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

Hi Mariano, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I went to NYU for Film and Television and got a Master’s in Music Technology. I have learned so so much from my teachers, whether it’s analyzing scripts to microphone placement, I have consumed so much knowledge regarding both crafts, but I think the main tool for learning was collaboration. I have learned so much from working with like-minded and different-minded individuals. I have learned to understand the different perspectives of people, welcome them in, and then add my own knowledge, taste, and perspective to help create a great product. In film, I’ve been able to share ideas back and forth with actors that allow the characters in the scene to reach uncharted emotional heights. In music production, I’ve been able to combine the artist’s tastes with my own to make something unique and exciting. I think knowing how to hear people out and being open to collaboration is the most essential skill I have. Not only does it make the work more fun and enjoyable for everybody, it also allows for new artistic paths. This skill is one that I wish I had fostered earlier during my college education. I found myself being very close-minded, and considered my vision and my ideas as the ONLY ones. I do believe that a primary vision is very important, especially through the hierarchy of film, but closing off any input or suggestions prevented me from having better outcomes. It was definitely an ego thing, and as I’ve found out through multiple proffessional working environments, ego is the enemy of creativity.

Mariano, 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 Mariano Flores and I am a filmmaker and music producer.

In terms of filmmaking, my main crafts are Director of Photography and Colorist. I love working with a director to tell a great story and I am eager to provide my expertise in lighting, framing, and camera to fulfill the director’s vision. While I do often color the films I shoot, I also enjoy coloring films I was not involved with during production, and offering my own take and perspective on it’s color. During set, I am very easy-going and fun to work with. I believe it is very important to keep a good and fun attitude on set in order to keep morale high for everybody, all while being professional and timely. I work with most budgets.

Music-wise I am a music producer and engineer. I will take a client’s demo song and workshop it with the artist. We bounce ideas off each other and we end up with an elevated arrangement. I will then properly record the locked track through my own gear and instruments. I take my time with the recording, ensuring that the tracks sound good and are ideal for the mixing engineer. I then work with the mixing engineer and the artist to finalize the song before it’s ready for mastering.

I am very proud of how I approach collaboration in both filmmaking and music. I am certain that any client will feel heard and will be excited to get their ideas handled professionally.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I fully believe that art in general holds tremendous power in our society. I think that the media that society digests on a daily basis should be given the importance it deserves. While we have plenty of fun creating, it is important to remember that we do have a responsibility to be, at the very least, truthful and conscious with our art.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the fact that I get to do what I love on a daily basis. I often forget that I am very lucky to have a career that involves the same passions I had when I was a kid. I think if 12 year old me saw myself now he would tell me to hold my chin up high and to relax on the pressures of success, cause from where he comes from, it looks like I’ve already made it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vimeo.com/913857899
• Instagram: @marianoflr

Image Credits
-Gary O. Bennett -Kaddy McAuliffe