Today we’d like to introduce you to Marco Carlson
Marco, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When I was a little kid, I saw Frankenstein (1931) for the first time and decided I wanted to be Dr. Frankenstein. My mom told me I couldn’t, but I could make movies instead. Even though I knew I wanted to make movies at such a young age, it took me all the way until I was 22 to actually begin. For years, I set limitations on myself that pushed my dream further and further back. I thought I didn’t know how to properly make “a movie movie” so I’d watch endless videos about moviemaking. I thought I needed tons of money so I started a YouTube channel to try to get supporters behind me and my future projects. I thought I couldn’t do it unless this, unless that. And the moment I said, “No. I’m doing this. I’m making a movie” was the moment I finally became a filmmaker. It is the threshold every aspiring filmmaker needs to cross to start their career. No more excuses, no more distractions, and no more negativity. You can figure out your weaknesses you need to improve on AFTER you make your first movie.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I can confidently say the biggest obstacle I’ve faced, making a movie, is the amount of dishonorable unprofessionals, flakes, and scam artists I’ve encountered in the indie film scene. Everyone is only out for themselves, and there is no accountability for bad behavior. The major casting websites go out of their way to protect those who are actively harming the community and silence those who dare to speak out… I could probably write a book just containing all the obstacles I’ve faced. But I think it’s more productive to look back on all the goals I’ve accomplished instead. Despite losing my childhood home, a close member of my family, and numerous flakey cast members, I have still managed to get over halfway done in making my first movie. I wouldn’t have done anything differently. I would’ve only changed my mindset.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a film director, writer, actor, editor, and pretty much anything else. To talk about what sets me apart, I must first explain the two biggest flaws of Modern Hollywood:
-Lack of vision. We have too many cookie cutter products and not enough real movies coming out. There are little to no artists anymore with a strong vision they are willing to fight for. I, however, will not compromise to get my pure vision out to the world. When you compromise your vision, you are basically telling everyone working on your film that even you don’t believe in it.
-Too many cooks in the kitchen. The industry has gotten significantly lazier, and many times people are not willing to learn how to do anything more than they have to. I was forced to learn how to fill every role behind the scenes after not being able to find any help. I couldn’t be more grateful because now I can do seemingly “daunting” tasks with ease. For instance, I had a heavy special effects sequence in my film, in which I needed to emulate something complicated. I could not find anyone who could help so I was forced to invent this special effect myself. It delayed filming an entire week, but this special effect ended up looking like the best one I’ve ever done.
My hope, in being a one-man-crew, is to inspire people to make their movies whether they have help or not. There are too many good scripts waiting to be made and not enough filmmakers willing to do it without waiting for them to make themselves.
What makes you happy?
This is a complicated question. I believe happiness is a state of mind. I can achieve the same amount of joy watching Cobra Kai as I can reaching a major milestone. When I had anxiety disorder, in 2023, I learned that. Small moments of happiness were the only thing I had to distract myself from feeling terrible every day. I remember not wanting to get up from bed but pushing myself to in order to have something as simple as an ice cream sandwich later. These smaller things are often overlooked by people and called “meaningless”. I disagree. They are essential to live a happy life.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrriskymovies98?igsh=endiN2pmMW9uN241&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1A3VTLmHJ2/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@safiandmarcodishoutonmovie590?si=55GzocVvIyhgh7WF
