Today we’d like to introduce you to Shaina Hedlund.
Hi Shaina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always had a love of movies since I was little so studied and received my BFA in Interior Design in hopes of one day working in the industry. Eventually, I slowly started researching for local productions filming in the area on craigslist because I didn’t know how to get started. Answering the production calls for volunteered time led to me finding out that there was a film industry in Texas that I never knew existed. Slowly working many…many free gigs led to getting various positions in the art department on low budget/indie films, which then led to me slowly gaining more confidence in my work to progress into union projects and larger budget films. I started set dressing, buying and did some slight decorating with in the Set Decoration department which I loved being hands on and active in my what I did every day. Each day was never the same and the vast ever-changing sets, design and movement of the department made me love doing my job even more. The film industry is no joke and it is beyond the hard work I even considered it to be.
Lots of dedication, long hours, strenuous builds and at some points very very fast-paced…but I love it. I knew I wanted to be more involved in the look & design of the film so eventually I pushed to gain experience in graphic design, which I taught myself as well as did photography on the side, and it has given me the opportunities that I have been striving to achieve. I worked as much as I could to gain more and more experience and chances to improve to my skills and I’ve been lucky enough for it to pay off. I’ve had amazing opportunities to work with very talented artisans, designers, and fellow graphic artists to now be asked to be lead graphics for shows with Amazon, HBO, and Netflix. I feel very lucky that I have had superiors, friends and family that believe in my skills and support me in my avenues that I truly love so much. It is a dream to see my work on the big screen and I feel even more proud that my family can see my name in credits and feel proud of the work I’ve been able to produce. To be a working artist in something I’m passionate about has always been my dream. I’m very thankful for the opportunities that have come my way. I truly feel lucky as I didn’t think I would be able to come back in the industry after being told I needed a pancreas transplant almost five years ago. To be able to survive my illness, a transplant and recovery and still have the drive and support to come back into the industry when I didn’t think was possible and to succeed in the growth of my goals has been an amazing gift.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t always been an easy path. The hours of our industry keep us from a lot of personal things and life events. We are working so hard to change! There are always obstacles in the way and some that try to detour your goals but I believe that if you are yourself, work hard, improve your skills, continue to learn. Others can truly sense when you are being true to yourself, work hard and have the passion that is recognized and you can be unstoppable.
One of my main struggles actually came from a disease I was born with. It hindered me with having constant pain or sickness daily that I hid a lot from others. I’ve been in and out of the hospital since I was 15 and it just became normal. Ended up by age 28 being diagnosed with severe pancreatitus that had gotten so bad my pancreas was slowly not functioning and it truly wasn’t a way to continue on with such pain everyday that slowly became unbearable. At age 29, I went into transplant and it changed everything. My outlook, my drive, my passion, knowing what is important and what to stand up for. It changed for the good even though it was one of the hardest things for me to go through. I survived something that I didn’t think I would and it changed my mindset forever.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I concentrate more on graphic design and illustration but doing photography is also a strong passion of mine in my spare time, with what spare time I can find, haha. I think I’m more a jack of all trades and love to learn new skills constantly and just love creating in general. I constantly have a notebook going of artwork to create or ideas that I sketch out (I have probably hundreds of post-its all over the place and hidden as well). I think one of my most proud moments was winning within the Ron Howard’s Project Imagination contest. I took my mom to New York for the event. I also feel the most proud when my family calls me and tells me they watched, and actually liked, one of the shows I’ve worked on. I think my laughter sets me apart and the fact that I really love meeting new people and just getting to know them rather then just think of them as a coworker. I love to laugh and have a good experience within a job that is truly very hard. It helps us make it through these long days and hectic work requests.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I’m hoping within the next 5-10 years, we can create a more feasible work environment for the crew. We all have a strong passion for our jobs and honestly we have some of the most skilled craftsmen in our industry, but we struggle with not having the time outside of work to rest, see our family, travel and just have that downtime to do things we crave outside of work. Because our crews work so closely together and together for so many hours, we become a family. It’s nice to have that aspect with the closeness you can create in this magical world of cinema and to see what we can all create together is truly amazing. It is one of the gifts that you can create these bonds with people from all over.
Contact Info:
- Website: shainahedlund.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shainahedlundart/?hl=en
Image Credits
Shaina Hedlund
Models: Lauryn Holmquist, Sara Hiromi, Blake Panter, & Vera Claeys
