ALTERED.LA Welcomes Critically Acclaimed Director Estevan Oriol for Representation
Production company ALTERED.LA has today welcomed internationally celebrated photographer, producer and director, Estevan Oriol for commercial representation in the US general and US Hispanic markets. With a slew of industry awards up his sleeve and a distinctive directorial style, Estevan has worked with esteemed global brands such as Byredo, Dickies, Cadillac and Nike, to name a few. His representation with ALTERED.LA marks his first foray into the commercial world.
Estevan is recognised as a leading figure in bringing Mexican-American culture into mainstream arts and culture, inspiring generations of artists and creative talent, and contributing to shaping representations of Mexican-American heritage across the media.
Born and bred in the Westside of Los Angeles, Estevan began his career as a hip-hop club bouncer turned tour manager for popular Los Angeles-based rap groups Cypress Hill and House of Pain. After developing a passion for photography whilst travelling the world and encouraged by his renowned photographer father, Eriberto Oriol, Estevan began documenting life on the road and established a name for himself amid the emerging hip-hop scene.
Over the course of his career spanning over two decades, Estevan has built an impressive photographic portfolio that juxtaposes the glamorous and gritty planes of LA culture. Featuring portraits of famous athletes, artists, celebrities and musicians, in addition to urban street photography, gang members and tattooists, his portfolio exposes the multifaceted nature of LA culture. He has also produced shoots for internationally-acclaimed photographers such as Ellen von Unwerth for Sang Bleu and Luca Babini for GQ Italy, and seen his photography featured in Complex, FHM, Juxtapoz, GQ, Vibe, Rolling Stone and other global publications.
The acclaimed director has worked for a host of global fashion brands, including a photo and video campaign for Dickies, where Estevan designed a clothing capsule, as well as an experiential event for the launch. The successful project went on to win at the 2022 MarCom Awards in three categories - Integrated Marketing, Product Launch and Special Event and BizBash award for Best Fashion Brand Activation.
Whilst collaborating with Adidas on a project featuring basketball players, Estevan also curated an accompanying coffee table photography book that launched alongside the footwear. This partnership led to a number of future jobs and events with the brand. Later on shooting ‘The Iconoclast’ campaign for Vans saw Estevan profile eight cultural icons including Henry Rollins and Motorhead's Lemy and Stacey Peralta.
Another outstanding launch campaign worth noting is 2016’s collaboration with BRANBLACK and Austin Gebhard for the 'DJX', DeSean Jackson’s first signature sneaker and the brand’s first initiative into football. The marketing campaign was tailored specifically for the Los Angeles audience and was shot by none other than Estevan Oriol at Jackson's high school alma mater, Long Beach Polytechnic High School. With his exceptional talent and unparalleled eye for detail, Oriol has cemented his place as one of the most sought-after directors and photographers of our time.
A standout career highlight and valuable learning experience for the filmmaker, Estevan executively produced the American drama film Lowriders (2016), where he worked alongside Brian Grazer, Eva Longoria and Demien Bichir. In 2020, Estevan produced, directed and starred in 'L.A. Originals', a Netflix Original documentary film that serves as an introduction to Estevan and Mister Cartoon, who influenced a large swath of popular culture for a decade or two. The documentary got selected for the SXSW 2020 Film Festival and, with its live-event cancelled because of the pandemic, it also made it the collection of 39 films released on Amazon Prime Video during the limited time event.
His latest work, Cypress Hill: Insane in the Brain’, is a testament to his ability to capture the essence of a cultural movement. Additionally, in the ‘Showtime’ documentary, Estevan uncovers never-before-seen archival footage, captured by himself, as well as images of band members B Real, DJ Muggs, Sen Dog and Eric “Bobo” Correa to show the groundbreaking group's journey to success and how this musical brotherhood has withstood the test of time with their influence forever burned into the legacy of Hip Hop.
Looking to the future, Estevan is working on four new coffee table photography books, alongside developing numerous documentaries, scripted episodic T.V. and a feature film. He is looking forward to collaborating with ALTERED.LA to create meaningful content with global brands.
Estevan Oriol, director at ALTERED.LA, comments: “I was introduced by my manager to Marcos and after meeting him and talking to him I felt it was the right place for me to be. I’ve been wanting to direct commercials for a few years now. My Family, friends, my car club, and the people of L.A. have made me the shooter I am today, I take my style everywhere I go in the world and shoot different cultures with that influence. I am looking forward to my next venture with ALTERED.LA.
Marcos Cline, executive producer & Founder, at ALTERED.LA, speaks on the new signing: “You can count on one hand those at the forefront of bringing Mexican-American culture to the mainstream and that includes Cheech, Danny Trejo, George Lopez, and Estevan. His work has inspired a whole generation of artists, from filmmakers & photographers, to muralists and tattoo artists, he's a cultural icon. I cannot overstate how important his impact has been so it's important for me to offer him a platform through which he can bring his years of experience and his authentic aesthetic to brands. Curiously, his work will be familiar to many for it is used as references in agency boards and director treatments more often than I can remember.”
Oriol's addition to ALTERED.LA is sure to bring about exciting new projects and collaborations, and we can't wait to see what the future has in store for us next.
