DISBOOK #4 - March 2014 - (Page 13)
Inside Televisa Studios - DISBOOK #4 | 2014
baCkstage
INSIDE TELEVISA STUDIOS
Between 2003 and 2011, photographer
Stefan Ruiz has gained special access to Mexico's
Televisa studios, known as "The Factory of Dreams,"
where nearly fifty-thousand hours worth of
telenovelas are produced and exported annually
to more than fifty countries. Follow us into
the secret world of the telenovelas.
Ruiz's photographs of the factory and
its people offer a unique behind-thescenes look at this very restricted
place."It's very difficult to get access to
telenovela sets", say Ruiz, "because they
want to control their image. Filming is
done very fast and, unlike American
soap operas, there is a clear beginning
and end so they don't want outsiders to
spoil it for their loyal viewers."
Asked how the actors would react, he
remembers that "They were usually very
cooperative. Since I use a large format
camera with a very formal portraiture I
really needed their participation. If they
weren't up for it they just said no or they
said they were busy or something like
that. I was a bit of an oddity hanging out
in the studio with this type of camera.
People would get curious."
Much is involved in finding the right
background for his shots. Ruiz explains
that "Each studio has multiple sets
built at the same time so that they can
move rapidly from one to the other." He
goes on to say, "Normally at Televisa,
they are filming about five telenovelas
at a time so you are really spoiled for
choice. The problem is that when they
are on set, they are constantly working.
Normally, they film on one set and the
rest of the studio is dark. First, I had to
clear everything with the director and
the technicians to be sure that I wasn't
in the way, and second I had to see if I
could get them to light another part of
the studio so that I could work at the
same time. Sometimes I was allowed to
shoot on the same set that they were
filming on in between scenes but this
would always have to be done very very
quickly."
The Factory of Dreams:
Inside Televisa Studios
Photographs by stefan ruiz /
introduction by Pablo Helguera
www.aperture.org/shop/books/
the-factory-of-dreams
Stefan Ruiz (born in San Francisco,
1966) studied painting and sculpture at
the University of California, Santa Cruz,
and the Accademia di Belle Arti, Venice.
His photographs have appeared in magazines around the world, including Colors
Magazine, New York Times Magazine,
Details, L'Uomo Vogue, and Rolling Stone.
His work was exhibited at Les Rencontres
d'Arles, France; Photographers' Gallery,
London; Photo España, Madrid; New York
Photo Festival; Havana Biennial; and
Contact Photography Festival, Toronto.
He lives in New York.
www.stefanruiz.com
13
http://www.aperture.org/shop/books/the-factory-of-dreams
http://www.stefanruiz.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of DISBOOK #4 - March 2014
COVER
FOREWORD
CONTENT
BACKSTAGE: INSIDE TELEVISA STUDIOS
TURKEY ACCROSS BORDERS
CULT & EMOTION
FIRST LOOK
PORTRAITS
MEET THE STARS FROM TURKEY
TRENDS
DISBOOK #4 - March 2014
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