Meet Daniel De Santiago

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

Daniel, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I am always wrestling with the idea that I am a fraud; I worry over it constantly, and I don’t think that feeling is going to go away for me. However, I also believe that feeling is universal. That everyone feels that way, and that letting that feeling stop you is the real trap. There is a beautiful element underneath that fear, driving me to keep improving, keep adapting, keep making each project I work on better than the last. It is a benevolent and humbling force, and living alongside it is the only true escape.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I try my best to be a servant to film in any way I can. Whether that’s looking on social media and providing help to friends or others in need with their projects, or constantly working on my own projects. If I finish with one, I have to immediately start working on the next. I aspire to be contributing at all times to the medium, even if it’s just daydreaming about a feature-length I know I don’t have the budget for. In this past year, I’ve been pouring more effort and resources into making art than ever before, and my network has only grown as a result.

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?

An underrated skill is saying “Yes”, especially to the projects that intimidate you. Now this doesn’t mean say yes to everything. Don’t burn yourself out. But take on those challenging opportunities. I’ve always been a yes man on every set I’ve been a part of, even when given a smaller task or role. Approaching these opportunities with openness and enthusiasm makes the environment and project that much better, not just for you, but for everyone participating.

Preparedness is essential, but no matter what you do, you can’t prepare for everything. There will always be an unforeseen challenge or obstacle in your way, and your ability to respond quickly to those challenges will define the outcome of your project. You need to be comfortable thinking on your feet, adapting in the moment. What may seem like a compromise or mistake may end up becoming the defining characteristic of your film.

You must fail; there is no evading it. It’s inevitable. It is a key part in your own evolution as a creator and artist; you won’t grow any character without it. Look forward to failing, be excited to fail, learn from your weaknesses, and you will only be greater.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

You can’t go wrong doing either; however, in reality, it should be a mix of the two. I find I’m most focused on the directing/acting/writing portions of the work. However, even within this “niche,” there are many skills to learn, and I believe an artist should know how to utilize all of the tools at their disposal. I’ve made most of my projects primarily on my own, and having to teach myself and understand many of these specialized skills has only grown my understanding as a director. The old saying goes, “A Jack of all trades is a master of none, but is often times better than a master of one.” I’ll take it a step further: rounding out your skillset will only help you when it comes time to specialize.

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Image Credits

Landon Adams

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