Meet Miguel A Lopez

We were lucky to catch up with Miguel A Lopez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Miguel, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

once I realized failing was a part of the journey to success, my mentality really changed. As a creative you are constantly hearing “no”, or “maybe try harder”, or “that doesn’t fit our vision” or even worse…nothing at all. When you are finally able to believe that all of that is part of the process it’s hard to be pessimistic. Letting that negativity in can be dangerous and discouraging, but accepting failure after failure will eventually lead you to the next rung or step is all the while worth it.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I started my journey towards acting about 2 decades ago thinking that a certain school or conservatory would get me into the limelight. That quickly changed after graduation because you still leave there being super green and think, now I need an agent, and not any agent will take you. There are auditions or resume screening that can be grueling experience. With my luck and Hispanic background I was able to land one which then sparked my slow grind into the acting world in NYC. I lived there for 5 years doing some off off off broadway type work and trying to make the ends meet by working the nightlife world, but once 5 years in NYC ran its course I decided LA was going to be my next destination. The same process occurred out there, class, work, audition, repeat for the next decade. I landed some of my best roles out there due to some amazing connections I made out there. I had a role in Agents and Shield and another in the Mandalorian, accompanied by a few Nation network Hispanic commercials. I felt as though my career finally was priming itself for lift-off but little did I and the world know that a pandemic was looming in our near future. The pandemic forced me to leave the beautiful California coast back to my roots at the Jersey Shore. Once here I was able to be under the umbrella of my family and friends. They were tough times for all of us but having the safety net really helped. With Hollywood shutdowns left and right I decided to buy my own camera and start creating. I began to write screenplays, whether short form or long form, I needed to stay positive and stay creative. If we dont adapt or change we will fall to the wayside and I wasn’t ready for that. I was then able to visit family in Spain for the next couple of years in which I was inspired to make two shorts completely alone, just my camera and myself, one of which (El Camino) won a “BEST SCREENPLAY” award at the Madrid International Film Festival. After that the industry adapted to “self tape” at home and ever since then I have been able to travel and make content as a side gig while I write, audition, and look for my next project to direct. I am in the process now of selling my first feature length horror screenplay to a production company in Mexico which would be made in Spain by the end of the year. Finger crossed, but if it all falls apart it’s okay, it a part of the process.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Routine, patience and knowledge. My life on the outside can look pretty boring at time. I wake, drink coffee, go to the gym, shower and then sit down to the computer to try and inspire myself on my next film. I need this routine in order to focus and battle the daily FOMO that life offers. Practicing patience is key in order to not stress over the things we can’t control. Mindset is everything when it comes to prevailing in an artistic industry. And lastly but definitely not least, inform yourself, be curious about you industry and any other art form which can lead you to grow in yours. I started as an actor and then moved into camera work because I didn’t understand focal lengths, which then lead me to be curious about compostion, which lead to editing, and storytelling and how things evolve in a film. Stay curious and it’ll help you stay “a” course, because we never know what’s around the corner or what fate has stored for us.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

My parents have always been by my side even when they were 3000 miles away. I was fortunate to have a father that gave me a work ethic mentality at a young age, he never pushed me into something I wasn’t interested in, “You will find your way and when that day comes, I’ll be there.” he would say. He introduced me to all the great filmmakers when I was growing up, Stanley Kubrick, Sidney Lumet, and Steven Speilberg. My mother showed me that everyday life tasks and helped with keeping you brain free of clutter. Keeping a tidy home/work space does wonder, it keeps us less overwhelmed with the day to day. Having the ability to just “be” and “do” or the freedom I should say, from being bogged down is vital to the creative process in my personal opinion. She engrained that just making your bed in the morning can keep improve your mental well being. But all that aside I am grateful to have them still very near to me and in my corner.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pronouncedfilms.com
• Instagram: migueltypleasure
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miguel-a-lopez-92620a26

Image Credits

Miguel a Lopez