Five Rooms

Well, that was an interesting year. But do not fear, this is not so much a review of 2020, as a look back at the first season of Five Rooms, listening to excerpts from conversations with each of the 10 guests featured in the first series. If you are new to the show, each guest is given 5 rooms to create an imaginary exhibition that tells their story. As guest curators, they have the chance to fill each room with the stories of their lives, the essential tools of their trade and the influences which guided them along the way. For those of you who haven't listened before, I hope this episode gives you a flavour of what Five Rooms is all about, and maybe a little inspiration to check out some of the previous episodes.

Will Foulser is a CG Environment Generalist Supervisor. This may seem like a bit of a mouthful to those outside the visual effects industry, but fundamentally Will's work involves creating beautiful and believable environments for feature film and television at DNEG, one of the world's leading VFX and animation studios. Growing up in South London, Will drew inspiration from a wide range of TV and film, and particularly from his mother’s talents as an accomplished artist. Never settling on one format, he spent his youth experimenting with model-making, photography, film and sketching, enjoying a wide range of ways to express his creativity instincts. After studying Computer Animation at Bournemouth University Will established his career at DNEG working on night shoots to capturing camera data for Joe Cornish’s 2011 hit, ‘Attack the Block’. Since then, he has worked on a wide range of Hollywood blockbusters including ‘Interstellar’, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, ‘Mission Impossible: Fallout’, ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Les Misérables’. Most recently, he has been involved in Christopher Nolan’s 2020 espionage thriller ‘Tenet’. The film, starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, follows an unnamed CIA agent as he embarks on a dangerous time-bending mission to prevent the start of World War III. Beyond the world of film, Will was Environment Supervisor for ‘Chernobyl’, the five-part miniseries co-production from HBO and Sky that dramatises the events of one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history, vividly retelling the story of the sacrifices made to save Europe and its people from unimaginable disaster. The efforts by Will and the DNEG team were recognised at the 71st Creative Arts Emmy Awards with the award for ‘Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role’ for their work on the critically acclaimed series. DNEG’s TV VFX team delivered around 550 visual effects shots for the series that included creating the RBMK-type nuclear reactor building inside and out, developing complex destruction and smoke simulations, and researching and designing never-before-seen shots, including peering into the burning reactor core. Our conversation covers his formative years growing up in Dulwich, the often complicated relationship between Hollywood and the VFX industry, and resisting the temptation to express love to inspirational film makers.

Lauren McCormack is a makeup artist and hair stylist living in London. After a career in TV production, Lauren made the executive decision to retrain in a personal passion of hers to become a full time hair and make up artist. Filled with a replenished spirit, switching paths resulted in a successful career working across multiple disciplines to bring makeup and hair to models, broadcasters and brides. ​Starting her makeup career in fashion and beauty, Lauren has assisted leading artists for publications including US Vogue, Glamour, Twin and Porter magazine. Her own portfolio includes work for brands such as Ted Baker, Matches Fashion and LK Bennett. Outside of fashion and editorial work, Lauren provides hair and makeup styling for pundits and presenters across a variety of sports broadcasting, and in 2019 was part of the ITV Sport team that brought coverage of the memorable Rugby World Cup in Japan. Our discussion covers Lauren's work across broadcast, editorial and bridal hair and makeup, as well as what it is really like to powder the broken noses of rugby legends. LINKS Lauren McCormack Makeup - https://www.laurenmccormackmakeup.com Lauren McCormack Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/laurenmccormackmakeup Bridal Beauty by Lauren - bridalbeautybylauren.com New York Skyline Artist, Krikko Obbott - https://www.krikkoproductions.com

Pamia Coleman is an urban gardener and cooking instructor. She teaches simple and affordable plant-based cooking classes and urban gardening in communities across Philadelphia, PA. Her work is routed in educating people of all ages how to achieve a healthy lifestyle through eating well and being active. In 2016, Pamia Coleman and Latiyanna Tabb founded Black Girls with Green Thumbs. This not-for-profit organisation focuses on urban gardening and community engagement. Through Merkaba Wellness LLC, Pamia teaches how to use fresh and affordable vegan ingredients to create delicious meals for the whole family. I reached out to Pamia earlier this year and she graciously accepted my invitation to record our conversation in August 2020. I very much hope you enjoy our conversation about the art of patience, inspiring young people to eat well and learning to appreciate nature. You can find out more at the Five Rooms website via the link below. Blog Post - http://fiverooms.co.uk/2020/09/01/s1-e8-pamia-coleman-urban-gardener-and-cooking-instructor/ LINKS Black Girls With Green Thumbs - http://blackgirlswithgreenthumbs.org/ BGWGT YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2RhuEyZvIuB0NgTXIuXzsg BGWGT Instagram - http://instagram.com/blackgirlswithgreenthumbs Merkaba Wellness LLC - https://www.facebook.com/MerkabaWellness1/ Paradise Farm Camps - http://www.paradisefarmcamps.org/

Lauren Ray is a singer/songwriter. Lauren has firmly established herself as an independent artist. In 2016, Lauren released her debut album ‘We Will Need Courage’. Recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, the album was released to critical acclaim. Following this release she has toured extensively across the UK and Europe, supporting artists such as Anastacia, Rebecca Ferguson and Paul Carrack. Alongside writing and recording her own creative projects, Lauren has written and collaborated with artists in a variety of genres. Our conversation took place in July 2020, a few months after her second studio album ‘Woman In The Arena’ was released. We cover numerous topics including her early life growing up across Europe, what it takes to find your voice and achieving authenticity in songwriting. LINKS Lauren Ray - Music www.laurenraymusic.com Woman in the Arena (2020) https://ffm.to/womaninthearena We Will Need Courage (2016) https://ffm.to/wewillneedcourage Daring Greatly by Brené Brown https://www.amazon.co.uk/Daring-Greatly-Courage-Vulnerable-Transforms/dp/1592408419 Ted Talk: The Power of Vulnerability by Brené Brown https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability?language=en