We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cameron Cardoza. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cameron below.
Cameron, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
I am constantly working on the next ‘thing’. Whether it be submissions for film festivals or personal passion projects, my number one goal is to leave a mark on the world- no matter how small.
Being able to collaborate with friends and share my creations, albeit not perfect, has given me a purpose I can’t imagine living without.
Working on the Public Domain Film Festival every year has been a particular joy of mine as it requires teamwork within a tight set of boundaries- offering a challenge in the creative process.
However, my most meaningful project would have to be working on the film ‘Sell or be Sold’. This film was part of a competition offered by Joel Haver, a content creator. The challenge was to film a feature length film (40 minutes minimum) over the span of 3 hours. As one might imagine, getting 40 minutes of usable footage within that time frame is no easy task.
But, despite the odds, myself and a few close worked together in creating my first ever feature length film. To this day, I still regard ‘Sell or be Sold’ to be one of my most proud accomplishments.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I first started filming when I was 8, working on goofy short films with my sisters and cousins. Over time, I branched out into YouTube and began honing my craft with each finished video.
Since then, I’ve began taking film making much more seriously. I now go to BYU and am active in the SFA and Media Arts Department. While I do not know what my future holds, I am eager to chase the next step in my creative endeavors.
My YouTube channel is called ‘Cameron Cardoza’ if you want to check it out! Anything I’ve ever created is on that channel.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
Use what you have. When I was still fresh to the movie making business, I begged my parents to buy me an expensive film camera as a Christmas present.
Eager to use it, I soon realized all of the controls were foreign to me and I did not have the necessary lighting and sound equipment to produce anything good from the advanced piece of hardware.
I can’t stress enough how useful smart phones are in the world of independent film making. ‘Sell or be Sold’ was entirely filmed and edited on an iPhone. If anyone wants to pursue this path, don’t be afraid to get out there and start filming with what you’ve got.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I’ve been doing YouTube for several years now and am yet to hit 500 subscribers.
That statement is one of the hardest yet most critical things for me to state. Many people give up when they realize the numbers aren’t matching the work being put in. But keep going.
Do I hope to one day have a larger media presence? Most definitely. Am I holding my breath? Absolutely not. We all have our own timeline- it takes patience before the work pays off.
If I were to give tips on establishing this media presence, I’d suggest putting yourself out there. Every social platform, every friend and family, let them know what you’re about and what you have to offer. It’ll be embarrassing sometimes, but it pays off.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/cameron_cardozaster?igshid=NTdlMDg3MTY=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cameron.cardoza.52?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@cameroncardozaster