Today we’d like to introduce you to Frank Frascella
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hi Voyage LA readers! My name is Frank Frascella, and I am a writer/director based in Los Angeles. Whether it was making short films with my father’s camcorders, or acting in my elementary school’s plays, I’ve always had my sights set on storytelling in some form. Originally hailing from a small New Jersey suburb, I eventually made my way to Boston, completing my BFA studies at Emerson College, and at the end of my tenure there, packed my life into a uhaul and made the move to LA. Since then, I’ve written and directed a number of short films, music videos, spec ads, and whatever else I can challenge myself with next, while also freelancing full time in a variety of roles, from director’s assistant to writers PA, currently working on season four of Paramount Plus’ upcoming season of Tulsa King.
I’m currently in post production on my next big project, a culinary drama short film titled APRICOT, that has been honored to have the backing of Film Independent’s fiscal sponsorship program. With APRICOT, I hope to bring my journey full circle, marrying the lessons I learned working in a restaurant growing up with the ones I find myself learning now. It’s a story about finding the confidence to ask for what you know deserve; a struggle I feel many artists can relate to.
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?
This journey has been far from a smooth road. Nor do I ever think it will be. The thing about the path toward any creative endeavor or self actualization is that its totally unpaved. Uncharted territory. I think there is this notion that there are these paths you can follow that other artists have trail-blazed for you, but I don’t think thats true. You can see HOW they may have made their path, but it is still up to you to do so for yourself. I think that’s one of the biggest struggles I’ve encountered along the way. Finding my own strength and drive to chart my own path. To let go of my expectations, and allow myself the freedom to charge forward on my own accord. No one is going to do it for me. And others may help, give me great support, but at the end of the day I really have to lay the track myself. In my own way., and in my own time. And that’s a scary thought. It can be lonely at times. But I’ve learned to flip my perspective, finding beauty, excitement, and inspiration in my the adventure. There’s no rules. I’m writing my own story. And that’s kind of fun.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I think I am still learning what sets me apart, as that is such an important part of the artistic process, and I hope to continue to surprise myself with the answer. What I will say is that I consider myself a humanist at heart, and at the center of my passion for storytelling is a desire to weave together emotionally evocative work in a variety of genres and styles that values deep world building and relatable characters that never looses sight of those core human values. I like small stories in big worlds, and I enjoy employing as many assets in the medium I am working with. That is to say, I trend more towards maximalism than minimalism when it comes to filmmaking. I am also asking myself “how can I utilize all the tools available to make the most impact” in any given moment. And that doesn’t always mean being loud or flashy, but it does mean having an innate understanding of the audience experience at every second and using it to my advantage.
Without jumping the gun too much, I am most proud of the project I am currently in post production for, titled APRICOT. At every step during the making of this film, I have just been so taken about by the generosity and talent around me that helped me bring it across the finish line, and I have really surprised myself with the my ability to bring those people together. The night before the first day of set, the thought crossed my mind that I could wake up tomorrow and this all be for naught. That maybe I wasn’t ready to be a director in LA, and command a crew of this size and talent. But I did, and people seemed to have a really great experience, and that gives me the most peace and happiness. I really fostered that environment (with help from my incredible producers of course), and now regardless of how the film turns out, I am so proud I was able to give that experience to so many amazing people. Now I just have to make them proud with our final cut!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Any worthwhile creative endeavor comes with risks; I think it takes great courage to stand up and make your voice heard and share your vision. The entire idea of making a career out of your creativity is a risk. I constantly get asked what my plan B is. What my backup plan is. And the truth is: I don’t have one. I’m all in. I’m risking everything, everyday.
But the thing I believe about risk is if you do the work, if you really do the work, then your betting on the least risky thing you possible could: yourself. I don’t have to believe in myself in some abstract way and wish upon a star; I believe in myself because I can see fruits of my labors. Then it’s just up to me to motivate myself to continue the work. And the more work I do, the less risky it all is.
And here is the other thing about risk: you don’t have to take it all on your own. Mitigate the risk. Build a community. Seek advice and guidance from your talented peers and old masters. And work with people who also have something to prove. That’s the beautiful thing about filmmaking to me. It’s such a communal art. I wrapped production on my short film APRICOT recently, and one of the biggest lessons (and blessings) I received from that process was the value of building a safe and adventurous space for your collaborators. One of the the questions my producer Annie Huang and I would ask every department head we interviews was: “What do YOU want out of this project.” It allowed us to not only find collaborators who were seeking the same intentions as us, but it also allowed us to offer them a space to make our project their own. That’s how you get the best work out of everyone. Because if you somehow manage to get other talented peers to invest their time, effort, and most sacred, their art for YOUR project – you mitigate quite a lot of risk. Because then it’s not only you who wants this thing to succeed. Everyone does. All of a sudden this thing that was in your head all this time has escaped out of you and into the ether for others to make their own, and they will take you to places you couldn’t of even dreamt of before.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.frankfrascella.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frank_frascella/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-frascella-167a10163/
- Twitter: https://x.com/noho_frank
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11156442/
Image Credits
“Apricot” BTS by Lydia Lou
Add. BTS by Kathlyn Almeida
