Y Crazy Mind

Ranran Meng accepts nothing less than perfection in her role as a compositor for your favorite film and television productions. She is known in her industry for her talent and efficiency, working quickly and perfectly, ensuring she delivers true works of art in every shot of every project she takes on. It is such an approach that allows her to be such an in-demand compositor in the industry. Meng has enjoyed working on countless acclaimed projects throughout her esteemed career. These include acclaimed films like Set It Up and Fahrenheit 451 as well as award-winning series such as The Deuce, Escape at Dannemora , and others. Every day getting to do what she loves is a good one for Meng, and she brings that passion to each and every project. Always looking for ways to better herself, Meng likes to experiment with different methods of visual effects and compositing. Last year, she was given such an opportunity when she worked on the new Harry Potter video game, The Fantas...

Zichen Tang grew up loving movies, like most children. They were his favorite form of entertainment, and he dreamed of one day being able to entertain the masses with his own cinematic works. He didn’t have to wait long, as he began experimenting with filmmaking in his early teens, quickly learning how to use a camera, where to find equipment, and how to edit his footage. He began immersing himself in the medium, learning all aspects of filmmaking, from writing to visual effects. However, despite this extensive knowledge, he found his passion in cinematography, and has never looked back. Now, Tang is an industry-leading cinematographer in his home country of China and abroad. He is known for productions like The Somnium, Prince in a Jar , and The Last Lesbian , in which he won several cinematography awards for his work at many prestigious international film festivals. “One needs to find their purpose and love in this field. Filmmakers have the most difficult job, but at t...

For Len Wong , who has made his career in cannabis, the future is looking optimistic. As the Canadian cannabis industry continues to take off, we’re seeing a willful push away from the stigmatized days of old, towards a broad acceptance of the cannabis as an agricultural commodity. Len Wong is a greenhouse specialist with a devotion to organic growing practices. He’s also the master grower and founder of two businesses: Genetix Consulting and The Grow Depot. We recently invited Len Wong for a Q&A session to talk about how his companies are helping others, why certain growing practices are especially useful for the Canadian cannabis grower, and more. What is your background and what prompted you to focus your expertise around organic growing? Lenny Wong: Well, I’ve always been dedicated to sustainability and understanding the role that organic growing plays in the environment as well as in human health. I’ve spent the last 16 years working in the areas of g...

Gia Genevieve is THE modern pin-up girl. While she is much more than that, she revels in this moniker. The Los Angeles native has been transfixed by classic Hollywood glamour for as long as she can remember. It’s in her DNA. Instead of rebuking her feminine whiles, she revels in them. Anointed by the iconic Dita Von Teese, Genevieve has taken her own Tinsletown-meets-Rockabilly culture to recognition by fashion, music, and fans everywhere. Creating a modern day brand recognition takes a lot more than beauty. Gia has carefully directed a style and course which she conceived of and implemented. It’s proof that there are many paths in today’s world for a woman who is in control. From her massively anticipated calendar to being the face of clothing lines to features in classic car magazines and the legendary Playboy (USA) magazine, Gia Genevieve is classic looks with a current business mind. Photographer: Shannon Brooke  Like many vocations, modeling has seen a segmentation ...

Jordan Stolch is a Fashion Stylist and Wardrobe Consultant based in Los Angeles, California. With a natural ability for style and aesthetics, the Canadian-born native quickly built a strong career in the celebrity and entertainment realm as well as in personal shopping and private styling. She has solidified herself as an innovative force in the fashion industry and highly sought after consultant. We have conducted an interview with her. What is it like to work as a Stylist at award shows such as the Grammys, Emmys, Golden Globes and Academy Awards? I’ve been so honored to be hired as a Stylist for all of the major award shows for the last 5 years as a fashion contributor for E! Entertainment and NBC. Being involved in projects of this nature is both exhilarating and pressure-inducing as the coverage is viewed by over 100 million people in 130+ countries on a network the predominates as a cultural influencer and style innovator. The need to be spot on in my creative process...

Li Li spent her childhood fascinated by the arts. Staying up late into the night, she would work on different pieces of art, even at a young age. She was always a perfectionist and would spend however much time it required to make each project a masterpiece. However, growing up in Taiwan, she was not encouraged to pursue her passion, but rather explore avenues such as math, science, or history. It was very frustrating for the young artist to be told not to follow her dreams, but her family was supportive. As she grew and refined her skills, she began to explore how to apply them to the real world, which is when she discovered design. Now, as an internationally sought-after art director, Li helps companies all over the world build their brands by creating artistic and beautifully designed marketing materials. She is consistently able to present a product in an unexpected way with graphics or images that attracts consumers attention. This is evident through her work with brand...

Sometimes students get the task to prepare a power point presentation instead of a usual written academic paper. At first most of them are happy, as they are convinced that they would have much less work to do. In reality, they would have to face a number of challenges and one of them is how to make their power point presentation really creative and eye-catching. The fact is that if power point presentation is delivered badly, then it would not attract attention of the potential audience. In reality there are a lot of aspects to consider, when you are preparing a good power point presentation. The audience should not be forced to follow long lists of unreadable bullets and pixilated clip art. The timing between the slides should correspond exactly to the amount of information presented there. There is a temptation to start making slides immediately, but writing comes first. The theme of you power point presentation should be consistent, this means that images and messages are ...

The moment Lauren Purves began her career, she knew she had “it”. Impossible to define just what “it” is, a good sales person knows when they possess such an attribute. It comes naturally, an innate talent that weaves through various personality traits since childhood. For Purves, she was always confident, intelligent, and assertive without being pushy, a killer combination for one who dreams of a career in marketing. She is strategically aware when it comes to just how to be successful in all areas of marketing from partnerships, to sales, to campaign strategies. “When I worked my first sales job, I realized not everyone could be successful at sales and marketing. I got the thrill you get from knowing you are good at something and that confidence further boosted my interest and my success,” she said. Purves is now an industry leader in her home country of Canada, making headlines with her work with Spacing Magazine, which features articles about urban issues in Canada in...

Growing up in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania, Dhirendra always dreamed of entertaining the masses. He was always inspired by his father, an avid cinemagoer, and knew that he was destined to make movies. Absorbing films quickly became his favorite past time, when other children spent their days on family beaches, he would study his favorite films and television shows, mimicking what he saw on the screen. He was heavily influenced by Bollywood movies, Blaxploitation, Martial Arts films from China and Hong Kong and spy movies like James Bond. He found that even if a film was filled with special effects and stunts, it always had an inspirational message, promoting the triumph of good over evil, strive and you will succeed. Such messages motivated Dhirendra to become a storyteller himself, and with his innate talent and drive to succeed, he quickly become an in-demand actor. “Acting provides an understanding of humanity. What initially starts as a subjective process from a characters poi...

While many of us experience daily anxiety about how to view the world, Nicola De Prato finds comfort in his perception of it. While cinematographer is the moniker most often used when referring to him, De Prato is a true artist who enjoys discovering the world around him and portraying these ideas through the camera’s eye. Myopic is a description he constantly disproves when it comes to the types of productions he works within. Award-winning films, documentaries, music videos, and the ever expanding world of web-based productions are all canvases for him to explore and with which to entertain a widely diverse audience. He’ll tackle issues ranging from internet stalkers to national holidays and much more. There’s never a shortage of intriguing ways for De Prato to create the visual presentation of a story; it’s this passionate trait that has caused so many in the production industry to enlist him and the benefits of his style. The horror/thriller genre has a long history of g...

Whenever Senior Compositor Aaron Wei begins a new project, he has one thing on his mind: the story. To this VFX master, every decision he makes, he structures his artistry around storytelling. “Through the camera lens, you selectively show parts of life and tell the story you want. It is the most profound way of communication, despite culture and language. It’s a very unique way to express your opinion, and nothing else compares,” he said. Rather than having an eye behind the camera or standing in front, Wei puts his touch on award-winning productions while sitting at a desk, looking at his computer. He comes in after everything is shot, perfecting footage and creating the impossible. He has worked on many acclaimed films and television shows, from Netflix’s Like Father and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt to the Golden Globe award-winning series The Americans and the popular show Shades of Blue . Millions have seen his work, whether on the big screen or on commercials for ic...

Thomas Haughton serves as the Vice President of My Place Realty, a Winnipeg-based real estate and property management firm. He has been part of the company’s senior management team since 2012. In his position as Vice President, Tom Haughton works with his senior management team to oversee My Place Realty’s business, handling everything from financing and construction to daily property management. Before joining My Place Realty, Haughton served as the President and CEO of the Global Drug Supply Group of Companies in Barbados, where he oversaw the operation for six years, including warehousing, purchasing and shipping. Before that, he served as a Regional Support and Training Manager at TD Canada Trust. You’ve had experience leading a range of businesses. What do you look for in your employees in terms of leadership? Tom Haughton: With respect to My Place Realty, we are always trying to be at the forefront of change, so I look for leaders who are constantly looking for ...

Winnipeg’s Kris Thorkelson began his career in 1991 as a licensed pharmacist. However, he knew he wanted to help people by doing more than simply filling their prescriptions. It was then that Thorkelson opened the Prescription Shop, a chain of pharmacies that ensured he could meet his customers’ needs. He then went on to found Canada Drugs, an online pharmacy that addressed the crisis of high prescription drug costs. While he still works in the pharmaceutical industry, Thorkelson has branched out in his entrepreneurial endeavors, now leading My Place Realty, a Winnipeg-based property management company. With a strong desire to help people and a knack for spotting trends, Kris Thorkelson is in short a business leader who is constantly taking risks. You lead a number of businesses that occupy your time and attention. How do you balance these varying responsibilities? Kris Thorkelson: I always remind myself to trust and empower others at the companies I help lead. No on...

Film, for Xueou Yu, is about maximizing life’s experiences. As a producer and director, she educates and entertains her audiences, allowing them to feel emotions that they may not have felt before immersing themselves in her world, or opening themselves up to learning about an issue they had previously sheltered themselves from. That is just why Yu finds it is such an important medium, and with this approach, she has quickly risen to an internationally sought-after producer and director. “To me, as a filmmaker, my responsibility is ‘giving answers.’ What I mean is, usually I have some questions about life, but after watching a good film, my questions can be answered. I believe a filmmaker can give answers by making films and I want to do it to make audiences feel a sense of relief. It’s a medicine for my life,” she said. Throughout her esteemed career, Yu has shown audiences time and time again just what she is capable of. Films like Vincent, Donna, Asa Nisi Masa , and Chec...