Stink Studios, the global creative studio that is part of Stink, is launching a creative collective called Not For Hire (NFH). Comprised of unique and diverse voices–such as artists, photographers, fashion designers, gallerists, musicians, comedy writers, and makers–the collective will offer brands the opportunity to tap into a community of “artists for advertising” to create, develop and execute breakthrough creative. Not For Hire will be led by Stink Studios execs Kunal Muzumdar, managing director; Michael Kushner, ECD; and Isabella Tobiason, director of NFH. Initial clients and projects for the new company will be announced in the coming months. NFH will provide brands with a number of key advantages, including access to a diverse group of talent, new and unexpected perspectives on their business, and a flexible business model that makes it easy to plug NFH into existing marketing plans. It also gives the members of the collective access to brands and opportunities that they wouldn’t normally be a part of. There are currently 20 members in the collective, including:
–Maya Man: An artist focused on contemporary identity culture on the internet. Her websites, generative series, and installations examine dominant narratives around femininity, authenticity, and the performance of self online. She is the creator of the browser extension Glance Back and the Art Blocks curated collection FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT.
–Isabella Lalonde: A New York-based artist & creative director, She founded her label Beepy Bella in 2019. Her unique, whimsical jewelry and accessories have created a lasting impact on the industry, as well as built a cult following through celebrity placements on figures like Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Post Malone, Bad Bunny, Bella Hadid and many more.
–Alex Sovoda: A creative director, filmmaker, and event producer. Most recently earning a Vimeo staff pick for the short film “Compounding Negativity,” which also screened at the NoBudge Festival in NYC. He is the founder and editor-In-chief of Enzo The Magazine, a multi media publication centered on restoring hope in the community.
–Lily Max: A London-based designer. In addition to being the head designer for innovative eyewear brand, A Better Feeling, her design portfolio features collaborations with graffiti artist KATSU and footwear designer Ancuta Sarca, as well as custom pieces for music artists like Rosalia, J Balvin, and Eartheater.
–Yuma Burgess: A Symbolist/London-based sculptor who specializes in crafting timeless objects that merge modern technology with archaic values. Burgess’ work attempts to introduce irrationality or mystery into our increasingly computational world.
Optimus promotes Caralyn Moore to editor
Caralyn Moore has been promoted to editor at Optimus, the production and post house with offices in Chicago and New York. Moore started at Optimus in 2019 as a seasoned assistant editor, next earning the title of senior assistant and now making the jump to editor.
Moore has cut spots for such brands as CDW, Chicago Humanities Festival, Famous Footwear, Hillshire Farm, Walgreens and WW. In addition, she edited the independent feature film All Happy Families, which premiered at the 60th Chicago International Film Festival last fall and is releasing in select AMC Theatres nationwide on September 20.
“Editing is like a big open-ended puzzle, where you only use a fraction of the pieces and there are no right answers (though there are definitely wrong ones),” said Moore. “I love the challenge of finding the right balance of visuals, pacing, music, sound, and information--it’s precarious, it’s challenging, it’s endlessly creative and fun.”
“Caralyn has proven time and again how skilled she is in her craft,” said Angelo Valencia, Optimus managing editor/partner. “Her calming presence always makes you feel you are going to be well taken care of and her attention to detail is second to none. I am so excited for her to showcase her talent for everyone to see.”
Born and raised in Northern Virginia, just outside Washington, DC, Moore was passionate about theater classes at school and making short films with her friends and family. Her love of writing, acting and especially editing, landed her at Northwestern University for film school. Following graduation, Moore spent time in the documentary production world in Washington, DC, and then several years freelance assistant editing back in Chicago.
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