We were lucky to catch up with Michael Valverde recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Michael , thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I started my cinematography career somewhat late in life. I worked in construction after high school, at the time I was going through some personal issues. I always knew that I wanted a career in film, but I felt stuck. After a few years, I finally enrolled in college. The best thing that happened to me was the recession in 2008. I was laid off and with unemployment and financial aid, I was able to go to Film School full time. Miami Dade College got me an internship at MTV Tres Latin American. It wasn’t easy, by the time I got the internship I was in my mid-20s, and there were people I knew from high school working that already had their careers. I felt that I was entering life late, but I knew that going back to construction was not an option! In my internship, I would do a lot of busy work, to be honest, but what I wanted to be was on set. They put me on a reality show, and I met a lot of good people, I met a mentor of mine with whom I started a lifelong friendship and we still collaborate to this day, I thought I wanted to be a director like everyone in film school, but once on set I knew that camera is where I belonged. I worked in a few movies and TV shows as an office production assistant. I ran up credit card bills buying video production equipment and I got what was at the time the “it camera”, a Canon 7D, I was so happy. From there on I would take on as many jobs as I could, and my mentor would pass along jobs as well. By 2013 I started a video production company called Albacora Pictures Inc. It was not all success, I was still finding my way through life, purchasing gear, and growing debt. By 2016 my partner and I had our daughter, and that was the best thing that ever happened to me. My career has kicked off since then, I paid off all my debt the following year. I’ve worked on a ton of great TV shows and documentaries. I love lighting and I bought a cargo van and have been doing Gaffer jobs. My first Gaffer job was a documentary with Pharrell Williams which I am a big fan of. I’ve traveled with Norwegian Cruise line on a travel series that took us to the Bahamas, Hawaii, Alaska, Greece, Israel, Iceland, Cyprus, and London. I hit a wall in 2023, by far the worst year of my career, I barely hung on but made it. This year is kicking off with a boom. The film business is hard to describe, in a way it is about who you know, but it’s also about how you treat people, how good you are, and how good of a product can you deliver. You learn this by practice, there is no way to speed up the process but by practicing your craft. On set, I like talking to people and listening, not just to my department, but to all departments. I don’t know it all, and I embrace input, I continue to learn and I love that about being a Cinematographer.
Michael , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I was born in Ecuador and moved to Miami when I was 4 years old. I was raised by a very strong single mother with three kids, I had a tough upbringing but it made me who I am today, I got into this business after a successful college internship where I met a lot of good people who guided me and helped me get jobs when no one would give me jobs because I was new. I started the video production company Albacora Pictures Inc. in 2013 and the services I provide are cinematography and post-production. In 2021 I purchased a cargo van and a lot of grip gear and combined with my lighting packages, I also do Gaffer jobs. The problem that I solve for my clients is that I am one one-stop shop, I have professional cinema cameras, lighting, grip, and sound packages. I also have an amazing group of colleagues that I contract for bigger jobs. What I am most proud of is the quality of work that I can deliver, I have over 10 years of experience in this business and I am always striving for the best. I want clients to know I am a people person, and I care about the outcome, it’s not just a job for me.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I am in the freelance business, I hop from job to job. The hardest thing for non-freelance people is to understand my schedule. I can be off for a whole week, and then be booked for a whole month with no days off. My schedule varies, But I feel that my days off are my days off, I set my schedule, and it’s easier to take time off with my family.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
What society can do to support artists is support artists. Understand the value of our work, I have over 10 years of experience and knowledge that I want to share with you. Understand that we need to make a living and that our rates have changed because of inflation, just like groceries have increased in price.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://albacorapictures.com & https://michaelvalverde.tv
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/albacorapictures
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valverdemichael85/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-valverde-266a4b55/
- Other: https://vimeo.com/albacorapictures https://albacora-pictures-inc.business.site/