We recently connected with Chris Andrade and have shared our conversation below.

Chris, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

Starting my production company has been the biggest risk I’ve ever taken but if I hadn’t taken the initial first step to take this idea and execute it, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. I knew I always wanted to start a collective of creatives that shared similar interests in Music and Film but there’s not a handbook out there on how to do it. The thing is there is no one way to do things in this field. You learn and adapt and if you have enough determination you will eventually find success in it.

So-Called Studios was born in my basement in Belleville, NJ. It was January 2019 and a group of my friends and I had a vision to start a collective. We weren’t experienced in anything specific but everyone brought something different to the table. Through trial and error we did everything from filming music videos for friends to shooting weddings and other side ventures like starting a clothing collection and creating YouTube series. We tried everything to find our path and our place in this industry.

As years went by, shifting our gears towards a more mature and elegant approach, the new So-Called Studios was born. A new logo and look made people understand us a little bit more. We wanted to be a small team that created beautiful ideas into reality. We take pride in our storytelling through all outlets of media with a very personalized approach to our clients. The same way we took our idea and executed it is the same way we go about treating our clients.

Chris, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I have a vast background in all departments of Film. I went to film school and shortly after graduating I got some pretty unique opportunities that have given me learning experiences in this field. Some include interning at a magazine company/working equipment at a photo studio in NYC to working with corporate companies to create company commercials/bio pieces for the company. (Quest diagnostics and Colgate were among those clients.) Having worked in camera department for those opportunities I wanted to use what I learned from those jobs and bring the professionalism and efficiency to how I would want to operate my own company.

Fast forward a couple years and So-Called Studios has paved its own lane in the NJ/NYC creative industry. We provide Idea and Brand development through visual or auditory mediums such as Film, Music, Graphic Design and Marketing. Being a primarily minority-run production company we want to be the voice for the generations to come. I never had someone that I looked up to in this industry because I couldn’t relate to any of them. It’s my biggest dream to be able to do something successful in the creative field and for someone to look at me and our company as inspiration to follow their dreams.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

Everything and everyone can be a potential resource for your business and I wish I knew about how to use my resources earlier in my creative journey. Sometimes you come across people or opportunities and in the moment it may not seem important but connecting and networking with people is one of the most important things in this journey. USE YOUR RESOURCES! Soak in all the information from school or from a seminar or from an online class and use it for your own business. I know not everything directly applies to you or your business but you never know when you’re going to need the knowledge or call up someone that can help you with something down the line. But with this step also comes being a good person. Be a good person to people and people will always remember that. No one wants to work with people that are egotistical or arrogant. Leave the ego at the door and be humble and kind.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media is a big game. Especially in the times we live in now, everything depends on your online presence. As important as it is don’t take it too serious. The way we built our social media is by building a community of people that like what we do or that like what we like. It’s about showing some personality and you can connect more directly with people.

We haven’t always be consistent on social media but we always make an effort to and it always works. So, STAY as CONSISTENT as possible.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://socalledstudios.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socalledx/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@socalledx

Image Credits

Shot by Slippersnosocks