Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Porras.
Hi Anthony, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I believe everything really started at Townsend JR, Chino Hills, Middle School. I was just a shy, short brown kid who just wanted to stay to himself. I didn’t care much for friendships, relationships or anything besides school grades and how I was feeling. Though all of that changed when I did start caring for friendships, lost memories and those little moments we forget. My mother got me a camera as an early birthday gift before heading into high school. That camera changed everything for me.
I was majorly camera shy but willing to change that to make friendships through creating vlogs and funny moments with friends. Just something to record and look back on in the future. That’s exactly what I did. Throughout my four years of Highschool, I was able to create my YouTube channel, have the most enjoyable high school experience and share it with everyone I talked too. From sneaking into the school pool, organizing school rallies in ASB and being president of AVID. I was a student who was ready for college, I mean, I was president of AVID which was a program for students to get into College. My Senior year, I was nominated for speech and it was a speech I didn’t know anything at all for. Nothing prepared at all until two days before the event. But I somehow ended up winning it all in San Francisco at the Google HQ for Digital4Good.
As high school came to an end, my college days were just about to begin. Until I ended up just not going to college. It just felt wrong for me to head back into school. I knew I loved filmmaking, documentaries and just the art of capturing the moment. So I dove straight into that focus. Couple of months into getting any camera job I could get my hands onto, I finally got an opportunity to craft a story.
My friend, Angel Trejo invited me to an esports event in LA, which I didn’t want to go to at all because PewDiePie just uploaded the finale of his Walking Dead Series. I ended up taking my friend Trejo to the event and somehow at the end of the night ended up landing a job with an esports team called Lazarus. I also never got to watch the premiere of PewDiePie’s finale of his Walking Dead Series till this day.
It’s been four years of working in esports now. I am a professional Videographer, Photographer and editor who works with top tier 1 organizations and the biggest content creators, influencers and social media stars. My Journey started from being camera shy and wanting to make friends to somehow working with this next generations stars. Though, all I want to do is create something I enjoy and shares extraordinary people’s stories.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a straight, smooth road at all! There has been some tough moments of losing friends, moving a TON and long nights awake. With my journey of working and not joining my high school friends in college, I personally had the feeling of FOMO (Fear of missing out). My videography journey didn’t just start straight off after high school, it took a bit. I was staying at home with my family as all my high school friends moved into dorm rooms, frat houses and etc.
Now I didn’t hate staying at home with family, I actually really enjoyed it. BUT It was the thought of not going to school with the people I grew up with. I was taking an entirely different route than they are. I lost friendships I wanted to keep because I didn’t stay. Then I finally got my esports job which moved me out, living in a gaming mansion but this wasn’t going to be my only move. I ended up moving 3-4 times each year after, which sounds great until you understand creating long-lasting friendships with people you meet takes some time and work. You might also need to hang out with these people and yet you can’t because you’re already moving again.
I love making friendships and meeting new people. My time in Germany Berlin, I met some of the funniest and greatest people. but back at home in California, Chino Hills, I never really got to see my best friends since living in another country. There was a part of me who just wanted to stay still and grow with my friends but I knew I shouldn’t.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Right now, I work for an esports organization called Soniqs Esports. With my 4-5 years of videography, editing and photography it got me to land jobs with organizations, creators and more but the team I’m with now has felt amazing to work with.
But besides working in esports, I really have a passion towards storytelling. Telling the stories of extraordinary people I find throughout my life. Right now, I focus on two things, my own life story and finding stories to tell from others.
My own life story is shared on my YouTube Channel called Anthony J Porras. Which share my everyday moment of hardships, funny moments and wonderful times with friends. I believe the difference is with my content is I want to stay true to who I am and the people I meet. No flashing lights, special editing or even zooms every 2 seconds to keep people interested. I don’t want to over exaggerate my own life online to others to believe my life is better. It’s not, it’s the same just need to get out there!
Then telling the stories of others. I believe everyone has a story to tell and share. Stories are what drives everyone to learn, understand and love or to hate something/someone. It fascinates me to learn, understand and acknowledge. With telling my story, I hope to find people and share their story along with mine. We learn so much from others everyday and we don’t even know it. I love how people find interest in things I don’t or even find new ones.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Luck? Luck was the moment at the esports event when I got my first job in the industry.
We were with a group of friends and I believe I was the oldest and out of school. Everyone in the group was either a videographer, photographer or have some type of editing knowledge. All beginners. One guy ended up getting call from Charlie Watson, CEO of Lazarus. He couldn’t accept the job so he passed it to others in the group. Though everyone else was either in school or already committed to their job.
I wasn’t. I was willing to leave my City of Chino job and quit at that very moment to take up a three months contract with Lazarus. I knew hardly anything really about a camera, videography and more. Though I had to act like I knew what to do which I did. That three months contract turned into a year contract with tons of more opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://anthonyjporras.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyap/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DirectedByAP
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUueMgEC3WiJNRmSOcOsVLg
Image Credits
Personal photos
