Simon Carter

Elan Studios is a company I set up in 1992 to enable myself and my crews to collaborate on many different types of design and production work. When requested, I join other companies to work on large international projects as a specialist. Drawing on over two decades of design and imaging expertise, I can offer an almost unique conceptual and creative approach that goes beyond conventional design solutions. Moving image content is character led to build engaging narrative stories. My successful involvement in narrative, experiential, and time-based projects gives depth to bespoke visual solutions to client projects. Currently expanding on work for Getty Images collections creating globally understood imaging solutions for emerging trends. Web3 NFT projects include 'The West', "The Contemporary West', 'LightwWorx' and 'Abstract Paintings' on the Known Origin and Foundation platforms. Metaverse exhibitions: 'Ryan' from 'The West' documentary photography NFT collection exhibited at the P46 Gallery. 'Quantum Collisions One' abstract photography NFT exhibited at Stellar Gallery / Fine Art Photography show in Cryptovoxels. www.elanstudios.co.uk IG simoncarter_photography IG simon_carter_art Twitter simoncarter_art

I have been lucky enough to work in varied creative roles across several visual industries including advertising, branding, photography, film and television. This wide creative experience is extremely helpful in seeing 'the big picture' when it comes to ideation for clients' needs and has given me deep insights into the effectiveness of past iconic works and the strategy required to implement really successful and ground breaking ideas. I am seeking projects that will utilize these skills, challenge myself and creative teams to produce work that goes beyond expectations and potentially changes the way people think.

Documenting life on family run ranches in the USA. 'The West' is a black and white documentary series capturing the knowledge, skills and processes of tradtional ranching. 'The Contemporary West' is a colour documentary series caprturing the constantly evolving way of life of ranchers to modern lifestyles. I have been inspired by the legends of The West from an early age and frequent travels to the South Western USA inspired this ongoing project to record the last traces of the frontier mind set and spirit of individuality. This fast disappearing way of life is threatened by the expansion of large meat producers with the obvious impact on animal welfare and quality of produce. www.elanstudios.co.uk www.simon-carter.co.uk NFT Platforms https://knownorigin.io/simoncarter https://foundation/simoncarter Exhibited in P46 Metaverse Gallery November 2021 www.elanstudios.co.uk IG simoncarter_photography www.simon-carter.co.uk IG simon_carter_art

Producer and Senior Art Director at QVC. I was involved in projects from concept to delivery across the business. I collaborated with designers, promo directors, social teams and web programmers to push boundaries in an ever-changing retail environment. I led on defining the image content to convey the requirements of the myriad of brands promoted at QVC and the positioning of QVC in the UK. I managed a team of eight photographers in a very fast paced and creative environment providing imagery for all of QVC's broadcast channels, digital platforms, social media and print. I enjoyed working on multiple projects and at QVC the photography department operates seventeen hours a day, seven days a week to provide broadcast imagery for live shows and web content covering fashion, fashion accessories, jewelry, electronics, homeware, food, bedding and gardening products. This helps generate a versatile and conceptually innovative design, photography and styling team. The photographers are free to innovate in their approach technically and artistically within briefs. This process led to a steady development of style guides that are being adopted internationally. I mentored the photographer's personal development carefully through one to one sessions exploring the history of art, design and advertising. For moving image projects shot on location, I led a small team of photographers shooting still imagery in collaboration with the live teams. Each was a complex scheduling operation between a combined crew of up to twenty. For the web and broadcast, I designed an image requirement tool that combined multiple shoot lists into a priority led, live screen interface called 'Liveboard'. This is currently being rolled out to QVC's in Europe. I created an in-house library of key-worded creative imagery to ensure that resources are shared between the UK, France, Italy and Germany. This is being incorporated into a global asset management scheme by US teams.

SRC Preparations, www.srcpreparations.com incorporates my writing, photography, story telling and model building skills in a miniature world of historic racing car construction. It is the result of an ambitious hobby that grew exponentially from 2011. It is an example of 'Sliding Doors' projection, what might have happened if I had turned away from art school and pursued my dream when I was awarded a scholarship with the Marlboro Team for race driver evaluation. The physical set is scratch built in 1/12 scale inspired by my life experiences and drawing on the inspiration of classic film special effects techniques. The model photography was featured with an interview in the March 2018 issue of Canon Europe Newsletter and promoted to two million readers across Europe. It has subsequently been published in Tamiya Magazine in Dec 2021 (issue 313). www.srcpreparations.com IG srcpreparations

In collaboration with the CEO Trevor Murphy, I set up a subsidiary 'Bermuda Active' and lead the development and presentation of animated advertisements for clients on the CBS Alive London Underground video poster network.

Having a full understanding of story, character and structure is essential to creating any successful moving image content. Be it a commercial, infomercial, fashion promo or drama-documentary my intuitive understanding of what works speeds up production and builds client confidence. I can write, direct and produce compelling content for long or short form storytelling. I have honed my skills across twenty years of production for film, documentaries and commercials.

Disney Channel Idents. The project used a 3D miniature set built from cardboard, stop frame animation with 2D character overlay. Six idents were created. My role was as project producer and assisting in the physical construction of the cardboard city, including art direction and lighting and directing the motion control rostrum shoot.

Live show producer for Great Big British Quiz (GBBQ), Glitterball: Enteraction TV was the production company behind several extremely popular Play-To-Win quiz show formats in the UK. I produced shows in London, Bristol and Manchester running teams of production personnel and live show crews. The format was embraced by European companies and advanced plans were created to launch shows in Spain Canada and Ireland. Executive Producer Melody Trix: A variation on the GBBQ format was built in Egypt for the Melody network called 'Melody Trix'. Melody Trix was a live interactive Arabic quiz show for the Middle East and North Africa region. The $1 m project included the planning, design and implementation of Interactive platforms for 21 Middle East telephone networks, interactive television gallery, graphics console for vision mixer, on-screen graphics and physical set. I developed a training school for locally recruited crews and presenters, designed show content in Arabic and presentation strategies for the region.

www.HDRI-studio.com was created to push 360 degree image capture technology to its limit and produce the very best and most versatile examples of physical lighting scenarios for 3D rendering. Clients include: Mercedes, Renault, Cadillac, Pioneer.

Collaborating with multi award winning director Mario Cavalli, I was the Director of Photography for 'The Cask of Amontillado' a 15 minute period drama shot on 35mm film.. Twentieth Century Fox was impressed enough with my first DoP project to consider releasing it as a short with Cate Blanchet's 'Elizebeth'. The film earned me membership of BAFTA. The film is currently used in schools throughout the USA as study material for Edgar Allen Poe. I was also Director of Photography for several animated commercials and music videos including Lemon Jelly and Killing Joke.

I have twenty-five years experience creating high-concept, commercial photographic and illustrative images for global distribution through Getty Images and subsidiary companies. I created the best selling European image for 1997-2001, earning over $5m royalties for Getty to date. Financial institutions have been key users of my submissions for Getty Images for over twenty years. This has enabled me to hone conceptual image making skills to develop a first stop service for many clients. I have shot imagery in all of the principal financial districts worldwide and these reflect trends in financial trading as well as image styles.

There is nothing more exciting or rewarding than working on a brief with the team and having that 'Eureka!' moment when you have THE BOSS idea. I have been lucky enough to have been taught by and worked with some of the best and aim to get that 'Eureka' feeling with every project. Commissions include advertising, fashion and product imagery. I am full service, from initial concept to delivery. Clients include: Spyker Cars, Metropolitan Police, BAR Formula One Team (now Mercedes F1), Evian, Sony, Toshiba, Bloomsbury Books, BBC, and award winning work for MTV studios. I have worked with a number of influential figures and Royalty including Sir Jackie Stewart, Bernie Ecclestone and HRH The Prince of Wales.

Concepts, design, artwork and shoot co-ordination of film and televsision title sequences for projects that included 'Chicago Joe and the Showgirl' Working Title, 'We're No Angels' Paramount Pictures. Chicago Joe and the Showgirl was one of the most complex pieces of rostrum camera animation attempted by King Camera at the time. After meticulous preparatiuon it was captured in one shooting session. I lit and directed motion control shoots for TV title sequences for BBC and ITV drama using the motion control rig at Geoff Axtell Associates. The rig was originally designed and built for the SFX sequences in the first Star Wars film 'A New Hope'. Plume Partners was Richard Morrison's (Morrison Studio) first title sequence design company. Richard's wealth of experience, patience and contacts provided a springboard for many personal projects to follow.