Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan Farinas.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I was younger I always had this creative drive. I constantly wanted to draw, create graphic art, take pictures, dance, and make videos. I watched a lot of YouTube videos growing up and they always inspired me to create my own homemade short films. I started off creating documentaries of my dogs to random music videos in my bedroom. Beginning in 2009, I remember I would be the “camera guy” filming my friends and me skateboarding and doing tricks off stairs and ledges on my Flip camcorder. I couldn’t wait to go home and stitch all of the clips together on Windows Movie Maker and add in songs like “How We Do” by The Game to play on top over the whole video (you can still watch this by YouTubing Ryboy678 haha). There was never a day where I wouldn’t film us skate because I constantly anticipated for the next video.
I fell in love with the whole process.
Capturing a moment of time inside this small gadget and bringing all these glimpses of memories together to create a whole video amazed me tremendously. It was a way to bring these memories back to life, virtually. This is why I choose to make videos today.
After high school, I applied for my first job at Starbucks where I was able to save up my own money and afford a “good enough” camera. I was so excited to go out and use it. I began filming me and my friends hanging out, having conversations, eating food, and making cinematic montages of trips. I wanted to film everything and make a monthly vlog about the things I did.
In 2017, I was asked to collaborate with my brother Noah Farinas, a professional photographer, to film my first wedding. It wasn’t until then where my mind shifted and I was able to recognize and fully understand what I was capable of creating with a camera. Recording beautiful moments and reliving unforgettable memories make people bittersweet. People always want to revisit the past and relive the significant people and experiences that matter to them. I love being able to capture these beautiful moments from a different perspective. It made me realize I am able to guide my viewers to feel different emotions.
Fortunately, going onward, my brother would recommend me to his clients as a videographer for their wedding shoots. And thankfully, that is ultimately how I began landing more wedding gigs. As of today, I am blessed to have been able to experience, capture, and share multiple memories of weddings, music videos of local artists, as well as promotional videos for local brands.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As every creative, I am and will always be my own biggest critic. I am finding my “why,” while simultaneously still trying to discover my full potential. From having doubts in myself, or second-guessing my work, to simply believing I- let alone my work, is not good enough.
I find myself constantly having this thought in the back of my mind- thinking my work is not what people expect, having too high of expectations, not having “good enough” footage, or simply just overthinking so much I end up in a creative blockage- stuck. It’s a mental battle.
2020 has definitely been a blessing in disguise- a definite eye opener for me. It allowed me to take a step back and thoroughly think about what I do and the value I hold with it. Creativity is never constant or stagnant, in actuality it is endless. There is and always will be something new or something better to be innovated. The possibilities are endless with an imaginary and open mind. That’s the beauty of it. Being able to portray a story or concept through my own perspective is amazing.
I really love what I do, and I really love what I create. And that is what matters.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a cinematographer. I create cinematic videos for people and businesses. I shoot promotional videos, weddings, music videos, and much more. I am very proud of my journey. I have come a long way from creating videos all my life and being able to see that this dream of mine, becoming a full time cinematographer, is actually tangible if I keep working hard and continue to be consistent. To this day, I still am learning and will continue to learn for the rest of my life.
I am proud of the experience and knowledge I have gained from doing the things I have a passion for. Being able to collaborate with different artists allows me to dive deeper and test my own creativity while simultaneously bringing these individuals’ visions/perceptions and stories to life. I am extremely thankful for the constructive criticism, feedback, and reactions I have received because it allows me to grow not only as a videographer but also as an individual. Ultimately, I do not only create for my own entertainment- but to see the light in the eyes of others as I am able to help create and share their story in the best of my ability.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
Personally, I dont have just one mentor. The reality is, everyone that I encounter brings me some kind of knowledge that helps with my growth- big and small. I found inspiration from various YouTubers such as Peter Mckinnon, Daniel Schiffer, JR Alli, etc. I am also blessed to have a strong support system from my family and friends. As mentioned before, the insight and different perspectives from clients and other artists I’ve worked with is important to me. Doing collaborations with other creatives helps me see creativity from different points of views. They contribute to how I see, not only creativity, but life in general. In all, I believe the people that are closest to you and the resources you have available can get you a long way in your journey.
Someone once told me “if you’re doing something without passion, you might as well do something else.” I found this quote very relatable because there were a lot of things I’ve done that I didn’t really want to do. Finding something you’re good at and really enjoy doing will make you happy. That is all that matters. Don’t be afraid to try new things because if you haven’t found that ‘thing’ yet, you eventually will.
Contact Info:
- Email: Ryvn.vsl@gmail.com
- Instagram: @ryanfarinas @ryvn.vsl
- Youtube: ryanfarinas
Image Credits:
Eric Olermo, Noah Farinas, and Alea Farinas
