Today we’d like to introduce you to Trevor Hollander.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Trevor. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’m going to tell you how I went from bartender to a full-time Editor, DP and the Manager of Norkai Studios.
Less than two years ago, I was working as a bartender in Marina Del Rey; spending my spare time reading about filmmaking, watching tutorials online, and researching the essential tools I would need to get my start. Though I was certified in the Adobe Creative Suite and practiced taking photos during daily activities, hiking, skateboarding and traveling, there was much to learn and it was slow going.
That all changed one fateful day at the bar.
Being a bartender, you never know who you’re going to meet. One night, I met the co-founder of Wrapal (www.wrapal.com) and action director, Brian L Tan “BLT” who was chatting with other guests about how he needed an editor for a series of travel videos. It seemed right up my alley. I calmly approached the two and mentioned how I was an aspiring editor who really wanted a project to showcase my burgeoning skills. After seeing some of my work, he hired me to edit the first film in his travel series.
That very same month, word got to us that Conde Nast Traveler was hosting its annual “Shorties” film contest and we decided to tailor our film to the competition. BLT directed me to not only edit amazing visuals but to tell a story too. We came up with a script for another talented friend of Brian’s, Miles Allen (link to Miles’ page), to read a voiceover that would add a strong storytelling element to the video. With less than a few hours before the competition closed, we submitted our film “Sole Searching”.
Sole Searching
Not long after, BLT received an email that we had won the film contest! We were invited out to New York for an amazing ceremony attended by the entire CN team, including the Editor in Chief of the magazine. We also not only won a cash prize but a free trip to South Africa as well.
It was a dream come true and later that year, we spent an entire month in Africa venturing from South Africa to Swaziland, Mozambique to Namibia and many more. Being an extremely experienced traveler, Brian showed me the tips and tricks of traveling on a budget without diluting the overall quality of the trip.
Since then, I have filmed and edited projects for the ILA Swimwear Company in Hawaii (http://ilaswim.us/), filmed a commercial with Cheech Marin for the state of California (http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-new-state-website-makes-it-easier-for-1512770247-htmlstory.html), another film in the Sole Searching series about Cuba”, as well projects with another friend at Coldea Productions (https://www.coldeaproductions.com/).
Recently, I was given the opportunity to manage Norkai Studios (www.norkai.com) in downtown LA; I’m currently working on new projects for this year and creating new partnerships for our company!
All in all this last year has been full of surprises, with the many projects ahead and moving forward into this new chapter in my life, I can’t wait to see what the future holds! I want to thank my girlfriend Melissa for being supportive and always being there for me, my parents for loving me no matter what and BLT for being an amazing mentor and business partner.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Though I’ve had an amazing year, it hasn’t always been smooth sailing. From the fourteen hour days on set, to edit sessions that last until sunrise to meet a deadline, this industry is not an easy one to be in. Most people don’t realize the amount of time and energy that goes into a production. They only see the final product. I’ve sacrificed a lot of time from my personal life to get to this position. On top of the low pay, I’ve missed birthdays, trips with friends and holidays with the family.
At the end though, its all worth it as I’d like to think that there is a payoff to all of the hard work one puts in. As they say: You can’t get distracted or ever think you’re done with learning. The ever-changing components of this industry forbid the mentality of “I know it all”. So, even though I’ll never really know it all, as long as I’m willing to put in the time to learn and get better, that’s fine by me.
Norkai Studios – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As the Stage Manager at Norkai Studios (www.norkai.com), I manage a curated selection of affordable, quality standing sets, as well as a large selection of professional camera and lighting gear. We set out to establish a sound stage and studio built by filmmakers, for other filmmakers, specifically independent and student filmmakers who cannot afford to rent large, sprawling Hollywood sound stages for their films. We decided to focus on creating smaller, pre-built ‘macro’ standing sets that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive to lease.
We’ve been partnering up with local film schools, Actor Reel companies, and low budget filmmakers as well. Being a Cinematographer and Editor, I understand what it’s like to rent from both expensive studios and location owners, so our willingness to work with independent production, film and studio companies is really what sets us apart from the rest.
Also, a lot of the bigger production and studio companies look at each other as strict competitors – Whereas we see an opportunity to provide and recommend other companies for the services or equipment we may not be able to provide. Ultimately, we hope that by being collaborative, we’re helping make the local and student filmmaking community stronger.
What role has luck (good luck or bad luck) played in your life and business?
I believe luck is a direct result of hard work, networking, and chance. My first project with Brian came from a conversation while I was working at a bar. Had I only shown interest but had nothing for him to view, he very well might have passed the job to someone else. And that would mean we wouldn’t have won the film contest together, nor would I be here doing this interview. So, to a large extent, I think luck is important but is nothing without preparation, talent and hard work to follow through.
Pricing:
- Less than 15 people (including Cast & Crew): $800 / 12 Hrs.
- Less than 15 people (including Cast & Crew): $400 / 6 Hrs.
Contact Info:
- Address: 516 E. 4th Street
Los Angeles, CA - Website: www.norkai.com
- Phone: 310-944-2777
- Email: trevor@nokai.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/norkai.la/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/norkaistages/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/trevorortravis/
Image Credit:
Brian L Tan, Erik Valdez, Love Tahnee
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