Today we’d like to introduce you to Aiden Call.
Hi Aiden, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up looking at film and video as a hobby. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that I realized that it was my passion. I came to the University of North Texas expecting to get involved immediately and start working on any projects I could get my hands on. While I did find plenty to do in my first semester, getting the chance to DJ for the radio station and news anchoring every week. There was a surprising lack of film-related work to take part in. Granted, I didn’t know enough people at the time. The one opportunity with film I did have was the UNT Media Arts community. The experience left some friends and I was pretty disappointed to say the least. This is what planted the seeds for the North Texas Film Alliance.
Initially, we had planned for NTxFA to be a place where an incoming freshman could make some immediate connections with others in the media arts major and work on film projects exclusively. As time went on and we continued to gain traction, we decided to expand into all forms of creative media and become a place for people of all levels of experience to mingle and create together. Directors can find crews, beginners can find experience, and new ideas can be brought to life easier. We set up an application and created a social media team to help get our message out to others in our community.
As of right now, we have over 50 members and continue to grow at a steady pace everyday. All of our members are passionate people who help to collaborate and connect others to creative projects in the area. Projects that have been produced in part by NTxFA have won awards and have been featured in festivals in the Dallas area. We’ve helped produce shows, create costumes, start podcasts, and many other types of creative media.
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?
Every journey has its obstacles and this one was no different. For one, our organization has had its fair share of doubters. Like I stated before, the organization stemmed from a collective disappointment and lack of opportunity in our first year of university. When we broke away from that crowd there were some individuals who were less than thrilled that we had decided to look into creating our own projects instead of just waiting for jobs to fall into our laps. A small number of these people decided to take the liberty of spreading false information to make us look bad. While it had an effect on us getting started, I didn’t let it bother me. I see the doubters as more motivating than anyone else.
The want to prove the doubters wrong is a very powerful strength and one that I personally capitalized on. Plus, it felt good to know that the things I was doing was helping people. I wanted to be who I needed in my first year of college. If I could provide that to even a small group of people, then I would be making some sort of difference in the world. To this day, the doubters are just a bridge that had to be crossed. Since then we have continued to help passionate people, from all walks of life, find work and follow their dreams.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My strong suit for the past 4-5 years has been video production. I made it my goal to learn everything I could in the field and I am still doing my best to follow that goal and learn more about the ever changing industry of video and film production. So far, I have created promotional material for a few businesses, filmed and edited weddings, DJ’d at a radio station, anchored on live television, and even directed and written some award winning film work. I like to think of myself as a “jack of all trades” in my craft as I’ve done a little bit of everything. However, my favorite area to work in is acting.
I’ve participated in many short films in the local area and am always looking for my next role. I have a demo reel and resume always at the ready, and I love to really dive deep into the projects I get involved in. I am a creative thinker and when I look to solve problems or complete a goal, I try to think of ways that I can complete the task in a unique way that makes people remember me. I’ve worked with some really great people and I improve myself by always learning something new with every project I take on. Even if it’s something small, it gives me some new experience that I can pass onto others.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
When it comes to the city of Dallas, there is a lot to like about it. I grew up in a suburban area and the urban city life was never my thing. With that being said, I quickly noticed how many opportunities there are in for individuals in my craft. Typically, in the field of acting, many people think that LA is the place to be. I’ve rather enjoyed the idea of adapting to the environment you’re in and bringing Hollywood to home. I think that Dallas makes this an easy task. I’ve met so many people in the area who share my passion and there is a strong community of people helping each other reach their goals and providing beneficial advice. These communities remind me of why I started NTxFA, to help those looking for somewhere to start.
Contact Info:
- Email: AidenLukeCall@gmail.com
- Website: callingcardproductions.weebly.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/aiden.call.100
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CallingCard2016
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJa5g0SzjYI5601TrJk2Adg
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/NorthTexasFilmAlliance
Image Credits
Joshua Vu
Kylie Govinchuck
