Meet Myles Mantzaris | Director of Photography | Steadicam Operator | Camera Operator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Myles Mantzaris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Myles, what’s your definition for success?
Success shows itself in many ways and it’s an evolving organism that requires patience, grace and maintenance. I don’t think there’s a single moment that determines your success, I think it’s achieved by consistency, balance, and honesty with yourself. In other words, I believe it’s a reflection of the inner world. If you’re doing something that’s meaningful to you, is fueled off your internal supply, and provides fulfillment, then I believe that you’ve found success in that path. It’s a lifestyle built on intention, habits, and showing up for yourself. I believe this leads to internal success and it benefits from consistency and must be maintained by routine and internal reflection. External variables like money, accolades, and external validation have its place and can be a special treat, but if it’s the primary fuel source on your pursuits to success, it can be unsustainable and derail your internal success. We all slip up though, we’re only human. Moving forward with patience, grace, and a little more perspective than before is all you can do. Don’t take stuff so seriously, you will make mistakes on your journey. Just have fun.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Working as a Director of Photography, Steadicam Operator, and Camera Operator is a real joy for me. These roles all share a nuanced perspective, technical intricacies, and a level of physical exertion on the body to achieve a creative goal. The ability to enhance a narrative by creating a visual language that aligns with the tone or theme of the story is a very fun challenge. While there’s many possibilities of what you can do, it can be overwhelming so it’s helpful for me to impose a visual guide or “bible” for the project. I get excited analyzing and thinking deeply about the DNA of the story we’re telling, whether it be a narrative film, commercial, or music video, but I find the experience of being on set equally interesting. For steadicam specifically, there’s so many elements to the role that fascinate me. As an operator, I’m paying attention to my surrounding environment, the scene on my monitor, actor and camera blocking positions, my body, and making micro adjustments as I progress through the shot. The adrenaline rush I feel right before a long oner or scene with complex movement is intense, but channels a familiar feeling or competing in a team sport. There’s a synchronicity built between the actors, steadicam operator, and crew. We have to play off one another’s movement throughout the scene and improvise if necessary, to keep it seamless to the audience.

I got to where I am professionally by taking risks, making mistakes and learning from mentors. Taking risks is very important for upward growth, both in work and life. It’s a step forward in the face of fear, not turning back to what you know and staying in the comfort zone. I’ve done this by experimenting on set, testing my limits, and staying curious. I’ve operated steadicam on a couple projects that were short concert films, about 30 min long. The job required the steadicam to be up for the entire duration of the performance, which is heavy physical demand, as the rig can be around 55-70lb. I asked mentors and colleagues if I should wear the steadicam for that long and I received mixed answers. I decided to try it anyway and the shoots were successful. It was very intense and physically tiring, but it helped me understand my limitations. In terms of risk taking, mistakes will happen. It’s inevitable when you venture into uncomfortable grounds, but that’s part of the process. The act of risk taking promotes growth, builds resilience, and patience. I was terrified of making mistakes (still am, but I’ve gotten better). Mistakes validate your ego and all of its fears and doomsday narratives. My friend and I call this the evil screenwriter in your head. They love creating chaos and making all your anxieties come to life. It’s like a Michael Bay movie, but it’s your life and everything is metaphorically exploding. It’s crucial to accept mistakes you’ve made, learn the lesson, and move forward. Vulnerability and embodying this lifestyle of risk taking and acceptance is hard, but it’s harder and more painful to live in a state of perpetual fear.

Another important factor of my career and personal growth are the mentors in my life. I’ve worked and met many amazing people that have inspired, guided, and taught me new perspectives in the arts and life. Mindfulness and philosophy are important to me, so I’m deeply inspired and impacted by many people I’ve never met too. To wrap it up, values of being kind, open minded, curious, and an active listener will bring you very far in life and your career. There’s a great quote from the Stoic, Epictetus: “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’d stop by Millcross Coffee or Coffee Commissary, then Holy Grail Donuts to kick off the adventure. Then hop on the 1 and get lost driving up the coast to Malibu. Pull over and enjoy the waves. Drive to Din Tai Fung for an early bird dinner. Order a million soup dumplings, cucumber salad, and noodles with spicy sauce. Power Nap. Then finish off the night at Fathers Office in Culver City for late night drinks and sea salt & vinegar tater tots.

Next day, go on a hike in Brentwood Hills and go to Mendocino Farms. If we’re feeling crazy, go to East LA and do a studio tour at Paramount or Warner Bros. Then get another coffee at Coffee Commissary on W. Olive in Burbank.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to thank my dad for inspiring me to channel my creativity and get into the arts, as well as the rest of my family for their love and support. I want to thank my friends and mentors for their support and endless inspiration: James Rinere, Michael Smiy, Jon Monson-Foon, Andrew Hebert, Greg Harrison & all the pals at MOCEAN, Chuck Carey, Curtis Doss, Dave Tousignant, Shaun Collings & the crew at Compadre, David Nitzsche, Greg Smith & the Steadicam community, Jason Leeds, Alex Cinicolo, Ithaca College pals, and many more who I’ve been lucky to cross paths with in work and life. Books, podcasts, and philosophers have been very influential to me as well. Calling out a few that have impacted me: Author Ryan Holiday / The Daily Stoic podcast, Robert Greene, Carl Jung, Mark Manson, Rick Rubin, and many others for their wisdom and reminders on living a more intentional and honest life.

Website: https://mylesmantzaris.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mylesmantzaris?igsh=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmantzaris?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Image Credits
Michael Smiy, Amarylis Jimenez, Cary Qian