Daily Inspiration: Meet Mateo Renzo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mateo Renzo.

Hi Mateo, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Of course! I was born and raised in Miami, Florida by two Peruvian immigrants. I grew up alongside my older sister, whom I credit for bringing out my creative side at a very young age. My family is very musical. Both me and my sister were in our respective school choirs from 3rd grade all the way to high school graduation. While I definitely reserve space in my soul for music, it’s really storytelling as a whole that has enraptured me since I was a child. Whether it was me alone playing with LEGOs or playing with my friends, there always had to be a story there.

At around age 15, I fell head over heels with film, something I’d always appreciated, but never the guts to pursue. I had always had ideas for films, novels, short stories, but it never occurred to me that I could make them real. I remember it was the film Blade Runner 2049 that left me slack-jawed. It was a vision so realized that it lit a fuse inside of me. So, I scoured the internet for free screenwriting softwares and watched YouTube video after YouTube video and started writing (Nothing that good, obviously). But that wasn’t enough. The hours of writing and learning about film set me on a course that would lead me to pursuing a BFA in Creative Writing from Full Sail University. It was then, I became obsessed.

But, writing wasn’t enough. I began to help out on small productions around the school, doing anything I could do. From being a runner, to getting to be the cinematographer of a few films. I was hooked. I even got to write and direct my own short films which were learning experiences to say the least. After graduation, I still wanted more. I wasn’t going to sit back and let time go to waste. So I packed my bags, said my “See you later”s, and booked it to California with my best friend of 8 years. That’s where I’m at now. Still writing, still helping out where I can on indie projects, and doing my best to get myself out there.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I’d hate it if it was a smooth road. I feel like that’d mean I’m doing something wrong. It hasn’t been torturous, but the path of any artist is one paved with failure and rejection. Luckily, I have the support of my family and friends, but I’m still (to the industry, that is) a nobody.

One of the challenges is not losing faith. My engine’s still whirring–I’m young and passionate, I can only hope to retain this vigor after I, inevitably, run into more and more walls.

Another challenge is giving myself patience. I want to do better, be better, but I can’t just put a typewriter under my pillow and wake up as Charlie Kaufman. I will never stop learning and growing. It’s easier said than processed, but we’re getting there.

The plight of any creative is keeping track of all the other things in life. All I want to do is write, but let’s be real, who’s going to keep me fed? Who’s going to pay for my gas? Me, the answer’s me, by the way. Not only is the financial stuff challenging, so is the social part of it all. We are social creatures, some less than others, but I believe we all need our respective dose of connectivity. Not to sound like a hermit, but people can definitely be a lot. Love them, but damn. I’m not the type to just bulldoze through everyone in my path in defense of my dreams, so I always make space for the people in my life, which takes time away from what I’d like to do, but I don’t think I’d be able to make it without them.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Plainly, I’m a screenwriter. I’ve written and read many a screenplay and have learned the organs of an effective story. I don’t like to cage myself into a genre, I believe the best writers are like rubber and I wouldn’t want to deny myself the exploration of any genre.

More extensively, I define myself as a storyteller, or (as Koura Linda puts it) an ambassador of humanity. This isn’t exclusive to me, but I never write something without a clear idea of what I want to say. That’s usually where I start, actually. I think, “What would I like to say to the world?” After I land on an answer, I then ask, “What’s the best story to convey that message?” A lot of writers will tell you that their theme naturally erupts from their stories without extensive foresight, but I’ve never been like that. Sure, I refine my theme as I write, but I never go hiking without a map.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Art is a risk. It’s a risk of embarrassing yourself, or of being swallowed by a sea of excess, or of sacrificing parts of your life in pursuit of fulfillment. I took a risk moving out here from Florida, a state I’d lived in for 20 years. It’s been going decently so far, but I’m still living in the uncertainty of it all. But I’d be foolish if I stayed comfortable. If you’re an artist, you are a risk-taker, you have to be. There’s never a guarantee on how it’ll work out for you, or if anyone will care, but you have to take that pill and keep moving. The time one spends thinking about risks is time that could be spent taking them. Like I said earlier, I’d hate a smooth road, that’d mean I wasn’t being challenged. If I’m not being challenged, then how will I be able to challenge others? Risks are essential, I highly recommend taking them, the right ones, at least

Pricing:

• Script Coverage: $50

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mateorenzo.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoinkysploinky/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567534841535
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mateo-renzo-74a033294/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mateorenzo

Image Credits
Image 1 Credit: Adrian Palma