Meet melodi tuna | Assistant Director

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

Hi melodi, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am from Istanbul, Turkey. I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my dream of becoming an assistant director in the movie business. I am coming from a place where there is a lot of culture, religion and traditions exist. I grew up with a lot of different people that helped me to understand different cultures. That made my life easier to adjust new things and made me eager to learn about different cultures. I am lucky that I can get along with almost everyone which helps me a lot to succeed in my business.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have been always a dreamer. When I told my parents that I want to go to Los Angeles to study film at the age of 18, they did not believe in me. It was very hard to move to a new country without speaking any English. I studied, I supported myself. I remember visiting Universal Studios and crying that I want to work there. It was financially and emotionally very challenging. But I always told my self to keep going. I had a dream and I wasn’t going to give up before achieving it. As a foreigner it was hard to find a job. I took me some time to prove myself to other people that I can do anything. I think the key to success is to know what you really want to do and never give up. Just believe in yourself and keep going.

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.
Griffith park and lake hollywood park are propbably my favorite places. Before we had up to Lake Hollywood park I would take them to Beachwood cafe. I love Bacari restaurant in Silverlake. I would pick a day when there is live music. Malibu pier cafe is a perfect place for brunch when you enjoy the ocean view. Laguna Beach is my favorite beach town. I would take them to Lacma when there is a jazz night. I think seeing the film studios is a pretty fun thing to do. I would save one day for universal studios and after that I would take them to movies. There is an amazing hike in Malibu.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
After I graduated I had so much trouble of finding a job in movie industry. One night I woke up to noises coming out in front my building. They were filming a movie. I ran dowstairs in my pj’s and started to beg to security to let me in so I can introduce my self to someone. After an hour of begging, finally a location manager came and asked me if I have any complaints. I said I was looking for a job and I was willing to work free. He listened to me and took me the AD trailer to introduce me with the other assistant directors. One AD believed in me and hired me couple days later. He tought me everything and gave me a chance in this industry. I am here today thanks to him.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/melodituna?igshid=MDM4ZDc5MmU=