We had the good fortune of connecting with Andres Rovira and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Andres, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The odds of finding real success as a film director can be compared to trying to win the lottery. There is a lot of waiting. Waiting for a manager to get you that job, waiting for a producer to read your script, waiting for an idealist dream of working on set to magically manifest. But a career this challenging will rarely fall on your lap. You have to put in the work and grab it by the horns. That’s why I decided to become a production company owner, so I could find my own jobs and then hire myself to direct, edit, but most importantly, be the producer, so I can control the outcome. Rather than working as a for-hire director, running a production company allows me the creative control and freedom to do things my way, as long as the client is happy with the final cut. I highly recommend anyone interested in pursuing a filmmaking career to take the plunge, start an LLC, make a website, and start calling yourself a production company owner as early as possible. Because you have to be more than just a director to succeed.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m excited to have finally launched my own production company, Good Spirits Picture Co. This is where I can create cool branded content for clients, music videos for artists I love, and my short films. What sets the company apart is that we offer an augmented reality component to everything we do. Augmented reality is a new exciting way to tell stories that literally brings the stories to life all around you. There’s so much that can be done within this AR and VR realm and I am excited to be at the forefront of this technology. More so, Good Spirits is all about making cool projects. Whether it’s a brand, a band, or a fictional world brought to life, we will do it with good spirited smiles, with the aim always being to entertain and captivate your eyes and soul. I am proud of my short film, “Noche Buena,” premiering at the Miami Film Festival next month and then airing on PBS this summer as part of their Latinx Summer Showcase. It was never an easy road to launch a production company. It took many challenging years of waiting for opportunities until I realized that, with a solid production company, you can find those opportunities on your own so much easier.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
LA is such a great place to visit because you can make a whole week trip out of it and get out of the sprawl to see the desert and the snow on the same day. I love to entertain visiting guests and always hit up the best spots. The Griffith Park Observatory for a hike and the best view of the sunset, Venice Beach, Downtown LA rooftop bars, the Warner Brothers Studio Tour, The Getty Center, The LACMA, a beach day in Santa Monica, a Disneyland day of theme parking and riding the Millenium Falcon at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, and then day road trips to Joshua Tree, Palm Springs, Big Bear or Big Sur. Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shoutout two books that changed my life. The first is “Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself,” by Joe Dispenza. It taught me that my own brain is malleable and something I could perform brain surgery on through meditation and neuroscience, in order to un-memorize my anxiety triggers and to basically brainwash myself into being confident and believing in myself. The second book is “Business for Filmmakers,” by Den Lennie. This book is totally hands on and gets into the nitty gritty of how to run a production company, from the boring but necessary parts like accounting, to the fun parts of how to make money doing what you love. This is my Bible and I often refer back to it. If I would give any person a shoutout, it would be my wife, who believes in my big dream, talents and keeps me motivated to never slow down. And my writing partner and collaborator Frankie Bustamante for his incredible super power of always looking at the bright side and being positive, despite obstacles. I always try to be more positive like him and erase cynicism from my brain code.
Website: www.andres-rovira.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andres.j.rovira/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andresrovira/
Image Credits
Photo by Lisa Rovira.