Today we’d like to introduce you to Andre Pascual
Hi Andre, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Storytelling has been woven into every chapter of my life. From writing short stories and wandering streets with my camera to being a content editor at a startup as my first professional role, to building a 12-year marketing career—I’ve always found ways to tell a narrative, a perspective, or a story.
My kick with photography started when I won a Kodak point-and-shoot in a raffle at 17. That lucky draw started me down my path toward photography. In college, I dreamed of being a photojournalist but was scared off by the idea during the recession in 2008. I kept it as a hobby instead.
I moved through different camera systems through the years, starting with Sony and Canon DSLRs in my early twenties. I had moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where I spent all my free time roaming the streets, joining photo walks, going on road trips throughout the state, and going to festivals and events—all with a camera in hand. I later tried my hand at automotive photography with Nikon where I began to understand studio lighting and product photography. Currently, I work professionally with a Sony A7III and Ricoh GRIII, with plans to upgrade to a Sony A7RV next year. Camera equipment is a big part of my journey as they’re my preferred tool to tell the story.
At the same time, my marketing career evolved into various roles such as social media director to brand manager, and digital marketing manager roles. I developed a wide range of skills including paid media and performance marketing, but I was eventually drawn to brand management and creative. After over a decade in the game, came a pivotal moment in October 2023—two days before my wedding, I was laid off from my Sr. Digital Marketing Manager position at an industry leading company.
This was pivotal for me even if I didn’t know it yet. I had been spending countless hours behind a desk in that role, developing buyer personas, crafting marketing strategies, building campaigns, and managing video and photography teams. The burnout was real, and I knew I needed something different moving forward. During this limbo between being laid off and a job, I found myself watching a lot of westerns. Something clicked about “high noon”—that iconic moment when cowboys would meet for their showdown shootouts. That’s how High Noon Media was born, though with cameras instead of pistols.
Fast forward to today, where I work part-time as a Multimedia Producer with 6th Ave Storytelling in Fort Worth. Here, I collaborate with Jamey Ice and his team of marketing storytellers to craft compelling narratives through photography, videography, and podcast production.
Full-time, I’m building High Noon Media. We specialize in documentary, product, portrait photography, and graphic design. The philosophy behind the brand is simple: We capture genuine emotion in every frame, from life’s highest peaks to its quietest valleys. While I’m currently the primary force behind High Noon Media, I collaborate with a talented network of subcontractors when projects call for different expertise.
Looking ahead, the vision for High Noon Media is clear: assemble a full-time team of multi-disciplined creatives specializing in photography, video, production, and graphic design based in DFW. Using our passion and skills to bring fresh perspectives to the usual while meeting our client’s needs creatively, collaboratively, and efficiently.
High Noon Media isn’t just about business for me—it’s about returning to what excited me and partners about visual storytelling in the first place and helping our client-collaborators realize their voice too.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have been struggles throughout my journey in realizing High Noon Media. From the very common confusion in understanding what it means to start your own LLC, operating legally, and figuring out accounting to a lot of painful challenges we all go through in life with family and friends. Some of those were on the extreme side. I’ve run the gamut.
Financially, it’s risky as well as photography and videography aren’t cheap and properly insuring equipment is something YouTube videos don’t talk enough about. Our livelihood sits in our hands. It’s easy to build a long list of equipment you think you need and spend irresponsibly on them instead of focusing on what matters—the subject and the story you’re telling. All you need to get better at storytelling through a lens is to thoughtfully shoot every day. Get in those reps.
I try to focus on improving 1% every day at the craft. Small steps. Now that I’ve taken on being a full-time visual creative, I have to refine skills I neglected for so long and grow new ones. Scrolling through the many talented visual artists on social media sometimes makes me feel “behind” and insecurities start to seep in. There are so many distractions. But, I’ve more recently realized we’re all walking our own creative path, so I try to focus on that 1%.
And maybe my biggest struggle, even though I’ve been a pretty solid Social Media Manager in the past, I miss keeping up with my own social media. I’m working to launch my vlog on YouTube, Tiktok, and Instagram soon.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I think I’m creatively set apart from others by my personal influences.
In my early-to-mid 20’s, outside of my job as a Digital Marketing Manager and car photographer in the evenings, I helped throw underground art parties with friends under the art collective, called D-Town Hooligans, throughout Dallas. Most of these art shows were a mix of local painters, live musicians, DJs, and live graffiti. A good friend who led D-Town Hooligan, Johnny Nguyen, was pivotal in helping me grow beyond my comfort zone and engage with interesting artists. He now leads a creative brand called IDK.IDC Worldwide.
During my time helping throw art events with D-Town Hooligan, I also made a connection with the filmmaker Carlos Garcia Jr. I’d later start the movie podcast F is For Film with him and our other co-host Trent Gresham. I also helped in a few minor roles on Carlos’ short films and projects as a PA, Production Sound Mixer, and BTS shooter. Carlos helped me understand my love of composition and mood. He’s now an Emmy award-winning director.
I owe a lot of my ability to grind to my older brother, Christian Pascual. Early in my career, he was a Creative Director himself and helped mentor me through the corporate and agency gigs I was working in. He brought polish and standards into whatever I created as a young, budding social media manager who also owned creating content. I wouldn’t have the fortitude to work through difficult projects or creative blocks without him. Trust in the process.
Lastly, I owe a ton of my creative juice to my wife, Erica. She’s a painter, sculptor, illustrator, photographer, and crafty as hell. We walk in different creative styles but where we overlap is always inspiring. She and I often go on photo walks for fun. She constantly creates and in return is my muse.
How do you think about luck?
Luck is everything. Or fate, or divine intervention. However, you want to frame it. As a creative entrepreneur, it’s difficult to know if you’re walking down the right path or to know when it’s time to explore a new one or a slightly different one. When preparation, grit, and opportunity meet, we often call it luck. Fortunately, if you keep working hard and smart, you’ll always strike luck sooner or later.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.highnoonmedia.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/high.noon.media
Image Credits
The Love Mic Dallas
Hot Rod Collection
6th Ave Storytelling
