Business and Life

Although it may seem we have been neglecting things of late that is far from the truth. Business and life has continued all be it a little quieter due to changes within the family that have slowed down some of our more ambitious plans, we are still working hard and will be posting increased updates and launching our creative director JamesC’s website very soon having secured a new domain tailored to his working plans.

We are very much on top of the work we have and arranging some very important meetings that will lead to a series of collaborations within the film and commercial sphere and JamesC will be working closely with the Sons of Adonis line on ad campaigns with other new elements being discussed for the future of the brand, in the meantime we are working with JamesC on the ad campaign for the range and in particular the sample kit that we will be blogging about soon.

There is also a real push with artist Stewart Nicol Soutar on the commercial that will see our team and in particular JamesC, working on ad campaigns and additional merchandising projects that have been discussed for the new year.

In summary, there is so much more to the business that we are building slowly and this is giving JamesC in particular, a much needed boost after the last few months where the focus and energy has been inward rather than outward.

Stay tuned for further updates and news.

Creating Something Fresh: A Portfolio Journey

In the last ten years, the media industry has changed and we focus our energy on creating curated websites and social media accounts that (especially in the UK) are designed to be our portfolio and showcase our work. However, we at The Lost Creatives can see that changing and the physical portfolio book will make a comeback for those in makeup and photography in particular. There will always be a three-tier system in place when it comes to business and we have our goals and understand that we will need to go back to an earlier incarnation of how we worked.

We have been quietly discussing this in the background in our WhatsApp calls and Facebook messages as something we need to really push forward with hence our editorial plans. *Because we work primarily in-house (with thanks to creative director JamesC for his support) we can keep the team small and with the options available in the digital market it is possible for us to completely change our outlook to fit a new audience which is a major plus. We will maintain the websites as part of a larger marketing campaign but for meetings, we want to be able to show our potential clients or collaborators a book of work that will allow them to look at images which admittedly we have not done in many years and it is an exciting challenge to be in a position to create something fresh.

For this we do have a plan of action in place and have started working out exactly what we want and which magazines we will shoot for, there will be two portfolios of work focusing on key areas of the work we do and keeping them distinct and separate.

As our primary focus with any shoots will be marketing we will be starting with our fashion and beauty folio which will be geared toward tear sheets and covers (we have done some digging and can make this happen fairly easily), with a film/TV book being secondary and scripts being chosen to shoot for festivals to start and of course an array of Commercial projects that will include a showreel of the work done.

Something to consider as we move into a whole new arena of work in the coming months will be how to stand out in the market as an artist.

Marketing and the Lost Concept

While we have been a little quiet over the last few days it has not stopped the work thanks in part to Facebook and Whatsapp we were able to continue meetings and even showcase some of our past work in line with our creative director and founder JamesC. The crux of much of this has been discussing marketing strategies. Many people are unaware of the pages and sites involved in our marketing just for the Lost Concept and our core team and we are now in a place where we feel that the sites and pages (in most cases) are sufficiently “liked” enough that we are collating all the backlog of work into a folio of work and with certain magazines offering open submissions of single images (we are going for exclusive but this is not a requirement for many digital magazines) and once the lockdowns are sufficiently lifted we do have plans to do a full marketing campaign with more work built around the Lost Boys and Lost Girls concept as outlined in the Lost Project blog.

Marketing is something we are really keen on and we do work with our partners in Nepal (the Nepal Film Production team), on campaigns and this will be revised again at the end of this month in line with changes to the market as it stands.

One of the main reasons we are looking at this now is we have time, the blogs are keeping us busy along with various other elements but like many in the creative fields, we really are keen to get back to our real work. The focus of our upcoming campaigns will start with the two lost sites and then the actual artists who are working on the creative side such as actor Raj Srivastava and of course JamesC.

The Changing Face of The Lost Business

While we are restricting our movements and only going out when we absolutely need to, we decided to look at the future and what will become of business as time goes on. It is fairly positive and we can see already changes to the market that will be making massive waves to how we view the media world.

There will key aspects of the current climate we will be maintaining such as having smaller shoots and focusing on story rather than just an image which we have talked about before but never seemed to find the time, from a photographic stance it really is interesting working out how we can do this and still have a cohesive narrative.

On a film and TV side, our favorite writers are working from home happily and have taken it under advisement that we want thrillers and horror that can and should be creatable on a smaller budget to fit with the requirements of the current market, will offer us quick turn around for shoots and of course minimal cast and crew requirements which will be a challenge in and of itself that we as a team we look forward to. The Lost Concept is something we are immensely proud of and can see the potential to take our initial idea of moving The Lost Boys and The Lost Girls as a story for stills and to turn this into a storied TV series with a dark edge built around individual stories and characters.

In the interim, we are working on designs, talking to our remote teams as best we can, naturally, we are very worried about our Indian and Nepal contacts and wish them the best at this time of full lockdown in their countries. However, everyone is in good spirits and has been positive so far.

The future is something we cannot solidly control or predict but we do know that we will continue our work for as long as we can. We will finish this by asking that our readers stay safe and well, keep positive and we will all be back to work soon and entertaining the world.

Expanding our Horizons With The Lost Agency

There is a number of different ways to look at the word agency which is partly why we are using it. It can be referenced to a management service or the idea of self-agency which in psychological terms is taking control of your own life, both are apt in the case of the lost agency. We wanted to have some degree of management and self-rule over our work which is overall what the lost concept is and why we are now bringing in The Lost Agency as part of our business future.

We often talk about the changes that have become part and parcel of the industry (both good and bad) and how commercial makeup, in particular, has become something of a “lost art,” instead the salon/party style is taking over and newer artists are focusing on the more personal side of the industry leaving people who want to work on the more film and TV level or commercial media side lost in the mix which we found frustrating as did some of our actors.

Focusing on the in-house staff we will be managing a small number of people and business elements as part of the ongoing work of The Lost Concept building on the creative, artistic and media work we have already done taking things forward and bringing The Lost Vision to new levels.

At the forefront of this will be our creative director JamesC who will be heading up more of the media elements and being central to the staff requirements for upcoming work taking a stronger more managerial stance and running The Lost Agency whilst simultaneously developing editorials and project work such as TV shows and photographic work for the sites portfolio and marketing needs.

What this means for the future of The Lost Creatives is we will be posting on the blog requirements for crew and looking at offering training positions on our work and tackling larger-scale projects. One of which we are close to finalizing at the moment with some fantastic brands/designers supporting the concept giving us a chance to showcase the creative work of our team.

Later in the year and into 2021, we will also be looking to put forward bids to take a team to London for off-schedule events during fashion week:

“Our plans and any work within the confines of The Lost Agency and affiliated sites/companies will be subject to agreed terms and a code of conduct. “

Stay tuned for news and updates on The Lost Agency and more in our blog.

Product Placement and Behind The Scenes

While we have been slow in going public with much of what we are doing, we are always working. Not just on the blog aspect but other elements and it has really started paying off for us in terms of a photo project and 2 short films with other aspects still in negotiation or set to be discussed soon.

In terms of the photo project, it has been split into different elements and lengthy calls and meetings have been held over the actual content in terms of how it will be shot, managed and promoted across the varying networks we have open to us and this took us down the path of product placement (which we are working through already and have a provisional interest for the editorial side from a designer in London).

Our creative director JamesC, has found a series of deals and offers with his preferred format of online magazines that will give us tear sheets and covers that will be promoted across the board, with a view to utilizing our resources in the designer realm and with our other contacts across South Asia at a later date, allow us to shoot editorials and submit with a higher percentage chance of publication with some careful structuring and planning at the creative director level.

Brushwork cosmetics code JamesC 10% discount

Something we are going to push is the “behind the scenes” element, capturing the team at work, focusing on the creative aspect because our talks are taking us down the line of makeup with options and avenues that we are keen to pursue heavily.

In the coming months, we will open this to allow for smaller packages and individual project support giving placement in the behind the scenes, in the projects themselves (for film and TV) and looking closely at building our own magazine.

The Lost Concept has been building slowly and we are really proud of what we have achieved and will be showcasing this in more detail soon with a series of new sites and public projects.

*featured image example of product placement is for Brushwork Cosmetics (promo code JamesC 10% off).

Creative Direction and Marketing Within The Lost Group

The Lost Concept has really taken off and we cannot be happier about the direction it is taking. With clients across various genres: beauty in particular, within the realms of film/TV (in South Asia) and fashion services (London) and a travel company making full use of tour services as an industry blog to name but a few of the services we have provided.

In the next few weeks, we will be fully implementing our marketing plans with editorial and short films (for festival entry) before we release our new and exciting next stage in our venture. As the founder and creative director, JamesC is really excited and has been front and center of all the upcoming changes and planning for the new websites, his own portfolio upgrade and of course the selection of the scripts.

A big thank you to all the people who have supported The Lost Project and The Lost Creatives and helped make it the success it has been so far and continues to be Naturally, we are going to keep working hard on this and have got so much more to come.

We, of course, owe special thanks to the following people and companies for their support and encouragement (as well as trust), who have been a part of the onward journey:

Nepal Film Production.

Pinnacle Expeditions.

House of iKons.

World Fashion Media News.

Lola Makeup.

Over the next few weeks and months, there is so much more planned and we will continue to grow the business within the parameters of commercial arts and media with a series of projects designed for the marketing of the team and our clients.

Phone Calls, Planning and Pushing Boundaries

In the last few months, we have been working on something a little different that will change how we approach business longterm. While the goals are still the same it is the actions that will be redefined with a new corporate name and the closure of our books, we will not be taking in new staff long term but focusing on short term contracts and freelancers to create opportunities that will be agency (management based) giving us a more structured sense of control on the artistic and fiscal aspects of the work we undertake.

The overall feel of the Lost Concept is what we are planning to focus on and our South Asian contacts including Nepal film Production and a select number of artists in the acting field to create a stable of talent that will be at the heart of the business. HOD TV will be a major part of our future plans along with actor and model Raj Srivastava who has been a big supporter of the work.

Structuring a full-scale marketing plan built around different media elements such as editorial, short film, and TV with some cover images being created just for this project to showcase what we are and what we do.

New sites and business development projects/strategies that we will be announced soon are going to be leading the charge on how The Lost Concept is showcased and offering a different slant on how the creative art world works. While there is more to be done, we are really happy with the progress we have made and the support we have received so far to the prospect of our goals and proposals.

It is worth note that much of the work (and support) has been dependent on scheduling phonecalls via Whatsapp and Facebook messenger due to time differences etc.

Lord and Berry Supporting The Fashion Elite

With fashion week coming up and so many shows, designer showcases and events happening across the globe that it is impossible not to talk about one of the leading brands working behind the scenes in the European fashion scene: Lord and Berry. A staple of Milan fashion week and a standout during London and Paris, the company has become a go-to for the premiere event artists of the world for their cohesive, professionally-oriented and comprehensive makeup line.

From a professional stance, the Lord and Berry range is growing to meet the demands of designers and models with key elements and new products that are designed to fit the beauty industries’ commercial needs. As many of us know (especially those from a show background be it theatre or fashion) you need products that are going to work, be cost-effective and give you a comprehensive range from the base (foundations) to shadows that will work with your business.

What catches the eye with Lord and Berry, aside from their stellar credentials, is the dedication. From its start in 1992, when it was considered a niche brand to the current ties to Milan Fashion Week and a household name, they have created a clean, simple line with all the hallmarks that for working artists mark it out professionally as a brand to know, not just developing products in their lab they are using them backstage testing the limits and showcasing the potential of their makeup.

*Noteworthy products like the cream blusher and the new Skin Control Primer (must-see items for the bridal artists and of course fashion) are taking the world by storm, and rightly so, showing the savvy of the team who are thinking of their working artist clientele and giving us products that will work on editorial, event and more. The creme foundations with their clear and concise range of tones and the clever use of plastic bottles making them lightweight and easy to use which realistically in a working kit is a major plus point that shows the thought process behind the company working at fashion week, full understanding that we artists need to travel and extra weight can be a strain.

With a professional discount program: for details of the pro discount click here, their extensive fashion week credentials and of course the range itself, they are in the top list to have in a working kit by many professional makeup artists in the industry today.

To learn more about the Lord and Berry range see:

Lord and Berry UK Website.

Lord and Berry Facebook.

Lord and Berry Twitter.

Lord and Berry Instagram.

*Image courtesy of the lord and Berry website.

Dollbaby London lashes for Professionals

Already seen as a pro must have and a celebrity favorite with artists such as Cardi B, the Dollbaby London Magnetic lashes are a professional addon that is well on its way to becoming the professional beauty artists choice for fashion shows, shoots and bridal.

Designed to be quick and easy to apply the lashes are an ideal solution for those who worry about latex-based glues and want something that will speed up the process without losing any of the glamor that goes with the right set of lashes.

An on the go solution, Dollbaby London is at the cutting edge of lash technology being faux mink (cruelty-free) and vegan. With several awards already under their belt, there is something to be said for the range that is making waves and drawing eyes.

From a purely pro stance, the Dollbaby London range fits perfectly into a working kit for fashion week through to the upcoming wedding season, the potential for these lashes is endless as we see more and more professionals picking them up and using them in their day to day work in live events, weddings, print, and red carpet events.

With our plans for film and TV as well as several editorials we will be integrating these lashes into our work and feel that they will change how we work with our female models and actors in prep time giving them something fresh, innovative and designed to work within a professional scenario.

To learn more about the range (including trade options) or to purchase see:

Dollbaby London Website.

Dollbaby London Instagram.

Dollbaby London Facebook.

Dollbaby London Twitter.

Creating an iKonic Show

When talking about fashion week or even the off-schedule events, there is one show that stands out above and beyond the rest: House of iKons. a stellar showcase weekend of fashion that is fast becoming a household name globally for their savvy marketing, press coverage and the divine array of designers whos work grace the catwalk.

From humble roots to a leading light in fashion in a few short years, it goes without saying that the talent-driven event holds a place creative director JamesC’s heart as he was there for the very first show working backstage as a makeup artist.

Through the years House of iKons has built a solid reputation for the shows and taken risks in film and music supporting various projects both inhouse and on a global scale with CEO and founder Savita Kaye taking on the line producer role for projects more than once in her career.

Giving a platform to the creative and working that tricky middle ground of commercial, it is within our sites to return to the fold and possibly pitch for members of our own team to work (alongside a sponsor) at the show which at this time has an extensive waitlist for not only the designer slots but the backstage area and we will be discussing the options with the CEO later in the year, although we most likely will be sponsors and front of house as a blog team.

With so much on the table with the lost creatives and our sister site Lost Project, we love the potential to showcase and it is little to no wonder that the House of iKons is top of the list for fashion bloggers and magazines with an ever-increasing TV channels like BBC worldwide, etc, vying for a slot at the prestigious show and a waiting list for the press pit.

To learn more about the iKons show or to purchase tickets see:

House of iKons February Ticket link.

House of iKons Website.

House of iKons Twitter.

House of iKons Facebook.

House of iKons Instagram.

Westmore FX

Something that is often missed when talking about the Westmore’s as a brand (and a Hollywood family) is that they were also part of the FX revolution that for the film and TV industry has helped shape the film industry in particular character work in the horror and sci-fi genres.

Westmore Effects SilicONE Adhesive

Split into 8 distinct areas the Westmore FX range of glues, removers, and primers for FX work is a savvy and well-curated range designed to fit the needs of most situations:

1. SilicONE Adhesive

2. SilicONE Thinner

3. SilicONE Matte Adhesive

4. SilicONE Adhesive Spray

5. DEUX Adhesive

6. SilicONE Remover

7. PrimeONE Surface Prep

8. NEXUS Bond Enhancer

Developed alongside the Westmore Families’ own work in the industry, these are the products that have become staples of the smart FX artists working kit and are recognized for their pro-grade and homegrown industry credentials. Independently owned, the range is a standout in the profession with a heritage that goes back over a century making it not only a legacy brand in its own right but a must for those specialists who want a tried and tested range that will stand up to the rigors of the professional arenas of film and TV FX work.

With the pus points of being a vegan, USA made and cruelty-free the Westmore FX range is one of those professional ranges that is designed, manufactured and tested within the industry to the highest standards.

To learn more about the range or to find a stockist see:

Westmore FX website.

Westmore FX Instagram.

Westmore FX Facebook.

Westmore FX Twitter.

Digital Magazine Research

In the grand scheme of editorial, it is a great tool for marketing when you handle it correctly and put a little effort into the background work of creating and then the marketing after the image(s) are published. Over the last week, we have been really carefully planning around this idea and thanks to certain websites, we have pulled together a list of potential magazines we will shoot Marketing content for.

We are putting together a budget for this, as its a marketing tool, we will be spending a little extra time and money to make this work the best for us as a team.

looking at this as part and parcel of running a business, we decided that alongside our social accounts, website and film plans (a separate blog will come soon on this), editorials are a great tool for putting out your information and showcasing the work we do and what we are planning for 2020.

Each of our planned shoots will be built around themes that suit the magazines we are targetting and interestingly there is an option that will give us front cover style images that can be showcased across the board on our social media accounts.

An option we are looking at which a few of the magazines do look for is behind the scenes stills and video to be included in the submission, which admittedly is a great concept and allows a greater degree of marketing to the images and opens up an interesting dialogue about shoots that we do love.

As creative director and head of makeup this also allows flexibility in changing up the products used, JamesC is looking to downsize some elements of his kit and bring in new products including the My Beauty Brand range for one shoot, in particular, offering an overall experimental feel to the shoots we have planned.

More updates will be coming soon on the forward momentum of The Lost Creatives.

Nepal Film Production and HOD TV

In what will be a game-changer for the team at Nepal film production, we are very happy to announce our exclusive partnership with HOD TV, a digital distributor of horror and thriller films.  This deal will open doors to new potential commercial avenues for the industry in Nepal and wider, giving not only our own in-country talent a platform for their films but also offers an extra incentive to shoot in our beautiful country.

As a partner we have access to the parameters for projects in the thriller and horror genres to potentially be sold to a global audience, a major advantage for filmmakers across South Asia and worldwide making Nepal the new home of horror. 

For filmmakers, this means they can find a one-stop-shop for all their needs with our access to the best production staff and equipment with the added draw of a platform to sell your horror/thriller film.  Nepal is one of the most beautiful countries in the world with talent coming from every corner of the globe to work here on documentary films, commercials and more, so for us to be able to offer this additional aspect of support to filmmakers and take the stress out of making a horror/thriller and giving you more room to work on the story and visuals.

To learn more about HOD TV and the requirements for distribution email a member of our team. 

The Lost Creatives in 2020

In a short space of time, The Lost Creatives has become a major part f the Lost Narrative and we are really proud of what we have achieved to date. In 2020 we are looking forward to what will be a clean slate opportunity and taking the more strides toward achieving our creative goals.

We will be working on new and exciting projects with our affiliates and partners across the globe and making a concentrated effort to increase our marketing, expand on the narrative of professionals in the media sector. Our creative director is reopening his website as a portfolio only site and will continue in his capacity as the resident beauty blogger for The Lost Project and as our primary blogger as well as.

Expansion of the Lost Narrative is being worked on and we will be looking at bringing online (over the course of the year) an additional site that will become our home for film and TV, management services are also being addressed for the new year which will allow us a higher degree of control over how and where we are pushed as a brand.

Part of the expansion will include an increased and focused drive to work closely with our partners Nepal film production and of course HOD TV.

Both of whom we are really proud to be associated with on the film and TV side of our business. It is also worthy of note that World Fashion Media News will see more of our work in print and have exclusive access to the creative team for profiles etc.

In the coming year, The Lost Creatives will be pushed heavily and we will continue to work The Lost Narrative to showcase not just our creative team but the creativity and ingenuity of the media sector as a commercial entity.

Research and Planning

research and planning

We are just days away from the New Year (2020 is going to be huge) and our work has already started with blogs being prewritten and scheduled, stay tuned for a huge announcement, and we are now working on the next phase of our plans with a meeting lined up with one of our favorite indie film directors; Jim Manclark to discuss project development in TV and of course some new editorial behind the scenes and of course portfolio pieces for our creative directors new portfolio site.

Something we are really keen to get done is some projects designed specifically for the festival circuit and editorial submission as promotional material to help push the lost concept and of course, to promote our team as a whole.

Part of this will be a selection of small meetings and then a full-scale push through January to do the work. We are being selective about the work we do with planning and research being put in motion now. We are starting to add to the makeup artist library we have with new FX and character makeup books being added and a definite must-have that will be coming soon to our collection will be the book on out of the box FX.

From a purely creative stance, our plans are more commercial than artistic which ultimately what the business is all about.

Adding to the overall theme of change will be the addition of news sites and management services for the Lost concept already in the works allowing us to have a wider and more comprehensive business model and umbrella formation around the Lost Concept.

Over the next year, our goals are to create, commercialize and push a narrative of the media as a commercial art form.

The Office of Lost Creatives

We have been really working hard over the last few months designing, meeting with stylists and wardrobe staff and negotiating contacts that will come into full effect in the new year. Much of the work has been done in our home office with emails, WhatsApp messages and our social accounts being heavily used for international calls and messaging.

There are some really big announcements to come as our continuing work Nepal Film Production and they're associated businesses along with plans to shoot a TV series here in Scotland mid-2020.

Portfolio wise, the JamesC mua site will be reopened for the new year and we are working with James on updates and script choices for festival entries (micromania film festival we are coming). Naturally, we will be looking at the Himalayan film festival as well.

Something we are focused on getting done is more of the out of the box fx work to update our books and give some depth to the upcoming shoots we have planned and of course there is our beauty work which will be tied to creative director JamesC webstore with My Beauty Brand.

We are really excited about the prospects for 2020 and so grateful to all our supporters.

Tackling The Different Aspects of Our Business

Lost Creatives and Lost Project have become definable in their own right as credible beauty and PR avenues and we are in the process of expanding on this in a real sense as we work with different overseas elements such as our Nepal and Indian contacts, to such as degree that we are now giving serious thought to expanding this to an umbrella company once the new year starts.

We are very proud of what started as a beauty and lifestyle blog has taken on such wide-ranging and varied business concerns in a short amount of time.

Progression has been good on the behind the scenes side and its this forward momentum that has inspired much of what we are planning away from our roots in media and beauty and it has opened our eyes to the potential avenues we can and are pursuing. *We will add email addresses and a phone number for the umbrella company very soon (something we have been thinking about a lot recently).

Diversification is important to us and we will be building on this over the coming months to bring the lost concept to a wider and more diverse audience.

While much of what we are doing is consultation and brokerage work it really is interesting to take the business forward in such a positive direction.

The Process of Consultation and Management At Lost Creatives

As we move ever closer to our goals for the end of the year with contracts being reviewed and an increase in our consultation work for production and other areas, it is interesting to see how our work is being viewed and see the key areas that we wanted to tackle being put into action.

To date, we have secured deals and partnerships with Italy (HOD TV) and Nepal, with further plans to create our own projects in 2020 with some of our business contacts in India such as actor and model Raj Srivastava who has become integral, alongside the team at Nepal Film production, to our overall goals.

Of course, we do have plans for the UK and in particular, Scotland where we will be shooting some of the new content for our website (hopefully by mid-December), it has been slower on that front than we would have liked but certainly positive as we can say that our goals and aspirations are being met in a time frame that is frankly speaking ahead of schedule in key areas.

As we have always maintained, we would prefer to have all the I’s dotted and t’s crossed to ensure that things roll smoothly, which at this point the consultation and management structure we have in place is really moving things forward.

Continuing forward we are looking at stock levels, camera equipment and planning around this to ensure that we have everything in place to a level that creative director JamesC (also senior artist and blogger for Lost Project) is happy with.

In addition to our film and TV goals, we have reopened dialogue with some of our fashion contacts including London and Delhi.

Out of Kit Prosthetics

Out of Kit Prosthetics was an interesting Instagram find by our creative director who was researching options for upcoming projects including a TV series and several shoots which will require Prosthetics. What caught our attention as well as his, was the potential of the range and selection. Built around film grade materials (silicone and top quality skin-safe adhesives), the Out of Kit range is a film artist dream for cost-effective and high-grade materials that will revolutionize the indie film sector in particular.

Image courtesy of Out of Kit

What drew us into the potential of the out of kit range was this quote from the website:

“When you’re being crushed by production deadlines, there’s no room to do anything but react. You can only run around putting out whatever fire is burning brightest.”

As we are working with the team from Nepal Film Production on PR and project development, this has the potential to be a real asset to us long term and the catalog of items on the website have already got us thinking about how and where these items can be used to add depth to our character for the TV Show we have planned for 2020. Standing out for us is the fighter kit (available in 4 different skin tones), which would fit perfectly with one of our planned stills shoots).

Out of Kit offers a bespoke service (details available via the site below) as well as their premade items and collections including trauma, old age, fantasy, and character.

To learn more about the company or to purchase from the range see:

Out of kit Website

Out of Kit Facebook

Out of Kit Instagram