Today we’d like to introduce you to Chrisline Raymundo.
Chrisline, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m a self-taught video editor. I have always been naturally inclined to the arts and started drawing from a very young age. When I was around 10 or 11 years old, I started learning how to use Photoshop because I wanted to figure out how to change the color of my hair to pink and make my Myspace profile look pretty. In 2007, I was 12 years old and inspired by the influx of Asian-American creators on YouTube, like Wong Fu Productions, Michelle Phan, and Happy Slip. I started learning how to make videos. Editing was (and still is) my favorite part of the process. I spent a lot of time playing around with programs.
These experiences eventually led me to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Media Studies at University of California, Irvine. While being a full-time student, other than making films, analyzing and writing about films, I also took photos and videos for extracurriculars I was in, took on freelance gigs, and worked two part-time jobs. Throughout college, I had a mix of responses from people. There were a lot of people who doubted me and thought I was wasting my life away, urging me to major in something else. On the other hand, there are also a lot of people who believe in me. Believing in myself and people believing in me are what kept me going. I am also really fortunate to have parents who did not pressure me and are very supportive of me.
In 2017, I graduated from the University of California, Irvine, with two Bachelor’s degrees in Film and Media Studies and Education Sciences. The first year after graduation was tough. I moved back to Los Angeles. I turned in hundreds of applications and either received a lot of rejection emails or no response at all from companies. I had a hard time eating and sleeping at night. I also took on unpaid internships to gain more experience. Even though I enjoyed filming and editing videos, taking those unpaid internships on, took a toll on me. Freelance gigs were hard to come by. I was a low-income graduate with student loan debt, and I was using my savings from my part-time jobs in college to continue an unpaid internship.
I went about different ways of searching for a job. I cold-emailed a couple of individuals who I thought might be interested in working with me even though they might not be actively looking for a videographer or a video editor. I got a few freelance jobs that way. People that I worked with, mostly videographers and producers, also recommended me for jobs. I was happy that I was given a lot of creative freedom on many projects. For more than two years, I’ve been working as a full-time freelance video editor and work mostly with fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands, production companies, and YouTube content creators.
Has it been a smooth road?
Being a freelancer is so much fun. I put my heart and soul into my work, but there is a lot of learning as you go. One thing I personally struggled with is managing a work-life balance. I feel like hustle culture is glamorized. Since I worked for myself, I felt obligated to work every waking hour. I think I had this mentality because having work in the first place is better than not having any work at all. Some weeks and even months can get really busy and I prioritize work over everything else. It affected my mental and physical health as well as my relationships. I had to get better at scheduling. I had to learn how to say no to some projects even if I really wanted to work on them. I also try to work only 9-to-5 for five days of the week. I work on nights and weekends if I absolutely need to, but for the most part, once it hits 5 PM, it is my free time to do whatever I want. Sometimes I’ll work on my own personal projects, read, exercise, watch movies and TV shows, or even learn new skills.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a freelance video editor. I work mostly with fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands, production companies, and YouTube content creators. I am mostly known for my video editing and graphic design, particularly motion graphics. The graphics are tailored for each client.
Even if I’ve worked on a project for days or weeks (sometimes months), I get very excited when a video gets published and anyone in the world can see them.
Some people think a “video editor” and a “motion graphics artist” is the same thing, but it’s not. Graphic design is not a skill that most video editors have. I think what sets me apart from others is that I am a video editor who happens to know how to make graphics. I am also very detail-oriented and take the time to do research for a client’s branding. Understanding a client’s branding and creative direction makes the job easier and more fun. I don’t create work just to make them look pretty. It has a purpose.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love Los Angeles. I was born and raised here. LA is very big – There is always something to do. There are so many hidden gems that I find even when I’m walking in my own neighborhood. There is a niche for everything here. You can find a lot of people from different walks of life and different cultures. Food is one of the best parts of LA. I also love that there is so much creativity here. When I was younger, I used to live in a neighborhood where they would film movies and tv shows all the time and I loved watching the shoots outside my window.
The traffic doesn’t really bother me and I think it’s because I’ve gone to places that had worse traffic. I also just leave earlier when going somewhere. One of the things I don’t like about LA is the gentrification since it’s affecting a lot of low-income communities and small mom-and-pop businesses.
Contact Info:
- Website: chrislineraymundo.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrislinecamillerose/
Image Credit:
Chrisline Raymundo
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
