Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Meet the creative director and producer

15/09/2022

From reading comics as a kid, to directing feature films and TV projects for Disney, Hasraf HaZ' Dulull details why he loves the creative challenges offered by working in the media industry and why you should never be afraid to fail

By Contributor

Published: September 15, 2022 Updated: September 16, 2022

From reading comics as a kid, to directing feature films and TV projects for Disney, Hasraf HaZ' Dulull details why he loves the creative challenges offered by working in the media industry and why you should never be afraid to fail

target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>

Hasraf HaZ' Dulull creative director and producer at HaZimation Talk us through an average day in your role: Well, I always like to start with going to the gym in the morning and then back at my desk with coffee. I go through emails and then start planning the day, usually dailies with the film production team and then play test the latest build of our games and metaverse projects and do a video capture of my session as I talk though my points and give notes.

After that, I send the link to the team via our internal Discord channel, before getting into designing shots, sequences and gameplay design for our games as well putting pitches together for our next projects. I tend to do a lot of my designing and exploration directly in Unreal Engine, as it's far more effective in communicating the shot composition, camera language, lens and tone, then that rough pre-vis can be taken way further with the talented artists I collaborate with.

From 5pm onwards, I tend to catch up with the execs in LA on current and projects in development.

How did you get started in the media industry? I started off in video games back in 1998 when I was still at City University in London; I did a one year placement at a games company called Deibus Studios working on games like Motocross Mania, and doing anything and everything I could learn about 3D, animation etc. Then from there I ended up working at various games companies including Codemasters and Kuju Entertainment doing game cinematics.

Around 2005 I decided to stop mimicking filmmaking in video games (little did I know I would be doing exactly that in 2020!) and go into film VFX as a compositor at companies like MPC, Passion Pictures, Partizan and then became a visual effects supervisor working on set and in studio on feature films and TV shows, before becoming a VFX producer.

I was also creating my own short films, before being approached by Hollywood agents and Managers. One short - Project Kronos - landed me a manager in Hollywood as well as a film development deal. After several writing development deals with studios like Fox and Paramount, I decided to produce and direct my first feature film - THE BEYOND (edited and post entirely in Davinci Resolve) which ended up being released by Gravitas Ventures in 2018 and was number two in the iTunes charts next to Bladerunner 2049 and Wonder Woman! This led to me directing my second feature film, 2036 Origin Unknown with the lovely Katee Sackhoff. I then got hired by Disney to helm the pilot and episodes on the mini-series FAST LAYNE.

I then set up the production company HaZimation with my business partner Paula Crickard, and we are now busy producing our own IP in animated feature films, video games and metaverse content. Today, we're in post production on our animated feature film, RIFT.

What training did you have before entering the industry? I spent a lot of time as a kid reading comics and playing video games and reading tons of material. I always loved learning new things, but I didn't have any formal training in using 3D apps or photoshop or editing. I learnt those myself at home doing little projects and then showing them to people before eventually reading content online in VFX and CG forums, receiving feedback on my work and reading tons of tutorials in magazines and websites.

Why do you enjoy working in the industry? There's a million reasons why I love working in this industry, but the main one is that every day is a new creative challenge to tell exciting stories, and I get to collaborate with different people all the time. When you meet those people at events, it feels like we are all connected in what seems like a small world and yet a huge industry!

What piece of advice would you offer someone looking to explore a role similar to yours? The big advice I would give is to stop talking about wanting to make films or games and just do it!

There is no reason why you technically couldn't make something today, because we have amazing tools like Unreal Engine and DaVinci Resolve that are free to download and use, there is so much knowledge by amazing content creators out there on YouTube etc. Added to this, the hardware is more affordable than ever - and hell, you can even shoot a 4K movie on your iPhone!

The other advice is don't be afraid to fail. I have failed tons of times creatively, technically and even business decisions, but at the end of the day you learn from those experiences and makes you even stronger and better at what you do.
LINK: https://www.tvbeurope.com/production-post/meet-the-creative-director-a...
See more stories from tvb

More from TVB Europe

05/12/2023

Eurovision, The Traitors, Queen Elizabeth's funeral honoured at RTS Craft & Design Awards

The Outstanding Achievement Award was given to Justine Evans, director of photog...

05/12/2023

Case study: Behind the scenes at Catch Me if You Can

nxo Noya Castro, technical director, Voz Audiovisual, reveals how technology from Blackmagic Design helps produce the Spanish game show By Contributor Publis...

05/12/2023

Meet the VP, media operations

By TVBEurope Staff Published: December 5, 2023 Brian Kenworthy, VP, media operations TMT Insights, breaks the first rule of Fight Club as he tells TVBEurop...

05/12/2023

Linear broadcasters prevail: Sky, TNT Sports win Premier League rights

The Amazon experiment is no more and with no further new players entering the market, linear broadcasters prevail ushering in a new era, analyst Paolo Pescatore...

04/12/2023

TVBEurope December 2023 issue out now

TVBEuropes final issue of 2023 talks to the director of Aardmans latest film, meets Telestream CEO Rhonda Bassett-Spiers, and investigates the latest developmen...

04/12/2023

UK government threatens to renege on 2022 licence fee agreement

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said the current forecast of a rise of around 9 per cent, or £15, is a lot of money and that is one of the things that we are cons...

04/12/2023

Varnish Software appoints Fredrik Borg as CEO

Borg has previously held roles at Nordic telecom infrastructure provider, Global Connect and multinational telecom firm, Telenor, where he led its operations fo...

01/12/2023

Viaplay details rescue plan

The launch of today's recapitalisation package brings us closer to the conclusion of what has been a very difficult period for the company and its stakehold...

01/12/2023

Gravity Media makes key appointments at White City production centre

R is n McKeniry has joined as head of technology, while Paul Sykes has been appointed chief facility engineer (Westworks Project) By Jenny Priestley Publishe...

30/11/2023

The future of video quality has AI written all over it

Yoann Hinard, COO at Witbe, looks at how AI has the potential to transform the video industry in various ways, including real-time video quality evaluation and ...

30/11/2023

Film & TV Charity shines spotlight on below-the-line talent ahead of toughest winter in its 100 year history'

According to the Charity, an unprecedented set of circumstances is leaving many ...

30/11/2023

The trends of 2023: Camera robotics

By TVBEurope Staff Published: November 30, 2023 Updated: December 1, 2023 Paddy Taylor, head of broadcast, MRMC, talks to TVBEurope about the adoption of...

30/11/2023

Jigsaw24 Media shuffles exec team ahead of busy 2024'

David Skeggs has been appointed technical and operations director, while Jason Cowan moves to managing director By Jenny Priestley Published: November 30, 20...

29/11/2023

Production powerhouse Banijay launches sport division

The new sports-focused division will not venture into broadcast and streaming rights, said the company By Jenny Priestley Published: November 29, 2023 The...

29/11/2023

Brompton Technology promotes Adam Callaway to lead global virtual production and broadcast activity

Callaway, formerly technical solutions manager, will spearhead Bromptons initiat...

29/11/2023

Deadline extended: TVBEurope Media and Entertainment: Best in Market 2023 awards

Companies now have until midnight on Tuesday 5 December to submit their products and solutions for consideration By TVBEurope Staff Published: November 29, ...

28/11/2023

TVBEurope Media and Entertainment: Best in Market 2023 awards still time to enter

The Media & Entertainment: Best in Market awards recognise the very best product...

27/11/2023

Meet the senior director of international field engineering

By TVBEurope Staff Published: November 27, 2023 Updated: November 28, 2023 Chris Fellows, senior director of international field engineering at Zixi, tel...

27/11/2023

Techex appoints new CEO

Scott Kewleys appointment will see Richard Bailey move to the role of chief product and technology officer By Jenny Priestley Published: November 27, 2023 ...

24/11/2023

The need for collaboration in the global media industry

Writing exclusively for TVBEurope, media analyst Paolo Pescatore takes a look at the partnership between BT and Telstra Broadcast Services, and explains why com...

24/11/2023

Plimsoll Productions cooks up sustainable power for latest Ainsley Harriott series

Shooting for approximately 7-hours a day, including set-up, three NXTGENbps Goat...

23/11/2023

The changing face of the video industry

If there's one thing that's certain in the video industry, it's that nothing stays the same for long, so providers must also embrace a change in ste...

23/11/2023

Report: Doctor Who regenerates investment in Wales' creative sector

Across the UK, Doctor Who production activities generated £256 million since the show was relaunched, finds the report By Jenny Priestley Published: November...

23/11/2023

UK TV and film industry reacts to Autumn Statement

Organisations including the UK Screen Alliance, British Film Commission, BFI and Bectu have reacted to Jeremy Hunts plan to provide more additional tax relief f...

23/11/2023

Rise announces second UK mentoring cohort of 2023

The organisation said it has been able to deliver the programme twice in 2023 due to demand as well as additional sponsorship By Jenny Priestley Published: N...

22/11/2023

Warner Bros Discovery launches UK's first production led on-site training centre

CrewHQ aims to help develop talent, retain crew and create a diverse, skilled wo...

21/11/2023

Broadcast graphics: a great career MOOV

By TVBEurope Staff Published: November 21, 2023 Perry Litman, graphics operator at MOOV, has worked in post production environments for some of the industr...

21/11/2023

Oriol Icart rejoins TVU Networks as director of technical operations for EMEA

He rejoins the company after spending the last two years at betev By Jenny Priestley Published: November 21, 2023 He rejoins the company after spending t...

20/11/2023

UK screen sector collaborates on new Skills Task Force

The new initiative, backed by Bectu, is being developed to address skills development across the creative industries By TVBEurope Staff Published: November 2...

20/11/2023

DTG releases new FAST handbook

The FAST Forward handbook has been created to provide guidance on the free ad-supported TV (FAST) environment By TVBEurope Staff Published: November 20, 202...

16/11/2023

Industry partnerships accelerate AI-augmented video streaming

Partnerships between video streaming ecosystem experts are key to fostering innovation, writes Alain Pellen, senior manager, OTT and IPTV solutions, at Harmonic...

16/11/2023

Vizrt appoints global channel general manager

The company has hired Marco Kraak as its general manager, global channel to unlock the full portfolio potential for Vizrt's partners around the world By TV...

16/11/2023

Haivision partners with Grabyo on live multi-camera cloud production

Haivision's video contribution solutions will stream synchronised ultra-low latency video to the Grabyo cloud production platform By TVBEurope Staff Pub...

16/11/2023

Meet the solution area expert

Jonathan Smith, solution area expert, cloud at Net Insight, talks us through spending his career trying to make products fly By TVBEurope Staff Published: No...

15/11/2023

Shinfield Studios nears completion

Thirteen soundstages are now in operation, with the 1 million sq ft studio complex due to complete during the first quarter of 2024 By TVBEurope Staff Publis...

15/11/2023

GatesAir adds to CALA sales team

The company appoints Carlos Lira Valdez to its CALA (Central America, Caribbean and Latin America) sales team By TVBEurope Staff Published: November 15, 2023...

15/11/2023

ISE 2024 to highlight technologies shaping the future of broadcast

ISE 2024 takes place at the Fira Barcelona Gran Via from 30 Jan - 2 Feb 2024. This special 20th anniversary edition is set to be the biggest yet, as ISE celebra...

14/11/2023

NBA team broadcasts AR graphics from handheld camera

Portland Trail Blazers become first NBA team to broadcast augmented reality graphics from a handheld camera By TVBEurope Staff Published: November 14, 2023 ...

14/11/2023

BBC Studios appoints digital and on-demand director

Kasia Jablonska has been moved up to director of digital and on-demand for EMEA at BBC Studios By TVBEurope Staff Published: November 14, 2023 Kasia Jablo...

13/11/2023

FilmLight Colour Awards winners announced

The 2023 FilmLight Colour Award winners were announced by jury president Lawrence Sher, ASC, at a ceremony during EnergaCAMERIMAGE in Poland yesterday By TVBE...

13/11/2023

AIB reveals 2023 awards winners at London gala

Sir Michael Palin, Clive Myrie, and the BBCs coverage of the war in Ukraine among winners of the 2023 awards By TVBEurope Staff Published: November 13, 2023 ...

10/11/2023

Avid CEO Jeff Rosica announces plans to retire

Announcement comes days after STG completed its $1.4B acquisition of the company By Tom Butts Published: November 10, 2023 Announcement comes days after S...

10/11/2023

Stage Fifty forms strategic partnership with Universal Production Services, looks to expand into Spain

The company is exploring new opportunities and structuring crew incentives to at...

10/11/2023

Amagi to acquire Tellyo's business

In bringing together Tellyo's product development centre in Poland and its own technology centres in India and Croatia, Amagi said it expects to drive cloud...

09/11/2023

Establishing the visual language of Apple's The Buccaneers

Cinematographer Oliver Curtis tells Jenny Priestley how he went about shooting and lighting Apple TVs adaptation of Edith Whartons novel, and how he drew inspir...

09/11/2023

The importance of mentoring at every career level and stage

With statistics suggesting half of women will leave tech-based businesses by age 35, UpliftHER aims to help women elevate their careers by learning together, co...

09/11/2023

And, action! Production to resume following end of Hollywood strikes

SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, has reached a tentative agreement on a three year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture Television Producers (AMPTP) after weeks...

08/11/2023

Bectu calls for UK government to put its money where its mouth is' in supporting creative industries

Head of Bectu calls on UK government to announce measures to help the UKs creati...

08/11/2023

STG completes Avid acquisition

The deal was approved by Avid stockholders on 2nd November By Jenny Priestley Published: November 7, 2023 Updated: November 8, 2023 The deal was approve...

08/11/2023

2023 Rise Awards winners revealed

Annual awards celebrate inspirational women and companies who are stand-out performers, innovators and leaders in the global broadcast media technology industry...