BIOGRAPHY

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A passion for the diversity of experience around the world defines the journey of Lauren J. Salkin. Throughout a wide-ranging career in photojournalism and television production, she has exhibited a unique talent for spotlighting underserved voices with powerful messages and revealing intimate stories from cultures outside the mainstream.

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Lauren’s most recent focus is on developing original content for television media and streaming services. Her current project is "Black Falls", a scripted TV Drama Series about  a contemporary Native American Reservation examines human rights, as they pertain to tribal enrollment. The story takes an inside look at a unique subculture that has rarely been explored in mainstream American media. Her roots with the project stem from a five-year investigative report, on assignment from National Geographic, documenting the effects of the casino on a Southern California Tribe.

 

Lauren’s talents have also fit well in a variety of media production roles. In 2014 & 2015 she worked for Dick Clark Productions, handling International Distribution, Sales and Development. Her multi-disciplinary approach could be applied on any day to content and development, sales management, promotion and on-set production. She found herself drafting license agreements and contracts, overseeing sales and PR campaigns, and working on-set production for award shows, reality shows, red carpet premieres, and live events.  Among those high-profile shows were; American Music Awards, Hollywood Film Awards, Country Music Awards, New Year’s Rockin’ Eve and So You Think You Can Dance. She was also the primary liaison between The Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Dick Clark Productions for network buyers for the Golden Globes. Lauren also managed sales teams for domestic and international conferences including MIPCOM, TIFF and REALSCREEN.

 

Lauren also served notable stints with major networks including ABC and Hulu. She assisted directors on several TV commercials for Apple TV, AT&T, HR Block, Advil and Range Rover. Sony Music hired Lauren as their production manager where she oversaw all aspects for production and post-production of Brandi Carlile’s “That Wasn’t Me” video, featuring Kris Kristofferson.

 

She began her career in photojournalism, where she racked up a list of accomplishments before transitioning to media production. After graduation from the Idyllwild School of Music & The Arts (ISOMATA). She earned a ‘BFA: Photography and Fine Art/Merit Scholarship’ from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) and an MFA in ‘Photojournalism and Documentary Photography’ from the International Center of Photography (ICP) in NYC. She then honed her skills working for some of the major players in New York City: Newsweek, Associated Press and Sipa Press. 

 

In 2006, Lauren was sponsored by National Geographic and Olympus Cameras to teach photography to Afghan women at “Aina –Independent Media & Culture Center” in Kabul.  This resulted in a five-page photo essay published in Geo Magazine. 

 

Awards and recognition include:

• CBS 2 News: “Children's Development Bank" (2008) 

• Geo Magazine: Published photo essay “Aina Media & Culture Center” (2006) 

• International Center of Photography (ICP): Exhibition “Liberty Avenue” Islam in America (2005)

• Carriage House & ABC No Rio Gallery NYC: Exhibition & Auction “Spice” hosted by Magnum Photo Agency & Architecture for Humanity to benefit 2004 Tsunami Victims (2005)

• Christian Hohmann Fine Art, Hamburg, Germany: Exhibition “Transition” hosted by “Scope Los Angeles” at the Standard Hotel in West Hollywood (2004)

• Wooster Street Gallery, Soho, NYC: Solo Exhibition “Scala Gay – A Portrait of Transgender Subculture in Brazil” hosted by School of Visual Arts (2003) 

• Stacy Sussman Travel Grant: Awarded Grant to Photograph Flamenco in Madrid, Spain (2002) 

• Recommended for Fulbright Grant for Photography (2002) Madrid, Spain

• Chairman’s Grant, School of Visual Arts NYC: Grant from Silas S. Rhodes for photographic excellence (2002)

• Falcudade da Cidade, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Fine Art & Photography Grant (2000) 

• Fifteenth Annual National Conference on Liberal Arts & The Education of Artists, NYC: Invited to speak at the conference about Art & Technology at the Algonquin Hotel (2000)