It’s not everyday you get to be somebody’s wish. A few months ago, Make-A-Wish called our office. They received a letter from a girl with an inspiring story—Danielle Dietrick was fighting bone cancer, and her dream was to shoot with me at SlickforceStudio. How could anyone say no to this?

Last week, Make-A-Wish flew Danielle to Los Angeles to grant her dream shoot. Danielle is as beautiful on the inside as she is out, and she is a natural on-camera. Her unlimited energy kept our crew smiling the entire day.

I couldn’t have done this without our incredible team, many of whom donated their time and services. Stunning glam was provided by makeup artist Therese Williams and hair stylist Daniel Blaylock, and our wardrobe stylist Tara Wiliams brought racks of amazing clothes. Together, the team transformed Danielle and brought out her inner star. We captured so many different looks throughout the day, each one both beautiful and fun. Special thanks to Bec & Bridge who gifted Danielle her favorite dress at the end of the shoot.

We deeply admire Danielle for her strength and positivity, and we are inspired by her courage. It is our honor to welcome her to the SlickforceStudio family. Thank to you to the wonderful volunteers at Make-A-Wish America for the great work they do, and for making so many wishes come true!

If you’ve been following SlickforceGirl.com, then you already know that our beautiful heroes will be taking a brief rest from saving the world to attend Stan Lee’s Comikaze at the Los Angeles convention center from October 31 thru November 2.

In anticipation of the event, we’ve been releasing creative renderings of our Girls from talented artists across the world. Take, for example, this stunning faux cover pin-up of firefighter Kaitlynn Connor — drawn by illustrator Corey Knaebel and colored by Ula Mos. We’re excited to announce that Corey will be joining us at our Comikaze booth this year, so be sure to come by and meet the growing SlickforceGirl team!

Kaitlynn was, of course, played by the talented Kaitlynn Carter, who is shortly launching her very own style blog. Here is a look back at her shoot below.

Stay tuned to SlickforceGirl.com for more art, new heroes, and upcoming appearance info!

Pencils by Corey Knaebel – Deviant Art | Website | Facebook
Inks and colors by Ula Mos – Deviant Art | Facebook

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The Saglimbeni Channel takes you behind the scenes on our most exciting shoots with some of the most beautiful people on the planet. All the latest videos from SlickforceStudio, SlickforceGirl, WMB 3D: World’s Most Beautiful, The Melanie Iglesias Store, Kendall & Kylie and more are all right here. Subscribe now on YouTube and Vimeo!

Last week we announced the release of South Korean band B1A4’s new music video “Solo Day”, produced by SlickforceStudio in Los Angeles for WM Entertainment. In celebration of the first million views on YouTube, we’re releasing a behind-the-scenes video detailing the making of the international co-production.

It’s clear from the video how much fun we all had making this video, and it was a pleasure to meet so many talented artists from across the world. Special thanks to both the Korean and American crews—including the stellar SlickforceStudio team—that helped pull off the video that US Billboard is calling “the most delightful video of 2014.”

For Korean version, click here.

In May, SlickforceStudio teamed up with Korean supergroup B1A4 to produce the video for their new song, “Solo Day.” The K-pop band wanted a definitive Hollywood style for their new video, so the five members—Jinyoung, CNU, Baro, Sanduel, and Gongchan—and several key crew flew from Seoul to Los Angeles for the shoot.

B1A4’s fan-base has exploded over the last few years. As a nod to their ever-growing fanbase, we wanted to make it very clear that this was an international production. We chose some of the most iconic California locations we’ve photographed over the years. You may recognize the desert diner location from my WMB 3D: World’s Most Beautiful shoot with Mallika Sherawat and the beach just down the coast from where we shot Kendall Jenner Day One and Melanie Iglesias’ Swim Shoot.

The production of “Solo Day” was quickly etched in my memory as one of the most exciting international co-productions I have ever witnessed. We made amazing friends on this shoot, many of whom I am certain we will see again and again. I particularly enjoyed working closely with Korean director Sungkyun Yoo and his amazing creative team.

The always-stellar SlickforceStudio crew also rose to the occasion, securing locations, crew and equipment for the production in record time. Slickforce’s own wonder-woman Joyce Park and I produced the video, with support by Line Producer Kevin Savarese and Production Coordinator James Mann.

We wish B1A4 all the success in the world, and are excited to announce the release of “Solo Day.” (See it below.) We will release a behind-the-scenes video documenting the making of “Solo Day” soon. Follow my instagram at @NickSaglimbeni for more photos.

VIDEO CREDITS:
Director: SUNGKYUN YOO
Producers: NICK SAGLIMBENI & JOYCE PARK
Line Producer: KEVIN SAVARESE
Production Coordinator: JAMES MANN
VFX Supervisor: JACKY OH (Motif Imagenery)
Editor: SUN KANG
Production Designer: YOUNGSOON JUNG
Designer: HYO JUNG PARK
Director of Photography: YOU SUNG JO
Movi Operator: JUN HYUK RHEE

IMAGE CREDITS:
Photos by DANIEL MAGANA, DAVID BEDROSIAN, MAHALIYAH AYLA O

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As America gears up to celebrate Memorial Day, the SlickforceGirl team is commemorating the holiday with Special Edition content releases featuring our newest hero, Marine Melanie, played by the lovely Melanie Iglesias.

Pre-order your 24″x36″ Marine Melanie Collector’s Wall Poster before May 29, and Melanie Iglesias will autograph them—personalized to the recipient.

For the hardcore Marine Melanie fans, we’ve got a Marine Melanie SuperFan Combo Pack that contains the 24×36 wall poster, a Charcoal Gray Marine Melanie SlickforceGirl T-Shirt, a Limited Edition 11×17 care-package poster, all in one set.

A portion of profits will be donated to Hope for the Warriors, and incredible non-profit that aims to enhance the quality of life for post-9/11 service members and families of the fallen.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday. In the coming week, we take the time to remember those who have lost their lives in the fight for freedom. You are the real heroes, and SlickforceGirl salutes you!

Part II: Melanie Iglesias continues her armory tour in search of the perfect battle companion for her SlickforceGirl Marine shoot.

Animated GIFs from these videos are now available on the SlickforceGirl Tumblr here.

Special thanks to Will Huang and Independent Studio Services. Visit SlickforceGirl.com for more info and stay tuned for more from Marine Melanie!

SlickforceGirl: Melanie Iglesias Suits Up for Action, Part 1 from Nick Saglimbeni on Vimeo.

While our first six heroes are out saving the world, Melanie Iglesias is getting ready for her SlickforceGirl shoot. She’ll be joining the fight as Marine Melanie, but before she does, she must gear up and prepare for battle.

Special thanks to our military advisor Will Huang and Independent Studio Services for letting us play in their ultimate prop shop. Visit SlickforceGirl.com for more info and stay tuned for more from Marine Melanie!

Pisa, Italy is one of those places that just feels familiar whether you’ve been there or not. Iconic images of its’ leaning tower burned in our minds since childhood, it is truly a wonder to experience live and up close.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Pisa and marveled at the dramatic nature of its architecture (leaning aside). The Piazza del Miracoli (Square of Miracles) is a walled city containing several spectacular examples of Medieval European architecture—all built between 1064 and 1319—including the Duomo (Cathedral), the Baptistery and the Leaning Tower.

Climbing the tower is an adventure unto itself. A narrow stone spiral staircase ascends roughly eight stories to the top, and the tight passage is barely wide enough for one person—certainly not for the claustrophobic. Atop the tower is an incredible view of the Square and the surrounding city.

Storm clouds must have sensed me coming and positioned themselves gloomily above the landscape just as I started shooting. Special thanks to the weather for lending the mood. Enjoy!

Photography by Nick Saglimbeni. © Slickforce Inc. All rights reserved.

This week, our beautiful and talented friend Melanie Iglesias debuted her 5th television series, MTV’s “Off the Bat”. The Slickforce team is so proud of our rapidly rising starlet, and to celebrate, we are announcing pre-orders for Part 2 of the Pure Mel collector’s poster series.

Pure Mel part 1 has consistently been one of our best-sellers in the Melanie Iglesias Store, with nearly 50% of posters sales coming from Mel’s growing female audience. It’s a look at Ms. Iglesias in a rare new and natural light, without the glitz and glam of the studio.

Order the 2 or 4 poster Pure Mel collector’s series at MelanieIglesiasStore.com and SlickforceStore.com!

CREDITS:
Photography by Nick Saglimbeni
Makeup by Therese Williams
Hair by Al Ingram