We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shaun Paul Piccinino a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Shaun Paul Piccinino, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
My optimism was born from my family first, then developed and colored by many amazing influences in my life, from martial arts teachers, to the theatre, to the cinema itself.
I was lucky enough to grow up in a household that championed artistic expression and endeavors. My mother was a brilliant photographer, writer and sketch artist (I always loved her fantastic doodles she would draw on my school lunch bag or a napkin tucked inside every morning in elementary school). Needless to say, she always encouraged any and all of my creative explorations.
My father was a stage director and the head of the drama department at the local college, so I was exposed to the theater at a very young age. I first acted in a play around 8 years old and by 10 years old I was helping backstage.
All this creativity was further reinforced by grandparents (on both sides of the family) that also adored everything to do with the arts. We celebrated going to watch plays from Shakespear to revered musicals and the latest films at the time like the Star Wars and Rocky franchises.
With my entire family they were always drawn to art and stories that inspired hope, hope for the future, hope of the goodness we can find in people, redemption, the underdogs & the unlikely heroes.
So, at a very young age I was surrounded with stories and storytellers that helped inspire optimism and hope in those around us. I saw the power in that. Joy, hope, love, can be among the most powerful of all things.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I love being a storyteller and my favorite medium is feature-length film (although I also work on television shows as well). And you might have guessed that I am drawn to stories that inspire hope, are full of heart, champion redemption and see the characters grow in positive ways.
I’ve been lucky enough and worked hard enough to have some modicum of success (having nearly a dozen films on Netflix, HBO, Lionsgate and more) in this wild and unpredictable business that is movie making.
But what really gets me excited is the process of making a film itself, the people I get to collaborate in the cast and the crew. Some of the most meaningful friendships are from the sets, sharing an intense passion and work ethic with absolutely amazing people and artists. I would say that the people I’m going to make a film with are equally as important to the story being told. We have to gel and connect on a deeper level if our creativity is going to really truly blossom. That is what it is all about for me, making those connections and being open to a truly collaborative process.
Another thing I really geek out on is the tools we use to make a movie, show or art. I guess you could call me a gear head in that way. I love getting into what camera gear we’ll use, specialty lenses, lighting, the latest tech but also legendary vintage tools as well. I’m not afraid to mix the old with the new to create an interesting and unique look.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, I was very lucky to have such amazing influences around me. Not only in my pursuit of this career but also just in life. My parents of course instilled qualities in me like kindness, which has above all else has served me the absolute best in this business. Treat people with compassion and kindness.
Another very useful skill, that I can attribute to my studies in various martial arts and teachers, is a two parter; patience and perseverance. Not everything is going to just fall in place or work out the first time around (or maybe even the 8th time around) but being patient, calm and determined will serve you extremely well in life and in this business. I have been rejected time and time again but never giving up and working to improve my skills has led me to creating new opportunities to finally succeed where I have failed before.
Lastly, I had a film producer and friend who instilled in me to never be afraid of hard work, to learn all that I could about the filmmaking process. He said if I was serious about making movies that I should never turn down a job that would get me on a set. I should use the opportunity, even as a coffee runner, background actor or PA to learn everything I could about the business. I took that to heart and treated all those odd jobs as my film school. Even though in many cases the pay was little to none I was still getting a first hand education in Hollywood. I have never looked back.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I am always looking for passionate people to partner and collaborate with on interesting and unique projects. As I mentioned earlier, that is such an important part of the filmmaking process for me.
No matter what the genre is (I truly like all the genres), I’m looking for stories that again are filled with heart, redemption, the underdogs facing insurmountable odds and the human stories we can all connect with.
So, people who share that same passion and believe in the stories they want to tell are those I’m drawn to the most.
If you want to reach out, you can find me on my websites www.directorshaun.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.direct.me/directorshaun
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directorshaunpiccinino/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-piccinino-2060aa8/
- IMDB: www.imdb.me/shaunpiccinino
- Other: www.directorshaun.com
Image Credits
Gloria El Achkar, Victoria Chernetski
