A Love Letter TO FILM

Goodfellas (1990)

One way or another, film has shaped the world around me. Growing up, I had a father who acted like he was in a movie at all times and who occasionally introduced me to blockbuster hits and classic films from the early ’90s through the 2000s. On top of that, I would frequently binge-watch both old and new films that reflected current issues, problems, or relationships in my own life. Watching them often feels like a strange kind of déjà vu, as if I’m experiencing something and thinking, “I’ve seen this before.”

How I started:

During middle school, I was severely infatuated with taking photos. This included fashion posts on Instagram for my friends and me, as well as landscape photos and random shots of moments I thought looked cinematic. This interest followed me into high school, where I would take it more seriously and begin to create my social media presence. During this time, I have been following many social media influencers on various platforms as well as YouTube. I would spend my days watching cinematic videos of peoples' lives and wishing I could capture my life the same way, even if my life is boring. I started thinking to myself, maybe this is something I want to do in the future. I want to be able to create videos that people can watch, relate, and feel something towards it. During the college application process, I proceeded to apply to multiple universities for the Arts program (Film or Fashion). After graduating, the christmas of that same year, I was gifted my very first and official camera, a Canon Rebel T7. This had in fact motivated me to become the best I could with photography, a step closer in being able to make my own films. After countless hours working at my dreadful retail job, a year later I was able to purchase my first videoagraphy camera, a Sony- a7iii.

Since then, I have been recording, color grading, and editing my own short cinematic videos, constantly thinking of film script ideas, and actively watching films that can help and influence my storytelling and overall understanding of what it takes to create a great film.