Daily Inspiration: Meet Victor Rocha

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victor Rocha.

Hi Victor, 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 feel like I’ve already lived lifetimes. I grew up in Lindsay, CA, a city full of people that looked like me, until I moved to Exeter a few minutes over and, eventually, to UCLA. The move from a predominantly Mexican neighborhood to somewhere more white and then an extremely multicultural city really shaped my view of what I believe in and fight for. I think without that background, I wouldn’t be who I am today — someone that roots for underdogs.

I moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television at UCLA’s film school. Upon moving here seven years ago, I learned everything I could about the entertainment industry, all facets of production, and how to network effectively (if you want my secret: just be nice to people. It’s easier to ask a friend to help than it is to ask an acquaintance for a favor.). I graduated in 2020 and managed to turn my internship with Sony Pictures Television into a full-time gig with their drama department. It was only after working in that department for over a year (and Sony for nearly five) that I decided I wanted to go freelance and pursue my passions my way. With the support of my old teams, I sold a pilot to the comedy team and left the company to pursue freelance positions in writer’s rooms. As I grew up outside of college and found my own passion in storytelling, I realized that what I was always fighting for was a rather small list. I fight for people of color, I fight for queer people, I fight for the people who need someone to look at them, hear their dreams, and say “You can do that,” because I wish I had more of that when I got here.

Since then, I’ve kept up my career in film and television while pursuing a second career in music. I made a new friend that changed my perspective on what I thought I could do. I felt as if I had reached my potential, but there were still so many things I wanted to do, and it just took one person saying they thought I could also do that. In the past year, I’ve built out my network in the music industry, signed on two musicians, and worked with tons of other artists, illustrators, directors, anyone who needs someone cheering on their sidelines.

Having a career in film and television and then balancing it with a career in music isn’t extremely common; I haven’t heard of any “showrunner music managers.” But that hasn’t stopped me. I know I am good at both telling stories and representing other people through their own; I feel lucky to be in a position where it can all be possible.

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 don’t know if anything is ever a smooth road, you just have to get really good at driving. I think the hardships I’ve faced are twofold- one is as simple as time management, the other is as difficult as self-doubt. Not having a clear idol to look up to who has pursued a career in the way that I have makes it less of a “walking in their footsteps” and more of a “choose your own adventure,” and that can be difficult to wrap your head around. Learning to respect my own time and energy, on top of making sure my musicians feel like my time is also theirs, is a balancing act that can be hard to manage. It’s also difficult to feel like maybe things aren’t working because you haven’t seen them work this way before. But the challenge and solution is thinking — maybe this is the first time we’re doing this, but that might be why it’s going to work. When I feel the most self-doubt, I’ve found that what helps me is changing my perspective. If I feel so good managing my musicians and being there for my friends, I should treat myself like a musician and a friend. How can I use the skills I have picked up over the past seven years to help myself? What would I tell my musicians if they asked for an extension on a project? How hard do I push them to do better? Learning to manage yourself is a new task, but if you can pull it off — it might be what saves you.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I was recently complimented for being a jack-of-all-trades and it hit me that in searching for something I was good at, I had learned a lot. I think what I value most about my upbringing was growing up broke. Seeing the effort my grandparents and parents had to put into their work in order to survive instilled a sense of workmanship in me that I don’t think I would have found otherwise. I understand the value of money, I understand taking a job to pay the bills even if it doesn’t align with what I want to do, and I understand how I can best use resources instead of wasting them. Moving from on-set gigs to development jobs to freelancing has equipped me to wear a lot of hats within my endeavors. I can step in when an editor needs help, I can help the lighting team when they’re shorthanded, I can network and pitch with my eyes closed, and I can produce in a way that would make my mother proud, making sure we don’t spend a penny more than we need to. On top of becoming a multi-hyphenate, acquiring a diverse skillset is what sets me apart. I can wear a hat well, but I can change my entire outfit if that’s what’s needed.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I think we’re at a huge turning point in all industries right now. With the writers’ strike hitting over 120 days, the writers have shown that they won’t take a shit deal, they can’t be broken, they would rather starve than go back to the way they were being treated before. And that’s started a huge labor movement within many different industries and facet of the industry. UPS almost went on strike, Marvel VFX artists are working to unionize, and songwriters are asking if they should unionize, too. What we are seeing is artists deciding if what they have is enough and, in my opinion, we don’t. When capitalism stepped in, the reigns were taken by people who cared about profits more than artistry and in the next 5-10 years, I hope to see us taking it back. We’re here to paint, we’re here to write, we’re here to sing and produce, we are not a tax write-off, we are not your winter bonus.

Contact Info:

• Website: 245management.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victormoralesrocha/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vmr1998/

Image Credits
Nora McCoy, Emily Stern