Meet Frank Frascella

 

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Frank Frascella. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Frank, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

This is such an interesting question. What is purpose? Is there even such a thing? I struggle with this idea. Do we assign our own purpose in life? Is it ordained from something greater than us? Perhaps our purpose is just to live and experience the world around us? I’m not sure, but I do find some solace in writer Allen Watts interpretation that “Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself.”

That phrase has always filled me a sense of purpose. For as long as I can remember being conscious, I have felt a desire to tell stories. At first it was with action fingers. Then with my friends. Then I started filming those stories. I just needed to capture it and share it, for whatever reason. Eventually, the thought of making movies made it worth getting through the day. I believe that, regardless of why or how I honed my ability for storytelling, it is my responsibility as a part of this universe to share it. Through our eyes and mind, we are the universe looking back at itself. And as far as we know, at least on this planet, we are the only beings capable of really doing so. If I have an ability to take that perception, and distill it into an accessible and definitive node in our collective consciousness, then I would be doing a disservice to the universe if I DON’T share it. And all this philosophical stuff aside, the idea that in making my art I can provide another human with a revelation, a smile, even a tear, than that is more than enough for me. I would have done something important. I usually shy away from the notion of art being a “gift” – but maybe it is. And if I have it, I want to share it with everyone willing to listen and watch. It’s all I’ve known. If that isn’t purpose, what is?

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Hi Bold Journey readers! My name is Frank Frascella, and I am a writer/director based in Los Angeles. Whether it was making short films with my father’s camcorders, or acting in my elementary school’s plays, I’ve always had my sights set on storytelling in some form. Originally hailing from a small New Jersey suburb, I eventually made my way to Boston, completing my BFA studies at Emerson College, and at the end of my tenure there, packed my life into a uhaul and made the move to LA. Since then, I’ve written and directed a number of short films, music videos, spec ads, and whatever else I can challenge myself with next, while also freelancing full time in a variety of roles, from director’s assistant to writers PA, most recently on Paramount Plus’s Mayor of Kingstown.

I’m a humanist at heart, and at the center of my passion for storytelling is a desire to weave together emotionally evocative work in a variety of genres and styles that values deep world building and relatable characters that never looses sight of those core human values.

I’m currently working on my next big project, a culinary drama short film titled APRICOT, that has been honored to have the backing of Film Independent’s fiscal sponsorship program. With APRICOT, I hope to bring my journey so far full circle, marrying the lessons I learned working in a restaurant growing up with the ones I find myself learning now. Channeling my my own struggle with the strength to move forward with that of the main character Rose, working toward finding catharsis together.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking back, I think the three most important qualities that were most impactful in my journey were optimism, drive, and humility. I believe in that first one passionately. In any creative industry, but especially the entertainment business, there is an endless mountain of people who have been burned by their own unsuccessful journey, become jaded, and make it their mission to spread that negativity to others in an effort to maybe “save” them from being hurt the same way they were. It’s a plague. And it’s counterintuitive to success. Yes, it’s important to have realistic exceptions and goals, we can talk about that later, but its MORE important to believe in your own abilities. Radically. And that doesn’t mean it has to be ego centric. But you have to believe that you deserve a place in this space and that you have something to give, and believe that your goals ARE achievable. If you drink the poison kool-aid, you’ll get stuck into a self fulfilling prophecy. If you believe you will fail, you will. You believe you can succeed, than you just might.

Second, drive is of course paramount to success. This might sound funny, but my dad instilled in me this idea that there will always be someone better. Someone who woke up earlier. Someone who worked more hours. Made more sacrifices. So, within reason, you have to do everything in your power to be THAT person. You have to have that drive that makes you pull ahead of your peers. Do your best not to let someone pass you. Find your niche and work everyday to succeed in that space. Carve out your slice of this life.

And lastly, humility is so important. With everything said above, it’s also important to give yourself grace. It’s OKAY to not be the best in every room. Not every space is yours to claim. Listen to your friends advice. Take a weekend off to do something fulfilling for your soul. Lean on your collaborators. Keep your curiosity alive. Always seek to understand and learn. Admit when your wrong. Not only will all of this make you more open to inspiration, it will make you a better person to be around. And at the end of the day, that is what really matters the most. Be the person everyone wants to work with it and/or support. Get people into the room. Butts in seats. So your art can be seen and appreciated as it should be.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

Another great question. This one is complicated. For me, it’s all about balance and prioritization. It’s super important to be well-rounded, to build up areas of weakness and turn them into strengths. But it’s equally important to hone in on your strengths in order to carve out a niche for yourself in some way. But this is why I love directing. I know my strengths lie in leadership, vision, writing, and collaboration. And as a director, it’s my job to identify my weaknesses and seek out collaborators who will help fill them in. And then the best part is that I can lean on them not only to bring their talents to the project and make it better than I could have ever imagined, but also LEARN from them as they do. It’s also one of the reasons that I think my experience as a production freelancer in the industry has helped me become a better director. Interfacing with all the different departments, learning their workflows and challenges, it helps me better communicate with and utilize them for my own projects. Nothing makes me more excited than working with other talented people who are experts in their own corners of the industry. And then I take all of what I learned and inform my strengths to make them even stronger. Like I said before, it’s so important to stay curious, seek knowledge, and have humility. Then people can follow and trust your guidance. And that’s when the magic happens.

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Cover Photo and additional BTS by Kathlyn Almeida

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