We recently connected with Bob Celli and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Bob , thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
To a certain extent, I think all the projects that I take on have something in them that I feel strongly about. They all have something to say about the human condition. The project that has meant the most to me is Figs For Italo because it is a very personal story about my family during WWII in Italy. It was a large undertaking for a short but the payoff was well worth the effort.
I believe that artists, whether painter, writer, filmmaker, etc, create because they have a need to communicate thoughts and ideas that they are unable to communicate any other way.
Personally, as an actor/filmmaker, the goal is not only an act of expression but also one of entertainment. I feel it is important that artists continue to make films that dig into the issues many would like to ignore. I feel it is imperative to relate the histories, stories, and legacies that continue to influence current events in order to change things for the better. Often a film, a painting, a piece of music, or a play can open people’s minds in a way a debate or news clips cannot.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
The arts have always been a part of my family in some form or another. My father was a master carver and did restoration work in the Vatican before moving to this country. My mother designed and made clothing. My sister studied art and became an accomplished artist and teacher.
I just wanted to make people laugh. I used to lip-synch to opera and act out movie scenes for anyone who would listen. My first acting role came in grammar school and I was lucky enough to get many different roles through high school and college. Eventually I moved to NYC where I performed in countless off and off-off Broadway shows.
My first venture into filmmaking came in 2000. I had recently moved to Los Angeles and found that most people talked about what they wanted to do, yet did not take steps to actually do anything. I came up with the idea for a short film, approached a close friend and fellow actor, Patrick Hillan who came on as my Co-producer. My future producing partner and now wife, Laura Delano, also joined in to help and we set forth to make it happen.
Going Home, was the result. This was well before the digital explosion and the film was shot on 35mm.
The experience of working on Going Home and shooting on 35mm became a year long crash course in filmmaking.
It gave me the basics of process and visual storytelling. I guess you could say it was a feet to the fire learning experience. I have always believed that one can learn only so much with formal training. The rest is learned in the doing, through success or failure.
Aristotle was quoted, “For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” For me, working with talented people who are professionals in their fields while absorbing real world knowledge was invaluable.
I have always been lucky to have people around me whom I respect and am humbled that they continue to support my ventures. I am also fortunate to have support and honesty from these people which keeps me striving to be abetter version of myself as a person and as a filmmaker.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The first is positioning yourself to work with fellow talented artists. For me there is nothing more rewarding than being around a group of creatives and watching them do their thing to bring a project to fruition. One always attempts to lay the groundwork so that the entire production moves smoothly. However, a set is a living breathing entity where sometimes things do not go as planned. It’s in those moments, when you have to throw the plan away, that amazing things happen. Talented people rising to the challenge and doing whatever it takes for the project as a whole. It’s exhilarating to watch and be part of.
The second is when an audience member approaches me after a screening and tells me that the film resonated with them. I want an audience to come in, take a journey, and to maybe have their hearts opened and to feel something… love, loss, laughter, pride, fear. I also hope the film stays with them. It has always been my test of a good film, does it stay with you after you leave the theater? I think the worst thing would be indifference.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
These days there are thousands of help books and videos. The bottom line is “treat people the way you want to be treated”. Give and take, be open to suggestion and build trust.
Film is such a collaborative art, but with all art forms it’s not a competition, it’s about the project. The only one you should be in competition with is yourself, to make yourself better. It’s also important to work with people who will inspire and challenge you. I have worked with the same DP on four projects. We have built a friendship and a great working relationship to the point where we finish each other’s sentences. Most importantly, we push each other to be better.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://delanocelli.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delanocelli/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bob.celli/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-celli-97a15350/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cellib4
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1156911/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_2_nm_6_q_bob%2520celli
Image Credits
Bob Celli, Laura Delano, Ken Kotowski, DelanoCelli Productions, Benjamin Dimmitt