Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Vazquez.
Anthony, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It started about five years ago when my best friend Kenny and I began backpacking the Middle East. We decided to create a YouTube channel about traveling as we wanted to show others the similarities of our country and the countries we were visiting. I realized after making those short videos that I wanted to be a part of films that would connect others to what we were experiencing.
After being away for six months, I came back home and decided to start acting. Very quickly did I find myself not connecting to the characters I was playing, as the roles I auditioned for weren’t characters I found important to play. I soon decided that I would write, direct and act in my own films. The journey in finding what I loved most in filmmaking didn’t come to me immediately. I would question myself on which role I enjoyed playing the most, until one day I realized it was that of the story teller that I valued the most. The director.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s not always easy when someone first starts making films. I never went to a Film school so I was never taught how to do anything in this field. I would just set out to make a film one weekend hoping what I made was somewhat watchable, which I believe is the best way to learn how to make films.
I had many struggles on the way to becoming a filmmaker and still have plenty today. When you first start out, you have to be comfortable wearing all the different hats on set. You’re going to be playing the director, producer, cinematographer, script supervisor, P.A, editor and everything else that is needed to make a film. Get used to not having a crew with you when you first start creating films and understand it’s going to be difficult. I was lucky enough to be introduced to a phenomenal cinematographer named “Kiki”, who is not only the best at what he does, but was so generous with helping me create films. I honestly don’t know where I would be without someone like that.
Find people you trust to go on this arduous journey with. When I first started making films, Daniella my girlfriend at the time, would literally be on set and do everything from playing a tiny role that needed to be filled, hold the boom mic, get food, supervise the script to see if things were on time, and she did this with absolutely no prior experience. For one film she was on set for 13 hours straight holding the boom mic for us, praying the sound came out clean. It’s people like that that you need to surround yourself with when first trying to become a filmmaker. They’re so vital to help your project come to life.
Again, if you find people you trust who truly care to make your film, you will find that the path to success will be much easier.
And if one finds the hardships of filmmaking as lessons rather than obstacles, you soon realize that those hard times are actually bringing you new light on how to create a better film for the next time around. Don’t be intimidated by it all, embrace the responsibilities.
Please tell us about Pändər Productions.
Our company is called Pändər Productions. Pändər being the phonetics of the word “Ponder”. I’m in the hopes that every film will have you pondering about the film you just watched in a positive way. We create films based on our own experiences, one’s that the audience will hopefully connect with on a deeper more genuine level.
We tend to present the films in a more cinematic way for the viewer to not only enjoy the words being said, but experience a roller coaster of emotions along the way to the underlining message we’re trying to express. We’re extremely conscious on what content we release though. I understand that as a filmmaker, we have a great responsibility on what we give out to the world. The ramifications of putting a story out into the world should be taken seriously, as we want our films to bring something beneficial to our society.
Pändər Productions is unique in the way we push the boundaries and methods of filmmaking as we will keep creating new and unique ways to tell our stories.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I would tell myself to create more films. The more the better! And to never listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t or that your films are terrible.
A lot of people are intimidated to create because they believe their films are going be terrible, which is true at a certain extent. Your films are most likely not going to be very good when you first start making them, but that goes with any role in the world of filmmaking. Whether you’re an actor, writer, director, cinematographer or editor, it’s not going to be good when you first start off and that’s okay!
My first films are absolutely terrible, I literally can’t even sit down and rewatch them because they’re so bad. But the more you create, the better you get. Just go out and make a film with any camera you have whenever you have the time. Write something short and shoot it, and keep doing it over and over again until there comes a day when people will be forced to notice your work. Make as many films as you possibly can! I guarantee that your talent will grow exponentially over time.
Contact Info:
- Phone: (210) 269-3055
- Email: PonderProductionsFim@gmail.com
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