Today we’d like to introduce you to Rafael Zubizarreta.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
This entire journey began as a kid. The summer of 1994 to be exact. My friends and I were always big into the fantasy/sci-fi genre growing up. We constantly found ourselves enjoying the same films and video games. We grew up with all of the fantasy films of the 80’s and 90’s. Conan, Legend, The Beastmaster, Krull, etc.. These films left a lasting impression on me personally as a kid that carried well into adulthood.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been fascinated with creating random drawings and characters from that genre, usually for my own amusement. It wasn’t until my 6th-grade year in middle school that I overheard a group of kids sitting on a bench playing what I can only assume was Dungeons and Dragons. There was a guy sitting in the center of their little group who was sort of narrating to these other kids as to what they were seeing and experiencing. I remember the other kids being captivated and hanging on the guy’s every word. I was enthralled by this as I awkwardly lingered near the bench to hear what was going on in their “quest”. I remember being so interested in witnessing how into the game these other kids were. Their minds were completely taken away into this fantasy world that this dungeon master was presenting to them. I wanted to do the same with my friends, but with my own touch.
Fast forward to that summer. That experience I had witnessed at school had been on my mind for quite some time. I knew that I wanted to create something for a while and present it to my friends but had no idea where to start. While at a friend’s house late one night, I decided to just put it out there and see what happened. I asked my group of friends, “Hey, you guys want to play….quest?”. Obviously, they had no clue what I was talking about. I explained to them that they each create their own character from scratch and I put them through a series of adventures and scenarios in which they react as their character. Of course, they all agreed to try it out and off we went. That night it was kind of a test run to see if this would be a thing or not. Started out kind of shaky but before we knew it, the sun was coming up and we had played for nearly 4 hours without even realizing it. It pretty much became official in my mind that night that this would be something that I can build on.
As the months and years went by, we played more and more. What would once be a spur of the moment idea or character would now become a solidified person or event in the game that helped to alter it in some way whether it be good or bad. I realized quickly that I needed to have a name for this game. After naming it a few things over the first couple of years, I finally came to the concrete name of “Windward Spirits”. That name came from me listening to one of my friends one night when we were about to play. Someone asked, “What will we do in this quest guys?”. My friend responded with “I don’t really know. Wherever the wind may take us.” Hence the name, “Windward Spirits”.
As the game progressed, I knew that I also needed to create a detailed map to give some geography of where these characters were in this realm. Storylines began popping up all over the place in the game mostly due to the actions of the players. New characters were constantly introduced. I drew several thick sketchbooks of creatures within the world that these players were interacting with. Each creature with detailed descriptions. I made books of items, weapons, armors, and various kings and queens of importance. The entire game just took on a life of its own. What was cool was that kids from all around my neighborhood would randomly stop by here and there to listen in on us playing or even try to play themselves sometimes. This legitimately went on for well over a decade off and on. Sometimes we’d play for months at a time. Other times we’d go a long hiatus from playing. Regardless though, the game was always there. Always. Whether we were school kids or grown men with jobs and relationships who just wanted a break from reality. We’d still make some time for Windward Spirits when we had the chance.
Fast forward to now. I’m a blessed man to have a beautiful wife and kids living in Southern California. I never would’ve thought coming to live out here by myself without knowing a soul in 2009 that I’d have the life that I have now. I’ve always been an actor at heart which is the main reason I had moved out here from Texas to begin with. Choosing to pursue the dream nearly two decades ago, I’ve had many highs and lows in my journey for sure. One thing is for certain, I’ve never given up on the business. It was in mid-2015 that I decided I needed to change my approach on things though. I was becoming frustrated. Knowing damn good and well that I had a lot to offer in this business but couldn’t quite get that chance it seemed. Having a very young family at the time, I decided to take matters into my own hands and create my own story with my Windward Spirits film series. It’s changed the way that I look at everything in my life. Creating my own story, business, and ultimately becoming my own creative head of a project was something that has brought pure joy to my heart. Words will never be able to fully express how truly grateful I am for my family and my team. Without the help of so many, especially my family, the Windward Spirits project would’ve never been possible. I now have my very own fantasy short film trilogy series that all came from a game with a group of kids in a small town in Texas. We are currently looking for distribution for the series as we speak. However, what’s more important is that this experience has opened up my eyes beyond all measure. It’s reinvigorated that creative childhood excitement that I use to carry with me as a kid with this game. It’s no longer just a little game shared among myself and a couple of dozen friends. I have now put it out for the world to see. I hope those who ever come around to watching it feels the same and enjoys it.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No. It has not been a smooth road by any means. There have been many ups and downs throughout this journey. I am grateful that I’ve used my frustrations of the downs into going after my passion and creating and doing something about it instead of blaming others. It’s amazing how having a positive outlook on things can really propel you to great things.
Over the years, there has been an insane amount of rejection. Whether it was going out for countless projects that I really really wanted and didn’t get. Or whether it was basically starving because I was making so little money while doing theatre in New York. Or just struggling with myself about where I was in my life at different times and not feeling like I was good enough. There’s always been struggles. Like I’ve always said though, no matter how hard I was struggling at whatever time in my life, there’s always been this little tiny voice in the back of my mind that would continuously say, “Keep going. Just keep going”. I’m glad I’ve listened to that.
It’s easy to get discouraged in this business. Very easy. By no means am I saying that I’ve arrived or that I’ve done anything great. However, I am saying that I’m truly happy about where I’m at in my life and taking matters into my own hands. At the end of the day, I just got tired of hearing “No”. I know that I’m better than that. So I’ll keep creating and saying “Yes”. That’s what it’s all about. Doing what makes you truly happy.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I officially created Zubi Productions in the summer of 2018. As of right now, Zubi Productions exclusively is known for the Windward Spirits film series. My wife and I are the heads of the business. I take great pride in knowing that our business can collaborate and establish solid business relationships with other production companies who work with us on our films. Keeping strong business relationships in this field is vital to everyone succeeding.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up as a military brat. My father spent 23 years in the US Army so we moved a lot for about the first 12 years of my life. From Germany to Colorado, back to Germany, to Louisiana, and finally retiring in Texas where I spent my pre-teen/teen years. Because we moved around a lot, we were very cultured and open-minded when it came to the diversity of our neighbors. That’s one of the many things I’m most grateful for growing up. Having so many diverse friends of all backgrounds. When you’re living on a small US base, especially overseas, you don’t care what someone’s ethnicity is. You just want to play and have fun. So as a result, just about all of my childhood friends are of mixed ethnicity. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
As a kid in school, I was pretty quiet and shy. Especially in my high school years. I had my own group of close friends. Aside from that, I was overlooked most of the time because I was so quiet and awkward. It wasn’t until I graduated from high school that I started coming out of my shell and actually getting out there and having a voice. Taking my first acting class at the age of 19 in Austin, Texas really helped me tremendously. It got me out of that comfort zone and the rest is history. I took many different acting classes throughout my early 20’s that truly helped spark things in me which I had never known existed. Ultimately, I was a late bloomer but I did eventually bloom. For the most part, I guess you can say.
Pricing:
- Windward Spirits Crossed Swords T-shirts – $20 on our website.
- Windward Spirits: On Deadly Grounds Character Posters – $18 on our website.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.windwardspirits.net
- Phone: 254-247-7954
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @windward_spirits
- Facebook: Windward Spirits Universe
- Twitter: @WindwardSpirits
Image Credit:
Brian Wright, Jaleel Sampay
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.
