We recently connected with Nicholas Grimaldi and have shared our conversation below.
Nicholas, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
This recent project of ours, “On the Dying Grass,” has been our most meaningful project. We have had people around us believe in us and our prior work, which has allowed us to make a small-budget film with a big message. We created this project after graduating from Vanderbilt University last spring and being launched into an industry that went on strike regarding artificial intelligence. Like many people, we felt confused about our place in an industry we fear is starting to move to technology and AI as a replacement for artists and new talent. With the help of ArtLab and the Wondry at Vanderbilt University, we spoke to science professors at the school about what it would mean to make a short film that followed a character very much like ourselves who is struggling to find her place when confronted about representing an AI version of her recently deceased client and friend. We have been sending our short film to festivals around the world. The film has been awarded at the Beverly Hills Film Festival and WorldFest Houston International Film Festival. This has been our biggest project to date, and it has been crucial in giving us the confidence in ourselves to pursue bigger projects down the road.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Our trio has been making short films since our first year at Vanderbilt. The three of us grew up with films as a primary language in our lives. Despite this, we each explored different avenues while in college. I (Nicholas) majored in Computer Science, Augustus in Economics and History, and Brendan in English. However, the three of us wanted to do more with film and decided to stop waiting around for an opportunity and make something on our own. We have always been leaders in making films on our own and inspiring our peers to do the same. We are student filmmakers, but we see ourselves as professionals in the industry. We never let the title of being a “student” or our age stop us from dreaming big and achieving big things with our work. The three of us take on the roles of Director, Producer, Writer, and whatever other hats we need to wear for what the project calls for. We make films that people haven’t seen since we want to combat Hollywood’s repetitive and uninspired cycle of films. We are proud of how far we’ve come in the last couple of years, and we know that each project will be bigger and push the boundaries of filmmaking. We are vocal about our generation’s voice and having younger talent motivated to tell stories that will shape the future of filmmaking.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Knowing that our work can inspire people and spark important conversations in our daily lives regarding the messages we push in our work is very rewarding. We always want our films to be entertaining, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t also be informative with the messages in our films and offer new perspectives on life, identity, and how we connect with others.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
As young filmmakers, we think our society needs to listen more to fresh and young perspectives. We often see new voices being silenced by artists and creatives who have been established for a long time and don’t offer anything new and thought-provoking to how we interact and explore film. We as a society need to lean into discomfort and support the risk-taking artists that push us to new heights.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onthedyinggrass?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nicholasgrimaldi9181
