The View South shot the great Weylin videos featuring on our home page and social media. It was great to work with them and the results went beyond the expected, so here they are: Manuela Iglesias and Richard Szkiler.
We had the chance to sit down for a few minutes and talk to Richard about their craft and film making adventures! Here’s an excerpt of the interview.
The Company
The View South was founded by Richard Szkiler in April 2011 as a travel video production and creative advertising agency uniquely tailored for the luxury travel industry. Travel and video are instilled into the company’s DNA by offering a creative skill set in all dimensions; be it a luxury hotel, brand, a company, a service or a specific documentary project. Everyone has a story and it’s The View South’s job to deliver that story on screen.
“We keep our client base small and operate exclusively in the Luxury Hotel and Travel market, this is to ensure we can offer a personalized service with long lasting relationships. Our high quality videos are matched by our exclusive service.”
When did you start working on video shoots and editing?
For as long as I can remember as a child I was always fascinated and intrigued by film. I started video editing for fun when I was 14. I entered the professional world whilst at University, so I would say as a profession well over 10 years now.
Did you always know you wanted to make a film making career?
It may seem like my first answer answers this question, however I did not always intend for a career in filmmaking. My father has a classic car business and I’ve always had an interest in cars. I studied graphic design before film. In a way film chose me, my key passions tend to pull me into the filming world. It wasn’t until I lived in Buenos Aires at the age of 21 and created our company, The View South, when I realized this was where I truly wanted to be. I discovered my love for travel and filmmaking, it was always there but in Buenos Aires I found it.
Can you try to describe the process you need to take in order to understand what you are going to communicate and how you connect with the message?
Unlike some other professionals we have no fixed process and what works for one may not work for the other. Personally, I sometimes find it difficult to explain the process. Its comparable to a natural instinct. You really need to feel the story you want to tell, be it a place, a person perhaps a combination of both. I make a connection with every project we make and my own feelings are also reflected back in the finished film. My wife and partner Manuela has what I call an emotional and detailed intelligence so in that sense we complement each other really well, she adds the human element which is so important to convey emotions.
Tell us a few words about your experience as a film maker with Weylin.
Weylin is a truly spectacular place that captures you from the moment you step foot inside it, the feeling increases the more time you spend there. It is so much more than a building! I remember seeing the majestic cupola on the New York skyline , it brings me a warm feeling. I can only imagine how those people that get married there think about it. Its a truly a spectacle of time, forever creating memories that will never be forgotten.
Of course, the team share this love and respect for the building, this is why it was so enjoyable to capture all the details and grandeur where everything is looked after to perfection. It’s a pleasure to be a part of Weylin, whenever there is a place of history and true beauty it encapsulates you.
Are you a movie aficionado?
I’m a big movie fan! There are so many great stories told in movies both fiction and non fiction. Creating and watching movies lets us be children again!
Who’s your favorite director and why?
I don’t have a particular favorite but there are certainly many directors which I really appreciate. Firstly would be Dziga Vertovi from the 1920s he is one of the first pioneers to start documenting and filming. He was the inventor to make the first ever fast motion, slow motion, jump cut, extreme close up, tracking shots and so on. Coincidentally he was born in same small Polish city as my grandad, I’d like to think there is a family connection down the line somewhere!
For more Current directors, some of Christopher Nolan’s recent work are nothing short of a masterpieces. Like myself, he is British and a big Star Wars fan. I believe he was rejected from the British Film Institutions , but he never gave up, very admirable. Also Stanley Kubrick’s work and how he plays with symmetry and subjective meanings in his films. I am also a great admirer of Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas. Lastly I should mention Robert De Niro he is more well known for his acting but his directing in ‘A Bronx Tale’ is fantastic; it’s my favorite New York film.
Thank you The View South! It was a pleasure for us to work with you as well.
To see more work please visit theviewsouth.com