Meet Collin Schiffli | Filmmaker, Director, Artist

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

Hi Collin, what do you attribute your success to?
Any success that I have experienced only comes from that pure desire and drive to create, whether it’s by myself or with others. Success for me is having the opportunity to make movies and make art with people that I love and then get to showcase that work with people that want to join in the experience and grow from the experience with me.

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.
It has not been an easy journey becoming a filmmaker. I’ve always loved to draw, paint, tell stories and make things. I legitimately would ask for aluminum foil, tape and hot glue guns for my birthday so that I could create whatever I wanted. Eventually I realized that making movies was the a way experience every artform all at once. Not only that, I also realized that you could then re-watch or re-live that creative process through the final product. I was addicted to filming projects and showing the result to friends and family. I knew it would be hard to make a living doing this, but what else would I do? Film school was a tedious phase, but going to Columbia College in Chicago helped me begin to experience a larger world. Moving to LA was another hurdle in terms of making a life changing leap and “putting your money where your mouth is”, but again, what else was I doing? Once you connect with likeminded people and commit to your journey, you realize that the stress and fear of uncertainty is worth overcoming. With each year and each project, you have to recalibrate your path based on the many mistakes and shortcomings you’ve experienced… and that’s okay! It feels good to learn from the mistakes and do better in the next round. I have dark phases where I can’t seem to keep up, but that’s when you know a breakthrough is coming. Personally, I need to rely on the people around me, faith in something bigger than myself and that unwavering desire to continue to create in order to get over the difficult hurdles. I can’t find my own peace in life when I try to take on all the responsibility myself or when I sit there and compare my life and career with others. I am on my own creative journey and I must adapt with the times and keep creating.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When people first visit LA, I let them choose some of the more “cliche” touristy spots so that they can check off those boxes, but it is so much more fun to show off the bars, restaurants, strange stores and little movie theaters that I have grown to love throughout my 15 years in LA. I live in the Valley now, but I love a good brunch spot like Republique on La Brea. Maybe then I would take them to all the strange stores in Burbank, like the Mystic Museum. If we want to day drink, I might go to the Arts district downtown where we can bar hop a bit and snack on appetizers all day. If we are doing an afternoon movie or a double feature, I’ve always loved the New Beverly theater. I’m such a homebody nowadays that I like to go to my usual local spots on Ventura, like Sweet Butter Kitchen or The One Up for arcade games. Every pocket of LA has something weird to offer when you look beyond the typical spots.

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?
I dedicate my shoutout to all of the people in my life who have provided encouragement, regardless of whether or not they understood what I was trying to accomplish. Many people want to doubt your goals or your vision, so when your parents, siblings, teachers and friends provide any form of support, it goes a long way. I’m fortunate to have many encouraging people in my life!

Website: www.schifflifilms.com

Instagram: @schifflifilms

Twitter: @schifflifilms