andréa matarazzo by issa tall - editorial and interview
Photographer : Issa Tall @Issatall
Model : Andréa Matarazzo @andrewmatarazzo
Stylist : Thibaud Romain @thibaud.romain
Stylist Assistant : Tamara Camara @tamara_camaraa
Make-Up & Hair : Sebastien Camp @sebastiencamp_
Light Assistant : Mario Le Sergent @mariolesergent
Creative Assistant : Audrey Marcy @audreymarcy_
Photographer Assistant : Luisa Ritter @eloquent_dawg
Producer : Romain Vissol @romain_vissol
Head Of Production : Marion Amoyel @amoyelm
Production Manager : Alya Zerzeri @alya.zerzeri
Studio : Studio Keral
Agency : Punch Agency Paris @punchagencyparis
Having refined his acting skills at notable institutions and under the guidance of mentors such as Oscar-Winner Tim Robbins,
Andréa Matarazzo has now seamlessly expanded his artistic abilities into other mediums,
including his original music and the recent publication of his fiction novel, BEDLAM, the first of a trilogy.
The character-driven book focuses on a group of teens surviving a post-apocalyptic world overrun by creatures born of a pandemic.
As the year comes to an end, what are some goals you had for this year that you managed to achieve?
I actually always make a list at the beginning of the year and I just recently checked it and was so proud of myself.
I released songs and music videos I’d been sitting on - “Blood,” and “Andréa.”
I did my first live show. I explored some new business ventures and spent a lot of time in New York,
and probably most proud of finally publishing my book, BEDLAM, after 4 years in the works!
What sparked the idea for your novel BEDLAM, and how did the concept evolve during the writing process?
In middle school, I bounced between different groups of friends, and a lot of them never interacted or cross-pollinated.
I had this random thought that if I was ever stranded in a survival situation with them,
I wondered who would clash, who would get along - would we make it?
And that was the seed that started the idea for BEDLAM.
Are there specific themes or messages in your novel that hold personal significance to you?
Although BEDLAM is a survival story, I really wanted the apocalyptic challenges to be the backdrop,
and the main focus is the characters and their relationships. There’s a lot of emphasis on chosen family,
overcoming traumas and what humans can do and become when they’re faced with life or death situations.
Can you describe your typical writing routine and any rituals or habits you have when working on a novel?
I am constantly fantasizing in my head and it results in a lot of notes and writing floating ideas down.
Once I've sort of structured the map in my head, I love to outline, not only the story, but all of the characters and their personal arcs.
How do you approach creating and developing characters, ensuring they resonate authentically with readers?
I think being an actor, I do a lot of character development practices in my script work,
so I apply it to the characters as if I’m playing each one of them. I like to have a full scope of their strengths and weaknesses,
and what their personal journeys are within the main storyline. I also love pulling traits and experiences from people I know in real life.
It helps root the fictional characters in truth.
Your background includes acting, music, and writing. How do you find these different forms of artistic expression intersect or influence each other in your creative process?
Well I feel like they’re all different forms of expressing sides of myself.
With acting, I feel like I get to explore other versions of myself, or stretch my understanding of human nature.
Music is a lot more personal. I find it very healing to be able to write lyrics and find a sound that correlates with an emotion that might be hard to express with words alone.
And writing, especially fiction, lets me escape and live other lives. They all feed each other.
I always feel I am a better artist when I have all cylinders firing.
What are you looking forward to in the coming year?
I finished writing the second book in the series, SWEVEN, which will be published next year.
I’m very excited about the E.P. I’ve been working on it for longer than expected
but it’s been fun to explore my sound and the direction I want to go in without any real deadline.
There were a lot of challenges in my industry this year. I really hope there’s a renaissance and we can get back to the magic.
I’m very excited to be returning to the screen on some very fun projects starting in the first quarter. Been dying to jump back in!
