Meet Raphael Draccon | Writer & Screenwriter

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

Hi Raphael, why did you pursue a creative career?
I come from a poor background in Brazil. My father was from a favela in Rio, and I grew up in a violent and dangerous reality.

My grandfather, however, was a storyteller. One of his countless professions was being a movie projectionist, and he used to tell me stories before bedtime. Stories like Casablanca, his favorite movie, or John Wayne movies. I basically became a live version of the boy from Cine Paradiso.

When he died I inherited his book library. Telling stories became not only a connection with my origins but also my way of dreaming of the kind of reality I wanted to live.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’s never easy. As I mentioned before, I come from a difficult environment. So I learned English with video games and RPG books. I slept in bus stations looking for agents in another city, I was denied by every book publisher, and knocked on the door of every film producer in Brazil. They told me to give up several times, they said it was impossible to live off of book royalties, and that I would starve to death before becoming successful.

Instead of all that, however, I was awarded by the American Screenwriter Association at 20 years old, became a best seller not only in Brazil but abroad, a writer and producer on Netflix, and got a Green Card from the US Government for my career.

But again: it was not easy and it required an enormous amount of energy and willpower.

I was a martial arts instructor and barely scraping by when I came up with the idea for my Dragons of Ether series and sat down to write the story that changed my life five years later.

So what I learned was that the saying is true: no pain, no gain.

About what sets me apart from other writers, I believe the answer lies in my Brazilian heritage.

Although not globally known, Brazil has the largest Japanese colony outside of Japan. From anime and cosplays to K-pop, we grow up in Brazil with a strong presence of Asian culture. In addition, Brazil has Italian, Dutch, German, Arab colonies, just a few examples. That’s why it’s hard to define Brazil. We are the “Latinos who don’t speak Spanish”, and we don’t have a face, as it’s a country of 200 million people with a mix from all over the world.

I think this is what sets me apart from other writers. I grew up consuming from American comic books to Chinese martial arts flicks, Mexican soap operas, and Japanese Tokusatsu tv shows. And all these references and flavors are there in my work, most of it in the fantasy genre, where I have the opportunity to use fantasy as a metaphor for deep dramas.Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My favorite place in the world is… Six Flags! Not just for the roller coaster rides, but for the themed and fun environments, ranging from steampunk to DC Comics <3.

One of LA’s hidden gems is called Frank & Son Collectable Show. It’s a huge shed that owes nothing to the main one at San Diego Comic-Con.

I would always take someone to Universal City Walk. From the amazing movie theater to the best donuts ever created, Voodoo Donuts, it’s a place to make memories.

Although Fogo de Chão is the best-known chain, my favorite Brazilian restaurant in LA is Pampas. You can choose any of the restaurants, all are great.

The Warner Bros. Studio tours are a delight for movie and TV series lovers, giving them the opportunity to visit iconic settings and learn a little about the process of how movies are made.

And if it’s your first time in LA, there’s no escaping the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the TCL Chinese Theatre. It would be like going to the Rio and not visiting Christ the Redeemer.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?
In my case, my biggest inspiration was Bruce Lee.

When I was 6 years old, I watched “Enter the Dragon” for the first time. The movie became immediately my favorite movie, and I made a promise that I would be everything Bruce Lee was: a writer, a black belt, and a filmmaker.

Fortunately, everything was fulfilled.

Website: www.raphaeldraccon.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphael-draccon-4592378a/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/raphaeldraccon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raphael.draccon/