VENEZUELAN DIRECTOR AND FORMER EICAR INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT STUDENT, CAROLINA GÓMEZ DE LLARENA PRESENTS “CERCLE”, A VIDEO CLIP SHE DIRECTED AND SHOT USING 360° TECHNOLOGY.
After she graduated from the Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas with a Bachelor of Arts, major in Cinematographic Arts, Carolina Gómez de Llarena further pursued her filmmaking studies in Paris. “I chose to come to Paris because all my life I have felt very identified by the strong cinephile culture of the Parisians and have been influenced by its cinéma, especially by the Nouvelle Vague and directors like Jean-Pierre Jeunet”, Carolina explained.
During her two-year studies in EICAR’s Master of Fine Arts program, Carolina had the opportunity to participate in various student film shoots and to direct her own film projects. “I truly enjoyed the hands-on, practicality of the school. Production period was for me the most instructive part of the program since I believe that the best way to learn how to make films is by making as many as you can.”
Since her graduation from EICAR in 2014, Carolina Gómez de Llarena has been working freelance as an Editor and Camera Operator, and for production companies such as Formosa Production and Tolosa Production.
In 2015, she received a proposition from Director of Photography and EICAR BFA graduate student Omid Zarei, to work on a film project which would use the 360° technology. Since it had been mainly used for sports broadcasting, Carolina came up with the idea of CERCLE an artistic video project. “I thought the best way to take advantage of this technology would be through a dance music video, to explore the “spherical” spatial experience of the 360° on an outstanding architecture location – the Bir-Hakeim bridge – and take it to its maximum.”
The video clip project was carried out thanks to the participation of the South Korean Choreographer Hyemin Yang and the Palestinian musician Hussam Aliwat, also graduated from EICAR BFA program. The film crew also received great support from former French Minister of Culture Jack Lang in obtaining the authorization to shoot on the Bir-Hakeim Brigde only a few weeks after the November 13th Paris attacks.
The 360° technology requires six GoPro cameras that are shooting at the same time in a spherical rig. The crew also used the innovative editing software, Autopano Video Pro, developed by the French company, Kolor. “Kolor trusted our project and gave us the software for free in order to explore the technology” explained Carolina, “and CERCLE is now on Kolor’s official website.”
At the moment, Carolina Gómez de Llarena is opening up her own production companyin Paris, Naumachia Films, where she is already planning and developing several projects: an animated short film, a 360° video game and a short film that she plans on shooting in Venezuela, her native country.
Carolina is also working on enhancing her academic experience. “I wish very much to pursue a career as a teacher, for I know that an excellent way to continue your own education and to organize your ideas as a Director or Producer is through the art of teaching. A rich cultural atmosphere, as I experienced at EICAR, will always be a great source of inspiration.”
We wish Carolina all the best in her future projects!
