We recently connected with Maxim Pronin and have shared our conversation below.
Maxim, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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.
My composing and acting interest arose when I first watched La La Land in 2017, however peculiar it may sound. As both things were of interest to me prior to watching the film, I was overwhelmed by their (perhaps magically exaggerated) representation in the musical (and I like musicals). I got an old piano from my grandparents and started improvising as much as I could daily, without learning the theory. This, i would say, helped me create my own style of playing, as I was not restrained by the conventions of classically trained pianists (had no idea how to play properly). I have been interested in filmmaking since I attended NYFA’s summer Directing program in Florence in 2017. At first I had no opportunities of getting into the industry, so I filmed sketches with my friends (inspired by performances such as Andy Kaufman and Bo Burnham). And again, we filmed as much as we could, thinking that without a professional education we would be free to create and act how we wanted. I think the most helpful thing was to constantly receive feedback from other people — not within the borders of an institution, but inside the “workspace” directly. This shaped and influenced my acting style in all the important ways.
I could have only sped up the process by investing more time — just doing it as much as I can. That’s the most needed skill — perseverance, and the biggest obstacle is, of course, laziness. You could say my seducing enemy was my couch.
Oh how I wish I wrote more songs instead of lying on that couch sometimes.
Maxim, 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?
My professional acting career started with Nancy Rumagit’s play called “A Love Letter To My Beloved (In 6 Seconds)” that we performed in Groningen, the Netherlands. It’s about Life, Death, Love and Time taking a 6-second break from their jobs — and I got to play Death. We had a sold-out and knew we had to give our best, as almost a hundred people paid money to see us — it was an overwhelming entry into the industry for me and I am very proud of the result, for we have been nominated for a “Best Play” award by a local organization. We have also received numerous questions about the next time we repeat the play — and we will, hopefully in the first quarter of 2024, come see us! Without giving spoilers, I could say that we created a unique way of inserting immersive theater techniques into a play where four characters talk for an hour and a half. I have also played two minor characters in another play called “The Physicists”, organized by a student organization here in Groningen!
Besides that, I am writing several scripts that hopefully will see some light in the near future.
My composing career hasn’t really shaped itself yet, though I had produced themes songs for certain YouTube shows and made music for my singer-songwriter friends. I’ve been playing at bars around the world, and recently had a concert in a jazz bar in Georgia. I am currently working on a multi-genre album, where every song is completely different from the others, and I will release it as soon as possible!
Trying to create something unique is what drives progress in art, right?
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
A lot of talented voices are not heard simply because there are too many, and the charts are dominated by already established artists. Marketing yourself is a question of luck and money, and the latter doesn’t come easily. It would be wise to create platforms where exclusively upcoming creatives can release their work to give them (us?) space to communicate with both each other and the audience. Visibility without investing too much money would be great.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
It’s quite simple — to leave a legacy. It’s a matter of creating something new, never-before-seen, something that will influence the industries for the better, help art flourish, make people happier. The future I fear the most is one where I am a mediocre artist. I do not know what future awaits me, but I will do my best to be my best.
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