Meet Victorious De Costa | Film Director & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Victorious De Costa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Victorious, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I never realized how much work filmmaking was until I got into it. I knew that cameras were involved, I knew you had to have some sort of editor. I just didn’t know the intricate nature of the job that has nothing to do with capturing images and sound. The different stages of it all . Development, Financing, Pre-Production, Production, Post Production, Marketing, Distribution. Each one comes with 9 parts that you have to understand – especially as an independent film Director and Producer.

I also didn’t understand that the shadow side was no different than the music business, or at least could be – as far as industry rule 4080.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Nothing came easy. and even though I was motivated by a few, there were and still are many detractors. But that’s life. Sometimes I think it is only life where I’m from, but I know that can’t be true.
My art, whether it is the music and songwriting or films and contributions to books, I give al lI have and all within my heart, within my power to bring things to life.If I don’t, then I would cease to exist. That’s how I feel. It feels like if I don’t tell certain stories, write certain scripts, certain songs, I would explode from within. I don’t know what it looks like. But I think I know that it would feel like. And I’m not in the habit of feeling combustible like that. So when people experience what I do, they experience my water. They experience my sand. and when the heat reaches that sand it creates glass in which people can see through the thing they are watching and either see my self or their own selves. People usually see my work and cry. It is because they see themselves, all because I don’t wanna explode. But who really does?

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My list of Shout outs could be so long. I would say outside of all y ancestors, those I’m aware of and those I only feel within my DNA, My Father who infusing within me the love of movies. My Mother who taught me that we don’t use the words Problem, Challenge, Difficulty, Struggle, Obstacle, Issues, Weakness and Cannot. She also told me not to ever let anyone tell me what I can or can’t do. It seems simple, but she fought hard to gain that wisdom and I had to climb many hills and mountains to finally understand. There is a brother from Brooklyn – Exile Ramirez. He’s a homie of mine and a vet in the filmmaking. He gave me my first job as a Production Assistant on a TV Pilot he was directing. I was not qualified, but I learned. Being around that whole thing let me know what was possible – and that I was only a few degrees away from directing something of my own. I left a certain mentality behind and suddenly, for the first time in my life I not only had an attainable goal but also the pathway towards it. There is my Uncle Duane, My sisters Tiyana and (JetSetting) Jasmine. My guys Unique Lauren, Cali Blackwood and Kev – who is doing some time now. Who were my backbone when I first started. Then there was Olu P – who I went to Morehouse with and lived in my Dad’s building in East Flatbush. There are so many people. But those come to mind as who helped me spring forth. Omega Baranow as well

Instagram: https://instagram.com/Victorious1122

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2plBWc4uwGxldOQcSZJ6pY

Image Credits
Ovié Oghenekevbe (all the photos with burgundy sweater)
Kasir Rasul (sitting in blue shirt, red/white hat)