Meet David Moreno | Filmmaker, Videographer & Photographer

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

Hi David, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
In general, I feel as though you spend your whole life taking risks. The moment you wake up, you’re going to have to make some choices that might greatly impact your life – that includes your career. However, taking ‘risks’ within the arts is very different than in other fields. There is no “one way” or “direct path” to take when it comes to pursuing a creative career, there are so many directions you can go. So taking risks, in film-making for example, is monumental and significant. You can put your heart, soul, time, and money into a project and you don’t know if anyone will even notice. Of course at the end of the day, what is important is that it matters to you; you are the first person that watches, pieces together, and critiques your own work. And yet you are part of a field where you are meant to show your work to the world, and therefore have to take into account criticism and advice from others to better improve your craft. It can feel intimidating, make you defensive, and yet this industry is based on collaborating, sharing ideas, and listening to what others will tell you. Personally, I’ve always known this career I have been pursuing for the past several years is in-an-of itself a risk. Having faith in myself and the support of others is what has kept me going, and without all of it I’d be in a much different place in my life. There will always be that part of you that is scared or questioning whether you made the right choice, whether you’re making the right choices, whether it was worth the risk. Only you can answer that. Only you can make that choice. No one else can make my decisions for me. Having the courage and tenacity to continue with my career goals is why I am where I am in life and my career.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
All my ideas and what I created comes from life experiences. From the significant to the seemingly unimportant. What I see, watch, dream; all of it is inspiration. What I feel sets me apart from others is my desire to remain sincere and down to earth. In this field there is the need to stand out, show off, be the loudest, even change your personality to cater others. I do believe you have to stand out in order to get noticed, but I also believe most people gravitate towards those who are honest, real, and who are their true self in private and in public. Everyday holds new and exciting opportunities, as long as you make the effort and really go for it. Life is full of challenges, and when you overcome them, it is a rewarding feeling. The fear of being on my own was difficult – leaving the familiar and entering the unknown. But being on my own since, I truly feel what it means to grow up and I feel as though I control my own life. Some obstacles however I will always struggle with. Financial stability will always be an obstacle. Money is necessary to make your ideas come to life. Finding the balance between pouring money into your passion and your personal life is crucial. Which leads into the next challenge; career and life. One can devote fully into their passion and forget their own private life, which matters just as much, as well as the other way around. No matter your career, balance is key to a fruitful life.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Living in Los Angeles, there is so much to do, people to meet, places to explore – there is never a dull moment living in the ‘City of Angels.’ Aside from being an epicenter for creatives from all over the country and the world, this city has so many other things to offer. Being a foodie and enjoying a cup of coffee, I love going to Solar de Cahuenga, where they provide a variety of coffee drinks, and delicious breakfast and lunch dishes. Everyday you can see online what there is to do, such as two museums I really enjoy: The Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. One museum devotes to culturally relevant art, while the other dedicates to the history of my passion: film-making. As far as places to hang out, nothing beats locations like the Americana where you can go with your date, friends and explore around all day. From places featured in popular films, historic sites, and overall places that are beautiful to just experience and look at, it is no wonder many want to visit or even live here. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be living in.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Those whom I want to thank first are of course my family. With the career I’ve continued with, some relatives might show concern, and yet it comes from a place of love and no matter what they will always support you. To my two younger sisters; although younger siblings tend to look up to their older siblings, for me I am so proud of them both. For their ages, they are beyond their years, and they both have such bright futures ahead of them, and I am happy to be their older brother. To my partner and my friends, I am happy to have them in my life. Even being away from my friends in order to commit to my career goal, which was and continues to be one of the hardest decisions of my life, I know that they are rooting for me wherever I am – just as much as I am rooting for them. From the moment I met my girlfriend, she has never stopped believing in me and my dreams, and continues to have my back in all things that dealing with my career. I feel very lucky. To the professors who taught me in college about the aspects of film, photography, the arts in general, they opened my eyes to a world I always wanted to be part of and I continue to take their teachings into heart and evolve from it. I continue to hone my craft thanks to the films and books I’ve encountered – from Robert McKee’s book “Story,” to films from American director, Stanley Kubrick, and even European directors like Andrei Tarkovsky. Even to those I continue to meet and the media I consume, everything and everyone can be inspirational to you.

Website: https://dimoreno19933.wixsite.com/website

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daismo93/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-i-moreno-1993213d/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLgOoaEAqKE5gcpXZZFhYmw

Image Credits
Genesis Stevens, Tim Blast, Kelsey Susino, Julie Paige, Elijah Howard, Bruce Mitchener, Taylor Adams, Nicole Cordova, Manuela Sanchez, Manuel Luna, Elise Gonzalez-Martinez, Claire Marie, Angel Carrillo, Amanda Rogers, Sara Tepper, Jeffrie Gonzalez, Justin Banquiles, Ben Wolfwood