Meet Alonso Homs | Filmmaker

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

Hi Alonso, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I would say empathy. Hard work and talent is a given for success, but being able to empathize for your collaborator’s challenges is key.

The film and commercial industries require artistry as much as a business mind, and we’re all for the most part pretty emotional people. And if you’re able to be understanding and kind to those around you, people want to work with you over and over again.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have a strong passion for collaborating with others (directors, producers, production designers) to create stories that ring true to people. If something I work on reveals truth to an audience or makes them feel connected, the effort is all worth it.

As far as my approach goes, it’s always kindness and positive energy. Having the key people on set feel comfortable and connected makes for better art most of the time!

Something I’ve learned throughout the years is to say when I don’t know how to approach a certain challenge. Most people starting out think that they need to pretend they know everything, in an effort to appear experienced. But you can’t know everything and there’s something so honest and compelling about people telling you they need help cracking the code on something and triggers collaboration which is always key in my business.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m all about nature, so I’d probably start with a good hike like The Mishe Mokwa trail near Malibu or the Chumash Trail right off of the PCH.

Then I’d head to the beach for a post-hike rest, perhaps at the northern cove in Leo Carrillo State Beach.

For lunch I’d drive back East to Atwater Village and have Pizza at Hail Mary on Glendale Blvd.

For a Museum visit I’d go to the Norton Simon Museum, make sure to walk around the back garden and then if I want more gardens, Huntington Gardens.

For dinner maybe an authentic Birria place, like Birria Gonzales.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Chris Newman—

Chris has been my mentor for years. An odd mentor choice, since he made an outstanding career as a Sound Mixer for movies (The Godfather, The French Connection, The English Patient) but sound was never what I wanted to specialize in. It didn’t matter— he taught me so much about the key elements of filmmaking which I think about and use all the time:

-Collaboration: You are nobody without the help of others. How well you work with colleagues directly relates to the quality of your work. Good communication and honesty are key to success.
-Time Management: Chris used to say all the time that filmmaking is like making a good dinner— if you can have the soup, Entree and sides all come out at the same time, you can make a movie. So when the pressure is on and the sun is going down and you’re yet to finish filming a scene, remaining calm and only keeping in mind what’s important will get you there.
-Focusing on the heart of the project: Something that gets harder as projects get bigger is having the courage to keep focus on what’s important even if it feels overly simplistic in the moment. Simplicity is often harder to achieve than Ornate work and most of the time what we all strive for.

Website: alonsohoms.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alonsohoms/