Today we’d like to introduce you to Patricia Cunliffe.
Hi Patricia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Originally I came to Los Angeles to be an actress because that’s all I thought I could do. But after being on different sets for a while – I realized that I was capable of more. First I was a costumer and couturier designer. I would sell my clothes out of various stores on Melrose – this was before the internet.
I also produced abstract art and would display my pieces at various cafes and coffeehouses. When I started choreographing and producing fashion shows at various clubs – I realized that I enjoyed producing and directing more than I did making the pieces. That’s when I made the transition to schlep my artwork instead of dresses and decided I wanted to make a documentary – but I needed a subject matter.
After my first solo exhibit – Dream & Perceptions – at the Pasadena Arts Council Gallery – I was invited to a party in Santa Monica where various artists would be showing their work. That night I met a muralist from New Mexico, a bronze sculptress from Uruguay, a stone-carver from Costa Rica, a painter from Argentina and an installation artist from East LA. There was my subject matter – present day Latino artists in Los Angeles. I followed them around for 2 years making A Language of Passion.
One night I was shooting an event at the Zero-One Gallery on Melrose, I met a man named John O’Kane a UCLA professor who published Amass Magazine. He had just gotten the go ahead for an exclusive feature with the legendary filmmaker Kenneth Anger and asked me if I would like to do it. That was my first foray into writing.
Obviously, in order to do the interview, I needed to educate myself on Kenneth Anger’s work. I had always been under the impression that you do not make films without a dialogue narrative. Familiarizing myself with Kenneth Anger’s work gave me permission to make a short abstract art film that I had long been entertaining in my mind – Rhiannon’s Bridge.
It was because of Rhiannon’s Bridge that Composer Dom Aiken approached me to make a visual element to screen behind his string quartet during performances and that’s how I made another abstract short Potters Field – which screened at the 2022 Latina Independent Film Extravaganza.
I’ve worked many roles in production – craft service, researcher, costumer, licensing, production manager, production accountant, editor, producer and director. In addition to my own projects, I’ve worked on other people’s films (features & documentaries) and on client projects. I’ve been a repeat presenter for ArtNight Pasadena until my usual venue, The Pasadena Central Library, closed – even programming a 30 minute stream of my short art/artist videos during the pandemic closures: Beyond Gallery Walls: The Art of the Promo Video.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
You’d be surprised how many times in my life I was not the original choice for something – but when choice #1 didn’t work out – I ended up with the job anyway! That’s on the positive side.
The number one thing I must admit is that my personal stuff is difficult to program. I’ve had so many curators and programmers reach out to tell me that whatever my submission was wasn’t included because they had nothing that went with it. Because I am a curator, as well – I understand that regardless of how much you love a piece – if it doesn’t work with anything else then it can’t be included. Another personal problem is that sometimes I hate to sell a piece that is part of a series – because I hate to break up the exhibit.
Obviously, like everyone else – a huge obstacle is funding and time. I finally got to the point where I realized I was better off buying my own equipment and creating my own work than spending time preparing grant submissions. Whenever I’ve been invited to talk to students I make it very clear that unless they come from money or marry into – to pursue a career in the arts they will need to have another marketable skill to earn their living while they create.
One story that sticks out in my mind though is with my current feature documentary, The Pueblo Revolt, a relatively unknown story that took place in 1680 in the area around Santa Fe, NM. I got a call from a woman who identified herself as an attorney, telling me that she and her husband, a financial planner, had retired to Santa Fe, had learned of and were very interested in the story of the Pueblo Revolt. I saw this as a potential donor and sent them out all my fundraising materials. Later I found out that they were a nonprofit in New Mexico who were interested in making their own film about the Pueblo Revolt. God bless Mark Mitchell, Governor of Tesuque Pueblo who told them that I was already making it.
The Pueblo Revolt is a self and crowd funded project that has had many stops and restarts along the way to work other jobs or client projects – the longest pause being when we lost our home in Altadena (15 months before the fires). I am very pleased to report that I have recently hired an animator for the battle sequences and The Pueblo Revolt documentary will be completed this year. It is imperative that I finish this film because many of the people that I interviewed are now gone – so no one else will get the same interviews. The logline for The Pueblo Revolt is: Revolt in America 96 Years Before the American Revolution.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am an art and documentary filmmaker, an abstract artist, curator and freelance journalist. I have also been referred to as an auteur – one who writes, produces, directs, shoots and edits.
I am especially proud to have made the first bilingual (English/Spanish) documentary – A Language of Passion – which enjoyed a surprisingly long shelf life and reach. A Language of Passion screened in both galleries and festivals in Los Angeles. New York, DC, Mexico, Puerto Rico and was even mentioned in a German magazine. A Language of Passion is included in any database of Latinos & Education – between A Day Without A Mexican (Sergio Arau) and Americanos (Edward James Olmos).
After making A Language of Passion – I seemed to specialize in artist &/or artwork promotional videos – although I’ve made music videos and tech industrials, as well. I’m also pleased to have been the production manager for the PBS documentary about former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley – Bridging the Divide: Tom Bradley and the Politics of Race.
As I mentioned earlier – currently I am in post-production of The Pueblo Revolt documentary. I am also working on a multi-media art pictorial project (and coffee table book) of the ruins in Altadena after the fires – Ode to Altadena: Chimneys and Terra Cotta Pots. I put out a periodic newsletter – keeping people up to date on our clients and our projects.
My partner is Joey Alkes who has been in the music industry his entire life. In a nutshell: He co-wrote his first hit song at 15 with his biggest hit being Million Miles Away by the Plimsouls and had a musical fusion act DJ Monkey in the early 2000’s. He currently manages the very prolific chart topping Eileen Carey and has his own spoken word project coming out very soon. I call him the Song Doctor because I have watched with my own eyes over the years every time someone is having trouble with a song – he will instinctively know what to do to fix it. They always come back and tell him that it worked!
Our company is Vast Image Media – Joey takes care of all the musical clients and I take care of the film and visuals. Our company slogan is: STORY SELLS THE BRAND
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Flexibility and the ability to roll with the punches. Also being secure in the knowledge that if someone treats you badly and you know in your heart that you did the best possible job – realize that the problem is not with you – it’s with them and that it is entirely your choice whether you want to work with that individual again.
Being open. If an opportunity came my way that was not my particular interest, knowledge or experience – I did not dismiss it automatically – with the exception of editing porn. That I would not do.
I’m not a person who would be comfortable in a corporate environment so I never pursued that route. I do limit my journalism to stories and/or situations that I find important and where I can be of help. In fact, I’ve been republishing certain pieces on my Substack Channel.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vastimagemedia.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patriciacunliffe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepueblorevolt/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patriciacunliffe/
- Twitter: https://x.com/IntegratedProdu
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjuptXN8fNpQRfl7xJoQqcA https://www.youtube.com/@patriciacunliffe
- Other: https://patriciacunliffe.substack.com/
