same, slower?
Interestingly enough, the pace at which we work has not changed at all. If anything, perhaps some priorities have moved from one sector to another, but we are still putting in many hours a day with the same enthusiasm and effort that we have always done.
What are you working on?
We are currently working on a very personal project. It is something industrial that does not have much to do with advertising or entertainment. We also have a documentary piece that was relegated a long time ago, but now we find ourselves with an incredible opportunity to finally give it shape and volume as well as express our voice, thoughts, and beliefs. That’s all we can say on those two for now!
Do you typically work remotely? If so, what tips do you have for newbies?
Remote working is something to which we are very accustomed with. To those who are new to this, embrace communications technology. For example, when we need to speak with any of the production companies who represent us; LANDIA (U.S.), Caviar (Paris), and/or Blur Films (Spain), digital tools and platforms become a part of our daily lives.
How do you stay focused when working from home?
We are very used to working from our respective homes. Both of us have our special desks and workplaces, which we use to cope with our workloads. It is not a problem, the work just flows.
What is your biggest distraction when working remotely?
Maybe our pets. Whenever we turn around, we always have them there looking at our faces, telling us with their eyes, “When we are going for the next walk?”
When you feel stuck, or need inspiration, what are your go-to’s?
We believe that inspiration is not something that comes from another world. Inspiration is an exercise that you work on and, the more you exercise it, the better that connection will flow. Maybe there are times when you need to change the focus and give perspective to things. We also believe that the best thing in those moments is to connect with other energies. For example, meditation can be a very good tool and resource to reconnect with creativity.
Can you recommend general habits to improve workflow?
Each of us has our own particular way of working, but organization is key. When we keep a routine and order, it generally helps us a lot to make the work work and achieve the objectives that we set out for ourselves. For example, we have a fairly organized agenda of the cases that we have to do every day, we distribute the work in scheduled blocks, and apply them depending on the needs of each project in progress. This means that we are as efficient as possible and that we not only dedicate time to what we are really passionate about but to have our schedules as organized as possible to apply focus to all the necessary points to attack during the day.
When viewing a project, what do you notice first?
The visual identity is the first thing we see in a project, artist, song, and even movie. Its own label, look, and personality, are the most relevant things that they can have.
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What Studio, Designer, Artist (dead or alive) would you want to have a Zoom meeting with?
It is difficult to make a list, but I think we would aim to speak with directors like Paul Thomas Anderson, Alfonso Cuarón, Yorgos Lanthimos, Benny and Josh Safdie, as well as Stanley Kubrick. We also can’t forget Lucrecia Martel, one of the best directors of Argentine cinema, artists like René Magritte or Marina Abramovic, and, of course, actor Leonardo DiCaprio (if we want to talk a lot about activism). The list is very long because we are very curious and believe that the world is full of people who have things to teach and say; from great established artists to the young people who are taking their first steps in the industry. Each and every one of them has something we can learn day-to-day.
How do you quiet your inner critic?
We don’t shut it up, we listen to it. Our main vision is to always evolve work-wise and human-wise in front of everything we do. In the order that this happens starts with us opening ourselves up to criticism from either each other or our own team of producers, representatives, creatives, etc. It then ends with us listening to them and trying to capitalize on it for tomorrow to be able to grow and improve. Evolution is a word we use a lot.
What can we learn and take from this current situation?
We think there is much to learn from this new situation that the lockdown brought us. The consumption habits of society, in general, are going to change for more responsible ones. People are having a more conscientious awareness of how to eat, where to get the power for the energy they consume, what to buy and from whom, along with how to care for the environment and what surrounds us (from the gaze towards the other). We believe that confinement led us to a reflection as a society on mass behavior, which will lead to great changes in development, communication, and consumption in the coming years. It will be very positive on a social level.
Where do you see our industry’s future?
We think that this industry, like all the others, will have to adapt because of the lockdown; a new order. Not necessarily in the ways of communicating, but we believe that companies will begin to have other priorities in their message, specifically how they want to be shown to consumers and reach the public. These days, we are reading some very interesting articles in The New Yorker that talk about “eco consumers”, which are a new type of consumer who cares about knowing where products come from and trying to minimize the waste/carbon footprint they generate. We see the future of the industry as being much more committed to communicating those types of messages and aligning more and more with those types of consumers.
What are you streaming / watching / reading / podcasting?
Lately, we are seeing a lot of documentaries, since we are working on a project that concerns that. In these last weeks, we saw Fork Over Knives, The Biggest Little Farm, Cowspiracy, Before the Flood, and Earthlings among others.
Any newly adopted online experience you are enjoying?
Google Street View has an incredible section where you can walk through various museums, galleries, temples, and different attractions across the world through its platform. In these moments, where traveling becomes impossible for those of us who love to travel, it is a good tool to enjoy.
What is something you are incorporating into your daily routine that brings some joy or comfort?
Something fundamental for our daily routines to work well is to keep our bodies as healthy as possible. When it comes to our nutrition, it is essential not to end up disorienting the body and having a misalignment during the isolation.
Any personal project files, images, tutorials, exquisite corpse, online scavenger hunts you can share with Motionographer to keep creatives learning?
We would love to share with you some of our latest work:
Have you become involved with any volunteer communities in response to COVID-19? Or how can creatives plug into their communities?
Both of us got quite involved with several volunteers that faced COVID-19. We believe that it is a fundamental moment to help and connect with others, and connect. Such as: calling those who are alone, volunteering for Red Cross programs and doing groceries for an older person, so that they do not run the risk of going out. These are moments when we should all reach out and put our own grain of sand.
Any practices that help ground you generally, or during times like these?
Meditation and exercise are two practices that can greatly help those who are in confinement these days. Meditation will keep your thoughts aligned and exercise will do the same to your body. When the body and mind are aligned, everything works.
Favorite quarantine meal, or snack?
An amazing vegan meal.