Meet Anthony DiMaria

We were lucky to catch up with Anthony DiMaria recently and have shared our conversation below.

Anthony, thank you so much for making time for us. We’ve always admired your ability to take risks and so maybe we can kick things off with a discussion around how you developed your ability to take and bear risk?

I grew up in a strict and conservative household. It was a risk-averse atmosphere centered on rules – and a lot of them. Ever since I can remember, I would test the limits of those rules. I wanted to know why they existed. What was the philosophy and methodology they originated from? How much would they actually be enforced? Although my parents were not big on explanations, they were big on enforcement. Despite this, I kept testing the limits within our household. However, in public, I was terrified of doing something ‘risky’. Actually, I was terrified of doing anything at all, really. I’ve had anxiety from a young age – anything regarding public speaking, having attention on me in public, or having to perform publicly put my mind, body, and spirit in a state of stress.

As I got ready to leave home for college, I was terrified; I was homeschooled my entire life. I had never been in a classroom with other students. Yet this is where I first took a risk. Although I could not articulate it at the time, I knew I had to leave the state (South Carolina is where I was located) and set out on my own. There was an innate sense – lingering from testing the limits at home growing up – that I had to set out on my own to fully realize my potential; who I was, who I could be, and realize who I wanted to be and what I wanted from life.

As I embarked on my college journey at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, it was not easy, but it was worth it as I developed my own worldview, overcame social anxiety, and started to put into focus what I wanted to pursue for myself in life. This first big risk is what helped me take the next one as I graduated. Rather than taking a decent salary working with the video production team in the marketing department at Grand Canyon University, I opted to pursue a creative role at a non-profit for far less money, benefits, and security. Because I knew that the experiences I would have living in South Africa and telling stories through both film and photography was what I wanted, even though it was not going to be easy.

With each risk, I became more comfortable with taking another risk – and those risks became bigger. I grew to not align with the non-profit’s ideology and how it was run – so I left, without anything else lined up besides a 4-day contract with a production company in Phoenix, Arizona. That production company continued to ask me to come in and work on productions – I was an assistant, handling social media and carrying gear, while developing my skills as a producer and director in my free time with the limited resources I had. Soon, I became the lead photographer at the company – and then I took a leave of absence for 6 months. I knew I might not be able to return to my role when I came back – but I had the opportunity to produce a low budget independent feature film. This was the first feature I had the opportunity to work on and the producing and directing team put their trust in myself and my co-producer, Jeff Dykhuizen, to bring the vision of this film to life. That project became TEENAGE BADASS, which was selected to SXSW in 2020. And guess what? As soon as we wrapped the film, the production company called me and asked me to come back – as their Creative Director.

At each big moment, when I’ve had the choice between the safe option and the risky one, I’ve taken the risky option. And it has paid dividends. Now, at no point was it easy. I remember eating my roommates ramen noodles because I couldn’t afford my own meals at times (thank you, Jacob). Sleeping on the floor because it was either pay rent or get a bed. But at each point, those risks forced me out of my comfort zone and helped me grow, become a better person, a more empathetic person, and a better filmmaker, businessperson, friend, sibling, and son.

It’s this precedent of taking risks that had me move from Phoenix, AZ to Los Angeles in 2021. Shortly after moving, I left my job as Creative Director to go into production full time. In a new city, I was terrified. But I knew that when I felt that fear I had to lean into it and pursue what was making me afraid. For nearly 3 years now I have been producing and directing under my company Odd Galaxy and it has brought with it incredible connections to other creative individuals in the film industry. I’ve been able to create national commercials, short films, documentaries, docuseries, and develop feature films. The freelance-style life is not easy, but it has been worth it – constant risk, immense rewards, challenging times that have forced me to change, evolve, look within, and pursue what I want out of this life. I now run my company, co-own another production with my business partner Sam Shapiro called Pizza Bagel Studios, and work on projects with other top tier companies in the Los Angeles area and beyond.

So rip that bandaid off. It will scare you every time – at least it does for me. But I know when that fear creeps in and all I want to do is stay in my comfort zone, that means it’s time to dive in, take the chance, and see where it takes me. There is no right or wrong decision, there is only growth – regardless of the external results of taking the risk.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a producer and director, working on feature films, short films, documentaries, and commercials. I work through a few different avenues to make this happen.

My company, Odd Galaxy, focuses primarily on developing feature films with writers/directors and documentaries, as well as using my experience as a producer and director to support other production companies. This happens through project-by-project work with other production companies, as well as project and company consultation, development, and execution.

I also co-own a production company, Pizza Bagel Studios, with my good friend and talented producer Sam Shapiro (he’s Jewish, I’m Italian, hence the name). Our focus has primarily been music videos, branded content, and short films.

We created Pizza Bagel Studios to be a production company that supports independent filmmakers – we handle the logistics, budget, paperwork, payroll, etc, so filmmakers can focus on telling their story. We then branched into commercial production with various branded spots, as well as music videos for artists like Myles Smith and Nathaniel Rateliff. We have begun to branch into feature films, with at least 1 slated to go into production this year.

We love working with filmmakers, artists, and brands of all kinds to bring a story to life. We have a holistic focus to production – we strive to create an environment that not only empowers artists, but also is a safe, inspiring, and supportive work environment. We work with artists of all kinds and can support projects from being in the trenches with you beginning to end, or lending a hand through consulting on development, pre-production, production, or post-production.

2025 is the year we are doing a full Pizza Bagel Studios launch to expand our footprint and collaborate with more great directors, artists, and companies. Tap in with us on Instagram (@pizzabagel.studios or @aadimaria) or jump to our website (pizzabagelstudios.com). We’re always looking to expand our network so reach out and let’s see what we can do together.

When it comes down to it, I want to create dope stuff with dope people while never losing sight of the human element. Collaboration is the key to success in my eyes, and I want to always cultivate an atmosphere of kindness and excellence.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

It’s difficult to narrow this down to just three things, but I think I’ve dialed it in. This is all from the angle of being a freelance and independent producer/director, but I am hoping that these elements are universal and everyone, regardless of profession, journey, or industry, can gleam something from.

1. Be a self-starter. No one is coming to save you. No one is coming to seek you out to try to teach you, mentor you, or guide you. You must find your North Star and pursue it relentlessly. However, this does not mean working yourself into the ground to burnout. Rather, it is about identifying what you want out of life, career, etc, and then ensuring your decisions align with that path. This North Star can change. Your goals can change. But I have found that an area that must be consistent is your pursuit of it and the intentionality behind why you are doing it. Take responsibility for what you want. Take risks and approach people who you want to learn from. Put yourself out there and always be developing yourself so you are ready for the opportunities you used to dream of – because they will come your way, you just have to be ready to say yes and dive in.

2. Understand your value system. This will change as you gain a better understanding of yourself and experience different parts of life. But you should always know what you stand for. It is so easy – especially in the entertainment industry – to ignore your values and jump at every opportunity. In my experience, that approach can bring a lot of harm with it. When I have not adhered to my value system, even the coolest opportunity on paper began to feel tedious and frustrating. Ensure you are building a network of collaborators that support you in owning and sticking to your values. You will meet and work with a lot of people that may make sticking to your values difficult – that’s okay. But understand what relationships need to be temporary and what ones to invest in. Outlining your values is the best criteria I’ve found to dial in on what that delineation should look like.

3. It’s not that serious. It is important, but nothing we do in this field is more important than your mental health, your loved ones, or your peace. Yes, do difficult things. Yes, excellence is hard work. But remember to cut yourself some slack. Ensure you give yourself time to be creative. To have time to be bored. To be there for your friends, your family, and yourself. Show grace within and it will help you show grace externally. Don’t ignore the human element of what you do on a daily basis. This approach has helped me maintain perspective in my life and figure out when I am letting unhealthy habits take over my life because I am placing a level of seriousness on them that they have not earned.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am constantly looking to partner and collaborate with people. I want to build a network of people who have shared values and bold vision. Who want to create and tell stories of all kinds – that can be other filmmakers, brands, artists, whoever. I want to connect with people from all departments in the film industry. Brands that take a human approach to their products and services. Artists who are looking to expand their horizons and collaborate with others to create unique experiences for the world.

If you feel like this might be you, please reach out on Instagram (@aadimaria) or email (anthony@odd-galaxy.com, anthony@pizzabagelstudios.com) and let’s jump on a call or grab a coffee and figure out how we can push each other forward and create unique, inspiring, and challenging things together.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.odd-galaxy.com, www.pizzabagelstudios.com
• Instagram: @aadimaria, @pizzabagel.studios, @odd.galaxy
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-dimaria/

Image Credits

Faith Decker
Zai Jackson