Today we’d like to introduce you to James Reyes.
James, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
For more than half my life, I feel like I was always attracted to the camera. In middle school, I was in love with film making and would make videos with my friends, mainly for us to watch and have fun. Making these videos as a kid sparked a flame inside me that began my lifelong passion for filmmaking. This flame inside me burned and was eager to learn more and more about making the best videos I can. I spent hours and hours learning how to use editing software like Final Cut Pro and Adobe After Effects. Not a day went by where I didn’t want to learn more about this craft. This passion for film making carried on with me all throughout middle school and high school. But as I was getting older, I was bombarded with the question, “what are your future plans?” I responded with, “I want to make it in the film industry.” I then usually received one of the two answers, “it’s a tough and risky business,” or “you won’t make a lot of money.” I never made videos with the intent of getting famous or making money, I made them because it gave me joy and it was something to get better at every day. But the more “bad” things I heard about making film a professional career, I started to doubt myself and my skills. I began to believe those who told me I couldn’t do it and I started to question myself. I was scared of the future and decided to take a “normal” route.
As I graduated high school, I went into college majoring in kinesiology, with the goal to one day become a physical therapist. I attended class, got good grades, took up internships, and was en route to become a physical therapist. I was doing it. But the more I was exposed to the environment, the more I realized that this plan was not for me. This plan was just to please others. Even though I found it interesting and was good at it, I knew that it was not my calling. Throughout this hiatus I took from film making, I knew that deep down the flame inside me was longing to be rekindled. I wanted to reconnect with my roots in film making, editing, and photography, so I stopped lying to myself and proceeded to get back into it. Ever since I’ve stopped lying to myself for the satisfaction of others, I’ve never been happier.
Has it been a smooth road?
Like every artist, and every person trying to make something of themselves, the road is never smooth. You will always find roadblocks in the way, but if you REALLY want it, you will find a way to overcome these obstacles. For myself, most of the obstacles that I faced were mental. During my time that I was committed to be a physical therapist, I would force myself to believe that I liked it. I started to believe this inner “false self” and it would eat me alive. I would tell myself that I wasn’t good enough to make it in film and this was the best option. I would fill my head with negative thoughts and would be in this cycle of de-valuing myself. This really took a toll on me because I became insecure, afraid, and hopeless. But something kept pulling me back into film making. This was my “real self” telling me that, if I wanted to live a happy life, make more films. When I started to become creative again, I slowly fought my inner demons and that’s how I knew that I needed film making in my life. This was the cure to my depression and each day that I create, I gain a new strength that overcomes the fear inside me.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I aim to make my films visually stunning and entertaining to whoever is watching. Whether it’s special effects, quick and clean edits, or color grading to match the tone I’m looking for, I want the eyes of the viewer to be drawn to the screen. I always like new challenges and trying out new styles of filming to broaden my spectrum. For example, I like shooting music videos, fashion videos, action scenes, and YouTube skits, to name a few. As an artist, it is most important to stay true to your own style of creating and not to conform to others. I believe this is what sets me apart from others because no one has the same “eyes” or vision that I have when creating. Each artist is gifted with their own vision, so why imitate another and let one’s uniqueness fade away.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I believe our city is a great place to meet new creatives who have similar goals. Los Angeles is a global art scene, so whatever your background is, you will always find someone that will inspire or help you. But since the art scene here is growing rapidly, you will run into many “snakes” while trying to make it. These are the people who only care for fame or fortune and will only stick around if you have something to offer them. Beware of the “snakes”.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jamesreyyes.wixsite.com/blog
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesreyyes/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamesreyyes
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw2KZfH91RJCDyeVYVZvrnA
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