The Work That Made Me: Matt Sklar
Matt Sklar is a Texas-born, Florida-raised, current Angeleno whose eclectic upbringing has shaped him into a human Swiss-army knife. From docu-style work with a blend of heart and nuanced performance, to dead-pan comedic zingers, Matt celebrates his versatility and eclecticness and is not insecure about it AT ALL.
His recent short film 'Toast 2: After the Burn', received the distinct honour of a Vimeo staff pick. In 2023 Matt was selected amongst 50 international filmmakers to participate in PlayLab鈥檚 film workshop in the Yucat谩n jungle under the mentorship of Palm D鈥檕r winner Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
天美棋牌> The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me鈥
Matt> The Spike Jonze '' video for Fatboy Slim is always lingering in my subconscious, and I like to break into some of those moves when I need a pick-me-up in the privacy of my home. The Torrance Community Dance Group was far ahead of its time, and they made an everlasting cultural impact.
天美棋牌> The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry鈥
Matt> I love all the early 鈥楾his is Sportscenter鈥 spots. They made me realise that advertising is more than selling a thing. Most importantly, they made my dad laugh, which is pretty much my goal in everything I do. He especially loved the
天美棋牌> The creative work that I keep revisiting鈥
Matt> I often pop on Les Blank's documentaries, like ''; they are medicinal to me. I like to just have them on in the background. He can draw out the warmth of every person he interviews and every setting he visits. That鈥檚 intoxicating to me.
天美棋牌> My first professional project鈥
Matt> It was a B2B spot for a big tech company that鈥檚 not publicly viewable, but it was my first job with clients on set. It was a pretty wild one for my first. There were like a dozen locations and a lot of background. I think it was good for me to dive into the deep end. There was a professional sign spinner involved. We had to audition sign spinners through a sign-spinner agency. I didn't even know there was such a thing.
天美棋牌> The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*鈥
Matt> I鈥檓 gonna have to go with that Kendall Jenner Pepsi spot.
天美棋牌> The piece of work that still makes me jealous鈥
Matt> 鈥. One day, I鈥檒l be that cool.
天美棋牌> The creative project that changed my career鈥
Matt> I was greatly honoured to be selected by legendary creative director/toastmaker Andy Corbett to help bring his vision for '' to life. Once the world saw 'Toast 2', my career skyrocketed to incredible heights. This film was truly the peak intersection of my documentary and comedy work. 'Toast 3' is currently under development, and by that, I mean I鈥檓 waiting for Andy to call me back.
天美棋牌> The work that I鈥檓 proudest of鈥
Matt> Last year, I participated in a film lab with Palm D鈥檕r-winning filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasatukul where you got 10 days to make a film in the jungle and remote villages of the Yucatan. It was the first project I truly put my 鈥渟elf鈥 into, and I prioritised the experience of making the film over the end result. It really changed the way I think of myself as an artist and gave me a North Star for the feelings I want to evoke within myself as a human as well as a filmmaker. The film can be seen .
天美棋牌> I was involved in this and it makes me cringe鈥
Matt> Too many to list; I had a lot of early jobs that were pretty cringe-worthy鈥 Some jobs are for the reel, and some are for the meal.
天美棋牌> The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most鈥
Matt> I鈥檓 putting the finishing touches on my first feature documentary, and I can鈥檛 wait for you to see it. It鈥檚 about dads, brothers, death, divorce, love, heartbreak, and the Miami Dolphins. It began as a in 2021 and has become the most addicting and emotionally consuming project I鈥檝e made. is a clip from the film.
