Today we’d like to introduce you to Chloe Barcelou.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Chloe. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I think I’ve always been interested in fashion, art, and photography. As a young child, I learned from my Mom and Dad the art of collecting magazine pictures, which I obsessively tore out and created organized binders for. I was homeschooled, which really allowed me to explore my creativity. At 14 I attempted to start my own magazine. Although that didn’t pan out at the time, it sparked my passion for photography, which I pursued into my early adult years and this is how I eventually got started as a stylist. As the elaborate nature of my photo shoots grew, my partner and fiancée, Brandon began helping me by constructing props and sets, each shoot grander than the one before. Simultaneously while developing my photography portfolio, I was emailed unexpected by an impressed first-time director asking if I had ever worked in film. I hadn’t even considered it, (strange, being that my Grandfather is legendary filmmaker Charles B. Pierce and I grew up with stories from my Mom, straight off his sets) although I was intrigued and took on the roles of Production Designer, Props Master and Costume Designer for the feature film Aimy in a Cage, starring Academy-Award nominee Terry Moore. This particular film involved heavy-set construction, and when the director asked who would build the set, my reply was “my boyfriend can do it!” and presto – our production company, B&C Productions was born. After the success of Aimy, the calls for film design and styling in photography never stopped, and we’ve been happily producing stellar films and images, ever since!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has NOT been an easy road. In my opinion being a freelancer and an entrepreneur is one of the most difficult, stress-inducing careers a person can have. Although I wouldn’t have changed a thing, I have experienced a lot of heartbreak, disappointments, depression, projects that have fallen through (after enormous investments of time and money) and bullying from others in the industry – and that’s simply the tip of the iceberg. The biggest burden of freelancing, for me personally, has been the financial aspect. Early into my career, I quit my “normal” job at Starbucks, taking the risk of financial instability, in pursuit of following my dreams. Most of the years I’ve been a freelancer, I have lived well below the government poverty levels, which is something that surprises most people to hear in consideration of our accomplishments. Sometimes, struggling to put food in my mouth, and almost always frustrated by the lack of resources to produce the type of work I dreamed about, I often had to keep mind over matter to continue going. When I say “I”, I mean “We”, because without Brandon, who endured all of this by my side – I may not have had the strength to keep going at times. Business magazines say the number one most common characteristics of successful people is “grit”, and I believe this. I think a lot of people don’t have the strength or will to go without necessities, and the patience to see their work to fruition. That being said, I have come to appreciate the challenges as much as the successes – they have been the roots of my growth, and without them, I’m not sure my character would be capable of what I now know it is. How does the saying go? “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger”.
B&C Productions – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
At B&C Productions, Brandon and I work together as production designers, art directors, set designers (and construction), prop fabricators and costume designers. Sometimes we work all of these roles on a single film, or sometimes we simply work one or two. Our production company serves films, commercial, and fashion photography, and theatre.
I would say we’re very proud of our resourcefulness and grassroots rising. Neither of us has college degrees or professional training in the arts, so to be a continually working production company, in an incredibly competitive and difficult industry to break into and work in – in a remote city to the industry, I think really says something about our talent and character. We both stumbled into this, based on the merit of our work and have definitely “made something out of nothing”, so to speak (don’t get me wrong, both Brandon and I were born into the right set of life circumstances, which came together just as they needed to and we’re lucky to count the blessings of our experiences).
I think we’re most known for our resourcefulness. Our tiny home on wheels was built from recycled materials which came primarily from film sets we tore down and saved from the dumpsters. Now, for less than $20,000, we’re homeowners. We’re also known for our attention to detail, ability to create “anything” especially on a budget (seriously, we made an alien spaceship for $3k) and our imaginative, unique, and avant-garde styles.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Many of my proudest moments are very quiet and personal, generally coming from having completed crafting something I had been working on for a while, or maybe reaching a personal goal. Sometimes that would be a photo shoot, or simply just an addition to the tiny home.
I always anticipated my proudest moments would come by way of public or media acknowledgment, but it never is as satisfying when the moment actually arrives, as you may imagine it to be. Not only that, but the feeling of accomplishment is so short lived. I think that’s why it’s most important to focus on your bliss and what makes you feel fulfilled – those will be the moments you’ll remember!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ProductionArtandDesign.com, www.ChloeBarcelou.com
- Email: chloebarcelou@Gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/chloebarcelou
- Facebook: facebook.com/chloebarcelou
- Twitter: twitter.com/chloebarcelou
Image Credit:
Morgan Karanasios, Kayt Silvers, Joel Benjamin, Joel Benjamin, Morgan Karanasios, Bruce Luetters, Chloe Barcelou
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