Today we’d like to introduce you to Clark Monroe.
Clark, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always wanted to pursue a career and films, and often wondered how I will go about pursuing professional filmmaking and acting career when I do not live in LA and getting selected during casting is a task that seems all so impossible at times.
I realized how many aspiring San Diego actors there are, so I decided to look outside of myself and to focus on creating acting opportunities for local San Diego actors.
I realized that there is no need for an actor to travel to LA. They can start their acting career in San Diego. We have just as many natural resources for a great film set as Los Angeles does, and so I focused on creating the opportunity for actors locally by allowing them the exposure that they need to be confident actors in front of the camera.
Many actors are seeking exposure, and what motivated me to start this company are actors who just want a fair chance to showcase their talents. Many actors struggle to get even tiny roles, and many are never allowed to pursue their dreams, and this is the goal of my company, to give actors the experience that they need and a chance to showcase their talents.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It hasn’t been easy at all but it is worth it. I have never been behind a camera before. My background was acting and writing, and I haven’t had any exposure, so how would anyone choose to work with me? These are some of the struggles and questions that I faced. But I couldn’t allow my fears to get the best of me. Every time I started having doubts, I remind myself why I am doing what I am doing, and that is to create an opportunity for others and to help in making their dreams become a reality. I always reminded myself that giving back to my community is worthy of all the struggles and hard work.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Monroe Pictures (formerly known as Clark Monroe Productions) is a local filmmaking company that specializes in creating opportunities for aspiring San Diego actors and actresses. Whenever an actor or actress audition for roles, many casting directors would ask for experience. But many actors never get hired because, according to Casting Directors, they “lack” any experience, and it is this experience that I want to give every aspiring local San Diego actor.
I am proud that I create the acting opportunity for every local talent seeking experience, but struggles to find work as an actor because no one would hire them due to lack of experience in front of the camera. Not only do I work with actors, but I am also proud to work with local filmmakers, those who aspire to work behind the scenes. This I believe is what I am proud of and what sets us apart from other film production companies. We create opportunities where others may find that there are none.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was a complex character, as I had a lot of interests. I grew up in the Philippines with one parent being African American and the other Filipino, just with my background I was already deemed complex by locals. In my early years, I struggled to get accepted because of my racial background, but later on, I found myself escaping the pain of being ostracized by immersing myself in writing, philosophy, and literature.
Growing up, as far as I can recall, I always loved films. I was always curious about how movies were made. I remember when I was around eight or nine, me and my siblings along with my cousins, would always improvise that we were making movies. Then after we would have competitions and we would hold our Oscar night. It was a lot of fun. My addiction to films at a young age started with watching TNT, now known as Turner Classic Movies, one night while I stayed tuned on Cartoon Network after it went off. I became fascinated with black and white films and later became so knowledgeable about classic movie stars that my parents and grandmother were all shocked about my classic film history knowledge.
As a child, I was especially odd, as I immersed myself in reading books, writing journals, and watching old Hollywood films and part taking in school play productions. I remembered as a kid saying, “One day, my job will be making movies.” I just knew that this was my calling.
Pricing:
- 8 week acting bootcamp – $300
- 8 week filmmaking bootcamp- $500
- 8 week screenwriting bootcamp- $200
Contact Info:
- Website: bit.ly/monroepictures.xyz
- Phone: 6194841895
- Email: film@monroepictures.xyz
- Instagram: instagram.com/monroepictures
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