Today we’d like to introduce you to Santi Naidoo.
Hi Santi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Film had always been an interest and hobby of mine; in high school, I did the whole film club/filming crew stint, and it wasn’t until I job shadowed a producer for class credit that I actually considered film as a potential career path. Then at university, I majored in film – along with psychology and organizational psychology – as I tried to avoid putting all my eggs in one basket. Through university, I freelanced and worked on gigs throughout the industry as a videographer and editor. I then continued on with a post-graduate degree in film theory and had the opportunity to marry my interests by writing my dissertation on the overlap of film editing and cognitive psychology. Then, the pandemic happened, and work slowed down, so it seemed like a good time to apply to a graduate program. I applied to the American Film Institute Conservatory producing program, and that’s what brought me to LA. During my time at AFI, I interned at Submarine Entertainment, and that is how I landed up working for them here in LA.
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 think the two biggest challenges of this journey have been the process of building a life and network in a new country and then the financial impact of deciding to move across the world and do a grad program in the US. Those are the types of obstacles where you have to continuously remind yourself why you’re doing what you’re doing – and to not let the anxiety and imposter syndrome get the better of you.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I currently work in development and production at Submarine, which allows me to scratch the itch in my brain that enjoys the process of finding and developing stories but also being on set and part of production. Physical production is definitely my strong suit, and I’m particularly proud of my ability to pull a production together and execute a vision.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
I have really fond memories of our local Blockbuster and how every Friday, my parents would fetch me from school take me to the Blockbuster – which was attached to a burger shop – and we’d order burgers for dinner. As we waited, I’d go pick out a movie or two for us to watch that weekend, often one for the whole family and another for myself. This was almost a weekly occurrence and definitely contributed to my early interest in film.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/santika.film/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/santi-naidoo
Image Credits
Audrey Biche
Julia Freij
Juliette Poirier
Rodin Eckenroth
Greg Feiner
Nick Phillips
