Meet Jose Daniel | Production Designer & Art Department

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

Hi Jose, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
Ever since I was little I’ve had a taste for imaginative, undiscovered, big worlds and colorful stories.
I have always felt drawn to fantasy and sci-fi as genres. I love taking nature, architecture, history, and technology as inspiration and developing new and creative concepts.

Inspiration also comes from watching the amazing work of my talented friends, peers, and people I admire so I can learn from them and become better at what I do.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The stories I like to tell with my art are usually about people who don’t quite fit in, who stand out from the rest, and who have faced hard challenges but remain strong and resilient. Something I find compelling about my work is building the world that surrounds characters, their parallels, contrasts, and their role inside it. The center of any art form should always come from people and emotions. Such is the role of a Production Designer. They are the ones who project the essence of the characters into the environment and in collaboration with the rest of the filmmakers, create captivating spaces that reflect the narrative. Being a designer also means being a creative problem solver. We have the task of taking words and transforming them into visuals. Sometimes, we have to do this with scarce resources, time constraints, financial limitations, and other setbacks, but at the end of the day, we perform magic and build fantastic spaces.

What sets me apart from others is that I always like to challenge myself by doing bigger, more complex projects every time to improve at what I do. Even when the endeavor is daunting and I don’t have all the answers at first, I always use my excitement as motivation to solve problems and design the best possible outcome. When there are things I don’t know or I am new at when I start working on a project, I try to be proactive and learn as much as I can to gain new skills. I love to delve into the storytelling part of the process, where everything is possible and you can explore and construct the setting, but one of my favorite things is when I see my ideas come to life. Seeing a concept that started in my mind, then got portrayed into an illustration, sketch, plan, or model, and finally was built in the real world is priceless.

I feel immensely proud of who I am and what I have accomplished. It hasn’t been a straight journey for me and it certainly hasn’t been easy, but without every turn I took and every experience I lived, I wouldn’t be standing where I am today. Before coming to LA and being in film, I lived in Mexico City, where I had a background in Industrial Design. I discovered my passion for Production Design for film at the end of my college degree while interning at The Walt Disney Company, where I got to revise and develop licensed products of my favorite characters and movies since I was a little kid. A few years later, I kept working on film-related projects as a designer in an event production company where we designed movie premieres, brand activations, landmarks, and other experiences. There, I gained more experience in the storytelling process by developing creative ideas and building tangible spaces for a specific audience. In 2022, I finally decided to pursue my dream of becoming a Production Designer by doing a master’s program at The AFI Conservatory, one of the most prestigious film schools in the world. Two years later filled with hard work and many short film projects under my belt, I feel blessed to have been able to go through this spectacular experience where I got to know and work with incredibly talented filmmakers.

Throughout my journey, I’ve learned that having a strong drive and setting objectives for yourself is key to accomplishing success. I’ve realized that although it’s important to focus on the big picture and your end goal, the best thing you can do is to take every decision one step at a time. You are the sum of every decision you have made and what you choose to do with what you have. Another lesson I’ve learned is that staying true to yourself and being original will attract the right people, work, and stories into your life. Everyone is different and has something to bring to the table, and finding something inside of you that you can contribute to the world and share with people is the greatest gift of all. As Guillermo Del Toro, one of the Mexican filmmakers I admire the most, said: “The thing love and cinema have in common is that they are about seeing. The greatest act of love you can give to anyone is to see them exactly as they are.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Although I don’t consider myself a local yet, I feel lucky to have been able to know really cool parts of the city in the past couple of years. I think L.A has a lot to offer for every type of person and taste. One of my favorite things about this city is its typical California coastline. Even if you aren’t a beach person, just driving through the Pacific Coast Highway and catching a sunset is a beautiful experience. The beaches I always like to go to are El Matador, Hermosa, and Redondo Beach.

If you are more of a city person, I would recommend visiting a couple of spots in downtown L.A. Grand Central Market is a fun place to try different foods, and visit one of the locations where they filmed La La Land. Right across from it, you can take a small funicular ride in Angel’s Flight Railway for a nice view of downtown. Lastly, I would visit The Last Bookstore, a destination for new and used book lovers, artists, and anyone looking for a one-of-a-kind shopping experience.

Silver Lake and Los Feliz are areas I would definitely suggest to go to. They are full of cool stores, restaurants, bars, coffee, and ice cream shops, and best of all, the vibes are super hip. There, you can go to the Silver Lake Reservoir for a run, meet cute dogs, or admire the beautiful houses around the lake.

L.A is also known for having one of the most sophisticated food scenes in the world. There are cuisines from every corner of the world and the flavors are always genuine. Some of my favorite spots are Malibu Seafood with a beautiful view of the ocean, Night + Song Market for the best Thai food, or Republique for delicious French-inspired brunch.

Lastly, I would go to Griffith Park for a hike, to admire some nature and witness a sunset in one of the most beautiful views of the city at the observatory.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would not be able to stand where I am today if it wasn’t for a tremendously significant person in my life, my grandfather. All my life, he has awakened a love and taste for the arts in me, and most valuable of all, he has pushed me to keep pursuing my passions and dreams and has helped me every step of the way. He has shown me that if you do what you love, you won’t have to work a day in your life.
My grandpa is the greatest example I know of what it means to be a hard worker. Throughout his life, he has demonstrated absolute resilience and has always found ways to make things work. At just 13 years old, he had to quit school to work in his family shoe shop, but he always kept his drive and interest in learning math, music, literature, and many other subjects.

I would also like to give credit to my fellow Production Designers at AFI, whom I greatly admire, love, and have deeply enjoyed collaborating with throughout my MFA program. They push me to become a better artist and human being

Website: https://josedaniel.design/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joe.dan.ask/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-daniel-askenazi/