Meet Karla Maldonado | Director & Producer

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

Hi Karla, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
From a young age, I’ve always been a creative person. I loved to let my imagination run free as I created different drawings of unique characters or dressed up, making crazy scenarios. Up until high school I was more so focused with drawing and painting, with some arts and crafts as well. Then I started to pick up photography and gained a sense of storytelling through stills. It was when I was a freshman in high school that I had begun to start watching movies more and gaining a sense of appreciation for the craft, the entire start to end process. Acting had piqued my interest at that point as well and I decided to start stepping into that world by joining an intro to drama class which not only solidified my love for acting but also helped me get out of my shell a bit. Once I started thinking about college and what I want to do in the future I made the decision of wanting to become a director. Since then, the desire has continued to grow as I’ve gotten to direct small class projects and an independent project. The ability to tell a story through film is something I love and want to do for the rest of my life. All the aspects to it bring me a sense of happiness and what I love to do most is create. To be able to do that as a career, it means everything to 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.
Although I haven’t worked on a ton of projects, I still think I have a lot to offer when it comes to directing and producing. I want to be able to tell stories that represent me and my community, as a Latina filmmaker. Through my own experiences I can bring a new lens to a story and how it is told. I’m still starting out in my career but I’m driven and passionate about what I do and want to continue doing. I will do whatever it takes to not only further myself but to also gain new experiences. It hasn’t been smooth sailing but when is it ever? Whenever things get difficult, I take a moment to ground myself and relieve some stress. I find solutions that I think will work best and if things ever get too crazy, I tell myself that I have learned something from it and that it won’t happen again. Communication is always number one. From the very start you need to lay down the ground rules with your crew and make sure that it is a safe space. If anyone has any questions or issues it is important that they feel like they can bring these up and not be scared to do so. Another thing is to always stay on top of what you have to be doing and prepare for the worst. I am guilty for procrastinating when I should have been working on something but in the long run it really does help and it goes hand in hand with doing a little extra work in case something goes wrong. You will thank yourself. Ultimately, I want the world to know that anything I get to work on, I really put all of myself into it. Doing the bare minimum isn’t for me. It is also important for me to tell the stories that I don’t get to see a lot. Representation on screen is so important, especially for younger people so by uplifting others’ voices, it goes a long way. This goes with my other goal which is working with more women, people of color, and those in the LGBTQ+ community. The film industry is predominantly a white male run industry, which still doesn’t make sense today but I want to change that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve lived my entire life in LA so I know of a few different places but there are also so many that I haven’t gone to. Firstly, I’d take them to my favorite store which is Amoeba Records in Hollywood. I can honestly say that I never get tired of going there and can spend hours there. They have such a wide variety of music, movies, and books as well as knick knacks, posters, and clothes, it’s impossible to not find something you’d want to buy. When it comes to food, I’d either go to the Grand Central Market or Smorgasburg in DTLA. Grand Central Market is iconic, rightfully so, and they have so many amazing places to eat at whether you want a full course meal or something sweet with a coffee. Then there’s Smorgasburg which is only open on Sunday’s but they have an insane lineup of food vendors that will honestly shock you. I feel like they’re super underrated which is crazy to me because I have had some of the best food of my life there. Going to another iconic landmark, I’d want to go to the Griffith Observatory. For starters it’s free, but it also has some great shows you can go to and an amazing view. Lastly, I’d go back to where I’m from which is Burbank and spend the day shopping in Magnolia Park where there are a bunch of thrift stores and nice coffee places as well.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As mentioned before, I took drama classes in high school and my teacher Mr. Myers really helped me put myself out there more. Not only did I learn a lot just when it came to acting but I got a real sense of community with my classmates and teacher that I hadn’t really experienced before. It made me realize that that was what I wanted to create on any set with my cast and crew. Mr. Myers saw me as this shy girl who got scared by the smallest things and helped me, one step at a time, to feel more comfortable in my skin and to do what I loved without doubting myself. I also have to thank my family for supporting me in my decision to have a career in the film industry. I’m the first in my family to do so, making them wary and rightfully so, but they know this is what I’m passionate about and have been nothing but encouraging and understanding as they begin to learn some new things as well. Lastly, my amazing friends and boyfriend who are my support system through all of this. Some of them understanding how stressful a production can be and some just being there for me to vent to or help get my mind off of everything by taking me out for a fun day.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itskarlamaldonado?igsh=NGVhN2U2NjQ0Yg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Image Credits
Set photos by Serafin Puerta and Viridiana Rodriguez