Welcome to Showcase Italy, brought to you by Production Paradise. This issue features some of the leading creatives and companies working out of Italy.

More creative professionals and facilities for photographic and film production are available in our Rome (Photo / Film) and Milan (Photo / Film) directories.

Brands and publications including Fila, Armani, Shell, H&M, Hendrick's, Booking.com, Vogue, Givenchy, Nissan, Louis Vuitton, Elle, Porsche, and Max Mara, among others, have trusted these professionals with their latest advertising campaigns and editorial shoots.

Be sure to catch our recommended virtual event:

• #IoRestoACasa with Luce Cinecittà. Over 70 000 videos and 400 000 photographs in the fields of cinema, arts, history, politics, sports and more are available to view at HD from all devices. You may find Italian and international cinema masterpieces, documentaries on the history of Italian art, backstage footage from Italian movies and much more. 

We invite you to check the initiative, 100 FOTOGRAFI PER BERGAMO, form a group of Italian photographers, who collaborate to raise funds for the intensive care unit of the Pope John XXIII Hospital in Bergamo, the city with the most fatal cases of the epidemic in Italy.

Our cover image was shot by Mert & Marcus and produced by Amazed by.

Ten Artist is a production agency based in Milan, available for projects throughout Europe and offering full services including production budget management, location research and scouting, photo studio, light and digital equipment organisation, casting director, set design and props research, catering, crew and logistics coordination.

Clients include Emporio Armani, Armani Junior, Cesare Paciotti, Max Mara Studio, Rebecca Gioielli, Sisley Young, Goldenpoint, Corneliani, CC Collection, Pal Zileri, Lab Pal Zileri, Golden Lady, Fratelli Rossetti, Atelier Notify, D-Exterior, Frette, Violanti, Havaianas, Svevo, Met Jeans, La Perla and Filodoro.

With more than 10 years of experience in international productions, Lule Production is a full service company based in Italy with a focus on photography as a commercial medium.

The company manages all aspects of a production, from accommodation to specifc location scouting. Finding the best models for a shoot is also a speciality.

For each production the company chooses only the best and most qualifed professional freelancers, creating a team of professionals that works in unison. A successful combination of advertising and fashion is its hallmark.

Valeria Orlando is a beauty director, make-up artist and hair stylist with over 25 years of experience working for fashion, advertising, editorials and catwalk events.

Valeria also is the owner of vormakeup.com. Eight V)Or Make-up Academies are located across Italy: Milan, Verona, Spoleto, Rome, Ostia, Naples, Salerno and Taranto. Her goal is to open at least one V)Or Academy per-region in Italy and to make her products known throughout Europe, Russia, Asia and the US.

Valeria will continue her International Masterclass series next in St. Petersburg and Doha. From April 2020, V)Or Makeup will be distributed in the Swiss market.

Valeria is based in Milan but travels throughout the world to locations including Rome, Berlin, Paris, and New York City. In February and March 2020, she was a key artist and sponsor with her V)Or Make-up at Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week FW20.

Valeria speaks Italian, English, Spanish and Portuguese fluently. Honesty and passion are the distinctive elements of her approach, and she continually works on her professional development to improve her knowledge about new techniques in the cosmetic industry.

Azzurra is a fashion, beauty and portrait photographer and high-end retoucher based between Milan and London, working as freelance for fashion and beauty brands, companies, music bands and magazines. Visual communication has always been a crucial aspect of her work. She aims to create emotions for the brand by using storytelling in a dynamic balance with beauty.

Azzurra collaborates with luxury brands such as Carolina Herrera, Cotril, Miamo, Youth Milano, Levi’s, Wella, Zalando, Dimensione Danza, Braccialini, Sturlini, Helvita Suisse, Graziella, Ugg, Ascot Sport, Angelo Marani, Mano Swartz, Reda Occhiali, Selvatica Wear, Copenhagen Fur, Bramante, Saga Fur, Arezzo Wave, Afyda Antara, Pitti, Flower Couture, and many others.

She has a long list of awards and important publications, including the Prix de la Photographie de Paris (PX3), the International Photography Award (IPA), Vogue Italia and Elle, to name just a few. Some of her images are part of the new talent collection of Art + Commerce and Vogue Italia, and identify her as a talent to be discovered.

1806 Agency is a creative representation agency and production house, based in Italy but operating worldwide. 

''With 20 years of experience we are a benchmark in photography, CGI, animation and motion graphic and video commercial.

We are in continuous evolution and in search for the best talents worldwide, in order to perfectly fit any specific request.  

1806 Agency represents award winning studios and creatives, among the others Carioca Studio, Zombie Studio, Roberto Badin and many more.

We work with Telecom Italia, Sky TV, Vodafone, Carrera, Polaroid Eyewear, Gucci, Barilla, Lavazza, Rana, Ferrari, Samsonite, BMW, IKEA, Fendi, Armani, Prada, Valentino, Netflix and worldwide networks such as McCann World Group, Young&Rubicam, JWT, DDB, Grey, Ogilvy, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi, BBH, Leo Burnett and M&C Saatchi.''

Amazed By is a boutique production agency that during the years has grown to include full time art buyers and video producers.

"We are working globally to produce any type of content our clients need to tell their story. Based in Milan with an international team we work directly with photographers, directors, brands and creative directors.

We know that every job is different and can offer as much or little support as necessary. Whether it’s a brand campaign or a social media shoot we consistently offer the same level of service and enthusiasm.

Our clients include: Giorgio Armani, Prada, Moncler, Vogue, DSquared2, Gucci, Loro Piana, Salvatore Ferragamo, H&M, Bally among others."

Carolina is a multitasking artist able to shift from graphics to portrait to still life. Her strong creative background is combined with professional knowledge of business and advertising. This combination makes her the right person to transfer innovation and beauty to powerful images.

She started working in an “artisan” studio 10 years ago. This experience shaped her artistic taste and made her a manager and problem solver. These qualities are fundamental for her work with advertising companies, multinationals, and smaller companies such as AQuest, dm Drogerie Markt, Laica, Lorenzo Marini Group and other lovely clients and collaborators.

She prefers a cooperative approach, and to develop the final image with the clients in a positive and humble environment.

"Schmid Productions is a unique service production company for shoots throughout the country. Our promise is that we will offer the most time-and cost-effective way to shoot in Italy.

In addition to our own beautiful town, we can organise film and photo shoots throughout Italy: modern towns, artistic areas, stunning seaside locations, idyllic countryside, up in the mountains with snow (365 days a year!), or historical places like Venice, Florence, Rome and Sicily.

We can provide you complete production services for your projects, from smaller photo shoots to large-scale commercials and TV shows; whether you want to be in a studio or on location, plus any other production request you may have.

Highlights of our service offer include beautiful locations, all technical requirements, the very best Italian film crews, delicious catering and perfect accommodation, and the best local directors and photographers.

Try us out. Our multilingual staff will be delighted to team up with you for your next production in Italy."

Giovanni Bedeschi is the founder and owner of Bedeschi Film. He graduated from Istituto d’Arte Beato Angelico, Milan in 1980 and started his career working for agencies Ata, Bates and later McCann.

In 1991 he became associate creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi and that same year directed his first commercial for Neutro Roberts, chosen by Paul Arden for Cannes 1991 'New Talent Showcase'. 

After freelancing in Mexico, the Middle East, Russia and the USA in 2002 he opened his own production company, Bedeschi Film. During 18 years of activity Bedeschi Film has produced commercials for leading brands in Italy and worldwide and has won many important advertising awards like Cannes Lions, LIA, ADCI, Eurobest and Clio.

In 2018 Giovanni directed and produced his first feature film ‘Pane dal cielo’ currently distributed in Italy by Emera Film and worldwide by TVCO. The film won best film and best director awards at the 2018 Mirabile Dictu International Catholic Film Festival and was selected at the 2019 Durban International Film Festival. 

Giovanni is President of CPA, the Italian Association of Advertising Production Companies and is a fellow lecturer at Milan Brera Art Academy. Giovanni still works passionately as director both in Italy and worldwide.