Meet Javier (Javi) Barajas | Agent Trainee

We had the good fortune of connecting with Javier (Javi) Barajas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Javier (Javi), why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always been super passionate about art.

Most kids have that default “thing” their parents always mention when describing them to friends or family—as one of five children, my thing was being the chubby, artsy one. While my younger brother was the athlete of the family, I spent most of my time indoors drawing, reading, and watching cartoons. Growing up, my dream job changed with every new artistic hyperfixation I developed. Comic book artist, actor, novelist… I think the point where I fully fell in love with film and television was when I got the opportunity to work on a small, independent film directed by my sixth-grade media teacher Mr. Pham. From that point on, I guess I just decided I wanted to work in entertainment: I started making short films on YouTube, went to “film school” in Santa Barbara, and now I work as an entry-level assistant at a top talent agency called Independent Artist Group, formerly known as APA and AGI.

“Why did you pursue an artistic or creative career?”

With the recent strikes and seismic changes going on in the entertainment industry, I’ve thought about this question a lot on my own. Like I mentioned before, at some point I guess I just decided this would be my job someday. My parents migrated here from Mexico and never went to college themselves, so I honestly think they assumed that a bachelor’s degree was all it took to get a job in the industry—I mean, that’s what I thought. Unlike some children of immigrants, I’ve always been encouraged to pursue my dream career, and it wasn’t until I started searching for internships and jobs while in college that I learned it isn’t so easy to break into entertainment as I naively expected—especially for a young person of color from a middle-class background. I mention that last part because as much as my love of art has driven me to pursue a creative career, so has my love for my culture and my passion for increasing diversity in film and television. Ultimately, that is why I continue to pursue this career path.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Like so many others, my love for storytelling began as a means to escape the hardships of my youth. As I mentioned before, I am the son of immigrants from Guanajuato, Mexico—an upbringing that has informed so much of the person I am today. Just as California living is all I’ve ever known, so is living with a big family, having grown up with a twin sister, two older sisters (also twins), and a younger brother (not a twin). We grew up without a lot of money and so instead of family vacations, watching TV was my way of seeing the world. Iconic characters like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Spider-Man, the Green Ranger, and Son Goku made me fall in love with creating art as I learned to draw my favorite characters so I could cut them out of copy paper and use them as makeshift action figures. I never grew out of that love of art; instead, it grew and matured as I did.

My proudest achievement by far as an artist was directing my first short film. Though much of my early college experience was marked by the pandemic, I did what I could to keep the global shutdown from derailing my career goals. I used that time to develop my passion for storytelling and was accepted into the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s 10-10-10 Screenwriting Competition where I got to write a short film under the mentorship of Rob Sternin, writer and executive producer for the old hit show “The Nanny.” As soon as the lockdown ended, I hit the ground running and pitched the script to my university in front of a tribunal of industry professionals, being selected as one of four thesis films to be made that year.

The story of “Fatherhood” is about a young immigrant named Mateo who, on the same morning he learns his fiancé is expecting a child, receives a call informing him of the sudden death of his father Ignacio—a man he hardly knew. After dreaming about a photograph his father gave to him before leaving to pursue the American Dream, Mateo is forced to confront his father’s complicated legacy in his nostalgic search for the photo. I’ve always tried to champion diversity in everything I do, and part of my motivation for wanting to make this film was to tell a story about people I knew very well in my own life but seldom saw depicted onscreen.

Directing my first film was a formative experience, one where I got to develop a safe space for filmmakers of color to grow as both artists and young professionals. More than anything, I am extremely proud of the diversity behind the project. This was a film written almost entirely in Spanish, starring an entirely POC cast, and made by a film crew that was almost entirely a combination of first and second-generation U.S. citizens, as well as non-citizens and international students. In an industry that is overwhelmingly white, male, and heterosexually dominated, our crew felt like a very special and supportive community. The experience was formative in other ways as well, however. Without getting into details, directing “Fatherhood” was my first real taste of the deep-rooted discrimination that exists in the entertainment industry. We received very little support from certain members of the university and were constantly placed into situations where we felt we had to justify the mere existence of our project simply because of who we were.

As I’ve begun my career in the entertainment industry, it’s become clear just how common this is and how high the barriers of entry are for people looking to work in film and television for a living, particularly for people of color. In an industry where who you know matters most, what can you possibly do when you’ve historically been excluded? Films and the stories they tell are incredibly important in shaping the way people understand the world and the people living in it. Equally important, is creating the opportunity for those stories to come from all walks of life. Alongside many of the friends I met through directing my film, I’ve continued to work on other short films that focus on unique stories from diverse filmmakers under my small production company, FH Productions LLC. Now, my main focus is becoming a literary agent in Hollywood where I can work toward championing talented and diverse storytellers with something meaningful to say.

I am so new to the business, yet getting this far has already been a long journey. What I want people to know is that I failed so many times en route to where I am, and will likely continue to fail again and again. However, I’ve learned that–as cheesy as it may be–failure is good. It’s an opportunity to learn and grow. I’m a sucker for proverb-like life advice that you’d see on your dad’s Facebook page, so here’s one for ya:

Making a career out of your passion is difficult, yes. But you know what they say, “when you hang around the barbershop long enough, sooner or later you will get a haircut”

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.
I’ll be honest. I’ve only lived in Los Angeles for a second.

I was born and raised in Sacramento, CA, a city I love and that I feel is overly characterized as being far more boring than it is. I have a ton of family members who have called LA their home for years and to be even more honest, I didn’t understand the appeal for the longest time. However, now that I’ve had time to learn just how big and diverse LA is, I understand why people love it so much. There is something for everyone in this city and if you disagree, you just need to spend some more time getting lost in the area.

I’ll be answering this question with the understanding that I still have a sea of places to explore. Currently, I live near Downtown LA and love that I am within reach of everything. A perfect day for me would start bright and early with some coffee and a hike, so why not do the Angel’s Point hike by Dodger’s Stadium? How very LA of us. Next, I love exploring a city’s record shops so I would probably take them to Highland Park to visit “Gimme Gimme Records” and “On Maritime,” where we could spend a couple of hours getting lost in the sea of vinyl and CDS and later, grab some lunch nearby. In the evening, I’d take them to The Academy Museum or a show at the Hollywood Bowl, probably the best music venue I’ve ever been to. To end the night, we’d probably grab a hot dog on the way out or find some street tacos by my place.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Where to start? More broadly speaking, I’ve been super fortunate to have a family who has always allowed me to follow my dreams without judgment. I’m sure they were sweating a bit when I spent several months unemployed after college but I’m happy to be starting my career in entertainment and hope to make them proud. Everything I accomplish from now on will be thanks to them. I’ve also been fortunate enough to have had several teachers throughout my life who have positively changed the trajectory of my life, one of them being Mr. Pham who I mentioned before. Others would be Mrs. Donovan, Mr. Bohren, Mr. Wallace, and Professor Janet Walker–all teachers who helped me believe the possibilities for my future were endless and in some way or another, nudged me toward the place I am today. As important as career mentors are, the importance of teachers who care is severely understated.

I also need to shout out everyone who worked on the crew of my first short film, “Fatherhood.” That experience was one of the most rewarding of my life and to this day, I am humbled that so many talented and amazing people believed in my vision as an artist. Special shoutout to Brandon Tran who referred me to Shoutout LA, as well as Peter Figueira, Rodrigo Calderon, Vidhisha Mahesh, Elizabeth Luna, Robyn-Elizabeth Yan, Jaynar de la Cruz Ochoa, and Dieyla Dion–to name a few. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my amazing actors, most of all Hugo Mejia who I know will continue to accomplish great things.

Website: https://javieralejbarajas.myportfolio.com

Instagram: @hijodelgavilan

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javieralejbarajas

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@fatherhoodshortfilm?si=lTminplyiZbOD_3y

Image Credits
Casual Headshot: Edward Zavala

Professional Headshot: Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Short Film Stills – Director of Photography: Brandon Tran

BTS Photos: Jaynar de la Cruz Ochoa