Meet Carlos Zelaya

We were lucky to catch up with Carlos Zelaya recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Carlos, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I love my family, but I don’t like them very much. Growing up my family was dysfunctional and it has continued into my adulthood. Throughout my upbringing I began to understand that as much as I wanted things to improve, they wouldn’t and I would essentially be on my own. Of course I had my friends, whom I always considered more of a family, and I hoped to one day have a family of my own, but my formative years taught me to rely on myself. As a working class kid I learned to work on my car because I had no other choice, I experimented with cooking once I moved out and now I think I am an excellent cook. When I was 18 I had what I would later find out was a kidney stone. I was living on my own with no insurance so I drove myself to the emergency room at County-USC, there I was told I probably had a stone but would have to wait for at least 6 hours to see a doctor. I drove myself back home because I figured I would die in my own bed. Having no idea what to do so I swallowed a couple of Advil and drank as much water as I could before I passed out. In the morning the stone passed and I felt relief.

There are days where I wish I had the close knit bonds with my family that I see in others. But, I think we play with the cards we’re dealt and make the best of the situation. Maybe the hand I was given wasn’t the best but it has provided my with the strength to stand up to challenges and not shrink under pressure. Things may not always go my way but I’ll aways get back up.

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

I’ve always enjoyed telling stories, whether doing a set at the Comedy Store, composing a song, or writing a movie. We all have something to tell and I am trying to share my story. I recently completed a film, Las Adelitas, it’s a neon-noir action flick with female leads. I am excited about the project because it is a departure from the comedy genre I am used to living in. Also, I’m drawn to viewpoints of those we don’t usually hear from, be it different ethnic groups or non-male identifying people. Tripp Pickell, who introduced me to you all, coordinated the stunts. I scored the Las Adelitas and am hoping to release a full-length record or EP later this year. I’m also polishing up a script I hope to film in the Fall, and yes, it is a comedy.

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

Self-reliance is important for me. It has taught me to teach myself things that I do not understand and to squeeze as much juice as I can from the skills I do posses. This does not mean that I do not often doubt myself because I do, but I try to convince myself that the lack of confidence comes from not knowing or understanding and if I can gain some knowledge around a particular topic I assuage my fear.

Learn to trust others. It’s easier with help. While shooting Las Adelitas we were on location and under a time crunch. I had to know when, as a director, to step back and allow our director of photography to do their job so we could finish the project on time. A different version of me maybe lets his ego get in the way.

Fall forward. Being OK with failure is something I have always struggled with. I may create something that everyone thinks “sucks” but as long as I feel I did my best I am OK with the result. It becomes a learning process. What can I improve next time. There will be critics, and the biggest critics are often those who are too insecure to venture out on their own. To paraphrase Roosevelt, I’d rather be the man in the arena that if I fail, at least I fail while daring greatly, so that my place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

The biggest obstacle for those of us working in the arts, specifically film, is the unknown. What is the next phase of filmmaking? Is it going to be all Tik-ToK videos? Are studios only going to produce big-budget films with superstar talent leaving little room for new talent to squeeze in?

The counter is that anyone with a phone can film something. If you are passionate about any medium you will find a way to make it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: ThrownTogetherFilms
• Youtube: @ThrownTogether

Image Credits

Headshots – Nicole Ortega @nicoleortega_photography

Film Still – Carlos Zelaya