Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dominic Leano. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Dominic, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
Right now, I never want to find myself still or motionless; if I desire to do something, I will do it. I want to continue to grow and achieve more in all areas of my life, and I found the courage in myself to share parts of my creative side with the world and put some (not all) of my progress and work out there. I learned many lessons so far and am still learning to balance my personal, professional, and creative life. I am organizing a life for myself right now where I can live and support myself by doing something meaningful and fulfilling outside of my creative sphere while practicing, learning, and working on the craft of screenwriting and filmmaking whenever possible. I am studying towards a healthcare career that has nothing to do with my creative energy; it is a stimulating profession that I am also highly fervent about and holds a deeply personal meaning.
No matter what, I always find the time to keep working with cameras and equipment, collaborate with actors and creatives, and write short-form scripts for films. Sometimes, it feels like there is not enough time in the day, but there is always enough time to write (or do anything that promotes your creative expression); like everything else, it is a vicious cycle of showing up and doing it, going back, fixing it, making sure it at least gets done, and then doing it again and again. It is about priorities, the love for the craft, and the passion for storytelling—you will always find ways to do what you love.
Dominic, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a Filipino-American director/screenwriter and photographer who grew up in the unincorporated area of Rowland Heights in the San Gabriel Valley. I have been making films since I was a child with anything I could find to create with—the family camcorder, the Nikon D5200 of my Dad, or my old iPhone 6. Filmmaking is one of the first creative outlets I fell in love with; it is the creative endeavor I am most passionate about and hold near and dear to my heart. I am a 626 kid at my core, and I never really left those suburban streets aside for a vacation or college/university. I truly love it out here. I remember thinking for a moment when I was younger that I got to get out of here. Maybe that was a momentary escape to Los Angeles or nearly going to New York for university—wherever I thought I had to go to get out of here. But that is nowhere near true to how life actually plays out, and I would not have it any other way. Whenever I am back home, I am so overjoyed to be here. The SGV is far from the most thrilling place in the world, but it is definitely one of the most diversely cultured places in the USA that I can happily call home. Many of my family and friends live nearby or in driving distance. It is an ethnic enclave in suburban Southern California. I do not have to go that far to LA if necessary—it is a drive down 60 West. This area around here is so familiar, yet I still find new things while writing what I know about this place too.
Comprehending screenwriting as a craft is an ongoing learning process that I want to hone over time. I truly love working and collaborating with actors, but it has to start with concrete writing on the paper first. It takes time, patience, hard work, and dedication, but I love learning the process. A lot is in the works right now, but I digress; talk is cheap, but acting and doing is better than just speaking.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I want to create a body of work that I can look back upon holistically and be satisfied with in the future. I welcome my practice of the craft of screenwriting and filmmaking to develop and change over time, but I want to ensure that I always stay true to my individual voice, style, and self. I do not want to rush the writing process; I work painstakingly diligently on my craft. I am taking the time with my drafts to be sufficiently prepared to do it right. I am discovering what works for me in terms of how I work and write, and I let my research, characters, and the process guide me. I am starting with smaller-scale projects right now to earn my way and trust to establish myself. As I continue to develop as a writer and filmmaker, I hope to see the simultaneous continuous growth of the broader scale of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans being more represented in the larger media in front of and behind the camera.
In some of my upcoming work, short-form, and long-form, my goal is to amplify the visibility of Filipino-Americans on-screen positively, respectfully, and meaningfully, bringing parts of our unique culture, flaws, issues, and experiences to the mainstream through the visual medium of filmmaking. I am interested in exploring the complex dimensions of human relationships by focusing on the day-to-day lives and individual stories of the Filipino-American community on screen. With this, I am finally learning how to infuse parts of the Filipino-American culture and experience in the USA into my writing and characters. But, I will allow the work to speak for itself when my time comes. My biggest mission is to transcend the mundane for Filipino-Americans, on and off-screen, and do so in the most honest, heartfelt ways I know how. Through unity, we will rise together and make waves in the entertainment industry; now, the hard work begins, and we must transform our words into actions for ourselves to be seen and heard.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
We have to support our WGA writers and SAG actors right now and stand alongside them. Writers and actors need to be compensated fairly and most importantly, respected by the industry they keep alive. These are the ones who genuinely help a film get made. This is a watershed moment in history for the entertainment industry and labor relations; everyone should be watching how the current strike plays out because this could potentially be their future as this can set a precedent for every job, every worker, and every industry. I stand in full solidarity with the ongoing WGA and SAG strikes—as writers, WGA or not, we are all on the same side together. I can only hope that this strike goes smoothly for the betterment of the film industry and employee relations; from this, I hope that this will allow for a brighter tomorrow where new voices can be heard, seen, and given a chance to have our films be made in a positive, respectful environment for creatives.
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Image Credits
Candace Wong