We had the good fortune of connecting with Kyle Provencio Reingold and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kyle, how does your business help the community?
At Ghetto Film School, we educate, develop, and celebrate the next generation of great American storytellers. The best stories are those that we haven’t seen or heard yet, from voices that have lived a life and have unique sensibilities. These stories allow us to travel to unfamiliar places, yet empathize and connect with a character, community or thematic motif because it reflects the universal human experience.

First, we teach filmmakers to be compassionate and humble in order to be in service of the craft of visual storytelling. The story ultimately decides what is needed in order to produce and execute the vision of the Director, and we teach the skillset of how to approach Film Production from a low-budget, independent filmmaker/distribution model. The community is reflective of individual agency with the support of a network that has an unquenchable interest in creating a Film/TV/Media space that truly feels reflective of our communities both in-front of and behind the camera.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My grandfather was a Latin Jazz musician and he began training me at 5 years old to become a Jazz pianist. When I wasn’t practicing the Piano, I spent most of my free time with my grandparents at the “Show” as they called it or the movies. It was our favorite place to be in the Air Conditioning, eat a hot dog or ice cream, and be entertained for 2 hours (or 4-5 hours if we movie hopped). But it wasn’t just the movies or music that formed my sensibility for emotional storytelling or passionate expression, it was the exercise of hanging out in the food courts and people watching with my grandparents that shaped my creativity around character and fascination with idiosyncrasies/behavior.

This directly affected my approach to Directing the Actor or identifying story in the creative process of filmmaking. I am intrigued by exploring the inner-complexities and subtle transformations that take place on a daily basis just existing and being human. Cinema has the power to make us present in a moment, and I think that our consciousness can be impacted from a deeply spiritual space when we are most unaware.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Los Angeles is one of the most beautiful cities in the world because of our ethnic diversity and rich tapestry of sub-cultures. There are too many places to visit in this city, as I’ve lived here most of my life, and still find new places to try or visit. I will say that my Grandparents instilled a love for car culture and cruising anywhere in L.A. for a good bite to eat, a nice view, or excuse to listen to oldies.

I can’t give away too many secrets of my city, because we’ve already lost too many spots to gentrification and overpopulation in L.A.

I can shoutout the businesses that we can continue to support to ensure their continued longevity…

Sideshow Books – Los Angeles, Videotheque – South Pasadena, Record Jungle – Montebello, El Gallo Bakery – East Los Angeles, Kebab Halebi – Van Nuys, La Cita – DTLA, La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, the Cheech @ Riverside.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Homeboy Industries (Father G / Gus), El Tepeyac, and all those who donated towards supporting my first narrative short film “Con Esperanza” produced at NYU UGFTV. My community taught me about the generosity, love, and respect that we have for Artists trying to empower our culture and voice.

Website: pochopictures.com

Instagram: instagram.com/thekpr

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

Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/kyleprovencio

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thekpr/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwGzK6dU7cArM9ZcaD-NApg

Image Credits
Photographer: Frances Hamrock

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.