Meet Ricardo Castillo | Writer & Director

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

Hi Ricardo, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
It’s funny, I wasn’t sure if I should answer this question as I always thought that working for myself was my most important decision. I grew up with a very self-conscious mindset, where I feel like if there’s a doubt to be had, then it should be said before I complete a job or task. I’ve always known that directing is my true passion, but I could never write my own work as I felt too critical of the films I’ve already produced. Eventually, I convinced myself to find work elsewhere in the field and I sought Grip work since I seemed to gravitate towards that work the most at my film school. Working in the G&E department seemed like a great way to find work on many different sets and even meet people to network with. Of course, I only stayed for the steady work and I never challenged myself creatively. It didn’t take long to realize how unfortunate that lack of fulfillment felt once the work began to slow down until it eventually stopped, especially after COVID. I had to be honest with myself when I learned that building a network can be tough, especially when your strongest skill set can easily be found among many other, more qualified, individuals with more experience. I could have easily returned home and sought a living elsewhere, but I already knew one thing, filmmaking was the only career I truly connected with and understood. There really wasn’t much left to lose by switching back to directing, which probably became my most important decision. If there’s one thing I learned about working in this industry, the phrase “if there’s a will, there’s a way” really does have some merit. This is especially the case since, unlike in the G&E department, networking with people became more engaging when I spoke to people who are about as equally passionate about their career/goals as I was. This ended up becoming the key to how I directed my first short in nearly two years, all because I never gave up on one absolute fact, LA is full of passionate dreamers and if the right people would come together, a shoot doesn’t look entirely improbable. I feel like if there’s any great advice I could ever share with anyone who seeks to work in this industry, it’s to keep in mind that there is no harm in reaching out to anyone, even if it’s just to ask people for help. I don’t think I could have ever come this far without the people I’ve met over the years, most of whom would even become some of my best friends, and I believe that too is essential as well.

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.
I feel like I’ve always had this romantic view of the world that loves exploring every thought or memory I’ve had to the fullest extent possible. Because I like to ask a lot of questions, I like to see what I would gain from each experience I’ve had, including filming a movie. There was this story I would tell my friends about how I once asked a girl out and was gently turned down. We were both in high school are were practically inseparable that night, and after that, I remember thinking the story could have ended right there. Then I learned that she was already in a relationship around the time I shared those feelings, which helped me understand why she said, “I don’t want to hurt you”. Yet as confusing as things were, even with that knowledge in mind, I couldn’t stop smiling over that amazing time we shared together having fun and just talking for hours. Moments like these helped me learn how much a “common” story could make a person think. Sometimes there are things I really want to know about people or ideas that never clicked on my first encounter, so I return to them to understand them. For this, it was seeing how the relationship played out between the two characters that convinced me that it was necessary to tell that story. Because by the end, I did learn one thing from that experience that I think could apply to almost anything I do as an artist as well. It doesn’t matter what I received, but the journey to get there is what matters most. Maybe that’s what really mattered in the end since I couldn’t be more excited to learn/explore more with each project I’ve worked on from then on.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A quick trip to the original Disneyland wouldn’t hurt, experiencing the rides Walt Disney himself had a hand in creating is definitely a treat. For movie nights, man there are just way too many movie theaters to count, LA probably has some of the best movie theaters in the world. But if visitors were to ever get the chance, I’d look no further than three historic theaters; The Egyptian, the TCL Chinese Theater, and the Cinerama Dome. Too historic? Then a simple visit to the AMC Burbank 16, a solid multiplex with quality sound and beautiful screens. If they are looking for some of the best shops, the Glendale Galleria is a solid shopping mall. If they are seeking film/music shops, at their own discretion, I’d bring them over to Amoeba Music, a dangerous place for media collectors, like me, to go to with money in their wallets. Lastly, if they’re from back East and are hungry, an In-N-Out burger would be a good start, but I would make sure they should try a Bob’s Big Boy burger before leaving.

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?
My family back home in Virginia never gave up on me, they believe in my passion for film and are fighting hard to keep me involved. I feel like I owe them so much that I can’t fathom a way to repay, besides keeping busy and never slowing down, which is a promise I believe I can keep. All the same with the people who stuck by my side here in LA like my good friend Miguel Pinedo, Juan Camilo Luna, Gio Gardina, and so many more.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ricardo.film.castillo_1135/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-castillo-48a9991b2/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichardCastillo368/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/THEMANOFTHOUGHT1/featured

Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10860045/?ref_=pro_nm_visitcons

Image Credits
Photos taken by Gio Gardina Jelena Aleksandrova and Jaan Kristjan Utno