The People Who Have Shaped My Voice #1: Guillermo del Toro
Arguably, the biggest part of an artist’s journey is developing their voice. For years I’ve been stuck with three big thoughts: What do I do well? What do I enjoy? What should I do? I often come up with a different answer for all three questions, thus reconciling them has been a challenge.
As humans we absorb everything. We love to imagine that our thoughts and ideas are entirely unique, novel, and have never been thought of before. That is a fallacy. Our thoughts and ideas are an amalgamation of everything we absorb over the course of our lives. We are influenced by our peers, our family, and certainly the people we are inspired by. This is nothing to be ashamed of. You’re not less of an artist because you are inspired by people, or because you are fixated on specific types of storytelling or ideas. We are only human and ideas are easy. It’s execution that really allows you to insert your personal voice and style into the story.
Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican filmmaker, author, producer, and much more. A true multi-hyphenate. I believe he can fit any role on set, which is no small feat. He has an extensive resume in a wide array of different genres and sub-genres. He loves monsters and finding the beauty in the grotesque. His most notable works are “Shape of Water,” for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director. The film garnered many accolades, which was surprising to me because to me it is atypical of the Oscar brand.
Guillermo del Toro created one of my favorite movies of all time, which is also one of his most revered works. ‘Pans Labyrinth’ has all of the elements I love as a viewer. Fantasy, horror, politics, and compelling characters. That movie lives rent free in my brain, with all of the visuals and magic. I remember the first time I saw it. In 2006, I would have been 14 years old. Young, impressionable, and still a little stuck in the clouds. We were in my school’s auditorium after school, and my Spanish teacher showed the movie to any who wanted to see it. I was glued. Yes, we watched it in Spanish with English subtitles, but I swear I didn’t need the subtitles. The intention was so clear. This movie was made by someone who loved this film. He chose to use practical special effects, which is also why the movie, visually, still holds up today. Sure, CGI enhanced many of those practical effects, but he made the correct artistic choice because it was clear he LOVED that project. That’s what I love most about Guillermo del Toro’s work. Whether his projects are commercially successful or not, you know he put his whole spirit into making that movie.
That is the type of creator I want to be.
“I was lost when they found me, the monsters. They, too, were outcasts of this absurd world that demanded impossible perfection and gave nothing back…. Monsters are to this day true family to me.” - Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo respects collaboration, recognizing that it takes a village to convert imagery in your brain to human action and emotion. You have to be a leader on set, knowing the right way to make your actors feel safe on set, to get your crew to see the same vision you do. Production has countless obstacles and challenges to overcome, but when the leader of the production shepherds with empathy, passion, and conviction, it’s easier to wade through the murky waters.
Guillermo’s work was a big inspiration for my short film ‘Lethe,’ where I explore grief and the lengths people will go to avoid discomfort, with a little help from a supernatural being based on Greek mythology.
What’s your favorite monster? Do you love Guillermo as much as I do? Do you have a favorite horror/supernatural visionary? Let me know below.
