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

Alejandro, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I am a full-time freelance creative in the film and commercial video industry. I am grateful that I earn a full-time living doing what I am most passionate about – storytelling.

My journey began shooting weddings to pay off my maxed-out credit cards after college. Weddings allowed me to practice shooting videos, think on my feet, and practically handle pressure. All skills that are needed in filmmaking.

After 2 years of shooting weddings, I eventually got burned out and decided to go to Panama with two other wedding videographers to shoot a short film. That became my film school and gave me a foundation never to stop working on my craft and fully pursue a career in the creative arts.

It’s been a long journey for sure. From weddings to short films, corporate media, music videos, commercials, and now working on feature films. If I had to do it over again I would be very strategic in goal setting, developing a lifelong timeline, and a system with checks and balances (to keep me on track) to achieve such goals.

Thinking back on it now, something that I lacked the most, was having a true mentor to help me speed up the process. Someone who’s been there, done that, and could see further ahead due to their experience. In my younger years, I lacked the confidence and courage to ask for help, but now I see how important it is. My advice to up-and-coming filmmakers would be to always keep learning and honing your craft, but find the right mentor to guide you on your journey.

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

We all have been blessed with different talents and passions. Mine happens to be filmmaking (with an emphasis on storytelling). I eat, breathe, and dream storytelling.

I love the entire process. Fleshing out characters and their worlds, translating a script into moving images, finessing the story through editing, and sharing it all with audiences to evoke an emotional response.

If I had to pick and choose the areas of filmmaking that I am more drawn to and that come naturally to me I’d say writing, directing, shooting, and editing. These are things I feel confident about regarding my skill set and experience.

My approach to any project I take on whether it’s a music video, a commercial, or a brand video, is to treat it as a movie at its core. Movies have a unique ability to tap into universal emotions and themes that resonate across cultures, allowing viewers to engage and connect deeply. By utilizing the techniques found in storytelling and filmmaking my goal is to help you unleash your story in the most impactful manner.

Putting story first is what sets me apart from others. You can have cinematic shots, flashy editing, and effects, but if the story doesn’t captivate your viewer, nothing else matters.

New clients come to me to help them with their story. Either on the page by developing or rewriting a script, Directing or shooting a project in a manner that is innovative and different than what they have always done in the past. Or sometimes re-editing a film whose story was lost or never found in the editing room.

Throughout my career, I have been blessed to have been recognized with five Emmys and a Telly award. However, what I am most proud of and grateful for is the people that I get to work with and serve. Be kind, be humble, and always give it your best and you will attract people who appreciate your work and you as a person. Nowadays most of my work is by referral only, which is a great place to be as it gives me options and creative freedom.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Yes, my mission is to write, direct, produce, and distribute my first feature-length film. Although I have worked on feature-length films, I have not yet done one for me-self. This has been a motivating factor my entire career which unfortunately has taken a back seat due to life, family, and work (all good things). But it’s never too late, and I know it will happen when the time is right. In the meantime, I’m taking it one step at a time and currently writing the spec script for it.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Some of my favorite resources for those seeking to learn screenwriting and make their first movie are as follows:

• Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player
• Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need
• Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter’s Guide to Every Story Ever Told
• Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting
• The Hollywood Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style
• The Artist’s Way

Here is a shameless plug to my first blog post highlighting why I think each of these books is a must-read for anyone just starting and serious about taking their movie idea from the page to the screen.

https://alejandroguimoye.com/best-screenwriting-books

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alejandroguimoye.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alejandro.guimoye
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alejandroguimoye
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlejandroGuimoye
• Other: Email: [email protected]