Life & Work with Ryan Cultrera

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Cultrera.

Hi Ryan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in pretty much the exact opposite corner of the country, the town of Eliot, Maine. Yep, another small-town kid coming to LA to be in film! I knew from age 6 onward that I wanted to be in movies. Honestly, I can remember the exact moment. It was when the credits rolled on Jurassic Park and I saw “directed by Steven Spielberg”. Now, at the time, the person didn’t ring a bell, but what was a director? When my parents explained that what I had just watched was brought to life by a team of people, well, I knew that’s what I had to dedicate my life to. And I never looked back.

Middle school, junior high, high school. I was the movie kid. Ask me about your favorite film and I could spew back the cast, crew, and trivia. I couldn’t retain any of the math I learned, but hey, I had to make mental space for who designed the special effects on Terminator 2.

Growing up in New England meant I was surrounded by the spooky, by historical graveyards in every backyard, by dead leaves crunching under my boots as I trick r treated, by dark forests with strange things lurking. And so, my love of horror grew and merged with my filmmaking goals. Now, I didn’t want to be just any kind of filmmaker; I wanted to be a horror filmmaker. I fell in love with the odd, with the monsters in black in white who were just misunderstood. And I felt a kinship.

When I graduated, there was no question about what I wanted to major in. My path first took me to URI, then to Emerson College, where I majored in film. I know, shocker. And where does a film major go? Well, LA of course. I loved New England, but I knew if I wanted to try and crack into the film world, I’d have to start by being a big ol’ cliché. My high school best friend Shawn Curley led the way, and I soon joined him.

And well, here I am. Ten years later, still trying to crack the formula, but never losing sight of those dreams.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I can’t say it has been the smoothest road, but to be honest, I wouldn’t really want it to be. Goals are worth fighting for, and nothing worth its salt is without struggle. I find myself exhausted sometimes, like I’m screaming into the void “Let me create!”. However, would I want my accomplishments to be handed to me on a silver platter? Absolutely not. The satisfaction comes not only from achieving the goals (hopefully!) but from earning them and by not letting this town dim the stars in your eyes even when it may feel silly to keep dreaming sometimes.

I think my biggest struggles are often self-made. Mainly, I get caught in ruts caused by comparison. I see my friends making huge career strides and can get so caught up in wondering why I’m not there. Hell, most of my 20’s were spent repeating in frustration, “Spielberg made Jaws at 26, I have to hurry”. But in recent years, I’ve been working to take a step back from this sort of thing. Everyone achieves in their own time, at their own pace. It’s so hard to look at how far you’ve come when you’re hyper-focused at who is ahead of you on the path. Is it easier said than done? Absolutely. But it’s something I’m working on.

So do I feel like I have achieved a lot so far? Sure. Am I where I want to be in my career? Not by a mile. I still want to make features and share my stories with a bigger audience. But I’m refocusing on finding joy in just the act of creation instead of putting so much emphasis and importance on everything landing and moving my career forward. The support (and patience) of my parents and my girlfriend helped me recalibrate to this perspective, and It’s a healthier way of approaching this. Focus on making the things you want to make, and maybe by doing so, other things will fall into place. That’s been my approach for 2023 and has helped this be one of my most procreative years in a while.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My road has taken me to some interesting places. I split my unquenchable need to entertain between directing, hosting, and editing. As a host, I’ve taken on an array of projects. I had a show called Where It Was Made, which was part of the Joblo Movie Network. On WIWM, I took audiences on a monthly tour of the locations from their favorite movies. Along the way, I got to interview some awesome people and experience nerdy dreams come true. I directed Robert Englund in character as Freddy Krueger; I drove a DeLorean through the Clocktower square from Back to the Future on the exact day that Marty McFly traveled through time, I learned behind-the-scenes tales from Jaws from the man who wrote it, Carl Gottlieb. My time with that show taught me how to take my nerdy passions and turn them into a profession.

And of course, I maintain my deep love of horror. I host a horror talk show called Sounds Scary, where we take hour-long deep dives into the careers of horror creators. With my co-host James Oster, I’ve gotten to speak with the likes of Kevin Smith, Barbara Crampton, Jason Blum, and so many spooky creators. I co-founded and hosted a spooky short film festival with Jim Garrett called the Halloween Mixtape. I also recently launched a podcast with Jacob Davison called The Hallo-Rewind, where we are joined by guests to break down their favorite Halloween specials from childhood.

In editing, I found myself working in the trailer world. I got to work on a wide array of major projects, from Stephen King’s IT, to the Avengers, from Cobra Kai to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I also have the ongoing privilege of partnering with the Stan Winston School of Character Arts from time to time, which is a beautiful full-circle moment for me since Stan Winston himself did the effects on the movie that started all this, Jurassic Park.

And lastly, I have recently started to redevelop my love of directing shorts. I made five new films in 2023 and hope to continue that trend over the next year. Directing was what originally “brought me to the dance”, and it was been an absolute joy to get back into it this year after such a long break to focus on editing. While the ultimate goal is still to make features, it has been so valuable to shake off the rust and put the director’s hat back on.

So in all, I just love making stuff and will continue to cast a wide net until it leads me to where I need to be.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
When I came out to LA, I was so focused on finding a mentor. I had to find a Yoda to offer sage advice and teach me how to master my craft. I am yet to find that figure, but at the same time, I kind of have. Mentorship can come in micro-burts just as easily as it can from a figurehead. I recently realized how experience itself can be a powerful mentor. When you take a step back and shift focus away from a single person, you realize that you have in fact been mentored in time. Absorb little tidbits from everyone you work with, jot them down in a notepad. Even sources you wouldn’t expect can provide valuable mentorship. For example, when it came time to lead a team of my own recently, I just did the opposite of what an awful producer I worked for used to, and it ended up being a great tactic. Though lessons and skills certainly can come from adversity, it’s obviously better to focus on positive role models in your life. Keep an open ear and mind, and stay constantly curious. Ask about everything and anything you can, and you could even be your own mentor. But hey, having said that, if Guillermo del Toro is reading this…I’m still certainly open to a mentor!

Networking can be tricky. It’s so hard to not come off as the “what can you do for me” type in every interaction. It’s a tough line to walk, for sure, especially in LA crowds. My approach to networking is to never treat it as such. I try to go in with the mentality of meeting someone new and getting to know them first and foremost. I like to find common ground and interest, and if it leads to the eventual “what do you do” talk, then great! It won’t feel forced, or like you’re entering the conversation with an end goal. I feel like people can sense that, and it often seems to lead to the opposite effect. Let’s talk about the Red Sox for a bit, and hey, maybe eventually we can talk shop. Some of my best networked opportunities came from conversations that had absolutely nothing to do with career. I think it’s refreshing for people in a city where everyone is trying to use conversation as advancement.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryan_cultrera/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-cultrera-7537a738/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ryan_cultrera?lang=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@smalltownpictures
• SoundCloud: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hallo-rewind/id1714529469
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/@SoundsScary