What is a mask, really?
Is it pretending? Or just what we all do - acting a little different in different spaces?
We loved this part of Kyle’s interview (full video on YouTube, link in stories) because it’s not just for performers.
It’s for everyone.
A reminder that it’s okay to feel things.
That showing emotion isn’t weakness.
That being authentic, even if people judge you, might be the bravest thing you can do.
This thought isn’t new, but it still feels urgent.
Maybe now more than ever!
Grateful to @thekylelester for sharing such an honest side of the journey. Watch full interview on YouTube, link in stories!
Most of our guests are independent artists - people building creative lives in a city full of highs, risks, and constant reinvention.
That’s what we love about this work. But it also means facing silence. Slow days. Uncertainty.
This project exists to hold space for those moments too, and to remind each other we’re not alone in them.
Let’s keep showing up for our people.
Let’s collaborate, uplift, and clap louder than ever, especially when it’s quiet.
P.S. If you feel this - drop a 👏 in the comments.
Let’s show up for each other. Always.
Meet Kyle Lester - a dancer from Los Angeles who just got off stage at Coachella and knows firsthand what it means to turn a passion into a profession.
In a new episode of The Backdrop Project, Kyle talks about the thrill of performing, the energy of live shows, and the sense of purpose that keeps him moving. He also reflects on the burnout, rejection, and doubt that come with pursuing a creative life.
📍 Shot at the coolest @23films.studio , thank you for generously hosting us!
Full interview now live — check stories for a link!
#dancelife #dancevideo #explorepage
What happens when your Plan A isn’t your path at all?
Jess Valice is an artist who taught herself how to paint — and how to trust her own voice.
This interview is part of Backdrop Project, a growing series of conversations with artists about doubt, identity, and building a life in art.
Watch the full video on YouTube.
Follow @backdrop.proj for more.
We started Backdrop Project to talk with artists — not just about what they make, but why they keep making it.
This is Jess Valice, speaking honestly about what it’s like to find your place in the art world, with no map, no shortcuts.
We filmed this in her studio in Downtown LA.
If you’re building a path of your own, these interviews might just be what you needed.
🎥 Full interviews on YouTube
💬 Follow for more
We’re so excited to share our new interview with LA-based painter Jess Valice.
We spent the day in Jess’s downtown LA studio, surrounded by big, mysterious, emotionally charged paintings — and sat down for a conversation about what it really means to create from feeling.
Jess talks about leaving neuroscience, becoming a self-taught artist, and why connection with the viewer matters more to her than anything else — including reflections on her upcoming solo show Home Is Not a Place and the emotions behind it.
Watch full video now on YouTube!
#JessValice #HomeIsNotAPlace
Since he was young, Petros heard from his friend and mentor, cinematographer Walter Lassally:
“If you want to pursue your dreams, you have to move to America.”
For a long time, he thought he had to prepare first. Learn everything. Be ready.
But over time, realized — that you’re never really ready for things like this.
Preparation matters.
But what matters more is the courage to just do it.
We’re so glad @petrosantoniadis moved to Los Angeles — and that we got to meet him, and sit down for this conversation.
Go watch the interview now and get inspired!
What stuck with us the most from the talk with Petros is how deeply he values the team behind the camera. Cinematography might be complex and beautiful, but it means nothing without the actor’s presence, the crew’s support, the people around.
It’s not often said — but it’s everything. Watch full interview now!
This week, our guest is @petrosantoniadis , a cinematographer who shared a deeply moving story about what it truly means to love your work — to do it not for praise or recognition, but because it feels as essential as breathing.
Petros reminds us that working in film industry is a privilege — and we couldn’t agree more.
Backdrop.proj team is proud to share this conversation with you. Interview is out on YouTube, we know you would love it!
Have you ever wanted to give up while learning your craft?
What made you keep going?
@amareint once said yes before she was ready — and couldn’t let down the directors and DPs who believed in her.
Turns out, that pressure became a kind of fuel.
We’re glad it did.
Check out full interview on YouTube! Link in bio
From Alexandra:
“I’ve been incredibly lucky to receive so much help from people around me.
People who simply cared enough to support me, to work with me, to show me the way.
This kind of experience stirs up so many feelings — a mix of responsibility, joy, anxiety, sometimes shame, excitement…
But ultimately: deep happiness and gratitude.
Thank you to everyone who’s helped me on this path so far.
And thank you to those who will help in the future.
I love you all.
This has been beautiful.”
Watch full interview on our YouTube channel! Link in bio
This week’s episode is a special one — it features one of the co-creators of the Backdrop Project, @amareint , who works as a digital colorist.
This conversation is about discovering that you can fall in love with a craft you’d never even heard of, and realize it’s the best work you could have ever found for yourself.
#colorgradingnfilms
