Meet Carl Paoli

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carl Paoli and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carl, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
From an early age, I always considered “risk” as thrilling. I don’t tend to feel the emotion “scared” I feel thrilled. As a professional Stuntman in Feature Films and Television for over 35 years and a Fine Artist, I have had a very dynamic relationship with “risk”. As a stuntman, through great research, rehearsal and handed down techniques I have managed the levels and percentages of risk and weighed, need verses options. Many stunts can be preformed with a great deal of illusion to upgrade the amount of what appears to be risky or dangerous for cinematic effect. Regarding my art, most will say it is scary, a risk to go outside the lines, expected norms and popular demands. I manage risk in my art in the same way I manage it with my Stunt career. Art by nature is an illusion. I often create a mock up / (rehearsal) of the possible subject mater in sketch or digitally, If I can make a work that is emotionally moving or tells a story in the mock version, I’m confident I can then re-create or as I say, do a forgery of my own art. This reduces the level of quality risk as I know it will at least turn out as good or better than the sketch or mock up. Finally, once all things are in place, all possible out comes reviewed and level of risk examined thoroughly, I then take the leap of faith, the risk. In both careers.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art came from my Stunt career. The fearlessness is apparent. Ive seen a lot and it shows up on the canvas as cinematic stories not to unlike storyboards used in film production. I have always been an athlete and a stuntman, but I also have great balance. The opposite side of the adrenaline, testosterone spectrum is the quiet, calm practice of creating art. I use my talent for art in every thing I do. Not just to create paintings on canvas and sculptures but in fixing things, adjusting equipment and inventions. And of coarse the magic of giving a heart felt painting as a gift for major breaks in my film career. An exchange of energies if you will. Once my movie career was in full flight, the excitement started to fade. I missed that feeling of being in uncharted territory and also the feeling of being “thrilled”. So I started doing streetart while on location in different cities. That felt real to me. No locked up locations with closed off movie sets on streets with security. I was in the real world at night putting up my art on walls with unlimited outcomes. This passion moved to canvas and continued the story telling. It takes living life to translate the stories to canvas and even onto film.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Welcome to Miami, MY Miami! I found Miami before it became popular. Back when people said it was too old and too hot. After a career in film which took me to NYC, LA, Chicago and around the world, I needed something new and fresh AND I NEEDED the ocean. This is not the cold ocean of California this is not the Cities that get winter 7 months a year. This is… wake up early, take a morning run along South Point in South Beach and cool off at the out door showers towers. Then jump on the Vespa, catch the sunrise off Brickell Key, Grab breakfast either at the attached Cafe in the unique Publix in Brickell or a traditional mixed French / Latin breakfast at Boulangerie on Key Biscayne not far from your first adventure destination… Virgina Key. Wing Foiling, if you have never done it will be your new addiction. With South Beach across the bay off in the distance to your left, and miles of beach to your right, you will push off the beach on a 6 foot surfboard and an inflated wing / sail in your hand. Next you stand up, hold the wing, the wind picks up, you start racing across the water and then lift off the water a couple feet as you glide on a foil. This is basically the evolution of Windsurfing. After hours of flying on waves and wind its more out door showers. From here the day is already conquered, So it’s off to Nikki Beach for some lunch by the ocean on the sand. Remember, quiet South Beach appears to still be like 1970’s Miami until about 11:30 am . All the tourists and partiers sleep in leaving the morning to the locals. so South Beach starts to come alive around noon. Depending on how many new friends you make you will either ride out the day here or take it down a notch. Head home to freshen up with another shower by the pool down stairs then upstairs for fresh clothes. From here we walk, for obvious safety reasons. Brickell has as many options as NYC only the palm trees waving under the warm summer stars year round. After many bars and a movie on a rooftop in South Beach a 3am sandwich is in order. The little out door window walk up with bar stools is MY submarine spot “Sandwichierie” (open 24 hours). If you don’t see the sunrise I would be surprised, but an Uber home is a welcome necessity. Thanks again for the interview. I enjoyed digging deep to give meaningful answers to the questions I solved along the way.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My SHOUTOUT goes to Walter Scott, a legendary Stuntman turned Stunt Coordinator. From the day I met him on the movie “BACK DRAFT” where I was just a back ground actor / extra, Walter was an epic inspiration. His experience having stunt-doubled the greatest cowboys in cinematic history and his life long film career were only part of what he taught me about persistence, perseverance and set etiquette. The consistent training, consistent hustling and above all, etiquette he taught me served me well. Its not often your hero turned mentor becomes one of your closest life long friends.

Website: https://carlpaoli.com

Instagram: carl_paoli

Other: My professional movie career history is on IMDB.COM

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0660013/?ref_=fn_all_nme_1

Image Credits
Carl Paoli