Celia Peterson

Magnet recently launched as largest production company in Middle East

editor — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 03:38:29 -0700

Magnet Photo Production, was recently launched to become the largest photographic production company in the Middle East. The photgraphic production company was established over a merger between ArabianEye and Bareface over the last few months. ArabianEye and Corbis will continue to operate as the region's leading global visual content provider combining middle eastern and international content for the Mena region.

Bareface, which previously operated under seven divisions will now retain four divisions namely the model agency, session stylists, cast & kids and entertainers. Best known as the number one source for models and talent, Bareface will now solely focus on representing the best, most diverse pool of talent in the region. The production, photography and locations divisions have migrated to the newly formed Magnet. Ishani Pawar, previously the head of the production division at Bareface has been named General Manager of Magnet.

"Bringing the two largest stills production companies together is a combination of resources and expertise that will bring the extra value that our clients are always searching for. I am excited about our future potential in the UAE and further a field," Ishani Pawar, GM, Magnet.

The merger of the production divisions of ArabianEye and Bareface creates a stronger business partner for the two companies' collective existing and potential clients, allowing Magnet to offer an unparalleled breadth and depth of service, quality and capacity for accelerated innovation throughout the MENA region.

"This joining of forces creates not only the largest production facilitation company in the region but also a much stronger business entity with increased market presence and capacity for innovation. We are very excited and look forward to becoming one team." — Celia Peterson, GM, ArabianEye.

With the merger of the Bareface and arabianEye production divisions, Magnet becomes the largest and most experienced production company with a structure that offers unprecedented reliability, quality and expertise across the region.The resulting three companies from the merger; arabianEye, Bareface and Magnet are now all members of Emicom Media, a newly formed media group which currently owns two other companies Alchemy, a Dubai-based film and TV Production Company and The Studio, Dubai's largest fully coved space.

arabianEye grows to be the only full service (360) visual agency in the Region

editor — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 02:42:48 -0700

Global visual content provider in the MENA region, arabianEye, recently re-launched both of their websites to introduce stock footage and video production. The digital makeovers bolster the photography supplier’s business offerings to include the production and distribution of video. With this re-launch, arabianEye has become the only full service visual agency in the MENA region.

arabianEye prides themselves on their two websites where people can browse through an extensive array of their offerings. arabianEye.com, the stock library portal, includes a wealth of stock images and an exclusive collection of HD model-released Arabian footage and travel clips. arabianEyeProduction.com, arabianEye’s production portal, is now showcasing their video and film production arm. arabianEye is now producing TVCs, virals, and corporate videos featuring both local and international talent.

“Being the only full visual service agency in the region allows arabianEye to be a step ahead and develop unique roles with suppliers and companies, Said Celia Peterson, managing director of arabianEye. “We want to provide a convenient, reliable and striking experience that reflects the quality of work offered through arabianEye. The success of the project can be attributed to the cohesion, dedication and shared vision of the arabianEye team – our websites will be a key enabler in new business opportunities throughout the MENA region.”

arabianEye has evolved both as a small business and an important pillar in the growing visual content community. This re-launch of both websites, www.arabianeye.com and www.arabianEyeProduction.com follows the appointment of Jesus Blanco, arabianEye’s new general manager, a new office, and a greater emphasis in community engagement through their blog, Facebook and Twitter pages.

ArabianEye grows to be only full service (360) visual agency in region

editor — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 03:55:40 -0700

Global visual content provider in the MENA region, ArabianEye, recently re-launched both of their websites to introduce stock footage and video production. The digital makeovers bolster the photography supplier's business offerings to include the production and distribution of video. With this re-launch, ArabianEye has become the only full service visual agency in the MENA region.

ArabianEye prides themselves on their two websites where people can browse through an extensive array of their offerings. ArabianEye.com, the stock library portal, includes a wealth of stock images and an exclusive collection of HD model-released Arabian footage and travel clips.

ArabianEyeProduction.com, ArabianEye's production portal, is now showcasing their video and film production arm. ArabianEye is now producing TVCs, virals, and corporate videos featuring both local and international talent.

"Being the only full visual service agency in the region allows ArabianEye to be a step ahead and develop unique roles with suppliers and companies. We want to provide a convenient, reliable and striking experience that reflects the quality of work offered through ArabianEye. The success of the project can be attributed to the cohesion, dedication and shared vision of the ArabianEye team - our websites will be a key enabler in new business opportunities throughout the MENA region," said Celia Peterson, managing director of ArabianEye.

ArabianEye has evolved both as a small business and an important pillar in the growing visual content community. This re-launch of both websites, and follows the appointment of Jesus Blanco, ArabianEye's new general manager, a new office, and a greater emphasis in community engagement through their blog, Facebook and Twitter pages.

arabianEye team grows alongside regional business demands

editor — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 10:45:04 -0700

Jesus Blanco, General Manager, arabianEye

Leading Middle Eastern visual content provider, arabianEye, announced today the appointment of Jesus Blanco as General Manager. As the Image Library and Photographic Production business surges for the Dubai startup, they’re proud to meet business demands by expanding their team.

Throughout his career, Jesus has worked at the management level across the EMEA region as well as the United States. He has worked in 6 different countries, and experienced a wide range of business environments and cultures within the image licensing and online media business. Jesus received his education from the University of Oxford Business School. Prior to joining arabianEye, Jesus managed transnational projects with imaging solutions with Corbis for six years. From this experience, he gained a clear understanding of leadership, methodical administration acumen and local customer focus to succeed in any corporate environment.

“After this great period within major global markets, I smile at the opportunity to join arabianEye and its unique and ambitious team as the General Manager. Their vision and corporate values represent the future as a global visual content provider within the MENA region,” stated Jesus. His own multicultural background and analytical interests has helped him to be effective and efficient when leading operations in diverse business environments in either mature or emerging markets.

Commenting on the appointment of Jesus Blanco, Celia Peterson, Managing Director of arabianEye said: “After a rigorous process, finding a qualified and motivated individual such as Jesus was truly refreshing. I’m emphatic about what the future of arabianEye entails.”

arabianEye to Host High Level Media Panel Debate

editor — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:31:17 -0700

The contentious issue of the media’s representation of the UAE will come under the spotlight at a top-level panel discussion at The Shelter, Al Quoz, Dubai, on Tuesday, October 20. Hosted by arabianEye, the UAE’s leading visual content provider and held in conjunction with the Emirates Foundation for Philanthropy, the event is expected to spark lively debate on how professionals within the UAE portray this culture.

Among the questions being asked on the night will be; ‘How much of UAE life is accessible to the western media gaze and how accurate is that depiction?’ and ‘How do we overcome the stigma of appearing in photographs?’ The panel that has been selected to debate these issues represents a cross-section of Arab and western life.

Celia Peterson, Managing Director of arabianEye, believes the forum will cast a critical eye on how media coverage affects people’s perception of life in this part of the world.

“We wanted to provoke a dialogue about the often stereotypical media imagery and narrative that is applied to the United Arab Emirates,” she revealed. “There is a very rich culture thriving in the region; a culture that's changing. Yet most media representations tend to focus on shopping and generic images of happy families, missing the nuances of Emirati society and the more subtle cultural currents moving through it,” she added.

Peterson clearly believes that any skewed representation is partly down to the pressures of consumer society and also partly due to cultural factors. “Some of the unrealistic portrayal is industry-driven, as advertisers want to associate products with images that communicate a kind of generalised optimism, which can result in clichés,” she said. “On the other hand, Emirati society is very private and inaccessible to outsiders - including media professionals who've lived in the region for years - so the reproduction of clichés is in part a response to closed doors. Not every door is closed, of course and since the ones which are open are precious, we would like to have a chat in the courtyard, as it were, rather than rush in with cameras blazing,” she added.

Taking part in the discussion, which will be held between 7pm-9pm, are a number of prominent figures within the regional media; including Alia Al Shamsi, a local photojournalist and a winner of the Qatar Al Thani Awards in 2004 and James Langton, Deputy Editor of The National on Saturday. Appearing alongside them will be Nezar Andary, Professor of film and literature at the Zayed University of Abu Dhabi, Rami Farook, a member of the Sheikh Mohammed Establishment for Young Business Leaders, and Till Hohmann, Executive Creative Director for Memac Ogilvy & Mather, GCC.

“The whole profile of the panel discussion will generate debate about an important subject for all of us who live in the UAE,” said Peterson. “Some of our panel members will have a conservative stance; others are likely to want to promote a more liberal media agenda. The discussion probably won’t involve a consensus of opinion on every topic raised and we are expecting a heated debate,” she continued.

ArabianEye was started by UK expatriate Peterson in 2005 and is well placed to host such an introspective event. The organisation has grown rapidly from its original incarnation as a Middle Eastern image library to become a ‘one stop shop’ visual service which provides images from an extensive archive that exclusively represents the region. The organisation also provides world-class photographers, a number of whom have won international awards, to provide tailored photo-shoots. Peterson herself doesn’t see any incongruity in a western expatriate running a service dedicated to portraying a Middle Eastern culture.

“I think that someone on the outside looking in, in terms of Emirati society, is able to view things from a different angle and see new and exciting perspectives,” she said. “I believe that it is organisations such as arabianEye that are helping to bridge the cultural divide here,” she added.

arabianEye appoints Ramona Soriano as a photographer’s agent to join production team

editor — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:24:33 -0700

The leading Middle Eastern visual provider, arabianEye, announced that it has hired Ramona Soriano as its new Photographer’s Agent due to the increase in business in its Photographic Production department. arabianEye recently launched a production-dedicated website www.arabianEyeProduction.com, to complement the existing image library housed at www.arabianEye.com.

Originally from Los Angeles, California, Soriano began her career 6 year’s ago working side-by-side with some of the top celebrity and fashion photographers in L.A. Her experience ranges from production to sales as well as marketing.

Soriano states: "I'm very excited about working with arabianEye. I look forward to learning about the Middle Eastern cultures, and working with a thriving young company that provides one of the best services in photography, stock images, and production. I am hoping that my experience with international photographers combined with the dynamism of the company will allow me to excel on a professional level and further contribute to the success of arabianEye in the region."

Commenting on the appointment of Soriano, Celia Peterson, Managing Director of arabianEye said: “I welcome Ramona to our growing team at arabianEye. Our company has ambitious plans to expand and Ramona will be a fantastic addition in the production side of our business to help us achieve these goals.“

Celia Peterson: The stock image library business has changed beyond recognition in the last 10 years

editor — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:45:11 -0800

Celia Peterson is the managing director of arabianEye, a leading Middle Eastern visual content provider, based out of Dubai Media City. We talked to Celia about growth and competition in the region's digital images market.

Q1. Kindly introduce yourself and your company.

My name is Celia Peterson and I am the managing director of arabianEye, the largest Middle Eastern visual content provider, based out of Dubai Media City. We supply the world with Middle Eastern images for both editorial and commercial markets, with clients ranging from Time Magazine and the National Geographic to Middle East-based advertising agencies and corporations. We work on 3 levels as follows: customers can either buy an image which has already been shot (our Stock Library on arabianEye.com) or you can commission one of our photographers for original content. If you decide to commission one of our photographers, arabianEye will pull together the full production for you: models, locations, stylists, make up, art direction etc.

Q2. How has the Internet revolutionized the image business? Is there sufficient awareness in the Middle East?

The stock image library business has changed beyond recognition in the last 10 years due to the Internet and digitalization of assets. Image libraries have advanced from storing all physical images to predominantly only having digital assets on file.Now when a client requires an image, we can ftp, email or allow the customer to access the image via the website instead of the not so recent past when you would have to bike over a duplicate of a film which was a very costly and slow procedure. Technological advancement has now reached the stage where small image librariescan connect their website systems to widely distribute to a truly global audience and thereby have a chance of competing with the industry giants on a worldwide level.

Q3. Tell us about the regional market potential, the nature of demand (what type of images are top sellers) and how advanced are the levels of services onoffer in the Middle East compared to abroad?

The Middle Eastern image market is thriving with new agencies launching and good new photographers moving to the region to join the existing talent pool. The demand for original Arab content and heightened creativity is fueling the growth and arabianEye is at the centre of this growth. We stay closely in touch with our customers’ expectations and market trends and produce further content as a result ofthis research. The level of service in Dubai is fantastic: not only can clients visit a number of locally-grown libraries, but the international giants have also set up offices in the last 3 yearsto better service their customers based in the region. The variety of localized images in no way matches what would be available if you were looking for pictures featuring western models but as market demand increases so does the production of original arab content. There is a strong need for fresh new imagery in the region and the over-used clichés are being revolutionized by arabianEye as is evident in its’ bold new collections.

Q4. Is there strong competition already in this field? What about international players producing regional collections and what's your differentiating factor?

Competition in the photography and image library business is increasing every day with a 100% increase in the number of regional players since 2007. arabianEye sees this as a great opportunity to advance the quality of the industry both in terms ofnumbers of images available and the choice of photographers. Some international libraries have shot their own content but often with cultural blunders or blatant and laughable styling errors. The small sizes of their collections to date mean they are not seen by a wide audience. arabianEye clients know they can come to us and find the regional image they require. arabianEye sets itself apart by being the largest Middle Eastern content provider,with the most creative and versatile collection. arabianEye is an international player and well over half of its clients are based outside the Middle East. We also set ourselves apart with the knowledge of our team, our customer service and our longevity in the market.