MARK MILANO

Growing up in South Philadelphia has truly shaped who I am. I come from a small Italian American family, with a tight knit bond. As a young child I spent most of my days in my parents shoe store on Passyunk avenue. Learning to have an entrepreneurial spirit. When I wasn’t there I would spend my time with my grandparents or my aunt. My grandfather was a professional artist for over 50 years. My creative eye can certainly be attributed to the time I spent with him in his studio. I think it’s important to take the lessons my family taught me and follow them because they all worked so hard to give me a great life. I owe it to them.

I wish I could say I picked up a camera at a young age and never put it back down. But It wasn’t until high school when I picked up a camera for the first time and found my passion. At the time, I thought film and video production only consisted of Hollywood films and TV commercials. As I’ve matured I’ve learned to have a love for the avantgarde and film essays from that era. I think there is something so beautiful within cinematic exploration. The moments where you aren’t too sure where a piece may take you but you keep going anyway. I love films that are up for interpretation, where only the directors themselves know the deeper meaning. These films mean so much to me because they are a reflection of the lives of those producing them. These are the types of films I look to produce for all those reasons. It is such a beautiful medium for self expression.   

After high school I began attending Temple University for Film and Media Arts. I have loved my time there, as well as the ability to network with like minded people who have a passion for film and creating art. I can’t say I know exactly where the future will take me in the film industry. There are so many different avenues I see myself going down. Sometimes this is certainly a scary thought but at other times it is what excites me the most. I think it’s important to try and learn as much as possible and leave no stone unturned because there are so many important jobs in this field.

I know one thing is true, as long as I am creating films that tell great stories and move people, I will be happy. I think interning at JTWO is a great place to be and I am so excited and eager to learn as much as I can from everyone here.