Ara Nuri Steel and Courtney Westbrook are unique designers. With exemplary communication skills, keen eyes for aesthetic design, both period and modern, and all round exceptional attitudes ARACOURT make for sensational creative collaborators and HODs. They are welcome on any of our sets.

-   Oscar Partridge, Creative Director, Acuity Productions
 

 

 

Ara and Courtney were wonderful collaborators on our film 'The End, The Beginning'. From the outset their unique style drove and informed the eventual tone of the film. They were able to include the whimsy and irreverence that we were trying to evoke with ease. 

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Their willingness to indulge in a heightened and theatrical aesthetic made them the ideal production designers for our film. Together we conceived of a strange picture-book world which felt entirely unique on screen. The fact that they are dynamite stop motion animators on top of all of this is astounding.

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-   Alicia and Archie, Director & Producer, The End, The Beginning
 

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Ara and Courtney are fantastic screen practitioners and designers. When I was working with them to create the short film 'Soulless' they were tireless in their commitment to the production and utilized an impressive array of graphic design, costume, set dressing, and construction skills. Creative, supportive, and a joy to be around - I highly recommend them to other productions.

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-   Jack McAvoy, Cinematographer, Soulless

 

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Working on 'CNUT' with the talented ladies of ARACOURT was an absolute pleasure. They are an extremely resourceful, determined, clever, self sufficient, powerhouse duo! Their immense talent, work ethic and creativity speaks for themselves. I feel honoured to have worked with them.
 

-   Katherine Shearer, Actor & Screen Producer, CNUT

 

 

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To put it simply, Ara Nuri Steel and Courtney Westbrook represent what it means to be true collaborators. Their professionalism, dedication, focus, creativity and warmth in their approach to their craft and dealings with their creative team, is something that I have been grateful to witness as the composer and sound designer for their little piece of magic – CNUT. I highly recommend this power duo as collaborators to any professionals in the industry and am excited to see ARACOURT grow, as their future visions in storytelling come to life! 

-   Chrysoulla Markoulli, Composer & Sound Designer, CNUT & Showreel
 

 

 

I’ve had the huge pleasure working with Ara and Courtney as an actor on the short children’s film 'The End, The Beginning’ and ARACOURT’s first in-house production, ‘CNUT’.

After working with Ara and Courtney on ‘The End, The Beginning’ I jumped at the chance to work with them again when they asked me to join CNUT. 

Ara and Courtney are collaborative, creative, and clear in their direction so that everyone pulls together efficiently and effectively on a happy, healthy set.

-   Greg Poppleton, Actor & Voice Over Artist, CNUT

 

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Ara and Courtney are not only award winning filmmakers in their own right. They are also the most incredibly supportive collaborators you will ever experience as a filmmaker! I would have both of them on my crew before the writer. Brilliant, just bloody brilliant! When they have nothing to work with….they just tap into the experience of the onset crew and make it happen! (A personal observation) I’ve made more than 3500 productions over 32 years in the industry (IMDb me if you will) and these two ladies are simply amazing! A subtle but unbelievable benefit to the finished product! And that is what it’s all about!

-   Tony Bosch, Grip & Head of Department at AFTRS

 

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As a Hair & Makeup Artist, it’s always an honour to work alongside such amazing talent as Ara and Courtney. They’re both highly creative, organised and hardworking. Absolute assets to any production and a bonus that they’re two of the sweetest people you could meet!

-   Amber Adams, Hair & Makeup Artist, Soulless, Sublime & Theo & Celeste
 

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...I had the pleasure of first collaborating with this team in early 2019 on The End, The Beginning...
I was brought on to the short film as Costume Designer and was pleased to be handed a design bible by the Production Designers, ARACOURT. Due to their excellent rapport with the director Archie Chew, they were able to present to me a solid vision for the live-action sets and the stop-motion animation of the film... They were more than happy to discuss, negotiate and change these parameters according to my suggestions and what both the Art and Costume departments could source. Throughout pre-production I appreciated their attention to detail, clear communication, and time/budget management.  

On set ARACOURT were phenomenal. They were able to make, source and install set dressing and props that brought to life those original design concepts and my work easily complimented the aesthetic. I also admired their knowledge and craft when witnessing the stop-motion animation component of the film. Like myself, I believe these two women thrive off hard physical work and they are not afraid of facing any challenge, probably due to their quick problem solving skills. They are also fair in their judgements and instill a working environment that is encouraging and inclusive for all. If another opportunity arose to collaborate in this capacity, I would definitely do it all again. 

Into 2020 I had the pleasure to once again to work alongside Ara and Courtney in the Art Department of an international feature film. They brought such a professionalism and commitment to their roles, I’m sure many people would agree with me when I say they were a ‘godsend’. Although what I admire most about this time, was their ability to still drive their ARACOURT projects outside of normal working hours, not only re-branding their business and but also completing the stop-motion animation CNUT. 

So as a final statement, I would like to highly recommend the design studio ARACOURT... They are on a thrilling trajectory. 

-   Brianna Patrice Russell, Costume Designer, The End, The Beginning
 

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