Gabriela Tarantino is a creative producer and copywriter originally from Caracas, Venezuela, now based in Bogotá, Colombia. She graduated from Andrés Bello Catholic University with a degree in Social Communication, specializing in audiovisual media.

With over 10 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Gabriela has built a versatile career spanning creative development, copywriting, and production coordination. She has worked with E! Entertainment Television, Telemundo, and currently serves at Universal Plus, contributing to campaigns and promotional content across On Air, Ad Sales, Marketing, and Digital divisions.

Driven by a passion for storytelling, Gabriela has played a key role in the success of numerous industry initiatives, bringing creative vision to life across multiple platforms.

P.S. Not Quentin’s niece.

How many years have you been a judge?

1-3 years

What was your first job in the industry? What did it teach you?

My first job was as a freelancer in the on-air creative department for E! Entertainment Television. I had already been able to see what this world was all about because I had the great opportunity to do my university internship for E! in the same area. One of the things I learned the most was to get out of the academic bubble and learn from a real work environment.
I developed fundamental skills such as teamwork, pressure management, self-confidence, and I was able to develop my creativity (which I didn’t even know I had for this) in great pieces and campaigns.

What project are you most proud to have worked on?

I’ve been in many projects that have made me proud, but if I had to choose one, I would say the E! STAR POWER campaign with the talents we had at the time. Participating from the creative side, being on the recording set with talents and being able to take charge of the production of these pieces was definitely a challenge that fulfilled me a lot.

What’s the most challenging part about your job and/or the industry?

I would think that one of the most challenging things is to be able to achieve a balance between what they want and what is possible. When working with so many people, maintaining order and effective communication is crucial.

What do you look for to determine excellence in video?

Something that leaves you a message and can quickly hook you

How do you unwind from work mode?

My way of disconnecting from work is the gym, I usually go every day after work and it helps a lot to drain and help you stay healthy. I love going to the movies and on the weekends watching series and enjoying a good meal are things that keep my mind away from work.

Do you have any specific practices you lean on to fuel your creativity?

I really like watching trends on Instagram, TikTok, I usually watch awards every year, not just those on television like the Oscars, Goldens, etc., but also awards for marketing campaigns, television to find out what the agencies, other channels and organizations are up to. This helps you see what’s in fashion this year or what the trends are and be able to take advantage of it.

When did you know that this career is what you wanted to do?

Since I was able to do my internship at E! Entertainment Television about 10 years ago for the on-air creative area, I knew it. I saw that I was good, I liked what I did, the environment allowed me to be myself and express myself. From there I knew that once I graduated from university I wanted to dedicate myself to this world.

What inspired you to join the field and create the kind of work you do?

When I discovered this world about 10 or 11 years ago, I was always inspired by goals: I wanted to join the team after graduating, collaborate on important creative campaigns, contribute ideas that would work for many areas, learn more about how the company worked, continue growing and learning. Another thing that keeps you going is knowing that your work helps and facilitates.

In your experience, what is a significant change you are seeing happen in the video, television, and/or film industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?

I think that one of the most significant changes in this industry has been streaming. It is here to stay and today it has been displacing cable television a little. Although there are still many people who use it, every year the percentage decreases. What I feel and have seen is that you cannot fight against it, but rather look for a way to focus on digital, on streaming and in that way take advantage of what is currently the leader.

What’s a work tool you use every day and what’s one that is obsolete that you wish still existed?

One of the tools I use the most is Excel. I think that even though the years have passed, it is still an excellent tool for many things. And I would think that an obsolete tool, although I still use it in my case because it helps me capture, retain, and visualize, is taking notes on paper.

What are your current roles and responsibilities and what do you love most about your job?

My day-to-day work is based on being aware of the creative campaigns of shows that go to the air and to the marketing, sales or digital departments, this applies to Latin America and Brazil. I must maintain an established order so that everything is prepared in the due times, pre-production, production, post-production and finally delivery stages. At the same time, I must be in charge of working hand in hand with teams of designers, audio mixers and video editors to be able to complete these deliveries that they request from us. What I like about my job is that apart from being able to see the creative part, I can also be in charge of the operational part and be aware of all the premieres that are coming up in a year.

What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?

I am currently working at NBCUniversal for the Universal Plus channels, which is a great challenge and learning experience because they are currently booming. For example, we are having something new, which is having pieces to promote ourselves on Amazon and Mercado Libre.