Today we’d like to introduce you to Eli Manos.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
So I’m from Cleveland, Ohio! I grew up studying classical piano and have played with multiple groups including the Cleveland Singing Angels Choir, the Singers Club of Cleveland, and have also played with the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cleveland Winds Ensemble.
However, what I mainly do today is a film composing! I got my bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from Cleveland State University and have since then been working professionally in the business, scoring numerous short and feature films in Cleveland and in Atlanta. I have also fallen in love with the filmmaking process so much that I have also directed my own short films, a couple of which have gotten into the Cleveland International Film Festival!
I will very soon be moving down to Atlanta to continue pursuing my passion for film scoring, composing and film directing!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I initially started off thinking I was going to be a concert pianist playing with orchestras and such. But I took one trip to a piano festival, and I immediately realized it wasn’t for me at all. For a little while, I was lost and unsure where I wanted to be in life. But I knew that I always loved composing original music on the side. So I started reaching out to film students at Cleveland State seeing if they wanted original music to their short films. After a while, I started going to mixers, meeting new filmmakers and making new connections. Ever since then, I’ve been composing scores for all sorts of different films, and I have been loving it! I feel like I’ve truly found my passion.
Coming in as a classical pianist, there was so much about film that I didn’t know. I didn’t really know who guys like Spielberg or Scorsese were at all. So I did the only thing I could think of: I went back to the silent film era and watched what I thought were the most essential movies of each year. I am still doing that, currently now towards the end of the 70s. However, I’ve definitely drifted away from this list multiple times to watch other films I’ve wanted to see in later decades, but I’m super glad I started it because it gave me an amazing sense of film history! And it was a lot of fun to do. As a result, I also fell in love with not just the scores but the films themselves. Because of this, I have also started writing and directing my own short films, and have begun writing feature scripts as well.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
So I am a film composer. In other words, I write original music for movies. I have composed music for a wide variety of genres, including horror, action, heist, drama, romance, comedy, romantic=comedy, and even a western! I also work as a writer and director and have directed a few short narrative films and a couple of short documentaries as well.
However, I love to also just compose original music as well. I am currently in the process of finishing up a piano album that will release in December. I’m very proud of it. In addition to working in the film industry, I hope to continue writing original compositions as well.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I feel, for me, it is kindness. This is something that can be lacking in this business. There’s a lot of egos, a lot of cynicism, and a lot of pretentiousness. It’s important to be good at what you do, but I do believe being kind and compassionate comes a long way.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mango_in_c_minor/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd8bQyGIMeqx1adPob3iWbA
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2hFqZt51XlHinziRpcuDHb
Image Credits
Justin Albaugh Richard McIntyre
