Alison Kelly, director of photography 'Grand Hotel', praises Eva Longoria for being an 'inspiring collaborator'
From returns to debuts, this summer, TV has a lot to offer but what can triumph legendary Eva Longoria being back with a brand new ABC series 'Grand Hotel' serving as the executive producer of the series?
The 'Desperate Housewives' star not only threw a lavish yacht party in Miami to mark the premiere of 'Grand Hotel' airing on June 17 but has also established herself as a great boss to work with and an inspiring person to collaborate with.
Alison Kelly, the cinematographer behind the 'Grand Hotel,' exclusively tells MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) "Eva is such an inspiring collaborator," adding " she always has an original vision for what the project will look like." Kelly can affirm this since it is not the first time she is working with the 44-year-old actress.
This time the duo worked closely with Steve Saklad, production designer known for 'The Muppets,' and 'Empire,' who "helped make the world of Grand Hotel glamorous and unique," shares Kelly. The promo teaser of the series which released in May bears testimony to the glitz and glamor of the series taking place in the 'Grand Hotel,' owned by a Hispanic Mendoza family as the last family-owned hotel in multicultural Miami Beach. The show, despite being a remake of the original period series from Spain is actually about a Hispanic family achieving the American dream.
Lurking beneath the spoils of luxury is a soapy murder mystery and Longoria was very meticulous in going about the series and that is very much reflected in the glimpse of the show we got so far. "She is everything a DP (director of photography) could ask for," adds Kelly. She is "experienced, creative and brilliant."
Kelly has worked on many notable projects including 'A Happening of Monumental Proportions,' AMC’s 'Dietland,' and STARZ’s 'Counterpart.' Longoria also raved about Alison in her recent interview where she said; "We found a fantastic DP in Alison Kelly. To have a female DP in this industry is like a unicorn and to have somebody as talented as Alison is amazing."
Longoria also disclosed that when she chose Kelly as director of photography, Kelly brought a whole team of women to help her. In fact, half of the writers are women; seven of the eleven episodes were directed by women.
Championed by Longoria, who is also a founding member of Times Up movement, the show features a majority diverse cast and crew, gender and ethnicity-wise. The series stars Demian Bichir, Roselyn Sanchez, Lincoln Younes, Arielle Kebbe, Denyse Tontz, Bryan Craig, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Shalim Ortiz, Anne Winters, Chris Warren, Feliz Ramirez, and Justina Adorno.
The bold and provocative drama revolves around charismatic Santiago Mendoza, who owns the hotel, while his glamorous second wife, Gigi, and their adult children enjoy the spoils of success. The synopsis reads; "The hotel's loyal staff round out a contemporary, fresh take on an upstairs/downstairs story. Wealthy and beautiful guests bask in luxury, but scandals, escalating debt and explosive secrets hide beneath the picture-perfect exterior."
The show premieres June 17 on ABC.