We were lucky to catch up with David L. Rivera recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, David L. thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us 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?

Yes, I’ve been making a full-time living from my creative work since 2013. Being able to get to that point took about 3 years worth working as an assistant and internships, but what really allowed me to do that was creating a portfolio of my work on my own. My own money, my own equipment, my own effort. That, combined with meeting the right people and a little luck, I became a full time creative professional. It certainly wasn’t easy, and it took a lot of time and sacrifice. For example I sold my car in 2011 to help me purchase my first camera. I had to take the bus to all my shoots while carrying multiple backpacks full of equipment, but I believed I was doing the right thing and I stuck with it til I started getting recognition for my work. What a time!

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’m a multi-disciplinary filmmaker, with my core skills in directing, cinematography/videography, post production, and even drone piloting, and I have an A.A. degree in film & cinema production from LACC. I offer a wide range of video production services to clients like musicians that need a music video, brands that need commercials, agencies that need branded content, and other fellow filmmakers like writers and/or directors that need a cinematographer with a full crew to bring narrative projects to life. What sets me apart and keeps me in demand is my dense, wide ranging background which means I can take on virtually any project in any genre for any platform. That dense experience also means I can solve problems and answer client’s questions on the fly while keeping a cool head. So future clients and creative partners can expect my work to be not only at the highest digital standards, but also that I can follow through, hit deadlines, provide a wealth of resources, and most importantly, I’m a pretty nice guy!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I’d say the biggest setback in my career was in early 2014 when I got laid off from a full time position at a production studio. At the time, the job was well paid and I was shooting & editing full time as well as traveling for shoots, it was pretty great. Then one day, poof, I no longer had a job. Soon after that, my savings ran out and I had to move back home and get a part time job as a youth swim coach. Now imagine going from being a college graduate with a cushy job at a studio, a nice apartment and a nice car, to being a 30yr old man forced to move back home, get an unrelated side job while scrounging for video gigs whenever possible! Not only that, but this went on for a few years. There were long stretches of time where I felt both defeated and embarrassed, “where did I go wrong” I would often ask myself. But those years were in fact subtly teaching me where I did go wrong. I had to improve my portfolio, search for work non-stop, and most importantly, increase my network as much as possible. I also learned valuable financial lessons during that period too, like eliminating debt and saving up for extended rainy days. After year 3, year 4, and even year 5 of being in this rut, I just kept at it. I simply refused to have a career plan B, and eventually, I bounced back and even surpassed where I once was. Eventually I quit that side job (which I’m grateful to have had because it sustained me somewhat) and I went back to being a full-time filmmaker and have remained so ever since.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

When directing, technically I’m managing the set, the crew, and the project, but the best way to keep morale high is to view everyone as they actually are, skilled technicians with valuable input and expertise. Expertise I depend on to get the job done, so I make absolute sure my team is well taken care of, spoken to with respect, and I defer to their knowledge all throughout a project. Everyone on set brings a unique background and technical know-how, and I’m grateful to be on the same team as them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.drivenfilms.net
• Instagram: @driven_films
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/davidlrivera
• Other: Full video portfolio: www.vimeo.com/drivenfilms Photography portfolio: https://bit.ly/3UKLbRO

Image Credits
Chris Anthony Bernal