Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Azzaro.
Nick, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been in love with films for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I used to watch movies over and over again, trying to understand the magic behind every frame. By taking a look at behind the scenes on DVDs, I eventually realized that what intrigued me was the possibility of creating an entire lifelike new world out of nothing. Being on a film set seemed the coolest thing ever, and I wanted to be part of it! I had always been into arts, first drawing and painting, and later on photography. Yet, filmmaking soon became my way of expressing the countless stories that populated my mind. In films, I found my voice, and I finally had a way of telling the world what I wanted to say.
When James Cameron’s Avatar came out, it became clear that anything was possible, and that the only limit was your imagination. The freedom filmmaking allowed when approaching storytelling made me realize it was something I seriously wanted to pursue as a carrier. From there, I started reading books and watching tutorials on the Internet about filmmaking (and specifically CGI), and I started filming my very first short films that often involved green screen and visual effects. My goal was and still remains, to make any production feel like a Hollywood movie, even with the lowest budget.
As a filmmaker, I’m very ambitious and efficient, and I know that in order to expand my knowledge, I have to continuously exercise the craft. In fact, I’ve been making short films for the past ten years, mostly using the skills I learned on my own. After graduating from high school, I knew that film school was the best choice for me, and that Hollywood was the place I was meant to be. I’ve been in Los Angeles for almost two years now, and I couldn’t be happier! I have a crazy number of projects in the works, and I recently had the chance to screen one of my shorts titled “When Darkness Comes” at the TCL Chinese Theater.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Learning filmmaking is such an amazingly interesting journey, as there are so many paths one could follow, and behind every door hides a new challenge to face. Nonetheless, I never feel discouraged, because no matter how stressful it can get, I’m doing what I love.
A big challenge was definitely moving to the other side of the world. I was born and raised in Italy, and I have to admit that living in California is a completely different experience. It took a while to adapt, but I soon fell in love with the incredible diversity Los Angeles has to offer, and that is a great source of inspiration for my stories. In fact, I believe that I could not be the filmmaker I am today if I hadn’t been in contact with the American culture.
Another major obstacle for me is my inner critic. For better or worse, I’m a perfectionist and this often means that I’m not fully satisfied with my work. Throughout the years, I became less strict with myself, yet I never lost my philosophy of always being fully committed by giving my best in every possible way. Eventually, it all came down to acknowledging that the effort I put is enough and that all I need to do is believe in myself and my creative skills!
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
My ultimate aspiration is to be a film director. Dealing with the intricate processes of filmmaking is such a rewarding experience, and by being the director you get to be part of it all, making your vision come to life from the pages of a script to the silver screen. Additionally, I am passionate about cinematography, as I really enjoy telling stories visually. There’s something about the way light, color and shapes create meanings that go behind words, thoroughly affecting the audience on an emotional level. I also have extensive knowledge of visual effects that I use to enhance the worlds I create.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.nickazzaro.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickazzaro/
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9872959/
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
