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Meet Francisco Cabrera

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Meet Francisco Cabrera

November 28, 2022
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We were lucky to catch up with Francisco Cabrera recently and have shared our conversation below.

Francisco, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

It took me a while to name the business. Like many others I thought to myself, how can I make it sound catchy and relatable? Not cheesy or random. I wanted to create a name that conveys the services I offer, along with who I am. Then it popped into my head, Pronto!

I felt the word Pronto encompasses the significance of my two cultures and their impact on my life. The meaning of the word is the same in both English and Spanish, conveying efficiency and promptness.

Growing up, I was obsessed with movies/ television. I would watch the behind-the-scenes for hours and dissect them frame by frame. I couldn’t help but notice there weren’t many faces that resembled mine. When you don’t see yourself represented culturally in a particular field, it may seem out of your reach. Coming up with a name that has meaning in both languages was important to me so that I could hopefully inspire others to know they belong in this field as much as anyone else.

Additionally, the word Pronto is representative of my key values within this field. It represents being prompt and arriving early, assuring no time is wasted during a shoot by moving quickly and effectively, and of course delivering the product to clients at the arranged time.

Francisco, 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 was born and raised in The Five Towns, a suburb located on the border of Queens and Long Island, New York. Both of my parents immigrated from El Salvador in the early 80s. My mother worked tirelessly, while still raising my sibling and me. My father chose a path in construction, soon becoming a business owner himself. From a young age, I would work with him, learning to mix concrete, lay bricks, hang drywall, and work with my hands. I recall my father telling me that I’d one day take over the business, but in my heart, I knew I had another passion.
As a child, I would walk around with a giant VHS camera recording my family. I still recall my first movie theater experience and that feeling of being captivated by the movie-making process. I’d soon become enthralled in movies, television shows, and behind the scenes of films. However, certain barriers were in the way that made me feel working in the film industry wasn’t a possibility.
I felt underrepresented culturally in this field, which is why I am now so proud to be a Hispanic business owner today. I went back to school full-time, years after dropping out because I couldn’t afford college. At the
time, my new routine was working a full-time retail job, going to class on my break, hurrying back to finish my shift at work, completing assignments, and studying in the evening. Eventually, I graduated with honors.
Cutting your teeth in the city that never sleeps made me quick and prepared to tackle productions of any size. I worked for various companies, first as a production assistant and then working my way up through the camera department. Whether it was grabbing coffee or cam- oping in the middle of Times Square, I put 100% into it. I am grateful for my experience working for other companies; however, I reached a point in my career where I dread going to work. Not because I hated what I did but because there was a creeping feeling of comfort I settled into. When you are not being challenged and don’t see a path for growth, it’s difficult to get up in the morning. Soon after, I made the uncertain and risky decision to start Pronto Visual Productions.
The transition from being a freelancer to owning a business wasn’t an easy one. To start with, I realized early on that being great at the creative doesn’t translate to being a great entrepreneur. With little to no knowledge
about running a company, I had to learn the ABCs of business. Things like proposals, insurance costs, overhead, profit margins, and LLCs became the norm for me through patience and discipline. Slowly but surely, I found the balance between the creative and the entrepreneur I knew I could become.
I currently reside in Orlando, Florida, with my beautiful wife and son. They are my biggest motivation for getting up and pursuing entrepreneurship. Now, as the head of Pronto Visual Productions, I constantly strive to produce content that will not only generate a return for my clients but also convey their stories!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

It’s normal to feel anxious in front of a camera. I strive to make a conscious effort to comfort my clients, reassure them, and provide the necessary feedback when needed.
This is a very collaborative field, so it’s important to establish good rapport on set. As a business owner, I make sure to highlight the strengths of my crew, as well as provide positive feedback. I truly value my team and do my best to create an environment where people feel at ease.

I do this by being concise, direct, and clear when talking with clients and crew members. This assures that I am being purposeful during interactions. It is always humbling to hear clients share how I explained steps or directions straightforwardly and effectively.

No matter what your role on set is, I aim to communicate respectfully and constructively. When I provide honest and sincere communication, it opens the door for colleagues to feel comfortable enough to suggest and ask me questions about the camera, lighting, and overall production.

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

As a creative, I built my social media presence through trial and error. Experimenting with video content lengths was where I began. Gaining an understanding of short-form content and its power to increase views. For example, shortening videos on Instagram reels has increased my retention rate. It doubled my page interactions, leading to organic growth.

The next move which helped me grow was looking at trends. One trend that has generated gains is vertical video. Think about how much time we spend on our phones consuming content. I can’t count the multiple times I’ve been scrolling, not thinking about turning the phone to enjoy a video that catches my eye. As much as we love a horizontal format, vertical is here for the time being. You either must adapt or deal with the consequences of being stuck in the old ways, therefore not progressing, when it comes to social media.

My advice for those trying to build their presence is to first think about the type of content they would like to put out. Are your likes in line with current trends? If so, then continue that path. Second, check your metrics to see when your audience is engaging you the most. This will help to inform you about the best times to post. Third, try vertical video as an option for your next reel for maximum engagement. Lastly, try and fail. Then adjust and try again. Through this, you can see what works and what doesn’t.

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