Meet Jorge Fuentes | Producer / Director

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

Hi Jorge, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
I was raised in a home where everyone needed to work and everyone did. My parents are hard workers and I saw them succeed in the workforce from an ordinary employee to supervisor positions and work their way to the top. I look up to them a lot and they created a great foundation of what I am now. I’ve been fortunate enough to have always worked in the line of work I enjoy the most, which is video production. Throughout the years learning in college and through real world experience I’ve learned to communicate and how to acquire clients for the type of work I do. Many friends and family have asked me how do I make a living, because it really appears to many who know me closely that I’m just having fun. And I am because I love what I do. And the key to keeping it all moving forward is consistency and when I say consistency I really mean it. Their are no breaks here. Many call me workaholic or obsessed with my passion of video. I think of it as a gift, as a gift I’d like to share it with the world and if along the way it feeds me and pays the bills great.

I’d like to encourage all artist and individuals who read this to know that perusing what you love to do is not easy, but it’s also not impossible if you are consistent and don’t give up. Even when you feel accomplished don’t limit yourself, build a greater path and become a pioneer to open way for others to come and follow your footsteps. Someone is always watching and if you can set an example and they follow your path, you won in life. You’ve become a leader and this world needs those today more than ever.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As young boy my father would encourage me to draw. I would everyday, he would scribble on a blank sheet of paper and I would come up with something out of the scribble. That seemed so insignificant at the time, but it exercised my imagination to it’s full potential. Not many of my peers in the industry know I’m not only a video producer, director, editor and VFX artist. I’m also an illustrator, I enjoy creating art overall but illustration is something I can do all day. That skill set has helped me get to where I’m at today, since it’s provided me the confidence to express my ideas to others.

The biggest lessons that I’ve learned in life, when it comes to business and professionalism. Is don’t get comfortable. If you feel accomplished at any point in this industry you’re not doing it right. You can triumph and recognize your hard work but the industry is ever growing and it never sleeps. I made the mistake once to believe I had it all figured it out and that I didn’t need to learn more. I learned that mistake very quick, so I made the right adjustments and continued to expand my knowledge and continue to grow as a professional. I’d give this advice to anyone in school or whomever has recently graduated. To graduate with better knowledge then their teachers, and once they’re out to continue to learn, to become explorers of that passion they have, innovate and lay the path for the next generation to walk on when they follow our footsteps.

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’d take them to an LAFC game, from there to the LA Market Place for some tacos. If there’s a concert at the Greek Theatre that would be the place to go, I like the atmosphere there. If the friend is a thrills enthusiast we’d go to Six Flags, if they are more mellow definitely Universal Studios. When it come to beaches Matador Beach or go south to Crystal Cove. Their are some nice options.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I do have so many of peers that I’d like to shoutout to. First of all my parents Jorge A. Fuentes and Ana Fuentes, they did raise me with the idea of making someone who can be anything I wanted to be. Then there’s my art teacher in High School Jacob Costar, that teacher introduced me to the right people, that lead into me winning an art competition and got me in college with a scholarship. When I moved to LA in 2009 I met Mariluz Gonzalez while doing a TV show along with my father, and she is such a professional made a lot of great connections through such an amazing professional like her through Vesper Public Relations. And we have now recently partnered in a great collaboration to create content. I’ve had so many mentors and important individuals that have inspired me to succeed. But I should mention that not all has been learned through success, it’s hard to swallow but through failure a lot has been learned and overcome.

Website: https://www.vantablackcinema.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorge-j-fuentes-3385b63a/

Other: https://www.instagram.com/jjfpro/

Image Credits
Dazer and Trenton Estrada,