Adrian Velicescu(I)
- Cinematographer
- Director
- Editor
Adrian Velicescu was born in Transilvania, Romania. Educated at the
Institute for Theatrical and Fine Arts and presented with the Romanian
National Film Prize in 1981, Velicescu was expelled from Romania by the
Communist regime. He left Bucharest in 1983 for Los Angeles,
California. Upon arrival in Los Angeles, Velicescu's photographic and
film portfolios enabled him to begin work as an editorial, fashion, and
fine art photographer. Within a few years, his growing reputation led
to inclusions in exhibitions in Austria, Germany, Great Britain,
England, Poland, Spain and America. Featured exhibitions include 'Light
and Space' at the Museum of Modern Art, The World Photography Contest
in San Francisco, and the traveling 'New Blood' show. Commercial
publishing includes credits in Vogue, Elle, Architecture, Architectural
Record, Domus, Interne, L.A. Style, and Los Angeles Magazine. In 1990,
Velicescu founded Tainbreaker Films and began development of his first
feature film, Trumpet #7 (1991). Directed and photographed by Velicescu, Trumpet
#7 explores the psyche of an artist living in a world where art is no
longer possible. Time, space and color are twisted as a tortured
musician's perceptions of beauty and terror are presented through the
eyes of Velicescu's relentless camera work. Completed in 1991, Trumpet
#7 opened in competition at Cannes and was selected to complete in
numerous other festivals including Rotterdam, Sundance, Ghent, Tokyo,
Montreal, Toronto and Stockholm. The Secret Life of Houses (1994) Velicescu's second feature,
co-written with author Scott Bradfield, portrays the adult world as
seen through the eyes of a distraught little girl. Visually and aurally
stunning, Secret Life paints surreal images of religion, family,
sickness and death into a deeply troubling dreamlike menagerie. Secret
Life opened in competition at Sundance in 1994, Velicescu's visionary
direction and photography propelled the film into international
exhibition with Berlin, Rotterdam, Gent, Edinburgh, Goteborg and many
other film festivals inviting the film to compete. Created in part with
a grant from the U.S. Independent Television Service, Secret Life is
now part of the P.B.S. library and has aired several times a year since
its completion. In conjunction with these feature film endeavors,
Velicescu's skill as a live action director and DP generated work from
advertising agencies. From 1991 to 1998, agencies such as Ammirati
Puris Lintas, Young & Rubicam, Ogilvy and Mather, and Leo Burnett hired
him to work with such clients as Unilever, Kraft Foods, Wella and Brau
Union. Throughout this period, Velicescu's visual skills coupled with
his instinct for design and identity propelled many of these brands to
remarkable success. In 1998, Velicescu founded Standard, a subsidiary
of Tainbreaker Films. Standard is a full service live action, motion
graphic main title design and visual effects company. Velicescu,
serving as Standard's Creative Director, has assembled an international
client roster including Artisan, MGM, Battleground Productions, CBS,
Tapestry Films, Myriad Entertainment, Disney Television, Discovery
Networks, The House of Blues, Showtime Networks and Sebastian
International to name a few. Adrian is presently attached to direct
"Baltimore Low Ball" and "Oregon Hill" that are both in active
development at Tainbreaker Films.