Meet Justin Quizon | Filmmaker and Content Creator

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

Hi Justin, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I was always an artistic person who was interested in stories. As a kid, I wrote and drew my own picture books. I remember the epic adventures I dreamed up with my action figures. It became very obvious to me that doing some kind of artistic job was the future I wanted to have.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I grew up in a family in which film was a part of their legacy. Being related to actors and filmmakers in the Philippines meant I saw a glimpse of that world at a young age. I soon became very interested in how movies got made, and started dreaming of the kind of movies I wanted to make. My family is mostly famous for making comedies, so it should be no surprise that comedies are what I usually make.

It took a LOT OF practice to finally make filmmaking a career. I used to only make a few projects a year, and I used to be a perfectionist on each project, and then feeling dissatisfied when the response is luke warm at best.

One day, I decided to do a personal challenge. I would make one video EVERYDAY for a full year. The only rule was that the video needed to be edited, even if it’s just one cut. Everyday I made a new video. I did some experimenting with the edits, I made vlogs, I make skits etc. I just kept making videos. Eventually, I went past one year’s worth of videos and ended up making a video a day for a year and a half. That’s over 500 videos. What that taught me was that I can be creative every day, but I also didn’t have to be precious about every single video.

If I posted a video and there was no response, that’s ok, maybe tomorrow’s video will do better. Sometimes I’ll make a video that I put a TON of effort in, and it gets an ok reception, but that video I barely put any time in…that ONE becomes someone’s favorite. BUT, no matter the quality of the video, I was excited to put it out there. This taught me to just enjoy the process and not stress about the response.

I finally was able to make it a career the day I took a chance and suggested to a local art store I can make fun, and informational social media videos. I now get hired to make social media videos for local clients in Orange County.

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.
My favorite restaurants in Orange County tend to be the ones made by Kei Concepts. I love INI Restorante, Vox Kitchen, and Kei Coffee House. I will say my two favorite coffee spots are Coffee Code and Flat White Coffee. If they wanna go SUPER nerdy with their coffee drinking, ( I’m an artist, of course I know a LOT of coffee spots) I’d take them to Requiem Coffee, a place built to look your living a Final Fantasy video game. If they want a cool place to buy comics, I’d take them to Comic Book Hideout in Fullerton. If I plan AHEAD, I’d love to get an appointment to The Blind Rabbit for amazing cocktails, food with a beautifully designed bar and ambiance.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My older brother Joel. He’s encouraged my interest in whether I wanted to be an animator, a comic book artist, and my current field of being a filmmaker. He helped me develop a critical eye while watching movies and reading books. He got me to thinking about what I loved about a piece of art or what I didn’t like about it.

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

Image Credits
Earl Baylon and Law Sharma