We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Davi Pena . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Davi below.

Davi , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Success is rooted in ones perception of it. Is it how fat you can make your wallet? Is it legacy? Is it respect?

Chasing your dream, and making it come true, to me is the definition of success. Money may come along but if your heart is in the right place, I think those things sort of come organically. I think a-lot of people attribute money to success, which makes sense, but if your definition of success lies completely within your own finances, then I think you’re missing out on one of the most beautiful journeys you can have as a human. The journey to find your calling and the pursuit of your dreams. That journey is precious, and to embark on that journey is brave and is to be admired. Some of the most successful artists and entrepreneurs I know, are people that buy into the same ideology as I do; to put the work first.

Now what does it take to be successful? I think it takes consistency and steadfast ambition. I’m not someone that believes in luck, not in it’s entirety at-least. For me, luck is when opportunity meets preparedness. Others might call someone lucky once they “Make it” but what’s never accounted for is all the silent hours that’s gotten that particular person into that position. For me it’s being a film director, and when I inevitably do go off and create my feature, it’ll come to life not because of luck, but because of my persistence, drive and my ability to make connections and foster relationships. I think that’s something a lot of high-achieving personality types would agree with. Because look, at the end of the day you cant achieve greatness without others. People need people.

So with that being said, I think if you want to be successful, you need to understand that YOU are in control of that destiny, even if others come along and decide to uplift you, it’s still all on you and what you decide to do with the opportunities around you. And trust me, they’re there! You just need to put the work in and look, or make those opportunities for yourself by taking that “leap of faith” every now and than.

I’ve still got a long road ahead of me, but recently I’ve been seeing signs that tell me I’m going in the right direction. So I think I’m on the road to success and sometimes realizing that is all you need to not stray off somewhere else.

Another part of me knows that success isn’t something that can blanket your life. You can be successful in certain sectors of your life and weak/failing in others, so again I think it’s all perception, because ones definition of success can, and probably will change over the course of time.

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’m Davi Peña, an indie-filmmaker with a passion for directing. Inspired by the sublime, I like to toe the line between the uncanny and grounded reality, creating rich visual worlds that connect my audiences with a character’s truth, dipping into the surreal to illustrate their unique perception of reality.

I got into filmmaking at a very young age, around age 10 or so. Getting my friends together, creating this alternate reality where we could all play in and control, was something that I was fascinated by. It was also around that age that I found myself constantly using a camera. One day I’d be in the yard, filming birds and bugs with my moms camcorder, putting together the most nonsensical documentaries of backyard wildlife. Another day i’d be locked in my room with my computer webcam animating legos and clay, making what would be my first film; a 30 second clip of a lego man getting into a van and driving off. An exhausting week of work for a measly 30 seconds but I guess I must’ve loved the torturous process because shortly after I made a 2 minute brick film. For the next couple years my love for storytelling grew and grew. The stop-motion turned to live-motion, the lego figures turned to people and as I got older I started to realize that this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to make movies. I had to.

On weekends I’d get my friends together and without any sort of planning whatsoever, we’d go off in the woods with toy guns and create war movies with my family’s iPad (a device that was the holy grail of filmmaking to me). I’d cut it up, add some music, sound effects, some sh*tty vfx, and boom. A movie is born. They were always terrible, obviously, but the joy of making them is what sticks with me, and it’s that feeling I chase when making any film to this day. As I got more into it I really started to study the craft of filmmaking, and with each short film I made I’d see myself getting better and better. I got an opportunity to intern on a movie set my sophomore year of highschool and the experience solidified what I already felt was my calling.

Fast forward to now and my passion still comes from that same place, the heart of my inner child. With every film I make, I always make sure that it’s something I want to see before anyone else, and I think doing that always keeps me in tune with my vision. Only difference between me then and now is that my voice has matured and I have better resources. But the passion and drive to create…that’s never changed, and I plan to protect that part of me always.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me the most rewarding aspect of all of this, is the ability to change hearts through expression. All art has the potential to do this, but I believe that cinema has strong influence on our hearts and minds. It has the ability to transport somebody emotionally, into the shoes of another being, and have them experience a journey and perspective they wouldn’t have otherwise. To me, that is the true essence of “movie magic”.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think something that a lot people misunderstand about my journey, and the journey of many other filmmakers i’m sure, is just how tough it is to get people to trust you to make things, with me still in the process of creating that trust.

For me, trying to find a doorway into the place I want to ultimately taxing in an industry of smoke and mirrors. The paradox of the director, is no one will let you direct unless you’ve directed and the only way you can overcome that hurdle, is to tune out the noise and…direct.

Wait what???

Yep. The only way to become a director is to just simply just do that. You gotta figure out a way! It’s both the scary and the liberating part, because your success is determined by your endurance and ingenuity as an artist. You need to find ways to express your ideas into the medium of film, and that looks like going out and shooting a bunch of shit until you make something that sticks, even if it’s a single frame that you’re proud of in a sea of garbage. You need an idea, you need to guts, and then you need to transform that idea into a series of images, and then you need to fail and start all over again. Each time you’ll look deeper into your heart, and find out what is it that you feel; what are you trying to say? And when you find out what that thing is, even if it’s just you scratching the surface of something much larger, than you must chase it. You must explore, dive deep and ask yourself questions; why do I like this frame? Why do I like this camera move? Why do I like these colors? In asking yourself these question, your voice will reveal itself as you begin to understand the mechanisms of your creative mind and the things that make you tick.

My philosophy on the process is that if you continue to put your heart in the right place, and put the work first, doors will naturally open as you continue to make more and more work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.davixpena.com
• Instagram: davi.x.pena

Image Credits
BTS Photos taken by Erik Pham