Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicholas Pallos
Hi Nicholas, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My connection to filmmaking began at a young age, watching films in Detroit, Michigan. At first, I was interested in the entertainment aspect, but it quickly transformed into something more. I started watching more esoteric cinema – Malle, Fellini, Godard, Tarkovsky, Lynch – and I began finding a deeper, more transcendent layer to filmmaking. This inspired me to pursue filmmaking academically.
I was enamored with filmmaking auteurs, and knew that if I could learn to write screenplays, I could express myself more fully in the medium. So I studied screenwriting, in addition to directing, in college. I started writing feature-length screenplays and sending them out to agents and managers in LA. After moving from Detroit to Los Angeles, I found some early success and sold my first feature-length script. The script ended up being produced, so I got to see my creation realized on the big screen. After that point, I started writing and directing my work.
All of this led to short films, documentaries, music videos, awards, and accolades. There was only one thing left to do – write and direct my first feature film. A COUPLE OF SECRETS is a very personal, heartfelt story, full of various aspects of myself. I decided to explore the quirkiness of a first date when I wrote the script. But the film veers into unexpected territory, examining dark secrets, and characters that strive to find light in the midst of heavy shadows. Ultimately, A COUPLE OF SECRETS, presents a transcendent journey with almost fairy-tale-like qualities. I’m so in love with this film and couldn’t be more excited to share it with the world.
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 wouldn’t call it a smooth road, no. And yet, there’s a certain, messy perfection to it. The path to where I am now has been filled with trials and tribulations. Being an artist involves dark nights of the soul, along with incredible victories. It demands hard work, belief, and yes, talent. The challenges shape you – they sculpt the core of who you are and the work you come up with. And with time, you emerge from the depths, a creative warrior prepared and tested for battle.
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?
I’m a filmmaker – specifically, a writer/director. My feature film, A COUPLE OF SECRETS, is currently in post-production. Making ACOS has been an incredible journey and I’m so excited to share it with the world. This film has accomplished a particular expression of who I am as an artist. It shines light on the healing that can occur after deep wounding. A COUPLE OF SECRETS is full of magic, fun, humor, heart, and transcendence. My incredibly talented team of creatives helped me to push the boundaries of what cinema can offer an audience. I’m just so thrilled about it!
Before anything else, I’m a writer. Writing is the tool that shapes all else in my creative life. Having the ability to craft a quality story cannot be overlooked in the world of cinema. It offers a certain freedom – the freedom to develop your own ideas and concepts into larger presentations. I wouldn’t have been able to make A COUPLE OF SECRETS, without the power to articulate from the deepest depths of my being.
Aside from my feature film, I’ve made several short films, music videos, and short documentaries. As a filmmaker, you’re always revising your craft – diving into projects that push you creatively. I’ve been fortunate to win awards for my films. But, as far as career defining material, my feature film – A COUPLE OF SECRETS – will be the zenith of anything I’ve accomplished thus far.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I remember being eleven years old in Detroit, Michigan. I woke up in the middle of the night and felt moved to turn on the TV. Looking back, it was an interesting occurrence of divine timing. Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey was just beginning. At first it felt like some strange dream – the film begins with a series of black frames, nothing else. I’d later come to understand what this represented, but at the time, it was just surreal. The film went on to explore ideas of evolution, technology, extra-terrestrial life, and spirituality. Although much of this was lost on me at that young age, I felt something extraordinary. I understood that film, as a medium, could transcend the ordinary – transmute it into something greater and more meaningful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nicholaspallos.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nic.palace/
Image Credits
Photos by Kat Gardiner
