Daniela (Nani) Conforte
When did you join the film industry? And what was it that attracted you to film?
Back in 2007, in Uruguay, I scored a job as a Locations Assistant/Runner/Production Assistant for a kids show. On the first day on set I found myself in the middle of a freezing and not so safe Montevideo’s old city, at 4 am, giving directions to people and having to be fast on my feet under lost of pressure.
Then I looked around at the mayhem and the amount of gear and people working together and couldn’t help but to feel like I belonged. By wrap it was also my first overtime day and to my surprise instead of being tired and sick of it I was just hooked.
What do you enjoy most about the work?
Only years afterwards would I have understood how much like and addiction this line of work really is. So what attracted me to film work was the team work and the people, the pressure, the weird hours, the lack of routine, the physical work, the outside work, the mix of technical and creative drives, the gratifying accomplishment we feel at the end of each day.
Then I moved to New Zealand in 2009 and went to the Film School in Wellington as I had no idea how to get into the industry here, and also needed a good introduction to kiwi culture and idiosyncrasy.
It was a great course back then, and also got to shoot quite a bit of 16mm which I took for granted and now kick myself for film was about to disappear from our reach.
The plan worked and so I ended up getting my first job on a TV feature thanks to the School and the tutors I met there. Early on I knew the dream was to be a shooter one day (it still is). I thought the best way to go at it was to get into lighting as I find light the most fascinating and challenging technical aspect.
So I tried and lit music videos and short films and no budget films, and I still do whenever I can, but eventually they started to give me work in camera and I was hooked again. Fast forward eight years and here I am still loving every bit of it.
I work as a Second Assistant Camera and now they’ve started to push me up to be a cheeky First when we have extra cameras or units.
The New Zealand film industry is packed with amazing, kind and generous seasoned professionals that won’t hesitate to share knowledge, advice and encourage young team members to get out there and start doing it themselves. Thanks to these fine people I’ve been able to start shooting little things here and there, their help has gone as far as facilitating free gear and the most invaluable tips and feedback.
Why did you choose to join the Screen Industry Guild? What do you want to get out of your membership of the Guild?
It’s a very special place to be and I am thankful for it everyday. Most of these great technicians belong to the Guild and always advocate for everyone to join and I should have done it earlier and I’m not too sure why I hadn’t. I believe in power in numbers and I’ve relied on the Blue Book to have my back. As a contractor who doesn’t have many securities I like the idea of someone having our backs as the conditions and contracts change and evolve.
