Matt Alonzo grew up in Carpentaria about 60 miles north of Los Angeles. At an early age music videos were always intriguing to Matt and has since then become one of hottest and most creative up and coming directors in the industry. Art is a better word to explain his work. I got a special opportunity to dive inside the mind of Matt Alonzo and what I found was pure gold. Check out the full interview below.
Special Artwork Designed By Matt Alonzo
Next In Show Interview With Matt Alonzo
Did you always want to make music visuals?
From an early age I remember being intrigued by music videos; I think I
made my first one around 10 or 11. Back then, we didn't have what kids
have today so I was using a VHS camera and two VCR's to do my editing. As
I got older, I started experimenting with computer editing software, and
from there it grew. But I didn't have any artists to make music videos for
so I bought a microphone and a small mixer to record my friends' music. In
exchange, I would have something I could shoot a video to and that's where
it all started..
What are 3 of your all-time favorite movies?
That's a tough one. I love character-driven dramas. Seven, Crash, The
Departed, Black Hawk Down, etc...the list goes on and on.
Growing up in Los Angeles, what were some of your favorite things to do?
I actually grew up in Carpinteria, CA which is a small beach town about 60
miles north of Los Angeles. My favorite things to do growing up were
playing football and create visuals.
What is the secret to finding the perfect locations for a music visual?
The video treatment is the secret. Once you have a great treatment, you're
able to use that as a road map. My producers take the map
and find locations that fit the overall concept of the video. Sometimes
we'll love a location so much that we write a treatment based around it.
But every case is different and I always try and write a concept that best
fits the artist and record.
Who do you look up to?
I look up to my parents. They had me at a young age and both came from
troubled backgrounds so for them to be able to raise me properly and give
me all the things they weren't able to have is something I honor and look
up to. They weren't film makers, but their hunger and perseverance to
achieve their goal is something I apply to my daily life. No matter what
your dream or goal is, it takes the same qualities and fight to achieve
it.
How do you decide what artists you want to work with when shooting music
visuals?
I usually look for artists who like to do different things with their
visuals. I'm inspired by artists who like to go outside of the box because
this allows me to open the doors creatively and really have fun with the
visuals. Sometimes the record itself really draws me to a project. There
are a lot of different factors when it comes to choosing what videos to
shoot.
What music keeps you moving, on your hustle?
I am a HUGE R&B fan. I listen to it constantly. I wouldn't say it keeps me
moving, but it calms me down and allows me to focus on what I need to do.
What is the story behind the Lil' Wayne 'Gossip' concert footage going viral?
I went to the House of Blues in San Diego to shoot the opening act of a
show headlined by Lil Wayne. At first they weren't going
to let me shoot his set but I convinced his road manager at the time into
letting me film pieces of the show that they could use for promotional
use. After the show I rushed home and began editing that night. I had the
video up a day later and it took off from there.
Was that your big break?
I can't say it was my big break, it definitely got me notoriety and
allowed me to take the next step in my career. But I feel like my "big
break" is still on the horizon.
When coming up with concepts for music visuals, where does your
inspiration come from?
The inspiration comes from ALL over. Whether it's something that happened
in my daily life, a dream, a photo, a painting,etc. There are so many places
to draw inspiration from and it really just depends on the song and artist.
Besides the extensive work and filmmaking you did at Brooke Institute,
Have you written any movie scripts recently?
My producing/creative partner Michael Busalacchi and I have a script we
have been working on, as well as a short film that we wrote and actually just shot.
My agent at ICM constantly sends me scripts so hopefully the right one is
around the corner.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I have 4 music videos in post-production as well as my short
film, while continuing to write treatments and read scripts. We have a few
other projects in our back pocket but I can't elaborate on those yet; you'll just have to wait and see!
In your words, how do you define success?
To me, Success is having a family and being a great husband and father.
It's being able to provide for your kids and raise them to be better than
you. In my career, Success would be creating pieces of art that will
inspire and live on long after I'm gone.
Special Thanks to @MattAlonzo. You Are Next In Show.
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