Marco The Great

Two weeks or so ago I decided to stop at La Crepe for a taste. I was in one of those somber and indecisive moods. I wanted cream cheese in the berry crepe, then didn't, then wanted just a little. The crepe guy dealt patiently, he even joked with me a little.

At the table I wrote in my journal until I became distracted by this crepe guy who sung and danced to the music behind the counter. I wrote, "The crepe guy is happy today."

A week later, a friend and I were walking around Soho as (I took her to McNally.) I told her about this concept of studying New York and it's residents. When we walked past La Crepe, a light bulb moment fell at my feet, so I asked if she minded to stop.

At the takeout window I told the Crepe guy he had left an impression upon me due to his musical inclination. I then explained my goal.  He seemed somewhat sold. I left my e-mail address there. He contacted. And now he isn't the Crepe Guy to me anymore, he's Marco The Great.

Here are a few raw facts about our dear Marco:

Marco The Great is Marco Motti Shalma

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Moved to Israel at age 4.

 Served four years in the Israeli army.

He is a bad-ass.

By day Marco manages La Crepe. By night he labors with his talent, his films. Correct, this means he completes 40 hours of work to pay the bills, while putting in another 30 for the good stuff, his super objective in life. It's called self-discipline.

When we met to chat, I showed prepared with a number of questions and a tap recorder. (It's gotta get done right.) Shall we?

Where do you live? "I live up in Harlem, Spanish Harlem."

How do you feel about that?  "It's a fucking shit-hole. Anyone who's gonna tell you nice things about Spanish Harlem is a freakin liar. And when I first got here I lived in Brooklyn. And yeah, Brooklyn sucks too, I don't care what other people say, get a real job you hipster." (Heavy sarcasim here.)

So, what is Marco working on? He is currently working on a number of projects, his main baby being, Plastic. (A short film about an American woman, who lives her life according to intense perfection, until her husband cheats, forcing her towards the other extreme.) Marco is also working on a TV pilot about Nyc artists who are striving to make it, and two other scripts. (You read it here.)

What is your take on Nyc? "From the moment you realize, okay this is what I want to do with my life, till the moment you make it, New York, is the place to be."

What do you think of New York's pace of life and energy? "At one point for a few years I kind of neglected myself with my writing and film making, I concentrated on the day to day living. The easiest thing to do in the city is to be like, well I'm working so hard, 60 hours a week, I don't have time for anything. It's easy to get lost in this city that way. The difference between the people who are really gonna make it, or are in the process of making it, is that perseverance, that focus on where you need to go."

This was volunteered. "The people that make it have the ability to say, "I have no plan B." When you have a plan B, you're going to end up at plan B. When you have something to fall back on you will never push yourself to the limit of plan A, because you can always fall back on plan B. I've never seen anyone become successful by half-assing it."

And what about now, where are you at with the focus? "Even now, I have all these networking events, which is supposedly networking, a way into the industry. It's the biggest fucking bullshit in the universe, because all you do is go over there, pretend to be somebody you're not, and get drunk. You never make contacts except for FaceBook fucking friends. And that's supposed to be networking? Now, I try not to schedule meetings past 7 p.m. because nothing gets done otherwise."

Are you happy inside about what you're doing? "What I do makes me happy. And sometimes it makes me sad. It depends on my emotions. But, there is nothing else I would rather do, there is nowhere else I would rather be. I'm at the point where I am content, happiness is about being actually content. If I I'm happy about where I am and what I'm doing, I think that's where happiness at least starts."

Are you lying about any of this?  "No."


Any final declarations Marco The Great? "I'm here to make my dream come true. And that's it."