ABOUT ME
I come from a small ranch in west Texas where I had been living throughout my childhood. It's peaceful and quiet there in the rural area. I went to a small school in Guthrie which is a small town that has a great community and a friendly environment. Out of all the places in the world, including Los Angeles or New York, this is the place where I became interested in film production. I com from the middle of nowhere where it's hundreds of miles away from a production company.
I started making videos in technology class when I was a sophomore in high school. The first video that I made is a music video that shows my cover of the Maroon 5 song, "Daylight". My technology teacher shot the footage with a camcorder and asked me if I can edit them. But the problem at the time was that I didn't know how to edit videos. But fortunately, he taught me to edit using iMovie. At that point, I started to become fascinated of making videos. Throughout the next couple of years, I made vlogs such as "How I Became Interested in Music" along with a promo, a PSA, a how-to, and a stop-motion video, "What Happens When People are Not Around in Classrooms". Right before I graduated high school, I decided that I want to keep making videos as a lifelong career. In 2015, I graduated as a valedictorian with the decision to study video production in college.
After summer, I went to South Plains College where I made a few more vlogs such as "South Plains College with Tito Contreras". This is my top favorite vlog as I got to shoot around campus and invited my friends to be in the video. I had an amazing time back then. My professors were so impressed of the vlog that they wanted to show it to aspirational high school students who were interested in attending South Plains College. Shortly after, the employees of the Health and Wellness Center watched it and praised it. So, they decided to ask me if I can work there as a work-study. This led me to make a PSA for them on sexual consent called "SPC Consent" as well as the video to promote the health and wellness center. In 2017, I graduated with an Associate's degree in Radio, Television, & Film. I love South Plains College so much because the campus and the community are similar to Guthrie. I made a lot of amazing friends there, including my best friend from Vietnam. I felt that I was starting to experience something that I didn't really get in high school which is true friendship. I miss this place a lot. I feel like my heart belongs in that campus.
Later that year, I transferred to the University of North Texas where I got exposed to professional equipment, developed a lot of my filmmaking skills, and matured myself as a filmmaker. The first project that I made there is a one-minute experimental film called "Remembrance", which is the first film with the cinematography looking professional as I started using a Panasonic EVA1. Next, I made a short documentary called "College Life" that became the first film to be accepted into a film festival. After that, I made more student short films such as "Happiness" and "Whoops". Finally, my college career came to a close in December 2019 as I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Media Arts with the hope and optimism of working in the film industry.
Since then, I've been on my own pursuing my dream to become a successful filmmaker. First, I completed my indie short film and passion project, "Censored" in 2022, which is the first project that I worked on with a full crew. Along the way, I bought various equipment like my own Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, Atomos Shinobi 7" camera monitor, and Moza Air 2 gimbal, and I used them to create a few practice videos such as "The Journey", "My Brother", "Diversity", and "R.I.P. (Redemption In Progress)". In 2023, I was fortunate enough to volunteer as a Red Carpet Videographer in the Dallas International Film Festival, and I created the recap video that was shared on their social media. Later that year, I came across the pivotal moment in my life as I got accepted in the pre-apprenticeship program for Pegasus Media Project, in which I became more knowledgeable about the film industry and got clarity in finding the right path for me to get into the industry. In early 2024, I made my experimental short drama "Curiosity", the most successful film in my career as it became my first film to receive an award from a film festival along with being accepted to more festivals! This is a significant film for me not only because of that but this is the first project that I composed music. Besides film, music is my strongest passion and I wanted to create an opportunity to start pursuing my other dream as a musician and composer. This program really changed my life for the better and I am eternally grateful for the organization. Right now, I have started my independent business as a freelance videographer and composer, so I can have opportunities to form relationships with clients, create videos and music for them, and have sustainable income. My ultimate goal is to have the freedom and courage to express myself in any way possible, with filmmaking and music as the resources to help me achieve that goal. I still have a long journey ahead of me. I still have a lot to learn about the industry so I can figure out how to make a positive impact on my life and everyone else around the world. Let's see what happens next. Wish me luck.
