Check Out Nathaly Lopez’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathaly Lopez.

Hi Nathaly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
It all started when I was in my early 20’s. I had a job as an an office clerk. I knew I want made to be in a regular job forever. I was pondering on what I wanted to be, but nothing seemed interesting enough for me. As a child, I had a thing for fashion, art, and music. As a teenager I started doing art competitions and experimenting with all sorts of materials. History was also another passion of mine. I wanted to be an archeologist. Lastly, I developed a love for buildings and spaces. Choosing a career was a little tough because I had plenty of choices. Unfortunately, things never came to fruition. After a family tragedy, I was forced to put those dreams to sleep.

During one my days off from my office job, I remember sitting by myself in an empty theater during a matinée screening of a movie I can’t recall. There was no one else in the theater. I stayed for the credits. Little did I know that that decision would change my life forever. As the credits were rolling… there it was…Art Director. My first thought was ” you can direct art?”, “how do you do that?”. And the rest is history.

Alright, 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?
It was not easy. I had no idea where to start. This was the late 2000s. I just researched as much as I could but they’re wasn’t a lot of information on the internet just yet. I did find out that there were film schools I could go to. Since I had no contact with this industry, this was the best choice for me.

When you’re in your 20s you have a different perception of life. Although you’re an adult, you still think very young. I thought I was going to be working on big shows right away. That was not the case. I had to build myself up from zero. It took years, it took experience, it took hard work, it took networking, sleepless nights, blood, sweat and tears. It’s not an easy industry and it’s not for everyone.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a Production Designer in the Film and TV industry. I design movie sets with an incredible crew of artists and craftsmen. Everything you see on screen is all my team and I. That also includes propmaster, fabricator, scenic painters, carpenters, decorators, etc.

What sets me apart from others is the fact that I stayed from zero. I’ve done all the positions within my team. I’ve fabricated, scenic painted, decorated, I’ve made props from scratch, I’ve built set walls and whatnot. It gave me an opportunity to understand my crew, how hard their job was, what it took to create it and how long it took. All of this helps me problem solve last minute and it strengthened my collaboration with others.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I think my only luck was learning to make the best with what I have since I was young. If you gave me a piece of fabric, I would create an outfit for my teddy bears. If I had a piece of coal after a camp fire, I would use it as graphite and draw something. Nothing has ever been a limit to me. Art has no limits. It finds its way.

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