Meet Hayley Garcia | “Director & Cinematographer” or “Filmmaker”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hayley Garcia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hayley, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I pursued a creative career because I honestly could not set my mind to do anything else. I knew I had to do something creative, but I couldn’t really draw, sing, or act so using a camera was the best option. I had to most creative control with a camera and started making stop motion videos with legos, then youtube vlogs, then technical theatre and finally pursuing filmmaking. I knew I had a skill for marketing and management and could excel there if I went that route, but there was something so romantic and calling about pursuing filmmaking I just had to. Also, I knew that those skills were something I could apply to film production, whether it was producing or working as a cinematographer. It was daunting choosing to study film but at the same time I know how hard I work when I really put my mind to something, I have immense faith in myself and my capability to grow and adapt as a filmmaker so I have no doubt that in the end it will all work out. I’m definitely not where I want to be yet but I know I’m where I need to be to get there.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started as a cinematographer and have recently began directing. As a Filipino-American woman there aren’t that many stories told through our perspective in film. Whether I am behind the camera or directing a scene, I bring a point of view to the table that is often overlooked. I have been in workplaces and film production sets where I am often the only woman of color on the camera team or crew. I have to work twice as hard as my male counterparts to be taken seriously behind the camera or while directing. And that is what I have taught myself to do, always work ten times harder and put myself out there because I know opportunities will not be handed to me. Sometimes its really hard and discouraging, but I know I need to be in my position, for myself and other female filmmakers like me and that come after me.

I am extremely passionate about telling stories that showcase minorities and under-represented communities. I think it is important to not only share stories about the hardships we have gone through, but also make movies where the main characters are just Asian, without any large “Asian Hate” dialogue. The characters live in an Asian-American world but the story does not have to be about Asian hardships. I love stories like that, it is what I wanted to see growing up, Asian women as the love interest or hero without a second thought. I am going to work for those stories to happen, there are more of them coming up every day and I want to be apart of that.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Right now I live in Orange County, I would first take them to Avalon Bagels or Bruggers Bagels for breakfast to start the day. then maybe go to Anaheim packing house, its cute and classic there and sometimes theres live music. We can get poutine fries from The Kroft, I love the Japanese Curry ones. I would definitely take them to a farmers market in Irvine, they have a really cute one and then we could go to the giant Hmart too. For the rest of the week I would take them to downtowns in Clairmont, Brea or Fullerton. Then by the weekend I would take Laguna and Crystal Cove.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I definitely would love to shoutout my loved ones, my parents supported me so much when they found out I was going to pursue something as expensive as filmmaking haha. They helped me buy my first camera and helped me figure out how to start an LLC. This allowed me to become so much more independent as I figured out how to freelance film gigs. As I’ve gotten older and moved away from home I’ve also realized that my parents will always be on my side no matter what unless I do something really dumb. I really would not have the confidence in myself as a filmmaker or person without the lessons and morals they’ve instilled in me.

Website: https://www.delarosadirected.com/

Instagram: @Delarosadirected or @hayleyngarcia

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-garcia-11564022a?trk=people-guest_people_search-card