Today we’d like to introduce you to Martin De Leon, Manuel Lerma.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In 2011, I met a woman named Connie Johnson Bennett who was my AV teacher in high school. Fast forward to 2012 (senior year) she was able to get me onto my first feature film call Hiding in Plain Sight with Director M. Legend Brown. After that my career sort of just took off due to the connections made. I honestly owe all my success to Mrs. Bennett. She was the only one who truly believed in me and my vision.
I came up with Connected Culture Productions in 2016 for the sole purpose of connecting our viewers with the world through the power of cinema. We wanted to bridge the gap that has been created in our nation and capture and tell stories that show we all have more in common than we actually think. We do everything from short films, documentaries, and public service announcements as well as charity work.
Recently we were nominated for a Lone Star Emmy award for our public service announcement “We Are America” which is a campaign dedicated to promoting civil rights.
Though I don’t have much to my name my goal is still to be able to expand and to tell as many stories as we can in order to once again connect as many people as we can to create a better tomorrow. We believe that we can achieve just that by utilizing our skills as filmmakers and story tellers.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest obstacle has been doing what I can to help my family. In 2013, my father had his pancreas removed due to 20 years of pancreatitis. During his surgery he died but was able to be revived. He died a second time in ICU but was again brought back. He had to go on long term disability which hurt my family pretty bad financially. We’ve moved twice since then hoping to get things on track. Now he lives his life constantly monitoring his own insulin levels with the use of an insulin pump connected to his body at all times. We’ve had many close calls where he was minutes away from going into a diabetic coma.
Another struggle for us is fund raising. We haven’t been able to make that certain connection just yet, but it hasn’t stopped us from helping people and telling great stories. We have lost people who said they would support us but ultimately gave up on our vision and dream because it wasn’t benefitting them.
One of the main obstacles now is getting our messages out to the rest of the world. Everything we do is dedicated to bettering humanity as a whole. Though it may seem like a long shot, we have been able to save people from suicide as well as many other issues. We just genuinely care and want to help people have a better life.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Connected Culture specializes in film production. We are known for our captivating public service announcements that raise awareness for many social issues. I am most proud of the fact that we can say we have helped save lives and have impacted them for the better. What sets us apart is we pride ourselves on being directly engaged with our viewers/ fans. Many filmmakers and production companies are hard to reach out to, but we are looking to change the way movies and all other forms of cinema are produced. We believe that by connecting directly with our audience, we can deliver the absolute best quality films. Not only do we want to tell these amazing stories, but we want to invite other creative minds to join us on the journey to unite as many people as possible.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was a very unique kid. I was always thinking ahead to the future and asked many questions about topics beyond my years. I was always studying people and the world around me. While many kids around me were focused on the latest gadgets, trends etc. I was more focused on art, culture, space, poetry, the list goes on. I’ve always had a fascination with the human mind and how we think and interact with one another and why we do the things we do. Overall I was a very intellectual kid growing up and always looked to have deep conversations.
Everything I have said I would do, I’ve accomplished. I’ve gotten to train with the top Olympic athletes in the world. Worked with some celebrities I admired growing up. Worked on many movie sets. I’ve just had a very successful life which has given me even more wisdom beyond my years. I am very thankful for the many experiences I’ve been blessed to be a part of.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5500 Archwood Ln. Arlington, TX. 76017
- Website: http://martindeleon12.wixsite.com/connect
- Phone: 6822250341
- Email: martindeleon12@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marty.deleon.35
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