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‘Yo! Yo! Yo!’
This is not a catchphrase many can get away with, but 24-year-old filmmaker Paris Thomson of Sirap can, and it suits her. The way she delivers this upbeat greeting pretty much encompasses exactly the type of person she is – warm, friendly, and full of energy, at all times. She’ll be up at 4am for a shoot in her sleek OH&S friendly runners, bouncing off the walls as if she has just had a dozen shots of Gatorade. (Disclaimer: She hasn’t, she just really loves her job.)
Paris Thomson is a name that might already be familiar. That’s because this is the clever young filmmaker we have been working with to produce our very own series of recent TDF films. We met Paris quite fortuitously last year when she and featured homeowner Fiona Richardson pitched us this film, and we’ve never looked back. We have since been collaborating with Paris on all our Australian Homes films, our Melbourne Mornings series, and brainstorming a number of other projects we have in the pipeline.
Growing up, Paris seemed always destined to work in a creative field. As a child, she lived with her photographer father and fashion agent mother, in a warehouse conversion above her father’s photographic studio. ‘Instead of a backyard, I had a cyclorama. My holidays were spent playing hide and seek in the dark rooms and skateboarding on the cyc, it was like a half pipe!’ Paris reminisces. This environment led Paris to study Professional Communications at RMIT.
‘I loved the fast pace of media, but had no idea where I wanted to end up, which is why this course was so appealing – it was like a media buffet where I could pick and choose the caviar from the cold meats!’ Paris says.
Eventually, after dabbling in radio and television production at RRR and Channel 10, and experimenting with photography and video, she found her calling, and launched her own business, Sirap, in 2013, recognising that she ‘loved being able to make films that told a story.’ She was just 22 at the time.
Originally Sirap was a one-woman show, with Paris across everything from production to direction, cinematography and editing. Taking it all in her stride, Paris says ‘having to wear different hats has meant the whole process of creation is one stream, one thought, and one aesthetic. It has become the way I create.’
A couple of years on, and Paris now collaborates regularly with various editors, stylists, animators and music producers. Her list of clients is pretty impressive and includes Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, LXÉ, Bonds, Sass & Bide, and Liberte Jewellery to name a few. One of her favourite recent projects was working with Leandra Medine of Man Repeller to create a series of videos for Sass & Bide’s summer campaign.
Paris’ films are much like herself – engaging, human but refined. ‘I love giving life to inanimate objects, or pulling people or scenarios out of context, to change the way they’re interpreted.’ she says. She’ll do anything to capture that winning shot, even if that means hanging out a car boot with a camera in hand (which we have witnessed/encouraged on multiple occasions).
On the cards for Paris this year is a trip to NYC, more films for local brands, and of course even more enthusiastic greetings for her crew and clients…’Yo Yo Yo!’.
You can re-visit recent TDF Films made by Paris Thomson here, and pop back later this week as we launch our third ‘Melbourne Mornings’ film made by Paris, featuring a brilliant local artist you all know and love!
