We had the good fortune of connecting with James C. Velasquez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk is an intimidating thing and most people see it as something they don’t want to confront. For me, it’s especially hard taking on big career and life risks when I want to prioritize spending time with my family and friends. I was raised as a family man in a big Filipino family that values always being there for each other. The fear of failure after taking career risks led to a lingering pain mentally that took most of my 20s to overcome. For those that are still thinking about taking a risk to be where you want to be… it’s never too late to do it and strategic decisions can be made to get there. I made multiple risks in my career that led to a slower transition into filmmaking. From quitting an accounting job in Washington D.C., my move to LA with little savings, taking another salaried job at a digital ad agency, learning the ropes of client service such as FOX TV & FOX Sports, to finally making the jump to independent filmmaking… each slow step helped me manage the results of the big risks I took. I failed multiple times. I also found success multiple times. Looking back at everything I learned, working in accounting and marketing has actually supported my ability to produce and direct films. This journey has made me mentally sound more than I can imagine from when I was a kid and I’m fortunate to see so much progress to date.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My goal in filmmaking is to uplift and inspire audiences to show that the impossible is truly achievable for every single person that seeks it. I hope to have the opportunity to elevate stories on a global scale for underrepresented communities. Combining this with my understanding of digital ad tech and how digital platforms continue to evolve will allow me to tap into experimental productions and develop innovative ways of distributing authentic stories.

I think what sets me apart from others is my natural willingness to love, be kind, and openly speak from my heart. I have no fear of being vulnerable in front of a small crowd or hundreds of people. It wasn’t all that easy, especially as a young Filipino-American that’s been bullied, teased and made fun of all throughout my life. But my willingness to still keep moving forward with love and kindness has strengthened my mindset and helped me be grateful for every experience.

I’m currently in post-production for my second indie short film, “The Teleprompter” which is a sci-fi dramatic satire where a mysterious teleprompter haunts a local news reporter. My first indie short film, “Too Late to Sing?”, a family drama, is currently making the festival rounds. The film received the Best Ensemble Award at Scarab Film Festival and Artist Circle Honor at The NOVA Fest. I’ve also assistant directed a few short films since this past spring. Some sets were on schedule and a smooth collaboration with the nicest people. Other sets were insanely difficult with problem after problem arising with crew members that weren’t supportive of each other. In both of those instances, I took the same approach: a natural willingness to be kind, understanding, while continuing to push forward. Promoting positivity by action always rises above asserting direction with negativity. As filmmakers, we are not just making the film. Community building and fostering a positive workplace are huge core values for me.

A project that I’m incredibly excited about is to write, produce & direct my first full-length feature film. The target production timeframe is spring 2024 or 2025. This one is special because it’s set in Washington DC, a city close to my heart & my home. It’s a romantic drama film about two lonely people, a young woman that works for the State Department and a party boy son of an ambassador meeting in DC. They find out that falling in love means a turbulent adventure of the high life, espionage, and dreams that go beyond all of it. I just began the script for this in May of this year and it’s a story of how my wife, Rose Mary, and I met in DC back in 2016 and all of our friends during that time. Locally, DC is such a beautiful place to spotlight. When it turns from winter to spring when the cherry blossoms bloom, the city is absolutely vibrant. I’m hoping to build partnerships and attract sponsorships from local restaurants, bars, shops, and food trucks, most of which are the places that Rose Mary and I know and love. Since it ties in with home and the love story of me and my wife, it becomes greater than an idea to pitch as it’s coming from the deepest part of my heart. I have strong faith that we will be able to foster a community of filmmakers, actors, and crew to bring this story to life and make it heartfelt for the audience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Easily my favorite place to take friends when they visit is Farmers Market LA at The Grove. Nonna’s Empanadas and Pampas Grill are my two favorite restaurants there. Silverlake has great restaurants, especially on Sunset Blvd. If you want to go healthy, MIXT has great bowls and Izakaya Osen has amazing sushi. Korean BBQ in Koreatown is my longtime staple, especially Hae Jang Chon and Quarters. There’s also a cool spot, Dan Sung Sa, that has Korean street food. Lastly, I cannot forget to shout out my favorite Filipino food spot, Big Boi in Sawtelle which has amazing sisig. If you need catering for a Filipino family party, definitely go to Tita Lina’s Filipino Food & Catering.

Outside of all the food spots I mentioned, places to drink & hang out include Elephante in Santa Monica, Bar Lis in Hollywood, and Broken Shaker in DTLA. It’s cliché but we will also do a hike behind the Hollywood Sign and up to the Griffith Observatory, maybe a beach view hike up the Los Liones trail, check out a show at the Hollywood Bowl, rent a boat in Marina Del Rey, and catch a game or concert at Crypto.com Arena or SoFi Stadium. Lastly, it’s obligatory to check out a film at the TCL Chinese Theater or support emerging filmmakers and actors at a local film festival.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

First and foremost, my wife Rose Mary. She’s the #1 driver of shaping me to be a better person. She’s someone who I always look up to and even helped guide my career. She even supports my filmmaking process from story development, script rewrites, pre-production planning, and the editing process. She has a great objective POV on the ideas and decisions I make.

My late father, Jim Velasquez, always believed in me from the moment he held me in his arms for the first time. He always had great wisdom, storytelling, and creative prowess, which he’s passed down to me in both big-picture and small conversations. My mother, Luz Velasquez, originally envisioned a conventional path for me as an immigrant mother and 42-year nurse. She’s been very supportive of my endeavors and understanding of me to tell stories about our Filipino family’s upbringing here in America.

My brother, relatives, and friends, especially Jeff, Auntie Loida, Auntie Cecil, Uncle Jun, Auntie Betty, Ninang Loui, Uncle Khid, Uncle Bernie, Andrew, Albert, John, Austin, Devin, Salu, Kyle, Charles, Brad, Sungho, Bjorn, Justin, Kelvin, Chris… all of them have been an amazing support system during my darkest days and I hope I do the same in return for them.

Lastly, my co-workers at Brand USA, MediaCom, and Merkle… Tom, Don, Karyn, Chris, Blanca, Judie, Camila, Stephanie, Tara, Alexis, George, Erika, Cam, Brendan, Mary, Chris, Will, Phil, Kevin, Charles, Abby, and Aaron. They’ve made such a great impact on my career development when it comes to professionalism, client delivery, presentation skills, analytical skills, and organization skills. I’m eternally grateful to have crossed paths with them and I hope down the road, we will reunite again.

Website: https://www.jamescvelasquez.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamescvelasquez/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-c-velasquez-61babb47

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/james.c.velasquez/

Image Credits
Jose Feng, Pranav Mehta, Yukiko Cho

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