Today we’d like to introduce you to Toni Nordone.
Hi Toni, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Toni Nordone, a freelance cinematographer and photographer working in LA, seeking a full-time freelance career shooting for music, fashion, editorial, and commercial productions. I was born in New Jersey, raised by my two mothers, with two twin siblings. I attended school at Columbia College Chicago for 4 years, and received my BA in filmmaking. I moved out to Los Angeles about two years ago after completing a Semester in LA program with my college and completing an internship at Smuggler, a commercial production company in LA. It definitely took a lot of hard work and dedication to get to where I am today as a freelancer. I still work hard every day to get closer to working on the projects I want to be working on for the rest of my life, while of course making my own creative projects.
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?
It has not been smooth to say the least. I am a queer woman in film which of course already has its challenges; I have been judged, underestimated, and I have had to prove my worth just to “be in the room” on many occasions. College was of course rough, moving so far away from home, staying on top of classes and supporting myself financially. After moving to Los Angeles, this city really tested my limits. I was robbed twice, lost a lot of fake friends after college who didn’t want to see me succeed, got hit by a car while crossing the street, and had to deal with and am still dealing with a lot of health issues along the way, mentally and physically. Even after all that I knew what goals I wanted to achieve, and the career I wanted to make for myself. I stayed in Los Angeles despite it all. Despite how difficult it has been to push through these obstacles and challenges, I credit them for shaping me into who I am today and I am stronger and even more creative because of them.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a queer artist seeking to express myself and my own experiences within my work and tell stories to the world using experimental and symbolic techniques to reflect my message to the viewer.
I am building a career in videography and photography, working more specifically in music videos, fashion, and editorial. I would say my niche is being experimental. I enjoy creating things that are unique and push the boundaries of art and storytelling. I always want to leave my work open to interpretation and leave the viewer questioning that particular piece of work.
I am most proud of my need for authenticity and realism in my work. I always want myself and those I collaborate with to pull from who they are at their core as a person and as an artist. I want to ensure my work is raw, real, and honest. I have two projects I’d say I’m the most proud of when it comes to this. I have started a series called Essence, where I work with different artists and have a portrait session with them. We agree on the theme of this session together once I learn more about them and we ensure that it reflects who they are as a person and what they want to portray as an artist. It is their unique “essence”. The beginning of this series can be found on my portfolio site.
Another one of my projects in the works called “GUTS” is a collection of 6 different photoshoots all reflecting a certain aspect of my experiences with mental illness and trauma. In this project I am “spilling my guts” so to speak. This will be released this summer with the teaser for it coming soon.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
There have been so many changes within the entertainment industry recently that it all seems a little uncertain. However, I’m hopeful that even with the uncertain economic and political climate, there will be a renaissance of art and culture. When unprecedented times occur, as we saw during COVID, artists use their work as outlets for their pain and fear. It is a way for us to cope and to connect with one another. In the next 5-10 years, I think the entertainment industry will be alive and well and hopefully still in Los Angeles.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://toninordone.myportfolio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toninordone_?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toninordone/
