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Date: 7/19/2022
EASTHAMPTON – The cyclorama wall inside the new film and photo rental studio in room 2E on 3 Ferry St. in Easthampton is vast and vibrant and full of ample opportunity.
In still photography and video production, a cyclorama wall – also referred to as a “cyc wall” – is a curtain background stretched tight in an arc with seamless corners. They are used by photographers and directors who want neutral and endless-looking backgrounds that let them focus exclusively on their subjects.
The particular cyc wall in studio 2E accompanies a grid lighting system, as well as some apartment-like qualities such as a small lounge area, a kitchen, a bathroom and a television. The welcoming serenity of it all only grows more majestic when one looks out the window and sees a fountain sprouting from the Lower Mill Pond.
Much like the cyc wall, there are infinite opportunities for success for Banjo Vanovav and Laura Whiteley, the two multi-faceted artists who opened the film and photo rental studio in 2E, also known as Vano Studios. They officially opened it in the beginning of June to simultaneously provide a space for other artists while continuing their own work under Vano Projects, which is their independent entertainment company that produces high-quality films, commercials, branded content and music videos.
“Vano Studios is a rental studio where we can do our work, but also other creatives locally can come in and do photography, film stuff, branded content, interviews…whatever they feel like they want to do,” said Whiteley.
For both artists, the space is a more affordable outlet for creatives to collaborate and take advantage of a growing arts scene in Hampshire County. As artists who used to work in New York and Boston, Whiteley and Vanovav understand the financial burden a larger city can have on artists. “Some people don’t want to go down to New York City and spend $6,000 for a studio rental,” said Whiteley. We want to offer a space here where people can have access to some of the technology and high-quality things that are available in cities … where it’s less [money] here and you don’t have to travel.”
Background
According to Vanovav, Vano Studios essentially operates as an expansion of Vano Projects. The entertainment company itself has been functioning for close to 10 years, but the official LLC was established in 2018 when Vanovav and Whiteley officially met.
“Vano Projects was the first company, and that’s the actual production work where we make our films, commercials, music videos, things like that,” said Whiteley, adding that they also assist with the gathering of marketing materials for businesses.
Aside from their own film projects, the producer/director duo has had the pleasure of working with notable clients like Universal Music Group, Atlantic Records, Bon Jovi, and the Disney Channel, as well as other burgeoning artists like Cambridge’s Millyz and Detroit’s Kash Doll.
“People always tell us we should have more of a niche thing … like, ‘Just do music videos,’ or ‘Just do commercials’ … but we do a lot of different things,” Whiteley continued. “Our primary thing is video, but occasionally when we do brand stuff, we can do photos too.”
Aside from the studio and entertainment company, the duo also operates an independent publishing company called Small Sleeps Publishing, which currently features Whiteley’s own book that she wrote during the (coronavirus) pandemic, “Today I am a Lion.”
The myriad projects and opportunities have made Whiteley and Vanovav a jack-of-all-trades as creators, as they plan to use their connections and experiences to make the Easthampton studio a lasting place for endless possibilities.
How both became artists
Vanovav moved to the United States from Bosnia when he was a young child and grew up in Portland, ME. He remembered having a love for drawing and movies early on, but as an immigrant moving to a different part of the world, the expectations were for him to venture in a more conservative route.
“When your family is like, ‘You’re going to be a doctor or an engineer, that’s just how it is in the immigrant community,” said Vanovav, adding that art was never forbidden in his family, but rather seen as a hobby. “You sort of say, ‘alright, being a [creative] is not realistic, I’m not going to do that.”
By the time he was 20, however, Vanovav officially decided that he wanted to be a lifelong creative. At the time, he was studying physical therapy, but he soon realized that was not the path for him.
“I bought my first camera on a credit card, and I just started filming everything,” he said. “I just went out and created my own style, and then after that, I went to art school.”
As a result, many of Vanovav’s own directorial projects reflect some of the experiences he has faced. He is currently working on a film that follows an immigrant teenager growing up in a different culture.
The film is called “Bunny,” which also represents a Serbian nickname.
“It’s not that [Vanovav’s family] was not supportive, it’s just that there really wasn’t a place for expression because it was just about survival,” said Whiteley. “And now with the situation they’re in, [film] is a place to really share his story and find a way to express the insane things they went through.”
Whiteley, meanwhile, grew up in Western Massachusetts, attended Holyoke Community College and then the University of Massachusetts Amherst. At the same time she was in business school, she was already driving to Boston every week to complete acting classes, while also being part of a model agency.
She ended up moving to Boston and began working at Red Sky Studios, which is a giant soundstage that works with clients like Nike, Reebok and TB12, and even provided gaffers to work on movies like “Little Women” and 2021 Best Picture winner, “CODA.” It was here where she developed a love for production.
“I was just managing the office, but just seeing how every day is different, your constantly meeting new people … it was all really exciting,” said Whiteley. “I felt like production in general was the perfect balance of the business side and being able to be involved on the creative aspects. And it still allowed me to do the acting.”
Whiteley eventually met Vanovav through a mutual friend at her job who asked her to produce a music video with Vanovav. “We actually shot [the video] here in Easthampton right before they renovated this [3 Ferry St.] building,” said Whiteley. “It’s kind of full circle that we literally shot our first project together here, and now four years later we have our own studio.”
The future
Whiteley and Vanovav believe that they have opened this studio during an opportune time, where arts and film scene in Massachusetts is more fruitful than it has ever been. After dealing with the early stages of COVID-19, the duo decided to move to Hampshire County to focus on their script writing and develop the studio.
“Since I’ve left [the Pioneer Valley] and come back, it has blown up,” said Whiteley. “The arts and culture industry are definitely blossoming.”
While movies and television shows have found a home in Eastern Massachusetts, including the aforementioned “CODA,” Vanovav and Whiteley are hoping their new studio in the Pioneer Valley can contribute to the growing arts scene in the western part of the state.
“There are people here who want to create, but there’s not the space available to do it,” said Whiteley. “And I think that’s why you see a lot of people here do outdoor photography and outdoor filmmaking. It’s great, we do that too, but it’s also because there’s not spaces like this available yet.”
The duo also hopes to conduct workshops to teach people about the equipment and allow them to be more comfortable with working in that type of studio setting. However, Whiteley and Vanovav would like to keep the space ambiguous, overall.
Aside from those workshops, Whiteley said there is a possibility to assist people with their modeling by conducting classes as an alternative for more expensive classes elsewhere in bigger cities. The duo would also like to collaborate with local businesses on marketing tools.
“I think where bringing a lot of experiences and resources from our time in the cities, but on a scale that’s affordable to people who are just curious and want to learn more, or people who have been doing something for years and just want to be in this environment,” said Whiteley. “I’m curious to see what starts coming through the door.”
While they develop their vision for the studio, Whiteley and Vanovav will continue to form connections in the community while simultaneously working on their own creative endeavors. For example, they have a new film shot in Northampton called “New Shoes” directed by Vanovav and Thommy Kane that is currently going through the festival circuit. They are hoping to have screening dates by September. They also plan on shooting another film around here in August.
“Our primary goal at the end of the day is we want to be doing film stuff, but in that, I feel like every project we work on, we just keep building this arsenal of really great people we’re working with,” said Whiteley.
“Our goal is to transition into narrative and documentary films, and then build Vano Projects as a agency where we can bring on other directors and producers to be a part of a creative team,” said Vanovav. “The biggest reason why we wanted this space was to get out into the community to get to know other people and develop a creative community. And if this studio succeeds…that’s a bonus.”
People can learn more about Vano Projects and Vano Studios by visiting their website, https://www.vanoprojects.com/. They can also reach out if they would like to rent the space.