Lifestyle RepublicLifestyle Republic
  • The Daily
  • Features
  • Self Essentials
  • Culture
  • About Lifestyle Republic
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Facebook Twitter Instagram
  • The Daily
  • Essentials
Lifestyle RepublicLifestyle Republic
  • Features
  • Culture
Lifestyle RepublicLifestyle Republic

Elias Plagianos: Young Greek-American Director taking on the film industry

Nick ChristophersApril 2012 Features
Share Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Email

by Nick Christophers

Since Nia Vardalos lit the Greek fire in Hollywood with her blockbuster “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, more talented Greek Americans have come forth with great works. Actors like Costas Mandylor, Nick Cassavetes, Louis Mandylor and Melina Kanakaredes have proven what they are made of. Yet there are those who are still breaking the “red tape” of Hollywood to make their Greek mark.

Elias Plagianos has recently done that. A young Greek-American who was raised in Brooklyn has brought his background to the forefront of his work in many ways. His first production and first attempt at directing a film was in high school. The production was titled “Fried Cheese” which was really a TV show. A local cable company provided a Public Access channel that offered a half hour slot every week. All Elias had to do was provide content that fit the channel’s guidelines.

“I took advantage of that and along with some friends produced a sketch comedy show. I was forced to learn how to shoot, edit, write and act in order to get this show on the air every week. It allowed me to experiment with different ways to tell stories and I quickly realized I enjoyed the challenge of being behind the camera more than telling jokes in front of it.”

ADVERTISEMENT

He admits that he learned more about his career in High School than in College. This was due mostly in part to his teacher, Hy Shuster. He was a big inspiration for him. Hy taught him the key elements of visual storytelling and then allowed him to spend hours upon hours in the editing bays to discover his own unique voice. Elias’ teacher battled to get the school system to invest on certain equipment and his fellow students would soon go out into the world and do their best to prove it was worth the investment.

Elias grew up admiring such legends like Robert Rodriguez, Sam Raimi, Steven Soderbergh and John Cassavetes. He was inspired by film directors who worked against the system and who discovered ways to create stories in a different light. This gave him the confidence to forge ahead and develop films his way.

Before Elias was able to work fully on a feature he produced many smaller projects. He has done everything from workout videos to travel documentaries. The knowledge and skills he picked up through these projects enabled him to transfer them to his current works.

At times when he directed a live event with multiple cameras he was forced to make quick decisions. For example he would have to decide which camera to use for each moment of the production. He would be actually editing a two hour production on the spot, a task that is not easy to perfect. Yet Elias welcomed the challenge and succeeded.

As a young boy Elias was introduced to the invoking Greek myths by his father those stories would play a role in his future as a director. Also the heroic characters of Batman and Superman attracted his attention. He soon became a comic book fanatic and began building a collection. This fusion of the myths and comics inspired him to produce the film “Redskins Revenge”. The film is based on the subject of zombies. The production was soon to see the light of day and won first place at the Zombiefest which was judged by the original team behind the film “Night Of The Living Dead”.

Recently, Elias has completed and released a new film entitled “Crimson Mask”. The production was based on some true events in his life. From the films location in Brooklyn, New York to the inspiration to do the project which derived from his ethnic roots the film had managed to win over 35 awards at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival and was showcased there as well.

“The theme of “The Crimson Mask” was inspired by my families struggles in Greece during WW II as part of the resistance and even more so by my Great Uncle Sarantos Ekonomakis, who stood up for his beliefs during the Greek Civil war and was murdered by the establishment of former Nazi Collaborators who were put in control of the government at the time. The lessons I learned from their life story in collaboration with the rich ancient history of Sparta that I was exposed to growing up greatly affected the way I see the world and therefore I think were integral to my success as a filmmaker.”

Elias has always had the support of his family at every turn. Whether he succeeded or failed. He admits that his parents gave him the greatest gift of all, patience. They would always be there to catch him if he every falls then pick him up. Elias also added that there also is another supporter who has attempted to bring together Greek actors and directors, Jim Gianopoulos CEO of Fox.

Through Jim he had the opportunity to meet and share ideas with actors like Michael Chiklis, Nia Vardalos and others. Currently, Elias is working on a new project with Jason Rlley and Lindsay MacAdam of Evos Media / Redbear Entertainment. The project which is in its infant stages appears to have more financial resources for Elias to really expand on his talents.

Join The Lifestyle Republic Newsletter

Get the latest news from TLSR straight into your inbox.

Share. Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Pinterest Email

More from Lifestyle Republic

Motivator, Athlete and Life Changer: Fabian Thorne

Diverse Producer / Filmmaker Gal Yefet Goes Global

Artist David Craig Ellis is at it Again

Imaginary Artist Looking to Expand her Talents

Zoey Zo Perfecting Her Art on the Stage

DJ DIEZEL IS DRILLING HIS WAY INTO THE SPOTLIGHT ONE BEAT AT A TIME

Exes+Owes Podcast
The Date Sheet: Exes + Owes
The Date Sheet: Exes + Owes

Join veteran Television Producer / Award-Winning Photographer Chuck Holliday and Film Producer / Media Personality Shanda Foster as they discuss post-dating self awareness, avoiding toxic environments, relationship PTSD and CSS (“common sense s@#t”) in this happy hour format podcast.

Listen OnApple PodcastsListen OnGoogle PodcastsListen OniHeart RADIO
In Public (Nah, Right?)

Chuck Holliday and Shanda Foster discuss how many times is enough to accept a man’s cheating ways, why toxic energy is accepted over normalcy, the many red flags that are ignored in dating, and why men refuse to post women (and vice versa) on social media. (Season 1 Finale)

Produced by Chuck Holliday and Shanda Foster
Theme Music: “Peruvian Vacays” by Versa Jay Beats
Show Page: www.suite929.tv/podcasts/exesandowes

In Public (Nah, Right?)
Episode play icon
In Public (Nah, Right?)
Episode Description
Episode play icon
No Scrubs
Episode Description
Episode play icon
You're Makin' Me…Low
Episode Description
Search Results placeholder

Currenty Trending

ATHLETE TURNED ARTIST PAINTS A NEW FUTURE: MARK ANTHONY HILL

Motivator, Athlete and Life Changer: Fabian Thorne

Traveling In-Flight Beauty Essentials

Bella Twins rid themselves of WWE…and the Bella name

The Pitbull of Boxing Fabiano Pena Packing a Championship Punch

Sean “Diddy” Combs introduces new limited-edition CÎROC Honey Melon spirit

Features

Motivator, Athlete and Life Changer: Fabian Thorne

Diverse Producer / Filmmaker Gal Yefet Goes Global

February 2023

Artist David Craig Ellis is at it Again

February 2023

Imaginary Artist Looking to Expand her Talents

February 2023

   
About Lifestyle Republic  •  Contact Us  •  Privacy Policy  •  Corporate Website
© 2023 Lifestyle Republic, a unit of Suite929 LLC

OUR PUBLISHING NETWORK:
Suite929tv   •   Firm Biz   •   Tech We Like   •   G Style Magazine   •   The 9ine Podcast Network

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT