Meet Rick Dallago | Artist and Film Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rick Dallago and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rick, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I can’t really say that I chose an artistic or creative career– it chose me. I had a speech impediment as a kid and learned to express myself in other ways. I focused on the visual arts and was lucky to have very supportive and creative parents. Somehow, I never doubted that I could make a career in the motion picture business and now the art world– both very challenging occupations. It helps that I love what I do— so working towards a goal is actually a pleasure. I guess being naive is an asset if you don’t focus on all the reasons not to pursue something. I always knew that if I tried– I COULD succeed vs not trying and NEVER succeeding.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I was 19, I decided to pursue a career in the film industry. Back then, there were only 3 film universities in the USA (now every high school has a film program.) I remember the exact moment when I decided that I was young enough to try a risky career like filmmaking and that I had time to change to a “safe” career if I failed by the old age of 24. I graduating NYU with a BFA in Film Production and pounded the sidewalks everyday for months until I got a break– which lead to one opportunity after another. I was never intimidated by rejection or obstacles or new challenges. I am a quick learner and whenever a new position or advancement appeared, I’d grab it. Eventually after wrangling coffees on film sets, I became a Location Manager for many films– traveling the world, scouting for movie locations– many times by myself, in strange places. I loved every second and learned to insert myself into any environment or community– from small town Mississippi to exotic Morocco. After years of cultivating many relationships on various film sets, I became a producer– which is the best job on the planet. I developed ideas for films; setting them up at various movie studios. I’ve produced projects for Disney, Universal, MGM, HBO, Sony, and Showtime. About 7 years ago, I had lots of time on my hands waiting for a script to be written and revisited my love of painting– which I had put aside for over 30 years. To my surprise, my work started to sell and now I consider myself a working fine artist. Painting and filmmaking are similar in that I am creating narratives and expressing myself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Colorado is all about being outside. We are blessed to straddle the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains. I try to take advantage of that every day. I love Denver and all the amenties it offers. My favorite place in Denver is the DENVER ART MUSEUM, which is awesome,

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to give a shout out to Benjamin Franklin– who advised to do something INDUSTRIOUS everyday. I really believe that a successful life is built brick by brick…. day by day… mistake by mistake…

Website: https://www.rickdallago.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com