In Tinseltown, there are many stars, but none shine quite as bright as creative superstar Yelena Burnett. Originally from Kiev (formerly the Soviet Union — now the Ukraine), Yelena’s love of art started early — as a little girl, her heart was set on being an artist and she was often caught drawing her one-of-a-kind “masterpieces” on the walls of her family home.
Now a resident Angeleno (aka Los Angeles), Yelena Burnett uses her inspired talent to her advantage as the Vice President of the Print division of Hollywood powerhouse Creative Asylum (www.creativeasylum.com).
Headquartered in the entertainment capital of the world, Creative Asylum is an Emmy-award winning integrated digital agency that successfully develops and executes integrated marketing campaigns for a variety of leading entertainment, hospitality and lifestyle clients. The company mission is to communicate brand and product messaging for its clients in innovative, exciting ways that result in wide-ranging exposure.
As the VP of Print, Yelena directs creative, hires designers and uses her vast creativity to help craft unique, memorable campaigns. “It’s the perfect position for me, because I love building things,” says Yelena. “Not only was I given the opportunity to build an entire department from scratch, but with the team, we build campaigns that have integrity and are focused on the art,” she noted.
It was in 1980 that Yelena moved to the United States to pursue her creative endeavors. She recalls arriving in New York City as a young girl, feeling scared yet overcome with excitement. If you ask her, she will tell you that the Big Apple taught her to be fiercely independent and infused her with the go-getter energy she has today.
After graduating from Columbia University, Yelena moved to Europe for a year, where she spent the majority of her time restoring historical landmarks in Belgium. She then traveled through Europe, as well as to Africa and South America. She believes that her travels made her hyper-aware and accepting of many world cultures. A huge benefit to visiting many countries was that she was able to experience firsthand the way other cultures expressed beauty and creativity.
Fluent in four languages, Yelena used her wide-ranging background and vast experience to create the print division at Creative Asylum “from the ground up.” Under her expert guidance, this flourishing, dynamic department quickly became integral to the company’s incredible success in integrated marketing.
Yelena’s team has worked on some amazing campaigns ranging from “The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” and “Wanted” for Universal, the “Rescue Me” DVD campaign for Sony Home Entertainment, and the “Valkyrie” teaser campaign for United Artists, among many others. The division is currently working on all the artwork for “Aaron Stone” for Disney, as well as the new XD channel they are creating.
“The projects we work on are exciting and challenging, and the team here at Creative Asylum is extremely inspiring,” Yelena said. “The energy and creativity that everyone here possesses is incredible.”
When asked what gets her out of bed in the morning, Yelena responded with, “Life and all its beautiful aspects — people, nature, art, film, architecture, but most importantly LOVE of life itself.” She attributes her strength of spirit to her grandmother Evdokia, who was among other things, a WWII vet, a federal prosecutor for the city of KIEV in the USSR, an amazing chef, and the kindest and warmest human being Yelena has ever known. She considers herself lucky to have also been graced by several other strong and inspiring women along the way who shaped her both a woman and a businesswoman.
In a town with so much aspiring creativity, it’s a breath of fresh air to meet a woman so grounded and focused, who is really making waves in the entertainment industry. Of the industry itself, Yelena said, “The synthesis of creative minds that work together as a team is unparalleled to any other industry, in my opinion. The writers, filmmakers, designers, editors and marketing talent, as well as the general public, all add to the alchemy of this business.”
Chaton Anderson is a Writer and the Publicity Director for TheSavvyGal.com. A product and pop culture addict, she is always looking for the coolest, hippest things on the market, as well as the newest health and fitness trends to hit the scene. Email her at Chaton@TheSavvyGal.com with questions or leads on products and services on the cutting edge.