Me: You only showed me like a few short films, do you have a lot of projects you do for class or do you do more work for yourself?
Costa: I like class because we get dead lines and dead line like really help because without it I wander a lot. I do a lot of shorter pieces for class but I like to do sort of a never ending project out side of class.
Me: So what made you interested in video?
Costa: My parents are both in the acting business. My dad is an actor and my mom is an acting teacher at Mason Gross. I kind of grew up on and around movie sets. i never wanted to be an actor though I guess I am kind of camera shy, but I really like the idea of filming and creating strange worlds. I used to make a lot of weird science fiction and ninja videos and skateboarding videos. I took high school media classes and I just thought it was the best thing I could possibly do, just making videos about everything.
Me: Have you done any internships?
Costa: Yeah, I did a internship with Johnathan Demme, he directed The Silence of the Lambs and The Manchurian Candidate. I just got really lucky he is actually my friends dad and he happened to be living down the street from me. I got to edit this documentary on New Orleans it was really unbelievable, and it really inspired me to get out there with a camera.
Me: So you think having parents in the acting business and having interned with Johnathan Demme will give you connections in your field?
Costa: Not really, it is a lot different than people think. You can have connection but if you don't have a good portfolio it doesn't matter.
Me: What do you see yourself doing after you graduate?
Costa: I hope I graduate (haha). I spent the last few years taking other classes that I was interested in like biology courses and stuff because I didn't really know what I wanted to focus on. I have been getting so interested in Permaculture and sustained living, but I am so close to graduating and I really want to graduate now. But I think when I graduate I really want to blend the two worlds I want to live in together like film making and creating communities that will thrive instead of deteriorate.
More about permaculture design (video by Costa)
Me: Is sustained living and permaculture going to be part of or inspiration for your thesis project?
Costa: I think I am going to collect like a lot of interviews and piece them together. I don't want to say it is a documentary but I guess it is because its unscripted. I want to make a film about progressive interesting people in the north east that are integrating themselves into the environment and stuff. I want to do an instillation, create an environment so its more a physical experience. I kinda want to do something with natural elements, water, elements, maybe chickens...chillin (haha).
Me: Why are you so passionate about the environment and sustained living, what first turned you on to it?
Costa: In high school I did a three week backpacking course, when I came back it made me really aware of everything and where our resources come from. I just started waking up to like how are we living how is it affecting the people we are living with and the environment we are living in. How long is that going to last because the design we have right now is pretty suicidal because it doesn't have a human element in it. I feel like film is one of the most emotional experiences people can have because it is so close to real life it mimics real life. I wanted to meld the awareness of where we are living into film and maybe create something positive.
Me: Do you feel like film is one of the more eco-friendly forms of art?
Costa: Well there are a lot of crazy metals in my camera that are possibly mined unethically. I think you just have to find some kind of balance. But being able to upload a video online that potentially billions of people can is like unbelievable.
Great job, the interview gave you a look at the artists work as well as the background of the artist. Nice use of film stills as well as actual video to illustrate the interview.
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