15 Questions about Art :: Pi Ware

Pi Ware is an award-winning filmmaker who began his career as a camera assistant in Madrid, Spain. An alumnus of The Sundance Institute and the prestigious Fox Searchlight Directors Lab, his films have appeared at over 75 film festivals around the world, including Sundance, Cannes, Gen Art and AFI Fest. Pi often works in collaboration with his beautiful wife and writing/directing partner, Susan Kraker. Their films together include the dark indie drama, SOLITUDE, the popular short film, THE ACT, and the webseries, FLOORED & LIFTED.

As a non-fiction filmmaker, Pi has created over 20 documentary films for such clients as Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., the Independent Film Channel, USA, and Disney/ABC and has been twice-nominated for an Emmy award for his lead editing position on the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award shows.

He currently resides in Hollywood, CA in a house that originally belonged to Orson Wells.

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What is your earliest art-related memory?

My earliest memory is a dream I had when I was 2. Grimace, the purple, bell-shaped walking tastebud from McDonald's, carries me through a neighbor's kitchen, slowly kidnapping me. I see myself in a mirror in Grimace's arms and feel peace mixed with equal parts dull fear. I awaken.

Who has had the greatest influence on your work?

The Coen Brothers.

What are the main tools of your craft?

Image, sound, music mixed together as a poet mixes imagination and language.


Is a formal education important?

No. But a critical and supportive community is.

What is the biggest misconception about art?

It lacks tedium.

Which is more important in art - concept or execution?

Execution. That's why the porn rip-off is never as good as the Hollywood film.

What theme or aesthetic are you most drawn too?

Love despite brutality.

What is your favorite piece of art in your home?

This lamp.

If you could collaborate with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

Paddy Chayefsky

Which emerging artist do you think more people should know about?

The whole of Downtown Los Angeles

What has been your greatest achievement to date?

Creating a feature film that became unforgettable in the minds and lives of many people.

What has been your biggest roadblock?

Lack of deadlines.

Production Stills from "The Act" (Photo credit: Elizabeth Daniels)

How do you define success?

The ability to enjoy life while leaving the world better than when you found it.

What will be the name of your autobiography?

Too presumptuous a question to even consider answering...

What is the best piece of (art-related) advice you’ve ever been given?

"Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." - Winston Churchill
Also: "Keep your overall tone consistent throughout the piece."

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15 Questions about Art is an ongoing series in which we ask our collective favorite artists, writers, musicians, sleepy dreamers and object makers from across the creative spectrum to give us a glimpse into how they perceive art through a standard set of questions.

Please check back next week for a fresh perspective.