Law Schools

An Interview With Lawyer-Turned-Filmmaker Anthony Desiato

Make Desiato’s most recent documentary, 'My Comic Shop Country,' your next quarantine movie. 

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(Image via Getty)

Exciting news! I’ve decided to revive the “An Interview With” series! In this series, I  connect with people from all parts of the legal profession and at all stages of their legal careers to learn who really makes up the legal community and what they are actually doing with their legal degrees. 

This month I, virtually, sat down with lawyer-turned-filmmaker Anthony Desiato. Anthony is a 2012 graduate of the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, where he is also the director of J.D. admissions. In this article, Anthony discusses his journey through law school, filmmaking, and what it was like to release his most recent documentary during a pandemic. 

KS:  What motivated you to go to law school? 

AD: It’s funny, because as a law school admissions officer for almost a decade now, I can look back and see that my reasons weren’t necessarily the most compelling. I didn’t have a burning passion for the law, nor did I have my sights set on a legal career. At the same time, my creative ambitions hadn’t fully coalesced just yet. 

I left undergrad knowing that I liked to write and that intellectual property was of some interest to me. I thought that perhaps a job in the entertainment law field could help me get my foot in the door on the creative side. Lastly, there was certainly some parental encouragement to go to law school.

KS:  When and how did you make the jump into making films? 

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AD: My undergraduate background is in journalism, and to this day, those journalism classes are the ones I most enjoyed throughout my academic career. It was in those classes that I started developing the tools to tell nonfiction stories in (hopefully!) an engaging way. 

Cut to my 1L year, and although it went well, I knew very early on that I needed a creative outlet. I decided that during the summer before 2L year, I would make a documentary about my local comic shop — write what you know — and that’s exactly what I did. It was definitely a big leap, especially with limited resources and no formal training, but I loved it. It was an exhilarating process.

KS: Are there any ways you feel like your legal education helps you in your filmmaking? 

AD: In a practical sense, my legal training has served me well when it comes to licensing agreements, releases, and copyright and trademark issues, as I’m able to handle those myself. Big picture, though, the old adage has proven true: law school teaches you how to think like a lawyer. I’m not literally IRAC-ing my films, but all kinds of issues come up throughout the making of a documentary, and I’m able to systematically work my way through each one to find a solution.

KS: What drives your passion for creating films? 

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AD: We’re talking independent documentaries here, so it’s certainly not money or fame. But aside from the logistical headaches, I genuinely enjoy the process of planning, filming, and editing a movie. 

I’m also a big believer in telling the types of stories I would want to see myself. That’s usually my starting point. There are plenty of great docs out there about global issues or high-profile subjects. Mine tend to be smaller human-interest stories that hopefully people can relate to. I also think it’s great to be able to shine a light on subjects — comic book shops, for example — that are often overlooked. 

KS: Your newest movie, My Comic Shop Country, launched on March 24.  What was it like launching the movie during a pandemic? 

AD: Very odd and unexpected. In a lot of ways, comic shops represent the last stand of brick-and-mortar retail. They’re some of the only places left where genuine conversations and friendships can blossom on a sales floor. So, from my perspective at least, the movie was always relevant, even before the pandemic. However, the current crisis has made the film incredibly timely. 

As for how the timing affected the release, I think it cuts both ways: On the one hand, people may be more conservative with their spending and less likely to rent a movie, or perhaps it’s not on their radar at all because they have more pressing concerns — both of which are completely understandable. The flip side is that people do seem to be craving new content to consume. For comics fans in particular, who are missing their weekly comic book store visits, I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback that the documentary has helped scratch that itch. It also means a lot to me that the movie has brought added attention to the challenges of comics retail during a time when shops are especially hurting.

KS:  What are some themes or takeaways from My Comic Shop Country that non-comic book fans can relate to? 

AD: I went to great lengths to make the film accessible for the noninitiated, so being a comics fan is definitely not a prerequisite to watch. It taps into a very universal need for meaningful face-to-face interaction, a theme that is more resonant today than ever before. 

I’ll relate a film festival anecdote that sums it up best: After one of the film’s screenings, a woman shared that, even though she has a coffee machine at home, she walks to her local deli every morning to get a cup because she likes having the interaction. Even though she’s not a comic book fan, she dialed into the movie in that way. 

KS: What advice do you have for others in the legal community who want to explore or expand on their nonlegal passions? 

AD: This will sound like I have my admissions hat on, but it’s still true: the J.D. is a robust, versatile degree that serves you well no matter what you end up doing. For those who are looking to explore or expand, perhaps this time when we’ve lost our regular routines can be an opportunity to try something new.

Watch the movie on iTunes or Amazon. Visit Anthony’s website, or listen to his podcast for more.

Know someone who would be great to profile in this series? Send an email to info@vincoprep.com with “An Interview With” in the subject line.

Kerriann Stout is a millennial law school professor and founder of Vinco (a bar exam coaching company) who is generationally trapped between her students and colleagues. Kerriann has helped hundreds of students survive law school and the bar exam with less stress and more confidence. She lives, works, and writes in the northeast. You can reach her by email at info@vincoprep.com.

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