Rising Stars: Meet Adrean Mangiardi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adrean Mangiardi. 

Hi Adrean, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thank you for the opportunity. I’m Adrean Mangiardi and I am a Filmmaker. For as long as I can remember, I always got a thrill from capturing glimpses of the world from behind a camera. As the only deaf family member of a hearing family, filming empowered me at a young age to communicate my perception of the visual world around me in a way that was not impeded by any language barriers. My family understood this was a valuable communication tool for me and they helped to nurture my creative outlet through their never-ending willingness to be subjects in my home videos. That’s where it all started for me.

Fast forward to when I began freelancing while still a film student at the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2003. My first directing gig was a film contribution for a PBS-affiliated documentary produced by Larry Hott Productions, History Through Deaf Eyes, which received a prestigious award, Alfred duPont-Columbia University Award. Since then, I continue crafting my filmmaking skills through various jobs from live events to commercials to weddings. I decided to develop my knowledge further by attending graduate school at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. While a grad student there, I was able to network and continue freelancing with various clients in the city. Upon graduation, I was hired as Director of Video Production for the Deaf Professional Arts Network (D-PAN), based in the metro Detroit area. Through that position, I directed several American Sign Language (ASL) music videos, documentaries, and a variety of other projects. In 2016, we set the standard for the live-streaming accessibility of the presidential debate through Facebook and the D-PAN platforms which garnered thousands of viewers. It was in 2017 when I felt ready to open the doors of growth of my independent business, Mangiardi Films. I began to expand my network of production clients and have been continuing my work through Mangiardi Films ever since.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I believe that a road that is only smooth leads to a predictable and easy life. Mine hasn’t fit that description. It’s a mountain with various peaks and valleys that I’m continuing to climb. As a deaf person working in a hearing world, communication with any client can have its challenges. There’s an art to the language of negotiation and when working with other deaf clients, I can easily convey ideas visually through our shared language of ASL. When I am pitching to hearing clients who are strongly nuanced in English subtleties, I have to work exceptionally hard to earn their trust. There are times when a potential hearing client cannot look beyond my deafness and they are afraid or impatient with the communication process, but I choose to use these experiences to ignite my hustle in order to better stand out. I believe in the unique perspective I bring to each of my clients and I have a strong sense of pride in making my clients happy.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m the owner and operator of Mangiardi Films where I specialize in creating high-quality content ranging from commercials, to documentaries, creating animated logos, and also more personalized productions such as weddings. I am very well versed in all areas and roles of production, as I didn’t get here overnight! I’m most proud of co-directing a Google spot for Connect Direct, which is a deaf-run company specializing in providing call center services in American Sign Language. Another aspect of my work that brings me great pride is my idea to use creative phonetic captioning in the ASL music videos I was creating back in 2009. I made the decision to break each word down into syllables and have them appear as the performer sings to help a Deaf audience connect more with the rhythm and musicality of the artist rather than just straight sentences that did not offer deaf audiences a glimpse of the rhythm in the performance. During that time, there wasn’t anything like that happening. Now, in the last several years, phonetic captioning has started to become more popular in high-profile music videos. What sets me apart from others is my unique perspective as a deaf person. Growing up, I have been relying on 4 senses, which naturally triggered synesthesia. Through my deaf lens, I am able to bring my perspective and experiences to the projects I am a part of and it offers my clients a unique edge over their competitors.

How do you define success?
Success is being able to do work that you love doing, work that has an impact that you can feel proud of, and work that enables you to show up for those that you love. I feel that success means you have the freedom to be both creative and flexible in the pursuit of your own happiness.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mangiardifilms.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mangiardifilms/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MangiardiFilms/