We recently connected with Gisela Cantres-Toro and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Gisela thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

When I was a junior in high school I already had an idea that I wanted to pursue a career in the film industry. Coming from a military family that wasn’t sitting well with my mother. We we’re living in Puerto Rico at the time and my mom flew us all the way to New York just so she can take me too see this military university called West Point. To see all the opportunities it can offer and so that I can “choose the right path”. But deep down I knew that’s not what I wanted to do. So I feel choosing a career in film was a big risk despite all the challenges that came along with it and all the changes it that came along with it. If I wanted to pursue my dream it meant having to leave Puerto Rico and move to Florida for college. It was a big risk a lot of nineteen year olds probably wouldn’t have taken, but my mother finally came to terms with my choice and supported me all the way.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Gisela Cantres-Toro, I’m a 25 year old puertorriqueña living in the city of Atlanta pursuing a career in film with some model work on the side. When I was younger I took some modeling classes and modeled for a few things, but I never did anything to further that experience. Although I was still shy and self conscious it still put me out of my comfort zone but maybe it was something I would pursue later on as I got older. Film on the other hand I think I always knew at a very young age that I loved watching movies and I wanted to do work doing something in film, but it didn’t become official until junior year of high school. Moving away from home to pursue your dreams can be scary, but I was excited to see a new world and experience new things. I wen to college at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida where I got my Film Bachelor’s degree in just 20months! Fast I know, but I was able to learn everything I needed to prepare myself for the real world in film. In the film world I currently work as a PA (production assistant) trying to transition into the world of camera. As a PA my role is very simple we are always the first ones in and the last ones out, we get water and food for people, we make sure people aren’t talking or walking in the middle of frame while we are shooting, some PA’s are in charge of taking care of the cast like getting them from the green room to set, making sure they are aware of what’s going on and what are we filming. The job itself might seem a bit boring but you are literally seeing how a movie gets made! You get to interact with the crew and make friends and get to know people with similar interests and for me that’s what makes the job fun. It is not a job for the faint of heart either. No matter what department you are in the job is physically demanding, you are on your feet for 12+hrs a day working, the turnaround time for rest isn’t the greatest, and you really don’t have any downtime especially if you are on a production full time and working a minimum of 60+hrs a week. A lot of people would ask why do it? you do it because you love it! On the modeling side, I’ve joined some local agencies where I’ve been able to enter a world where I can connect with other people like me with similar interests. I mostly do freelance work as a Brand Ambassador or I shoot for fun in a community of creatives I recently joined called @atl_shooters where they create photography meetups at different locations whether if it’s a studio or an outdoor location. It’s really a great community!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I find it most rewarding anytime I’m working on a project. Coming from a Puertorrican family that raised me under a military background was challenging. I really didn’t think how far I was going to get. I decided to chase a challenging career which I knew a lot of people were going to question. But I wasn’t going to let that stop me! I believed in wanting to become a filmmaker, so I dared to dream big and I did it! It has been 3 years now since my first job in film and I may not be where I want to be there is still so much work to be done, but at least I know I’m down the right path, the path that I want to be in.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In the summer of 2022, The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and The Screen Actor Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) unions went on strike for a fair contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). That meant that all film work would stop until the strike was over. It was uncertain when things would settle, but until then bills still needed to be paid so I had to look for work elsewhere. I got a part time job and also did some stage hand work for concert’s and live event’s. I had to pivot to temporary employment until things we’re resolved between the unions and the AMPTP. I had to be patient and wait, wait for everything to be back to normal, to adjust to be working doing something you might not be passionate about, but the slight feeling of hope it’s what keeps you going that it’s only temporary and that you will be back on set soon. As of now, work has slowly been picking back up but soon we will be back to normal, and everything will be okay.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cantres._

Image Credits
Photographer Jade Yi @jadeshots