We were lucky to catch up with Connor Rancan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Connor, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We love asking folks what they would do differently if they were starting today – how they would speed up the process, etc. We’d love to hear how you would set everything up if you were to start from step 1 today.

By no means am I at my final destination in my career, nor producing the work I feel is at my highest capabilities. My career and aspirations have taken many twists and turns since I started pursuing filmmaking and photography professionally. As I develop as a person, what I desire to create and leave behind also change. The things I’ve learnt and changed over the years have been a result of personal growth – And there aren’t too many short cuts with that. Today, I hone in on a philosophy and practice that will hopefully lead me into more fulfilling and challenging work. I ask myself what stories I want to tell. What stories do I believe are worth telling, that not only I can learn from but that others may learn from too. These questions are critical in my work now and I believe my younger self would benefit from centering around them too. If what you’re doing can align with what you want to leave behind, I think that’s a great place to start.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have always looked up to my older brother. He was actually the first of us to find photography. Naturally, I would “borrow” his camera from time to time, and that’s where it all began for me. In my work, I try to approach each project in its simplest form, in an effort to understand the story at its core. I want to strip back the “noise” of our everyday lives and zero in on the artist and their intention. Working with artists and designers, revealing who they are, what they create, and why they create it, is incredibly rewarding. I get to know who I’m working with on a personal level, and I believe that only opens the door for more meaningful work. As they pour their soul into their work, I can get closer to capturing that.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

When I put my work out into the world, I do it for myself first. It resonates and inspires me, it provides me with an outlet of creativity and meaning, it fulfills me in my creative pursuits. With that said, the most rewarding aspect, for me, has been seeing how my work impacts others. If I hear that something I’ve made has inspired someone else to make videos, take photos, or even just feel heard, that is by far the most rewarding part of this career. It’s what I hope to continue to do in my work. Art can shape, influence, provide new prospectives, and provoke thought. If something I’ve had a hand in can do any of those things, that’s what it’s all about for me.

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

Since moving to New York, one of the most invaluable resource I have tapped into is the local filmmaking and photography community. Learning from others and their experiences, expanding our client network, and just having a community to lean on has been more beneficial than I could have ever imagined. We’re all following a similar path. Knowing that others have gone through the same hurdles as you, and overcome them, is incredibly motivating.

Contact Info:

• Website: connorrancan.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/connorrancan
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/connor-rancan-b757491a1
• Youtube: youtube.com/connorrancan.com