We had the good fortune of connecting with Dante Chak and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Dante, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I was fresh out of the United States Marine Corps, and I had absolutely no idea what was next. I knew I wasn’t gonna put my time, effort, and attention school. And slaving myself away at a boring 9-5 felt worse than going through the “suck” in the Marine Corps. I began getting into film and TV as a stuntman in a few TV shows and indie films, putting to use a lot of my martial arts and tumbling background— eventually getting into extreme sports such as skydiving. I soon realized that I loved working behind the camera as well as being in front of it. Learning through various mentors I would learn to create my own content utilizing the talents and capabilities I’d already had.
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Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I specify in creating travel and extreme sports content for social media brands, companies, and production studios. I began when I started visiting places I could never go whilst in the military and just started documenting all the scenic places I came across. Getting to meet all the right people in my creative lifestyle was the biggest challenge as I had no idea where to start. My thoughts and interests were so different than most people I knew. The best thing I’ve learned thus far is that meeting the right person and making an impression for 10 seconds is far more valuable than anything you could ever learn in a textbook. My message in this line of work is plain and simple… there is more to life than the same 10 people and 2 bars. Life doesn’t happen for you, it’s happening now.
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?
People visiting Atlanta usually first hear about the artistic scene in Midtown or the night life in Buckhead. Both of those areas are full of fun! But if you want to take in a beautiful, breathtaking view of the city skyline and immerse yourself in nature I would recommend going east to Stone Mountain. 30 minutes south of that is Arabia mountain in which you can usually spot a lot of creatives working around there. As far as fine dining goes, look no further than Buckhead!
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?
Endless Times Studios and Eli Anthony Productions have not only offered me the best career paths and advice moving forward; but they’ve given me memorable moments, an incredible sense of warmth, and have kept me grounded in times when I’ve needed it most. They have put a lot of time into me and for that, I could never thank them enough though I still try.
Website: www.dantechak.com
Instagram: @asian.tarzan
Other: Endlesstimestudios.com
Image Credits
Eli Turkette Francisco “Pak” Melo John Chea