We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michael “Mikey Rapz” Romano a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael “Mikey Rapz”, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Birthed in the home of hiphop ,The Bronx and also having family in the music industry started my career at a young age. By the time I was 10 I was traveling with my aunt to Music related business meetings and hanging out at the studio watching the music production process. This is when I found my love for music but also my passion for logistics. Learning how to complete a project, build contacts and develop talent/art into a tangible vision. Before long I was managing artist and producing. Production eventually became my lead role , handling day to day, organizing meetings , managing data reports and overall developing systems to increase productivity and save money. The transition from Music to film eventually became inevitable in growing my capabilities, all while still expanding as an artist myself.

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

Growing through the music industry and eventually interning at different labels taught me how to maneuver multiple tasks, ,communicate with vendors, solicit art/artist , handle talent ,write music, produce and develop projects which became my way into working in the Film industry as a Production Manager. Working as a PA for Black Girls Rock ( A BET Award Show) really opened my eyes to the value of logistics beyond working directly with talent. Although i was behind the camera i often allowed my artistry to leak through my projects and acts i developed. My background was ideal for this fast paced ,detail oriented, creative field known as the film Industry. My job consist of booking crew, ordering/managing equipment , securing the venue, coordinating solutions through multiple departments, budgeting for department needs as well as developing systems to ease work flow. Because of my drive and creative approach to solutions im often sought out to help bridge gaps and rectify hard to work through dilemmas. The musics industry brassiness taught me tenacity that I dont think I would fully understand had I not grown through it. Working for the Grammys, The Academy Awards and BET Awards were all huge accomplishment for me because I have always marveled at the development of these entities and to know my set of skills were pivotal to the overall completion of the project truly motivated me. I treat every project, big or small, with the same attentiveness and vigor because being an entrepreneur teaches you the value of learning every step of the way.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A major lesson that I had to unlearn was there is only one way to do something. Every obstacle has multiple ways they can be handled, but through routine were often taught to only do things a certain way and follow the path often traveled. Through my experience I learned that having an open mind and being open to collaborative contributions can help rectify something that appears impossible.

For example one time for a Pilot I was working on as Assistant Director we were on a very strict schedule due to budget constraints, unfortunately there was a scene that was added and needed for the development of the show. Instead of extending our entire crews work schedule I suggested we start early with a few crew members and only the required talent. Although not ideal , this solution helped us save Overtime money and gave the talent time to recoup. Some ADs would have tried to squeeze the scene in, ultimately lengthening the day and lowering morale for crew and talent.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being creative is there are no real limits but what you create for yourself. You learn that all dreams are the basis of ideas and we can push ourseleves as far as our mind could take us. I feel like day to day work often pigeons holes the brain into only being good at one thing, but being creative allows me to tap into parts of my self that would otherwise go overlooked.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: MikeyRapz
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-d-romano-9232303b/
• Twitter: MikeyRapz
• Youtube: MikeyRapz

Image Credits
Owen Duckett