Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Lasso.
Hi Nicole, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Panama City, Panama. Ever since I was a kid, going to the movie theater and watching films was like my family’s main activity every weekend. I grew up watching movies that no kid should really watch, and in time I fell in love with the craft, with storytelling and with the collective experience of watching and sharing movies. Every year, for the Oscars, me, my grandpa and my father would print out the Oscar ballots and fill out our preferences of who we each thought would win in every category. The Awards season was pretty big in my family, and we would make an event of each one of them: Golden Globes, SAG Awards, Oscars, etc. I never really thought, however, that I would work in films. Growing up, I thought I’d be an Interior Designer or a Fashion Designer, but this changed around the time I was starting 7th grade. That year, I remember rediscovering and rewatching all of the Harry Potter movies. I became obsessed and would watch them all the time. Once, when I was rewatching the Order of the Phoenix, I remember having to pause the film because I realized there was a smile creeping up in my face. I remember thinking about why I was smiling, even in one of the most depressing scenes of that film, and I slowly realized that I wanted to be able to make people happy just as movies made me happy. And, if the only way I knew how to be really happy, then I wanted to be able to make movies that could make people smile despite their problems in life or despite how sad the story is. At first, I thought it meant that I should be an actor, so I pursued that route for a while, acting in plays and musicals. Around my senior year of high school, however, I realized that what I wanted to be was a Writer/Director, so I applied to Film schools with that in mind. I went to undergrad at the University of Central Florida, where I learned so much and met incredible people who were not only my friends but collaborators. Not only did I write and direct short films while I was there, but I was also constantly on set trying as many crew roles as possible to experience as much as I could. It was also there that I produced my first short film, “To Catch Lightning”, which got selected and screened at the Oscar-qualifying Florida Film Festival. Since then, I started producing more and more shorts (and even a feature film). Everything I knew about producing were things that I had taught myself from being on so many sets or things that I learned with trial and error the more I produced. Because of that, I decided to apply to the AFI Conservatory to really study producing from professionals and focus on that craft. After being here for a year and a half, I think it was the right choice. I have met many incredibly talented people, and my creative voice as a producer has grown tremendously in only one year.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not really. Being an international student has always made this journey a bit nebulous and difficult to navigate. As I mentioned before, I am Panamanian, but there isn’t a lot of Panamanian movies or even support for cinema in Panama. I have always struggled with feeling like there was no real place for my dreams at home (home being Panama), but that I also wasn’t sure or could never be sure if my films or even if I would be welcomed to pursue my dreams anywhere else in the world.
During high school, I was the straight-A type student that could clearly go and study anything I wanted and probably do a good job at it. I enjoyed Physics, I was good at Calculus, I studied a lot and enjoyed studying. I even considered applying for an Environmental Engineering degree, but I realized that even though I could probably do it and be successful at it, it wouldn’t ultimately make me as happy as filmmaking would make me. Of course, making movies is extremely difficult and can feel like a nightmare sometimes. Studying film is already extremely expensive, and I feel privileged and lucky to be able to do so, but that on top of making movies can feel very distressing and disheartening. It’s hard to justify it and it is, perhaps, not sustainable. Even then, I always wake up wanting to create more, to find more stories and make more movies. It brings me the most joy, despite the struggles and the heartbreak that come with it. Now, the future for cinema feels extremely unclear so that can feel a little threatening for everyone. But, I’d like to believe that there’s always going to be a need for stories and for storytelling, and I am hopeful that movies and filmmakers can survive.
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?
Currently, I am a 2nd Year Producing Fellow at the American Film Institute Conservatory. I am focusing on learning the craft of producing. Like I said before, I wanted to get a formal education on how to be a producer so that I could expand on what I had learned along the way or had picked up from producing films before AFI. I also write and direct, and would still like to pursue both of them after graduating. As a filmmaker, I tend to gravitate towards and write stories about identity, grief, guilt and repression. I am drawn to films that explore complex characters that make messy decisions or who are grappling with a very internal problem that they haven’t been able to face or confront. I think there’s a lot of beauty in the struggles humans face every day, and I think that sadness and grief can be the most cathartic on screen. There’s nothing more beautiful than watching someone go through something really vulnerable and learn something about themselves, about the world or about others on screen — and those are the kinds of films I’d like to make or work on. It is my core belief that making movies is the most selfless thing anyone can make, and so I approach filmmaking in that way. It’s a gift to everyone else, a way of saying “I have felt how you felt, and I honor it, and I hope this helps you heal in some way”.
As a Producer, I think what sets me apart is my ability to seamlessly go back and forth between the creative and the logistics. I think that producing really fits that aspect of my personality: being able to use both sides of my brain and get equal satisfaction from the logistical planning and the artistry. A lot of people’s first impression of me is that I am very opinionated, and I think that’s true. I have a very strong opinion on stories and on the creative aspects of making a film, and I tend to put most of my focus on the story and on character-work. Maybe it’s because I started as an actor that I focus so much on human behavior and tracking a character’s emotions throughout a film. I’ve been told many times by my collaborators that I have good instincts not only in the story development process, but also in post-production, and I really believe that it comes from spending most of my life watching movies and thinking about them. As a Producer, I believe that it is my responsibility to shield and protect my team and to listen and ask questions. The more questions I ask and the more I listen, the more I get to understand my director’s vision, my writer’s intention and what each collaborator thinks and feels regarding the world around them and the film that we’re working on.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Yeah!
I think the best thing to do is to try out as many crew positions as you can. I really think that that has made me a better producer, as it has given a better understanding of what it is like to be each person on set and how to make their lives easier. I think knowing what each person has to go through on any given day on set has given me the chance to plan my sets better and anticipate ways in which I can make everyone more relaxed and comfortable during production. Since I have directed before, I approach producing from a place of thinking what I would like my producer to be like if I was directing. Like I said before, making movies can be a very stressful and intense experience, so I think the best approach is to be patient, to be kind and to put yourself in the shoes of other people. Producing can be a very non-rewarding job because it’s the one role that people understand the least and whose impact is the least obvious on a film or even on set, so it’s a lot of you knowing yourself what you did and how you helped bring a story to life. To that I’ll add, never stop enjoying how magical it is to be on set. Every time you are making a movie, you should feel extremely lucky. That’s extremely difficult and extremely rare, and it’s on set that you see the story come to life and where you’re able to appreciate the craft of every person there. Be thankful! That’s key.
One last piece of advice I’ll say is to watch movies, read scripts and listen to yourself. Think about yourself and your life and what you have to say or can say through your stories. Be open and vulnerable and honest and dig deeper every day to find a unique truth about yourself that can be universal and extremely human. Taste is key, but taste can only be developed by watching and reading and discerning what other people think from what you think. Reflecting on what you watch and what you read will give you a lot of clues about yourself and the type of art you want to create. Finding your voice is never easy, and it’s a long process, but you’ll know when things feel authentic and true to you if you listen to yourself and follow your intuition. Accept that there’s always room to grow and to learn, and come to terms with the fact that failing is a huge part of filmmaking. When something feels true to you, fight for it. Defend it. Understand why you are defending it. It’s a fine balance of fighting for your vision and still collaborating and listening to what others bring to the table. Films are made by people, so include them in your process. Only then can stories really shine.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nicolelasso.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicole.lasso/?hl=en
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-lasso-polo-6ba133255/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsAcR92XjqNSfJPB6RdHL8Q
Image Credits
Lena Neal
Briah Smith
Abbigail Huynh
Les Gaddis
Maria Mondragon
