Today we’d like to introduce you to Alejandra Castro.
Alejandra, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was put into a lot of art forms at a very young age; drawing, sculpting, music, 3D modeling– you name it. As a Mexican-American in the United States, It was hard being raised in Spanish but being taught about the world in English. To make sense of it all, I found solace in creativity.
When I learned what filmmaking was, I immediately connected to the art form during freshman year in TV/Media Production class at Verrado High School. From the first day of class, I was hooked. At age 15, I was already gathering kids to use as background for a scene, using my parents as actors, calling in favors for locations, creating sets- I was making full-fledged movies without even knowing it. I was using all the art forms I had studied from before and recycled them to create films.
When I attended college, I saw myself gravitating towards positions of leadership that contributed to the overall story: Art Director, Director of Photography- but they weren’t enough. Throughout college, I noticed when I expressed my story ideas more, and more people stood behind it. People wanted to be part of these ideas and pushed me to develop my own films. I soon realized that I didn’t want to be the person contributing to the story, I wanted to be the one telling it. More specifically, as a writer/director, I wanted to tell stories that weren’t being told. I needed to use film as the platform to bring these stories to light. Stories of the culture that raised me, and the stories that deserve to be seen.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do? Why? And what do you hope others will take away from your work?
As a Female Mexican-American writer/director, I hope to tell stories that contribute to the overall movement of change in today’s society. Stories of people’s culture or a message that would hopefully inspire to create. I feel that it is my duty as a female in the film industry to be part of change and influence as much hope and love as possible. My goal is to contribute towards something much bigger than just video on a screen. For me, It has to be much more than that.
How can artists connect with other artists?
I can relate. Being an artist can be lonely. We’re in our heads so much, that’s how we make art! But my advice is to force yourself to get out and talk. Talk to anyone. Even if it’s a, “How’s your day?” to the cashier. I think that no matter how much we like to be alone, we always need human connection. I think that’s where you’ll find the best inspiration. If that doesn’t work, there are plenty of Facebook groups you can join or even free events that you can attend. Here’s one that I’ve been using often:
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
You can find my work online!
www.ShadowVisualProductions.com
instagram:
@ShadowVisualProductions
@Ale_jandra_castro
Feel free to reach out and connect! I always love meeting more artists!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ShadowVisualProductions.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: ale_jandra_castro
Image Credit:
Nathaniel Regier
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
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