Welcome to the latest edition of Showcase Italy, brought to you by Production Paradise. We highlight the very best of the Italian visual media industry and, as usual, more information can be found in our dedicated Photo and Film directories for Milan, Rome and other cities around Italy.

In this Showcase we present the leading companies and top professionals currently working from Italy: Allucinazione, At Lupetta 5 & Belowtheline, Aura Photo Agency, Cecchin Photography, Fabrizio Nannini, Federico Cambria, Ivan Basso, Lorenzo Pesce, Lupin Film, Luzzitelli Danieli, Michelangelo Rossino, Pewter Di El Sabeh Abdul Karim, PH Crew, Sardinia Production Service, Stefano Cattelan, The Kitchen Production and West Artists.

Our cover image was shot by Stefano Cattelan.

The Kitchen is a full service photo production factory with proven experience in communication and photo shoots. Its team of experienced young talents can offer high quality productions and will assist at every stage of the production process.

The Kitchen provides “best-in-class” customer service, including casting, location scouting, assistants and grips, stylists and make-up artists, set building, post production and 3D support for photo and video shoots.

With offices in Rome and Milan, The Kitchen also provides equipment and studio rental.

Clients include ENI, Nissan, Vodafone, BNL, Findomestic, McDonald's, Sony, RDS, Adidas, Google, RCS, Coop, LiuJo, Cadey, L’Oréal Professional, WWF and Miele.

Allucinazione is where photography, commercials and studio shoots come together. Based in central Rome, the agency provides photographic and video production expertise through its team of in-house retouchers, 3D operators, editors and assistants. Allucinazione also offers production services, equipment rental, and organises shoots for foreign clients.

Representing photographers across the commercial advertising market, the company's international staff work alongside English and Italian speaking assistants to handle all aspects of production, including casting, locations, scouting, permits, equipment, transport and accommodation. The studio has a limbo that measures 10m x 7m x 3.7m and includes a separate production area, a fully-equipped make-up and dressing room and a central garden. The entire studio is fitted with Wi-Fi Internet.

Rome-based Riccardo Magno founded Allucinazione in 1998 and has since been joined by producer Lucinda Agar, a Dutch production secretary, international digital assistants, and an Italian studio manager. The company has its own rentals department and edits video commercials in-house, delivering broadcast HD quality via streaming to an ftp server.

Michelangelo Rossino lives and works in Turin. His photography ranges from commissions to illustrations and digital composition.

He is considered amongst the leading Italian advertising photographers and has been using digital technology across photography, 3D, painting and illustration since 1994.

Michelangelo is involved in every step of the creative process, relying on an experienced team of dedicated experts.

For his automotive work, Michelangelo has developed a unique technique involving ‘Light CGI’, providing on location CGI shoots mixed with live photography.

Visit his website for more information.

Italian photographers Roberto Luzzitelli and Laura Danieli have been working together since establishing their Turin-based studio in 1985.

They have collaborated with famous advertising brands including Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Artsana, Brevi, Ferrari, Ferrero, Fiat, Gancia, Giugiaro Design, Iveco, Juventus F.C., Jonhson&Jonhson, Lavazza, Martini&Rossi, New Holland, Nike, San Pellegrino, Sanson, Scottex, Seat, Sergio Tacchini, Suzuki, Swatch, Tissot, Toyota, Trussardi, and many more.

The pair has put together a highly qualified crew of shooting and post production experts. Specialised in every kind of advertising image, including food, kids, still life, beverage and automotive, Roberto and Laura are constantly searching for new ways of making communication.

Visit the website to see more of their portfolio.

Sardinia Production Service is based in northern Sardinia from where it provides a full range of solutions for companies looking to shoot on the island, including location scouting, casting and permits.

Recent work includes advertising campaignes for Audi, Twin Set and The Discovery Channel, among others.

Thanks to its sunny and dry climate, Sardinia is ideal for outdoor shoots. Its wide range of locations includes white beaches, dunes, wild landscapes, mountains and luxurious villas. Only a one-hour flight from Milan and Rome, the island is also linked to major European airports with direct flights from the UK, Germany, France and Spain.

Abed Sabeh has over 20 years of experience in photo retouching, 3D animation, design and graphics, mostly concentrated in the advertising domain. During this time, he has worked with numerous companies on many large-scale projects and has collaborated with all the major advertising agencies in the Middle East.

Abed is renowned for his ability to consistently deliver high-quality work above and beyond industry standards. Having recently relocated to Italy from Dubai, he hopes to expand his work to include collaborations with more European companies.

Federico Cambria directs TV commercials. He graduated with an MA in Music History from Univeristà Cattolica del Sacro Cuore di Milano, and also holds a degree from Milan Civica Scuola del Cinema.

As a freelance director he has shot commercials and virals for agencies including Y&R, M&C Saatchi, Goettsche, Aldobiasicomunicazione, Brand Portal, Del Monte & Partners and Ab comunicazioni.

Federico also wrote and directed the multimedia theatre play 'Slavedrome', performed at Teatro Litta Milano mentioned during the 2009-10 season and featured in the Bjcem Skopje Biennal 2009.

Lupetta5 & BelowTheLine is one of Italy's leading production service and location agencies. Based in Milan, the Italian capital of fashion and design, Lupetta5 owns one of the richest, ever-expanding location archives in Europe.

With many years of production experience, its team works to provide the finest solutions to any production requirement, offering a fully bespoke production service to both national and international clients.

Visit the website or call the company directy for information and advice on upcoming projects.

Paolo Cecchin was born in Turin and has always wanted to be a painter. He prefers to construct his images rather than to size them, starting with a blank canvas where light is allowed to tell the story through contrast and shadow.

Paolo's fascination with light comes from his love of nature. Being a photographer
gives him a way to reconcile his passions for creativity, energy, adventure and storytelling.

Clients include Alfa Romeo, Annapurna Cachemire, Arena, Artsana, Barclays, Barilla, Beretta, Burger King, Campari, Ferrari, Ferrero, Fiat, Geox, Henkel, Hyundai, Iveco, Lancia, Lavazza, Mitsubishi, Nestlé, Nissan, Orogel, Regione Piemonte, Sanson, Sony Ericsson and Volkswagen.