Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Trevor Motes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Trevor thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?

I felt very mischaracterized during most of my time in college. I moved to California when I was 18 to study film in college, and I noticed very quickly that people wanted to be known for a certain role or job when it came to making films. I grew up in a small town in Texas, not knowing much about movies or what it takes to get one made, so when I enrolled at film school in California, my first few months were rough because everybody seemed to know what they wanted to do; everyone seemed to know everything about movies and how they’re supposed to be made, which made me feel behind and lesser than everyone.

I wasn’t sure what exactly I wanted to do in the movie industry. All I knew was that this career path excited me and I wanted to play some part in it, even though I didn’t know what I was doing there yet. I took classes like everyone else and realized I was more than competent at a lot of roles that contribute to making a film. I practiced as a grip, a gaffer, boom operator, sound mixer, cinematographer, editor, director, and I was asked to act a lot, too. The big thing that people associated me with was that I had a truck. I single-handedly hauled and delivered a lot of heavy equipment over the years, and eventually, I realized that people only wanted me on their set for my truck, and not me. One of my classmates called me while I was visiting Disneyland once to ask if they could use my truck for their set, and when I declined and explained I was at Disneyland, they told me that I could just stay at Disneyland while they took off to use my truck for their set.

I felt undervalued and underappreciated for a long time. It wasn’t until my senior year when I looked back at my college experience so far and realized that I hadn’t really done anything for myself. I had only done things for other people who didn’t even really want me there to begin with. I decided to challenge myself and prove my worth to everyone, including myself. I ended up writing, producing, directing, acting, and editing my own 20-minute short film that became one of the more popular projects of my senior class. By the time I graduated, I felt confident in my skills and abilities and my short film was well-received.

Looking back, I’m glad things happened the way they did. I needed to stand up for myself and learn that I was capable of a lot more than I thought I was. It taught me a valuable lesson about who I am, it increased my confidence, and I started being seen as a creative person and collaborator instead of just a truck driver for film sets.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As a kid, my mom used to take me and my older brother to Blockbuster every Friday as a reward for getting through another week of school. She let us pick out candy and a movie to rent, and we would take it home and watch it immediately. Fridays became the most exciting day of the week. I think my passion for movies started there. My parents saw my growing interest in movies and they helped fuel it by giving me a digital camera for my 9th birthday.

I grew up in Texas filming hundreds of videos in my parents backyard and in the woods behind their house. By the time I graduated high school, I owned a Panasonic camera and I knew how to edit. Over my college years, I tried out various roles on student film sets and learned what I liked and disliked.

I eventually realized I loved editing. I started off editing on iMovie when I was 10, then I moved to Final Cut Pro in high school, and I learned how to use Adobe Premiere and Photoshop. Over the course of 2023 and 2024, I learned how to use Davinci Resolve, which is the software I currently use to edit projects to this day.

I’ve written/directed a few projects, all of which were really fun and are great memories to look back at. I would love to direct more, I love being part of the creative process during pre-production and shooting days. Music producing is something I’m starting to learn about, too. I don’t have any desire to become a musical artist, but I think the process of making music is really fun and I’ve enjoyed working with my close friends on music projects together.

I’ve learned that I’m a good leader and collaborator over the years. I love thinking of ideas and executing them by myself, but being collaborative with my friends who are also passionate about filmmaking has led to the best experiences in the film industry I’ve had so far.

When it comes to careers, filmmaking is where I want to be. I’m capable of doing multiple roles in all phases of production, and if there’s a problem or something I’m not sure how to do yet, I’ve taken the time and educated myself so that I can learn, master my skills, and earn more experience.

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

Right before my senior year in college, I went through a tough breakup. It didn’t end well, there were so many things left unsaid, and I left that relationship very upset at the other person. I could tell she was also very upset by it too judging by the harsh words and actions she said and did after everything ended. This was when I felt like I was at my lowest. I didn’t feel like a complete person anymore, I had lost someone that I really loved and my heart felt like it was torn to pieces. However, everyone goes through this at some point in their lives, and I guess it was my turn to experience extreme heartbreak. Looking back, I now realize this was probably the best thing that could’ve happened to me.

A few months after this happened, I realized that I could do so much better than the current state I was in. Why was I so upset over a college ex-girlfriend when I had my whole life ahead of me? There were so many other bigger and better things I could’ve been doing.

Shortly after, I wrote a script for a short film and it became a top priority in my brain – I was going to make this short film, and nobody was going to stop me. I refused to let anyone bring me down about this. I was tired of being depressed and I was determined to work and fight my way out of it. And, over the course of the school year, I did. I refused to give up on the project and prove to myself that I was worth so much more than I thought.

The short film was called “Pizza Boy” and it boosted my confidence so much. It became my senior thesis, and this 20-minute short film became a reminder that I can do whatever I put my mind to and that I was a talented person. The process of making this short film created a lot of long-lasting bonds and memories that my friends and I still look back on sometimes. “Pizza Boy” allowed me to pick myself back up, and move on without looking back. That short film experience gave me better friends and closer relationships, and it felt really rewarding to receive that after being heartbroken.

I learned that if I wanted to get something accomplished, I’m more than capable of doing it, no matter what condition I’m in. I realized I have a lot of drive and motivation than I thought, which landed me a good job and apartment after graduating college. I’m continuing to use my motivation and drive to live the life that I want.

I also learned that going through intense emotions and pain has led me to so much personal growth and change, which has taken me on a better path, where I’m now living a happier and healthier life.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Working with the people you love is the most rewarding thing about doing creative work. My main focus is filmmaking, but I also love music. One of my closest friends, Ryan Jachetta, has been a music producer and artist for a while now. He’s a really talented musician and a very funny man. We’ve collaborated on multiple projects together, and he scored the music for my “Pizza Boy” short film. Working with him and our other close friends on music is something that we all love doing. I’ve collaborated with him more than I have with anyone else, and I have yet to work on a project with him that we look back and regret or cringe at. He makes me feel so proud of all the work we’ve done together, and I’m proud of him and how far he’s come as a music producer, filmmaker, and human in general.

Ryan is just one of the many people I love working with. Nate Bannister, Andrew Etzweiler, and Richie Gunasekera are three more close friends of mine that I’ve worked with over the last 5 years, and nothing makes me happier than being in a room with them and spitballing good and bad ideas at each other. If I’m able to work with the four of them – my closest friends – for the rest of my life, I would die a happy man.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trevmotes/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrevMotes