We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tomás Orrego. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tomás below.

Alright, Tomás thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

It may sound silly but I learned how to make films by using Snapchat and Instagram. Just recording ridiculous videos for my own entertainment taught me a lot about production, editing and overall creative approach to filmmaking. It was years later that I realized that this was just an extension of daydreaming, which I do a lot, specially when I was younger and nowadays when I listen to music.

I don’t think I would have changed or speeded up my learning process since all the things I went through and the way I did them were crucial to where I am right now. I studied architecture in my undergrad and found it creatively unfulfilling (when function rules everything there is no space to dream). However, architecture really taught me organizational skills and a methodical approach to creation and problem solving which are very much ingrained in my own process.

In terms of obstacles, a big one for me is the technical parts of things, either computer programs or equipment. I’m not really a gear or tech-head so it is hard for me to sit down and patiently learn things with a manual and special terminology. I’d rather just use things and figure it out as I go along, which has caused some trouble because I run into very amateur mistakes! But I always get around these things by improvising and free associating, which for me are the most important skills one can have as a creative.

Tomás, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a multidisciplinary artist from Lima with a background in architecture who specializes in doing short films and moving image work. My journey into filmmaking was a long one as I first started as an architect and slowly got into visual art doing video installations and collages. I then began experimenting with animation by animating my collages which got me into making short films. From then on I started experimenting more with live action, writing scripts and storyboarding. I’m currently moving from short form projects to more feature length ones.

Any moving image project is something I’m interested in. But mainly I have experience directing and editing music videos for independent musicians, which is something I love doing as they provide a great space to experiment and try out ideas. I also design and animate title sequences for films and other kinds of videos, bringing a design approach to the moving image very much informed by my background in architecture and from playing in underground punk bands back in Lima.

One of the things I’m most proud of is that I have experience doing a little bit of everything. For me this is great from a creative standpoint as every project I approach I can think about it from different mediums. Right now I’m writing a script and have the music in my head as I work on it while thinking about how it’s going to cut together, how I’m going to shoot it and how, maybe, I could use parts of it for an installation. I’m even thinking about how the poster may look. This is to say that what I do is very design-driven in every aspect. This is also great since it allows me to think of creative solutions to any type of problem.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

On a personal level, it boils down to inhabiting a child-like state of mind, which, as an adult, is one of the most rewarding things ever. Being an artist allows you to be absurd and play. This is the best way to explore when creating and it also opens the doors to happy accidents and cathartic circumstances. You learn a lot about yourself.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I would say that allowing as much funding as possible for projects that take risks and challenge the status quo in any way to avoid falling into cookie cutter projects and predicable scenarios. Also a big thing society can do is to trust the creatives and let them do what they know. I’ve been in many situations that the creative part of a project is looked down upon as being not important which in reality is one of the most important parts of it. There is this mentality that because creative work is not quantifiable or sometimes not even physical it does not deserve to be rewarded like it should. Give money to creatives!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tomasorrego.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fantomasengendro/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomas-orrego-714752240/
• Other: https://vimeo.com/user95949773