Meet Eric Marq of Toro Marq Productions in Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Marq.

Eric, before we jump into specific questions about the company, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was playing football at the local community college in Palm Desert, California. Up to then, I had completely dedicated myself to the sport. I had a great run in high school making headlines left and right, but due to my size I wasn’t receiving any offers from schools that I really wanted to play for. So here I am, finishing up my final year of eligibility to play but now I am faced with the problem of not having enough credits to transfer and continue playing. This felt like stepping on a damn thumbtack. Frustrating yet painful. So being forced to finish of my credits, I join an “Acting 1” course that at the time was the only course offered that had anything to do with acting or Theater in general. It was an odd itch that I had after being in a Dramatic Literature class where they put us in groups and had us create our own five minute one-act play. The group I was in was lazy so instead of writing it we decided to improvise. So, our first rehearsal they cast me as the ‘Coc’d out lounge singer’. All I remember is I got this sudden adrenaline rush, super excited rather than nervous, and I channeled my inner John Leguizamo from the movie “I Am Sam”. The last film I remembered watching where I was deeply fascinated by a performance.

So, I do the scene and a fellow group member comes to me and says, ” Bro… I know you love football and all, which is great… but… you should try an acting class. Because that was fucking entertaining.” I will never forget those words because that came at a time when I was very unsure of my future after getting the news that I couldn’t transfer anytime soon. So, boom after day one of the acting class the rest is history. I took every course offered the following years, luckily, they added some. Fast forward six years later, I made the move to Los Angeles with my car and a suitcase. Got an Airbnb for a few months then got blessed with an apartment. Attended Beverly Hills Playhouse. Got introduced to some great people that helped me land an agent as well as discover talent across the spectrum of film making. Picked up writing and editing. Been here five years now. Started filming my own shorts with my iPhone. I have five completed in the past two months. Two of them are in the festival circuits and so for two official selections for both films. I can say I am where I want to be at the moment. Finally picking up some momentum.

Has it been a smooth road?
Definitely not. As soon as I moved out here, all of my plans went south. As expected though. I sort of mentally prepared for all of this before moving out, understanding the risk. I was involved in a car accident my second week here. Totaled the car. I was living in Panorama City but working in Hollywood. So, transportation was a pain. My living situation was unstable so I had to jump on Airbnb for a few months which completely wiped my savings. A year later I was booted out of my apartment due to “Renovations”. They gave me a heads up but I didn’t fully understand it so I fought it tooth and nail which caused some bad blood between the landlord and I so just ended up leaving a month sooner just to step out of the situation. Due to not having enough credit, it made it difficult to find a place along with not having any money saved up. So, for a month and a half I couch surfed all throughout town. I was blessed with having a good core of fellow artists that allowed me to stay with them one or two days at a time but towards the end it was becoming extremely difficult so for about two weeks I slept in my car. Just when I thought I had gone through it all, that happened. In a way I felt initiated. The cliché “Actor sleeping in car, couch surfing” was a part I felt I would be able to avoid. But when it happened, I told myself if I can make it through this and still want to continue this journey, then I can finally sleep at night knowing that I am on the right track.

We’d love to hear more about the company.
My production company is just starting out. It’s nothing too official yet. I just branded the name to force myself to really kick into gear. Right now, I handle the cinematography and editing as well as Directing. I mainly specialize in Directing. Acting is the engine but creating self-content feels more important at the moment. The five films I mentioned were really the birth of the idea. TORO is the name of my late cousin that passed away four years ago. We both shared the same enthusiasm for film and had big plans to create together. We were the same age so his passing came way too soon and out of the blue. I want every success I have to be shared with him so Toro Marq Productions is the start of that journey. So, I am proud that two of these films have been Officially Selected with the production company name stamped on the intro. It almost feels like he implanted the idea in a dream I had, because I just literally woke up one day and was like, “I am going to start a production company.”

I have a unique eye and ear. For me, music narrates every story. I love music. It is my all-time crush. I learned how to listen at a young age. So much so that I feel I have mastered the art of listening. Music tells me stories and they present themselves at random times at random moments of certain songs. I will listen to that section until my ears bleed. Then as soon as I touch a pen I start writing. I make my films with in almost a music video format. I will have it playing while I edit it. When I finish a cut, I play that song from beginning to end and watch it with nothing but the music playing. If it feels where I want it, then I eliminate the music and go from there. It’s an odd process that took me a while to develop.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Other than growing in the diversity spectrum, I see the industry being more open to the obscure when it comes to storytelling. Primarily with Film. The unique narrative that isn’t commonly used, or the “abstract” as most like to say. Various platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime etc., have opened the door to these types of films and shows – and they have been well received. Especially now, with our current world situation. I strongly believe a new genre of film making will be born in the next decade. Along with music videos, tv shows –  all of it. Everything we will see and listen to will have a hard note of reality to it. It will be interesting to see everyone’s take. The two films I recently produced, “Daemon” and “Blessed Be”, both touch on specific dynamics that deal with the “early” stages of the Covid pandemic. Two weeks in, and I experienced enough to make two films out of it. Now four months going on to five, I could write a whole fucking series at this point… I just might.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ericmarq.com
• Phone: 7604599935
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: eric_jose16

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