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

Los Chacon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Directing came to us organically. We had both been working in different creative fields for quite some time before we started to direct small personal projects and commercials. Aldo is a still photographer so he naturally has a visual perspective of life through a lens and what entails to compose a beautiful image. Sal on the other hand is an actor, and being in front of the camera for nearly a decade has given him the sensibility to navigate storytelling through human emotions. In addition to our individual creative side, we have also produced for other directors throughout the years and that has definitely given us an understanding of the practical aspects of directing as well as the many elements and teamwork required to bring a project to life.

We believe that there isn’t really a way to “speed up” the learning process. There are certain things, the more practical or technical things that you can learn faster, like handling equipment or being more effective at pitching your concept, but to truly understand the process of storytelling from inception to development to production and finally, post-production is something that you will always continue to learn, especially because each project has a different journey. Directing is also a very personal thing and while one can learn how to better communicate to get your vision across while working, the essence of the creative choices you make inevitably will impact how others see or judge your ability for the craft.

Understanding the goal of what you want to express with a film or within a commercial project is probably one of the most important skills, but eventually, you do have to clock-in your 10,000 hours and do the work, and the research, that will help you in your learning process and in your craft.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

We are Salvador and Aldo Chacon, a creative and director duo originally from Mexico City and based in Los Angeles. We both have explored different creative mediums that have led us to combine our work experiences as well as our individual journeys into what Los Chacon is today.

Our work is composed of different elements and different avenues. We love to be very hands-on in our projects, often contributing heavily to the production design as well as the editing process. One of our main goals when we are invited to pitch or work on a project, is to understand the message we are trying to convey and the receiver of that message. Once we get to know who our audience is, we approach the concept from different angles in order to find the story that will best relate to that audience. After that it’s when the fun really begins, because you get to build this journey and this world from your imagination.

We founded WildGoats, an agency and production company that provides creative services and media production from start to finish. We have been lucky enough to work in a way that allows us to take different types of projects, as well as producing for other directors and photographers, and providing production services for international and domestic companies that need support. Our clients include Red Bull, Disney, Microsoft, Sportline, Adidas, Wired, Github, BET, and the BBC amongst others.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Sal: I feel there are many things that I want to do in my life. This is certainly an important part of it and it has allowed me to grow as a creative and as professional in our industry. For me, Directing is an avenue to present an angle that we don’t know exists, or a window into how I have witnessed the world. Being Mexican is a true gift, and now more than ever; most of our stories are yet to be told.

Aldo: I feel that I am in it because I love creating, whether it is a film, a photograph, or a piece of art. I want to create something and I want to become a better person in the process of doing it. I love the freedom this journey brings but I also like the hustle (sometimes hehe). I want to wake up every day and collaborate with other talented artists and create something that will inspire someone.

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

Open-mindedness and fearless decision makers. We need more people and executives in the right positions to allow creatives and especially minority creatives, writers, filmmakers, and artists in general, to present new stories. Society sometimes has a different idea of what being an artist or a creative entails, they feel artists or creatives are people who don’t want to have a “normal job” or don’t want to commit, but the reality is that artists work so hard, we put so many more hours into our crafts and businesses sometimes without seeing the monetary results you would get from a “normal job”, so we need more infrastructure and opportunities to support not only artists but all freelancers and entrepreneurs.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wildgoatscreative.com
• Instagram: @chaconlos @wildgoatscreative
• Other: www.loschacon.com

Image Credits
Aldo Chacon & Joaquin Martinez