Danny Sangra
“My Mom is Jewish and my Dad was Sikh. I grew up in a Jewish neighbourhood with my Mom and I had a huge family on my Sikh side that I would also spend time with, especially my grandma. So I grew up with a mix of cultures outside of school.”
“My Mom and Dad were hairdressers and I grew up in hair salons. Drawing on magazines and generally trying to find things to do out of boredom. My Mom showed me what it really meant to work. She loves what she does and that’s all that matters to her in the end.”
“My Dad also was a hairdresser but he also did photography and was generally pretty good at anything he decided he wanted to do. He had a tunnel vision, he’d get into something like Aikido or Judo and then wouldn’t stop until he was a black belt, which he was.”
“I went to just regular schools. Nothing out of the ordinary. However, throughout school, I was always pushed and helped when it came to art. Especially in High School. I had a ton of support and was always given a lot of freedom.”
“I came from Leeds where I did my art foundation in Leeds College of Art and Design. That’s the year you do before you go to University. Leeds had one of the strongest art foundations. It broke you down and developed my approach to developing projects.”
“I then went to study my BA at ‘Central St Martins’ in London. It’s one of the most well known art schools in the world but it’s only really a particular personality that thrives there. You had to be very self reliant. We didn’t have studios and it was more about the people you study with. When we left college, we already knew how to work from a bedroom and because we were in Central London, we were already involved with agencies, brands and studios etc. I was in a very strong year and most of them create amazing work, so you really have to keep your game up.”
“I studied graphic design. However, St Martins is well known for not having a typical approach. It wasn’t a strict ‘design’ course. They pushed for you to solve problems with different media. It was a little more like a structured fine art course.”
“To get into this industry I worked like crazy. However, my background wasn’t film. I was an illustrator and still am. I had built a little name for myself in that world first. I didn’t start with films until I was about 27. At that point I was working with fashion films. Then I got picked up by a production company.”
“My parents were divorced so it was my Mom that was with me through everything. She has always supported me 100%. We didn’t have much money so she knew it would be a struggle, but she didn’t want that to ever stop me. She’s fought for me more than anyone.”
“My Dad was a huge creative influence but he had a different approach. He was a great photographer and loved cinema. So he had set a high bar. He was difficult to impress because the result didn’t matter as much as the effort you put into developing.”
“If you’re talking about film, then I didn’t start anywhere. I never worked in film before I directed. In fact the first project I did was a music video for a friend. I’d had an idea for a photoshoot and someone said that I should make a film instead. It ended up as a music video. I made a trade with an ad agency. They wanted me to paint a mural in their office. I said I would but they would have to pay for my video. I turned up to the shoot and had loads of equipment and crew in a massive studio. I kinda just managed to get through it.”
“I’ve not actually worked in any agency, studio or anything. I just developed on my own. Nobody would hire me because they told me I’d get bored in a studio working for someone. They were right. It was a weird time. I’d be broke, working in a clothes store and then I’d go away to have an exhibition in Tokyo but I’d have to then come back to work in a clothes store.”
“I guess my first real job was probably a fashion film. Shooting behind the scenes most likely. I must have done a music video and got paid a little something but I hate making music videos so I only did a couple. But my first paid job in art was when I did an exhibition for a streetwear store. I think I sold some pieces of work to them. I was doing a few things at that time so it’s hard to be exact.”
“Work and life are the same thing for me. I’m lucky that I work in a field where I can work with my friends, travel and laugh on set. It’s a struggle to make bigger projects. There’s always more and more people who say they want to help but it rarely pans out. Ultimately I have a few people I trust and I know between us, we can make something. Which means currently things are alright. I do a commercial project and then I go off and make a few personal projects. My life revolves around that.”
“I’m currently developing my next feature and there’s a whole bunch of other shorts and commercials I’m working on right now. Living on my own terms. It sounds simple but it’s harder that you think. I want to keep making things and telling stories. To keep learning and developing. I don’t think you can ever stop learning, there’s so much out there to explore.”