Vanessa Pla

Unaffiliated

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it?
This is such an abstract question for me because I consider a lot of my early work professional, even though I wasn’t getting paid professionally. I’m self taught in my craft and I began creating content in the form of music videos. I “came in through the bathroom window” as my dad likes to say (just without a silver spoon), and paved a path for myself through my love of music.

I was asked to make a music video for The Black Angel’s debut single “El Jardin” off their 2022 album Wilderness of Mirrors. I had dreamt about making a video for them since I had first heard their music in 2010, specifically their album Phosphene Dream. They are still one of my favorite bands and a strong influence on my creative path.

At our first meeting for the video, Alex Maas (lead-singer) described to me a story about a boy in a dystopian future who comes across a headset that shows him what the world used to look like, a WALL-E meets Spielberg idea . At the time, I was given the largest budget I had ever worked with, but it felt extremely low considering what I was trying to pull off. But I am SO proud of what we were able to make. I consider that project a major professional stepping stone, because it led me to my first commercial project in 2023.

How did you get into directing?
The film that made me want to pursue directing was Vagabond by Agnes Varda. It was the first film I had seen made by a woman and it made me want to tell my own story. Something about Mona’s rebellious nature still haunts me to this day. I like complex female protagonists and I hope to explore these more difficult themes myself as I evolve into a stronger storyteller.

I took a risk 10 years ago, with Vagabond in mind, and moved to Austin to intern for Richard Linklater. I scrubbed toilets and all sorts of other odd jobs to get myself a DSLR camera, which I then used to start making music videos for the local Austin scene. I’d take any job I could get in the film industry, too, whether that meant being a production assistant or a camera assistant–you name it. I wanted to learn it all and understand how the machine works.

Over the years, I moved into the art department and started production designing. And then it sorta happened all at once after a Texas winter storm in 2023. A production company in Austin called The Bear had found my music video work and noticed my commercial potential. They asked me to pitch for a campaign with Taylor Swift and Capital One. It turned out that my extensive work in production design came in handy.

What is your most recent project?
My most recent endeavor was a PSA for mental health in collaboration with the Hi, How Are You Project and the College Student Mental Wellness Advocacy Coalition. In the spirit of Daniel Johnston, we wanted to create a series of videos that made a heavy subject feel light and approachable. I got to work with an incredible group of creatives that made the experience feel extremely special. I was able to put a little of myself into the mix, too, like with the color choices, set design, and music. I worked on the project from the ideation of the script to the very end in post. This collaboration felt so genuine and sincere. As a team we were very resourceful and everyone gave it their best.

Also, my most recent music video just came out for Tele Novella. The song is called “Vampire Cowgirl” and the video was entirely fan-funded. We shot it on 16mm, and it went on to be featured on the Kodak community account which was a huge milestone for us!

What is the best part of being a director?
I love collaborating with so many different people who are passionate about what they are good at. I also love when you find a family that understands your weirdness and is willing to break the rules…just a little bit.

I like to pull from old cinema palettes and I prefer working on film than digital. I like to push boundaries, and I’m always trying to break into something new. I long for a good, complicated long shot, with all the moving parts that you have to call out in synchronized time, like Mr. Robert Atlman. I have a unique way of approaching my work, and so much of what I create stems from my appreciation of the past. I like what Johnny Cash says about Bob Dylan: “There are those who do not imitate,/Who cannot imitate/But then there are those who emulate/At times, to expand further the light/Of an original glow.” Emulation is the key ingredient in the stew.

But the most thrilling part of directing is telling a story and connecting with an audience. The story itself becomes a part of your soul and you surrender to whatever current has to come through you to get the job done.

What is the worst part of being a director?
I’d say the worst part about directing has nothing to do with the actual job. It’s more about having to prove to others that you can do the job. I have tried to not let that part destroy me, which is why I have always created as much art as I can. Music videos have allowed me to grow because the bands have always believed in the vision and dreams I want to execute. But getting your shoe into commercial directing is challenging, you either have to somehow create spec work (which can be very expensive), or you have to build trust with people who are willing to take a risk on you.

There are some amazing weirdos out there that have come to me with some of my own work on their pitch decks which gives me faith that there are people who want to think outside of the box. Speaking of boxes, I don’t want to be put in a box…ever. I like all sorts of things and all sorts of decades. People like to compare me to Wes Anderson and I don’t like it. Sure we take from the same river sometimes, I like French films myself, but as the saying goes…we contain multitudes.

I hope that this downside will start to fade. I think it’s just a matter of time, and it takes spreading your wings so that the weirdos can find each other.

What is your current career focus: commercials and branded content, television, movies? Do you plan to specialize in a particular genre–comedy, drama, visual effects, etc.?
I want to focus on my commercial directing path just as much as I want to pursue my path in narrative feature filmmaking. I will entertain a few music videos a year as long as it pays the bills or feeds the soul, but my priorities are shifting into bigger things.

I want to explore commercials that are colorful, surreal, and avant garde. But every so often I want to break my own box. I am willing to lean into absurd comedy, and even car commercials. The best way to put it is, if I was able to channel the DNA of so many bands, why not shift that skill to brands that I love.

I’m very consumer-conscious and want to collaborate with brands that I think are cool and make an impact. I love a powerful message that wants to be delivered in a surreal, creative way, but I also love the idea of pulling from vintage motifs and making something unique, memorable, and fun. The dream jobs are with some of my favorite fashion designers (Gucci, Alexander Wang, YSL), because of the worlds you can build around a collection of clothes. It is a dream of mine to break into an international market.

While I focus professionally on my commercial work, I want to start carving my way into narrative feature storytelling as well.

Have you a mentor and if so, who is that person (or persons) and what has been the lesson learned from that mentoring which resonates with you?
I was always inspired by Richard Linklater’s work, and after interning with him he most definitely had a direct influence on my career. He was once helping me carry a box of props to my set, and asked me if I was having any fun. I told him it was fun, but it was hard. And he told me “it only gets harder.” He’s right in a way, the older I get the bigger the challenges I want to take on. He also told me what Super 8 camera to get and I highly value his integrity as a filmmaker.

Mike Blizzard, (producer of Hit Man, Apollo 10 ½, etc) has also been a big mentor in my life. We met when I was working at a vegan restaurant, and he asked me what I wanted to do in film and I told him I wanted to direct. That was years ago and we have become great friends and collaborators since.

But my strongest mentors are my peers and women in my community. We simply have a different path than men in the industry. It’s never been easy for us, and I am much more inspired by women carving out their own paths and the advice we all have for one another.

Who is your favorite director and why?
Oh gosh, do I have to pick a favorite? That is the hardest question to answer for me. But if we have to pick, I’m going to go with Stanley Kubrick. But Wim Wenders, Aki Kaurismaki, Yorgos Lanthimos, Chantal Ackerman and Lynne Ramsay are all trying to push him off that pedestal as I write this, and another mob of directors, too.

I love The Shining. It’s my favorite film. I could write a novel about why so I will just say that I love surreal psychological horrors, and the layers of depth that go into that film. I’m the kind of person that you will find sitting on a plane, watching that film with a smile.

What is your favorite movie? Your favorite television/online program? Your favorite commercial or branded content?
Well, we already know my favorite movie. My favorite commercial that I rewatch, again and again, is a Mercedes Benz commercial called “One of Many,” directed by Fiona Jane Burgess. It was created around the intention of honoring women for International Women’s day. Not only is it shot on 35mm, it is a powerful collage of women delivering a message that a woman shouldn’t have to feel like they are the only one making history, that all women should excel and be seen as equal. It starts out with a girl sitting on a stool, ready to take her school photo and the flash transitions us to photos of exceptional females throughout history. A young girl dressed as an engineer narrates a world where we see women having to stand out amongst a sea of men in a classroom. It cuts to different scenarios of women feeling alone in competition, and a girl takes a step forward on a giant human size chess board. We see all of these vignettes cut together, showing that all of these women feel the same. It ends with the narrator stating that she “does not want to be the only woman, she wants to be one of many.”

There is no mention of the brand, yet we are left with a powerful message that makes us want to support Mercedes-Benz.

Tell us about your background (i.e., where did you grow up? Past jobs?)
I come from a Puerto Rican and Cuban household, and grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. My parents are both physicians and practice general medicine in a low income Latino neighborhood. I was a strange kid and wanted to learn French at the age of six, and was fascinated with languages. I studied French, Italian, German and Japanese. The only ones that stuck are the romance languages, but I try to absorb as much as I can when I travel. I really want to live in Japan for a short time one day.

I used to work for an anti-phone company which I swear changed my life for the better. I’d manage shows for all sorts of artists who wanted a phone-free audience. We’d put your phone in a pouch so you could be present and less distracted, and more human. I’d have to manage crowds of thousands which felt like a strange bootcamp for directing. I also used to work as a server in restaurants which is another version of the same thing. Odd jobs are the best, and make for some fun stories, you do what you can to survive. In fact the strangest jobs I’ve had to do, I’ll save for my narrative.

Have you had occasion to bring your storytelling/directorial talent to bear in the Metaverse, tapping into the potential of AR, VR, AI, NFTs and/or experiential fare? If so, tell us about that work and what lessons you have taken away from the experience?
I don’t think I am that into the future as everyone else is. I love the past. I love history. I think it’s just as important to make sure all of what makes us human doesn’t disappear. I have enjoyed shooting on virtual backdrops but I still value human-made everything. I’m much more drawn to what we are capable of making without a robot involved. When you think of how easy it was for a normal person to read a road map, and now how hard it is for a person to get anywhere without their iPhone, it makes me think of Wall-E again. All I want my robot to do is take out my trash, do the dishes and clean the house.

VR is another insanity I have more respect for. I don’t want to live in it entirely but it’s a cool visual experience to create. I’m sure it’ll get better with time, but I can’t wait to be that old grandma that still loves going to a movie theater.

Contact

Website: vanessapla.com
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