For the first-of-its-kind four-part series The Foundation of Belleza (beauty), from Sephora, Digitas, and NBCUniversal, bicoastal Union Editorial assembled a team of post-production pros worthy of the show’s subjects: beauty brand owners Babba Rivera, Desiree Verdejo, Carina Chaz, and Adrienne Bailon-Houghton (who also hosts the series). Union’s Daniel Luna served as Supervising Editor, with Nadine Mueller and Eleanor Infante each cutting one episode. Otto Mertins edited the trailers for each episode. Sister post shop Hunter handled Telecine via colorist Carolyn Woods and the contribution of VFX Artist Mannix Rickenbacher. Also at Hunter, Sound Design for the series was done by Milos Zivkovic.
The Foundation of Belleza is helmed by award-winning writer, director, and Dominican Republic native Gabriela Ortega and produced in collaboration with NBCUniversal’s Creative Partnerships, Digitas, and creative studio Ventureland. The series began streaming exclusively on Peacock shortly before Thanksgiving.
“What I love the most about filmmaking is collaboration, and when it comes to post, communication and openness is key,” said Ortega. “Working with such experienced, creative and honestly fun teams at Union and Hunter made this project not only creatively fulfilling but allowed us to deliver at the highest level. I am also very proud of and happy with my collaboration with Daniel Luna, our supervising editor. Working with someone culturally connected to the project was key to setting the tone of the whole series. This series needed representation in front of and behind the camera, and I was grateful to have Latine leadership in the edit room so that we could lend the project the sensitivities it deserved.”
In the series, Bailon-Houghton takes viewers on a journey to glean the wisdom passed down through Latine generations and discover the meaning of belleza. She interviews Babba Rivera, Founder/CEO of Ceremonia in New York City and Los Angeles; Desiree Verdejo, Founder/CEO of multicultural skincare brand Hyper Skin; Carina Chaz, Founder/CEO of fragrance company Dedcool. Bailon-Houghton is also featured throughout the series with her apparel, handbag, and jewelry brand, LA VOÛTE.
“This was my first collaboration with Gabi, and we really clicked,” said Luna, whose recent work includes the Save Our Water campaign starring Niecy Nash and Danny Trejo; he is currently editing Honda for Nate Edwards/Orci. “Docs are about finding the story; it begins with examining tons of raw material, then finding the throughline. Adrienne was a fantastic host and catalyst of these conversations about themes of beauty culture and rituals in Latine culture, transmitted through the stories of these entrepreneurs.”
“Documentary is very unpredictable and by the time we get into the edit, we have the opportunity to rewrite the story from scratch,” Ortega concurred. “This project was an ambitious one and it demanded the best of everyone involved. I am so excited for future collaborations with these incredible teams.”
