NOVEMBER | FEATURE
An interview with Artem’s CEO Mike
Kelt
How did Artem get started?
There are a few players in our
space of special fx, but we tend to
cover it all, while most companies
are more specialist. When we
first set up, we wanted a proper
workshop space. We came from
the BBC, which had a high-quality
space, and if you work on jobs
where people want things the
following day it’s practical to have
a proper workshop. Sometimes, in
our line of work, the lead time is
the same day and we have to make,
for example, a snowflake and ship
it abroad from Heathrow Airport.
We used to be a third
commercials, a third tv, now we do
more events work, and would like
to do more. Commericals’ budgets
have dropped a lot overall. Some
companies even shoot them on
iPhones deliberately.
What does the client relationship
look like with Artem?
One half of you is working out
how to do the job, the other is
listening to what they want. Most
of the client’s production team
might have an idea, or a drawing,
but almost always we redraw it, as
it will have to be a 3-dimensional
product that people, or a camera,
will rotate around. Even a sketch
from the side and front often
doesn’t work from a practical point
of view.
So you often lead the creative
process?
The Barologist Bar, a recent
Leith-based bar/venue project
we worked on, included us
constructing a full-sized figure
who was based on a real person
from an old Victorian book. We
don’t have a house style, but the
client does. In this case, they gave
us free reign and they kept an eye
Giving the
industry its props
Access toured the weird and wonderful headquarters of
Artem, a special FX company bringing Hollywood quality
props to the event market
on the project. We would regularly
take photos and they would give
feedback, and enjoyed seeing it
come together.
We worked on Holiday On Ice
recently, which also has a house
style, and we came up with a
practical answer to what they
want in terms of large props. When
working on the Olympic Opening
Ceremony, we had a lot of people
making props of various sizes,
but in that case it was up to the
production designer to ensure
consistency.
Working on The Olympics
Opening Ceremony was such an
adrenaline rush, and we did so
much in such a short space of time.
People here thought I was mad.
We had marquees in our yard, and
everyone was working flat out.
How do your touring projects
work creatively?
Coldplay, for example, will
employ someone they know to
direct the visual side of the show,
they’ll know which songs will
be played, then they’ll discuss
concepts, and come to us to ask
how the ideas can work, and
if they are even possible. Take
That’s bike that flew above the
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