We recently connected with Daryl Ferrara and have shared our conversation below.
Daryl, 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.
Creating films has always been my anchor. As a kid, my friends and I would spend weekends filming skits and short narratives just for the love of it. In senior year English class, after every story we read, we’d get together in small groups and film our interpretation. I was hooked by this point — and ended up minoring in film in college.
As I grew older, no matter where life took me — whether running a business, working nights at a bar, or adjusting to a 9-to-5 — filmmaking remained my constant. It’s both my creative escape and the thing that keeps me grounded. A creative outlet just jives with my style of engaging the world.
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?
Professionally, I work a 9-to-5, but my focus is on building a career in filmmaking. Collaboration is of the utmost importance to me—I don’t pretend to be the smartest person in the room, so I make sure to surround myself with people who bring different skill sets and strengths. What I’m most proud of is assembling a well-rounded team that shares my mission of creating through collaboration.
I’m the founder and creative director of Dilow Films, a small independent film production company. Right now, we’re focused on short-form narratives as I continue to build and expand my network here in New Mexico.
With each project, I’ve pushed myself and my team further. As we gear up for our third short film—set to shoot this September—I plan to keep raising the bar. Our second short is currently making its festival rounds, with its next stop at the Indie Vegas Film Festival at the end of April.
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?
The three skills that have been most impactful for me are:
1) Continuing to create. I learn by doing—by failing, adjusting, and trying again. What you create won’t always be perfect, but each project is a chance to learn. The goal is to take those lessons and apply them to the next.
2) Listening and staying open to learning from others. As I mentioned earlier, I acknowledge that I don’t know everything, and I’m never afraid to lean on those who have different skills or more experience.
3) Staying humble. I strive to be a good listener and make sure those around me feel heard. My relationship with my incredible wife, Omni, and being a dad to my three daughters have shaped this quality in me. They keep me on my toes and help me stay aware of my strengths, weaknesses, and limitations—something that translates into how I work with my team.
Advice: As cliché as it sounds, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If you want a career in the creative arts, find a dual-path approach that balances stability with your passion. Take that 9-to-5 for financial security, but create independently on the side. At first, these tracks may run parallel, but if you stay committed to yourself, they will eventually intersect.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
I would focus on creating as many core memories as I could with my loved ones—my wife and daughters. I’d travel, laugh, love, and try new things. I’d eat new cuisines and continue to step outside my usual comfort zone.
My goal would be to make sure the last decade was as full as possible for them. I want them to remember me for exactly who I was, knowing my memory will always live on in them.
And as a bonus, if they were all willing, I’d create my last film with them. After all, Dilow Films is as much theirs as it is mine. DILOW comes from the first initials of our names.
Love you, girls!!!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dilowfilms.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dilowfilms
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dilowfilms
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1214458/
Image Credits
Briana Nicole Photography
Ramiro Cabrera
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