Filmmaking: Art and Social Responsibility

From past to present artists have tried to use the “I’m just expressing myself” excuse to dodge social responsibility. I believe that we the audience have intellectually surpassed the cliché and that we recognize social responsibility has little to do with one’s occupation or form of expression. Everyone is socially responsible, whether we choose to accept or ignore that responsibility is our decision.

Today I’d like to speak to Jesse Carranza, a filmmaker who hails from the Inland Empire of California, about Art and Social Responsibility as he sees it.

SONDRIA: Why have you chosen filmmaking as your form of expression and social contribution?

JESSE CARRANZA: Ever since I was young I’ve always loved movies. As I grew older I got a hold of a camera and the fun never ended. Then I got old enough to buy a camera and started to get a little more serious about it [but] still had fun with it.

SONDRIA: Do you assume responsibility for every millimeter of film you put out, including the audience interpretation? Why or why not?

JC: Definitely. All the films I have made, I had to work hard in every aspect: from scouting the location, [to] writing, the filming, and most importantly the editing. Once all that is finished, it’s time for the audience [to] watch it and hopefully they understood and liked what I made. (Haha)

SONDRIA: What filmmakers do you admire? Have they been socially accountable for the content in their movies?

JC: Aside from the big names like Spielberg, George Lucas, Scorsese; I mostly admire the Filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith and Robert Rodriguez…to name a few. Those guys are firm believers [in] the "Do it yourself" type [of] filmmaking and [they’ve] succeeded. They are inspiring to me.

SONDRIA: Because of a film’s capability to reach a staggering amount of people, how important is it to you that you say exactly what you mean through your art? And how do you crosscheck yourself to make sure that that’s all that’s being said?

JC: It’s really important, I try to have people critique my films to make sure they understood what I was saying and if they liked it. I always take their thoughts into consideration. I have to be careful that people don't misunderstand my films for any wrong reasons. (LOL)

SONDRIA: How do you remain as free as possible, as an artist, during the creative process knowing that your societal duties will eventually play a severe role in your editing? Or is that even the case?

JC: It’s kinda [like] rolling the dice; when you’re out on location, filming things won't go the way you planned. You'll come across barriers and minor set backs that sometimes can't be surpassed and you have to accept that, but the show must go on. The editing process is a huge factor because that's what makes the film. You have to use what you have and make the best film you can with what you have.

Jesse Carranza (left), Selvin McKay (right)

Brief Bio Questions:

How long have you been a filmmaker?

I have been a filmmaker for about a year now.

Why did you choose the name Paranoid Films?

Hahaha…couple reasons—but the main reason would be because…I can be Paranoid at times. Filming is just one little piece of my life that I love to do.

Are there any upcoming projects you’d like to talk about?

"What Happened to Selvin?" keep an eye out for that...

Also I wanna give a shout out to all people who've helped me with any film that I've done. I couldn't have done it without you guys!

To visit Paranoid Films on Tumblr, CLICK HERE!

Dead is the mindset of the individual not being able to effect the many. This theory, regardless of who tries to beat it into our psyche has, has been repeatedly disproved. Embrace your social responsibilities and MAKE GREAT ART. The audience is listening.

Love & Water,

Sondria