Meet Mariana Silva | Art Director and Set Dresser

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

Hi Mariana, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Ever since I was little, I was very drawn to anything artistic. When I was little I enjoyed painting, and creating art pieces for my family. My parents always enrolled me in extra curricular activities that consisted of painting, drawing, or ceramics. Friends and family always gifted me with art supplies, color pencils, paint, markers, anything for me to paint and draw. All of that was a very important part of me, and helped me cope with the challenges I faced when I was growing up. It was in high school when I got to experience filmmaking, editing videos, recording video and sound. Which I didn’t know how artistic it was too. I felt in love with the process of filming videos and creating content. I also fell in love with movies and tv shows to the point I will binge watch anything I could. With that in mind, I decided to pursue a career in film, but in was only until 2021 when I discovered the art department on sets. Ever since my first job opportunity in the art department, I knew that art department was the focus of my career in film, and what I wanted to continue doing. It gets so creative creating a world for the film, and designing the smallest things to make sense of the story. One of the aspects I love the most is building the set from scratch, and then dressing it with furniture and pieces needed to showcase the vision of the director. All the team work and exchanging of ideas with the team is very inspiring and fun.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I’m a very calm person even during challenging and stressful situations, so when it comes to problem solving in sets I’m good at staying calm and looking for solutions. According to some of my peers, I’m good at selecting props, and items for set, since I have a good eye for detail and color. I’ve come to learn that about me the last couple of months. I’m proud of my process in my career that even though it wasn’t an easy start, I was able to grow so much and landed really good opportunities that made me who I am today professionally. Some of the challenges at the beginning was not knowing how or where to start. When I first started in 2020 I was a college graduate with a degree in Film, but didn’t have any contacts or ways into getting in the film industry. Everything was also shutdown and most film sets were canceled during that time. I started joining a lot of film clubs and groups online, even on Facebook. Then I went to some online film festivals, which networking was all through zoom, and tried reaching out to people as well to grow some of my network. I volunteer on films sets for free, and worked on a lot of other student films. It was challenging due to the time I started but also, since a lot of people retired and didn’t leave their homes, the film industry opened their doors to new and younger people. It was through some of the film groups I joined that I was able to land my first job on a commercial and after that jobs kept coming little by little. I can say now that some of the lessons I’ve learn throughout these years is that patience matters a lot, and never giving up. Nothing happens overnight and loving the process and little accomplishments will lead to better things. Celebrating my little accomplishments kept me positive and hopeful for better things to come. Staying positive helped me have a strong determination for my dream.

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.
Wow, This is a hard one, since I love exploring LA and visiting different places. Everyone of my best friends are very different, so I would try to get a more general idea of the places I’d like to take them. A place in Los Angeles that I love to eat is Moodaepo II which is my go to place for Korean BBQ, and a great place if we are experiencing a lot of hunger. Or a restaurant that never disappoints is Dan Sung Sa in Korea Town, the food is great and the experience too. I even forgot I was in LA while I was at the restaurant. I also love taking people to little Tokyo or Little Ethiopia. One of the things I love about LA is having so many options for food, and tasting different Cuisines. I live in Long Beach, so I like taking my friends around Long Beach as well. A place that I always show is Shoreline Village and the Lighthouse. Most people tends to love those areas for walking and exploring, maybe having ice cream or Funnel cake. I will also show them iconic places such as the Hollywood sign and Santa Monica Pier, especially when it’s their first time visiting. I love Manhattan Beach if one of them want a peaceful time at the beach during summer. There is a spot I found that not a lot of people goes to, so it is perfect for people that wants some peace and quiet at the beach. And If I can I take time to take them to the Academy Museum or the WB tour. Most of my friends don’t understand well what I do for a living, so taking them to those places always excites me as I can show them more about what the film industry does and the magic in filmmaking.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give a shoutout to Cyrum Aytana Ramirez, she is an incredible Production Designer in Los Angeles. Ever since I met her, not only she became a great mentor in my career but also a really good friend. Her vision for storytelling, and her creative mind on sets are inspirational. I have learned so much from her and her work that I’m grateful to work next to her on sets. Thanks to the job opportunities she gave me and her teachings, I was able to grow my career and network in the film industry.

Website: https://go4marianasg.wixsite.com/art-department

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