New York-based photographer/director Pari Dukovic brings his far-ranging talents to shoot the Weeknd for the cover story of Variety. Recently signed to bi-coastal creative studio Good Company, Dukovic’s range of portraits for the magazine showcase his atmospheric visual style, and manage to capture the Weeknd’s well-kept mystique while letting his natural charm shine through.
Dukovic worked with the versatile post team at Good Company to create the surreal short film “Battle Tested” to accompany the cover. VFX by Logan Seaman and edit and sound design by Jerry Chia bring a dreamlike quality to the film, in which mirrored clones of singer Abel Tesfaye distort against a melting psychedelic background.
An award-winning photographer who works across the genres of portraiture, fashion and reportage, Dukovic’s work is informed by a fascination with old master painting and renaissance sculpture. His art history background and rigorous technical training fuse with an informal docu-style, resulting in colorful and ethereal images that are distinct characteristics of his work.
Over the past decade, Dukovic’s editorial work has been published in major magazines in the United States and Europe. Most notably, he was the staff photographer for The New Yorker from 2012 to 2018, serving as its main photographer capturing visuals for the magazine’s influential profile features.
On the advertising side, he has been commissioned for campaigns by a wide range of clients, including MAC Cosmetics, Nike, Pepsi, Tiffany, W Hotels, and fashion labels Chanel and Rag & Bone. In the entertainment field, he has worked for Disney, HBO, and Netflix, and in 2018, Dukovic’s photography won the Clio Entertainment Gold Campaign of the Year Award for the groundbreaking FX series Pose.
Dukovic has been transitioning more into motion work since joining Good Company, beginning with his visually poetic campaign for the NYC Ballet, which was shortlisted for Online Commercial of the Year by Shots, and just recently nominated for Editing in a Campaign by The One Show.
Good Company’s co-founder Ryan Heiferman spoke to their new creative alliance. “We met Pari working on an Air Jordan campaign and were instantly drawn to his work. When he came to us to collaborate on the NYC Ballet campaign, it was an awesome challenge to take his unique photographic style and bring it to life on film. Pari’s photography is vivid and poignant. He infuses it with saturated color, movement, and narrative. It’s not surprising that directing comes naturally to him. We’re eager to see him bring his self-assured eye to many projects to come.”
Watch "Battle Tested" below or on YouTube Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qTSG7AU-Qk
