How I Got Into "Film"
Why I Picked Up the Camera
Someone recently asked me, how I got into film.
My love for visual storytelling began in high school when I came to the realization that there were very few photos of me as a child. Birthday parties, everyday moments, even just candid snapshots, they were rare. That absence stirred something in me.
I became the one always carrying a camera. I photographed my friends, school events, and anything that felt worth remembering. I joined the Yearbook staff and quickly became one of its lead photographers, eventually serving as co–editor-in-chief. Even then, I wasn’t just taking pictures, I was archiving memories.
But everything really changed my junior year. Our French class assignment was to make a short film entirely in French. This was before iPhones or DSLRs. We had camcorders and MiniDV tapes. I fell in love with the whole process: writing, shooting, editing, collaborating. That summer, I made music videos with my sister at our family restaurant (those may or may not be on the internet somewhere). We repeated the French assignment senior year, and by then, I was sure. I knew this was what I wanted to do, or at least what I wanted to go to college for.
Since then, photography and filmmaking have stayed central in my life. I still take pictures constantly, not for content, but to preserve moments. To create something my children can look back on one day and see the life we lived.
Now, as an adult, I understand the gaps in my own childhood photos. Firstly, there’s just life. My parents were busy working, raising kids, getting through the day. And on top of that, photography wasn’t cheap. Disposable cameras, buying film, paying to have it developed, it was a luxury. For many families, mine included, taking photos wasn’t second nature the way it feels now. I don’t fault them for the absence. I just recognize how lucky we are today to be able to document our lives so freely.
That’s how I found film. I picked up a camera just to capture and ended up building a life centered around helping others see, feel, honor what’s here and to tell stories that deserve to be remembered.
“I MUST!”
Frank Theodore is seeking passionate Hudson Valley actors for his upcoming psychological horror film I MUST!, a gripping story driven by complex, nuanced characters. Roles include The Painter, The Wife, The Son, and Geoffrey. Tap into the eerie and the emotional.
Full character breakdowns, audition details, and submission guidelines are available in the video below or anytime at:
taralatorre.com/lets-collaborate/casting
SUBMIT NOW
What: Trying: Live Film & Score @ HeartMoves Studio
When: Friday, June 27th
Time: 7 pm
Where: HeartMoves, 186 Mohonk Rd, High Falls, NY 12440
Larry Legend will ease us into the night with a live ambient set featuring vintage synthesizers, pedals, and a one-of-a-kind percussion basket, while Matt Rudinski responds with projected visuals generated in real-time. Paul Widerman will then lead a guided HeartMoves session. Kyle Turgeon will close the night with Trying, his latest live audio-visual show that explores grief and memory through the story of a young couple navigating the loss of a family member. Kyle performs the score live—looping and layering cello, synth, and piano—while projecting a live-assembled, chance-based version of the film behind him, creating a unique experience for each audience, each night.
The HeartMoves Studio is located in the Mohonk Arts warehouse building. As you enter the parking lot, it’s the first door on the right at the top of the ramp.
Kyle will be playing more shows throughout the northeast over the summer, and will be taking the show on tour in the fall. Please sign up for the mailing list so that he can stay in touch!
Get Tickets HERE.
What: A Reading of Date My Mom: A New Play Written by Louisa Vilardi
When: Monday, June 30th
Time: 7 - 9:30 pm
Where: BRUCK STUDIOS, 1 Four Corners Boulevard Suite #5 (upstairs) Hopewell Junction, NY 12533
Join us for a public reading of Date My Mom, a new play written by Louisa Vilardi. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Running time is approximately 2 hours. Starring: Rachel Handler, Samuel Eisenbaum, Joe Eriole, Ryan Dutcher, Duane Joseph Olson, Marie Hasenpflug, and Matthew DeHond. Doors will open at 6:30pm and the reading will begin promptly at 7:00pm.
Get Tickets HERE.
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Tara Latorre - Hudson Valley producer, connector, and passionate cheerleader
Thank you Tara for posting the story of your life with cameras.
I grew up around cameras, my parents owned a camera store. My mom put all the photos in albums that I still have. Countless pictures of the cousins doing cousiny things, the grown ups around holiday dinner tables or at an outdoor barbecue. One of their customers was the AP photography editor who took some memorable photos of my dad and his buddies, all WW II vets, around NYC in uniform. I didn't stray far from the home front, becoming the newspaper photographer in Junior High and High School (it helped that the cost of film and processing was covered). I made a mistake with my photo aesthetic. I came to regard photography as art, so I took pictures of beautiful places or of significant events. It wasn't until I became a parent that I realized what was missing from my photogrphs was my life. It's there now. I embarass my my son by taking his picture so often. He's now coming on his 30th birthday, the big 3 - 0 decade. I made a photo montage video of his important moments and the mondane, edited to Dylan's "Forever Young" as performed by the Four Tenors. Sadly, I can't post it on YouTube, it would be flagged for copyright infrinement. Somehow, IP laws are such that that we can't put our personal pictures to popular music (the soundtrak of our lives) and publish the video. I have hundreds of videos on YouTube, but the one that is most importnt to me can't be seen.
I wanna see these french films!