We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christian Barreno a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Christian thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Would you say you are more focused on growing revenue or cutting costs? We’d love to hear how you think about these two critical drivers.

I’ve been a full time freelancer for about 2 years. I still consider my current season as an “on-ramp” into the industry here in the midwest. I’d say I’ve been spending most of my energy on growing revenue through different types of projects and growing relationships with people in the industry, both locally and out of state.

It takes many talented people to come together to generate and execute film projects. Therefore, I think growing in relationships and collaborating with reliable, talented people is paramount. I’ve had the pleasure of working with many directors and crew and have realized that there are people I gravitate towards because of their work ethic. These people contribute not just their skills, but also their ability to foster a better environment on set. It basically feels like a “dream team” scenario when you work with people you trust and like.

I value working with people I’ve come to know personally over just filling key roles based on a budget. In reality, money and availability determine who works on any given project, but that also opens up opportunities to learn from other people, what they value and what they contribute. It’s also a great way to network and leave a great impression and hopefully generate more work.

Story

Around the time I was looking to transition into full time freelancing, I was looking for crew for an independent feature that had landed on my lap and came across a guy named Austin. He was a PA on a set with colleagues of mine, and came highly recommended. I hardly knew any local crew and felt this project was going to suffer for many reasons. Fortunately, I was able to work with him on this feature and quickly realized he was the kind of person I could work with on almost any project. He not only fulfilled his role, but always found ways to contribute across the board. I’ve been working with him consistently these past 2 years on various projects and roles. I’ve come to recognize his skills as a filmmaker, not just a PA, but as someone with a directorial vision, someone who can flow in various roles on set. And he’s an awesome guy to be around. His temperament and personality foster a creative environment that is free of judgement and drama that sometimes creep up on set. He’s one of those people that every time I work with in whatever capacity, feels like a “dream team” and that is what I’ve come to value as a filmmaker.

Christian, 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?

When I was in college, I thought I wanted to pursue a career in healthcare but after about 2 years into school, I realized it wasn’t for me. I’ve always had a background in music and art. I grew up as a pastor’s kid, often serving in many creative roles. I always felt that art was just a church thing and that I wouldn’t be able to pursue a “real” career outside the 4 walls.

I transferred to a university in Indiana after my sophomore year and decided to focus on an art degree. This was the best decision. I was able to really immerse myself in photography and video. I fell in love with lighting and learned a lot from my professors, specifically my photography professor. He basically took me under his wing. He along with other art faculty guided me along the way to discover the kind of visual artist I am today.

After college I had several jobs in sound and live production. I had my trusty little Canon t3i from my college days and had side gigs shooting portraits, filming weddings and other one-man-band projects. Eventually I got a job at a nearby church as their “video guy.” That is when things really took a turn for me. There was a lot of free time and the job expectations were pretty vague and low in regards to film. I decided I wasn’t going to coast in this role, but to use the resources available to better myself as a filmmaker. Back in those days, Vimeo was exploding with fresh ideas and I took so much in. I curated a ton. I used screen grabs and collected frames to build treatments, create story boards for little church projects that frankly, didn’t need any of that energy put in. I wanted to take advantage of every little project I was given, and put in the work. I didn’t have crew and often relied on volunteers or other church staff to execute the vision on film projects, but I made the most of it and pushed hard across pre and post.

My story telling and visual style began to improve significantly and people began to notice. I met amazing, talented people locally and online. Someone that comes to mind is my friend Jared. He too was a church kid here in Indiana making the most of what he had available at the time. We connected via Vimeo and have collaborated on many projects since! He’s an amazing Director and DP in NYC now and it’s been a marvel to see how much he’s grown as a filmmaker.

My last full time role before transitioning to freelancing was at another big church in the area. It was a great season of creativity and growth. I worked with Jeremy, the Film Director on staff. Together, we took huge leaps in the kinds of projects we were part of. I learned a lot about process, editing, and storytelling from him. He’s a very methodical kind of person and he’s made a great impression on me in many ways as a filmmaker! I still collaborate with him and his team to this day.

Now as a full time freelancer, I continue to push myself in many areas like business, networking, and visual. I’ve had the pleasure of working with several agencies here in the Indianapolis area. I’ve also had awesome opportunities to connect with talented individuals here and I feel that I’ve been able to collaborate effectively showcase not just my skills but my work ethic and vision as local filmmaker. I hope to continue working and expanding my capacity as a DP, knowing that it takes people to help make it happen.

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

Today we have lots of information on filmmaking. There are social media platforms, Youtube, even MasterClass. I wished those kinds of classes/tutorials were more readily available when I was just starting out. But at the same time, the lack of information on those platforms really pushed me to seek out individuals and have a personal and hands-on approach to learning.

Technology today is more available and affordable. I started out with a little Canon t3i and used DSLRS for my work. It wasn’t until my first church job as a “video guy” that I had access to the first Ursa Mini camera. I started dabbling with shooting in log mode, a huge change for me coming from the old Magic Lantern days. Since then, Its been nothing but up in terms of camera bodies, lighting, and software.

It’s great to see young filmmakers growing and taking full advantage of the information and technology that is available today.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The reward is definitely found in the work, the entire process. I’ve gained a huge appreciation and sense of satisfaction from just having work come in and being on set with people.

There are many times where I do feel my work really pays off when people have a connection to the art and story in my work. I feel that those kinds of conversations that follow, are like guiding markers. They reinforce and sometimes inspire ideas that help shape my journey as a filmmaker.

Contact Info:

• Website: christianbarreno.com
• Instagram: @christian_barreno
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/cbarreno

Image Credits
Jared St. Cyr Brenton Oechsle Traders Point Film