Check Out Veronica Farias’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Veronica Farias.

Hi Veronica, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico and since I was a little girl I always wanted to be an actress, I would grab my dad’s camera and do little short films, I would put my sisters, family, neighbors to act in them, I acted in them, directed, and edited these little home videos. Eventually it came to the point that I had to pick a college. I told my dad I wanted to study acting but he said to study something “real” first and then I could explore acting. I tried for a year and it just didn’t work for me, it seemed like forcing myself to do something I didn’t want to do just wasn’t for me. I knew I wanted to live in New York since the first time I visited. I said I have to live here. My whole room back home was painted and decorated with New York things. So, I didn’t enroll for college the next year and got a scholarship to the The New York Film Academy in New York, spoke to my parents and told them this is what I wanted to do so they supported me basically because I didn’t leave them any other choice.

I arrived to NY and completely fell in love with it. It was an intense acting program and had the privilege to work with, what I believe, to be some of the best teachers in the world. I studied a wide range of techniques like Meisner, Adler, Strasberg, Grotowski, Shakespeare, Mask, Clown, Movement, Speech, and on and on. It was tough but beautiful. It was a lot of unlearning to really learn how to be real. At the beginning I wasn’t getting acting, it took me years for it to finally click. It took a lot of work but one day in the middle of a very intense scene, my teacher was like “that, there it is” and until I was able to truly do it, is when I understood what I had to do. After finishing The New York FIlm’s Academy program I transferred my credits to the New School and continued polishing my artistic career, I took filmmaking, screenwriting, writing, painting classes and shortly after graduating I joined a theater company, did off Broadway shows and performed all sorts of plays where I really learned to apply everything I learned in front of an audience. I loved the theater because it is so raw and you really can’t hide in the edit. In film you can do as many takes, you can’t cut the best pieces, if you forget a line you just do it again, in the theater there is none of that. You have no choice but to be. My work eventually earned me a nomination as best actress in the Theater Company and eventually got cast in more productions.

Then the pandemic hit and everything just paused. New York was completely closed. I went home to Mexico while it reopened and I thought it would just be a couple of weeks. New York took way longer than that to resume life. During that year I really couldn’t do any acting and was extremely anxious so I retook a hobby that just came naturally to me since I was younger. Filming, photography and editing was something that I just happened to be really good at but never took it beyond a hobby. I knew how to tell stories but didn’t know much about the technical aspects of a camera so I figured since I’m locked away here and happened to have my dad’s old camera there, I might as well take some online classes and learn more about it. As lockdown continues, my days would be; wake up, online classes and in the afternoons I would put into practice what I learned and practice it with my camera.

Towards the end of the year I realized it was time to leave, New York still wasn’t fully opened but Los Angeles was. I figured I would try LA, it had always been an option but never really tried it. If the pandemic didn’t happen, I would’ve never left New York. So, I called a friend that had been living in LA for years now and she very kindly let me live with her at her place, while I got a job, car and basically figure things out. This is when all my camera, filming, editing skills came to play where I found a lot jobs that paid me to do this. My LA friend also worked at Screen Engine, a market research company where they test movies in front of an audience and give a full-detailed report to the Studios. They happened to be hiring, she sent my resume, I had my interview and I got hired and been working there since. I love this job because I get to see this part of filmmaking that I never got to explore or even knew existed. When you play a movie in front of an audience, it’s kind of where rubber meets the road, how the audience reacts to your story, any changes you need to make, adjustments, reshoots and it’s a fascinating process to hear all these conversations, see the numbers, and how to go about making your story better. So, between this job and freelancing I was able to get my own place, get a car, eventually I signed with my agency, Avant Artists, and they represent me across the board; theatrical, commercial, print and Voice Over.

Now, this brings me to where I am now, between jobs, I’m auditioning, traveling, taking pictures, (I bring my camera everywhere), I love hanging out with my family and friends. Some of the best people I’ve met have been in NY and LA so I’m very thankful for the life I have. The people I’ve met. I see all of this as a wonderful journey because if you know nothing about life you are doomed as an Artist.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t. I guess in the bigger story it looks smooth but the chapters have been challenging. As an actor, there are so many things outside of your control, you may have had a great audition but maybe they are looking for someone different, it could be the smallest thing, and it has nothing to do with you or your talent. I guess that has been my biggest struggle, struggling with the fact that talent isn’t enough. When I see people being cast based on their # of followers, over the actor who is really talented, it breaks my heart. I’ve seen it happen right in front of me. Multiple times. Accepting this idea has been really, really hard on me. I’m still struggling to accept it.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
To expand a little on it:

As an actress, well I audition non stop.
As a cinematographer/editor/photographer: People hire me to shoot their films, edit or I get hired as a photographer. I also work with people to help them create material for their social media. Basically people hire me to help them tell their stories.
Directing: Direct different projects from time to time.
My filmmaking market research job: Screen Engine, a market research company where they test movies in front of an audience and give a full-detailed report to the Studios. Clients include, Disney, Warner Brothers, Universal, Sony, Netflix, Indie’s and many more. I love this job because I get to see this part of filmmaking that I never got to explore or even knew existed. When you play a movie in front of an audience, it’s kind of where rubber meets the road, how the audience reacts to your story, any changes you need to make, adjustments, reshoots and it’s a fascinating process to hear all these conversations, see the numbers, and how to go about making your story better. One of the things I’ve enjoyed learning is the CEO of Screen Engine, Kevin Goetz, besides working with him, I get to film him as well, when we work together, I get to hear him report to the studios, advice them, do Focus Groups and so on and when I film him let say doing interviews, I get to see the bigger picture so it’s a full circle moment.

I think what sets me apart from others is that I have a wide and unique experience in storytelling due to the different scopes I have access to. It could be from behind to in front of the camera, to lights, to the editing room, to how something could be magically shot and it doesn’t land with an audience and to dissect how to fix it.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Being yourself is the best way to making authentic connections. With that you attract the right people.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.veronicafarias.com (actor) and www.veronicalejandra.com (cinematography, editing and photography)
• Instagram: veronicafariasnyc
• Youtube: @veronicalejandra

Image Credits
Some of my shots holding the camera are thanks to Carter, my friend and colleague who always capture amazing BTS