We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anthony Gabriele a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Anthony, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

As a filmmaker, I am always learning… From mistakes, failures, successes, and even just in daily life. Honestly, I am happy with the pace I am learning at, just taking it one day at a time, playing things by ear until I am ready to move on to the next stage in my career, and life. I learn by doing and working on more film sets, meeting new people, and directing my own productions help me with that growth. It helps me feel out a vibe for people I work well with, and people that I don’t, and that has helped me develop a strong crew, and friend group! I guess the only obstacle that can prevent me from learning is my own mindset. There are times where I physically can not get out of bed due to burnout, stress, and depression. But having that alone time makes me feel more introspective, which will lead to me texting a close friend to hang out, or inviting another creative to coffee where we could talk about life or ideas.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hello! My name is Anthony Gabriele and I am a Filmmaker. I have lived a nomadic way of life starting in Elmont, NY, then Wilmington, NC, then driving across the country during the shutdown to work with Harrod Blank (Les Blank Films, Art Car World) in Douglas, AZ on some 16mm film restoration work. Once that was finished, I moved back to Wilmington to start my Filmmaking career while working on union productions like The Summer I Turned Pretty, Echoes, Along for the Ride, and Eric LaRue to name a few.

I had my first taste of film school while attending Cape Fear CC (A.A. in General Ed.), where I met so many cool instructors and a diverse range of people who really opened my sheltered eyes. I transferred to UNC Wilmington in the Fall of 2017, originally going for Music, which I didn’t really feel interested in. After some deep thought and a trip to Los Angeles to visit my Aunt and Uncle, I decided to switch to film, and that was the best choice I could have made as a Neurodivergent. The film industry is hands on, and you could literally make a film about anything… like Music lol. Film has given me the opportunity to travel places I never thought I would go.

I started freelancing as a Cinematographer once I had my fill in the AD department, and haven’t looked back since. I have worked as a Gaffer for SAG features such as Henry’s Ebb (still in post), and a Director of photography for non-profits, music videos, indie features and shorts! I have goals of attending USC or AFI Grad School for Cinematography and Filmmaking. I purchased a G&E Van last year, which is a literal workhorse, a valuable asset on set, and further supporting my nomadic style of traveling for work.

I don’t really like to market myself to clients, or act as some brand ambassador or content creator. *Hot take, but I think that is soulless and values charisma over actual skill* I go off vibes and personal recommendations, which is fine and has supported my career for the past two years. I am excellent at what I do technically and can offer an “outsiders” eye to any project. I am bold with my creative choices, and put one hundred percent of my care and thought in them. When potential clients do reach out to me, I operate on a sliding scale and would be happy to help on any budget if I like the message they are trying to convey, or a vision the director has. Most of my work comes from non-profits.

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

Documenting that one moment in time. Building a community, and seeing me and my friend’s hard work on the big screen. I like to host community film screenings and seeing everyone come together, laughing, learning, and having fun is what brings a smile to my face.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Not physical media, but learning through the spoken word of successful producers I have worked with… More or less “watching and learning.”

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonygabrielefilms/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvGP2CSeoCZHchlJe_CxeFw
• Other: https://vimeo.com/anthonygabriele

Image Credits

Marissa Straw, Rob Rens