TFI Alum News: A Conversation with Francisco Perez

Tribeca Film Fellows® alum Cisco Perez has been incredibly busy – he just came back from shooting a commercial for the VMAs in the Bahamas and is next flying to Vermont for another video project. We caught up with him recently and picked his brain for advice for aspiring filmmakers and explored how being a part of Film Fellows helped impact his career trajectory.

What exciting projects are you working on right now?

Right now I’m currently involved in directing a variety of big music videos, other client-based projects (commercials, events, etc.), working on a short crime drama based on true events, and also on the side I promote and plan my own events where I bring the hip-hop community together in Bushwick.

Recent projects I’ve worked on include all different types of videos! I actually just came back from the Bahamas! MTV hired me to shoot one of the main commercials for the VMAs with DJ Khaled. That was definitely an experience! On top of that, on my birthday (October 15) I’m getting flown out to Vermont to shoot two hip-hop videos for a big-time, old-school producer.

This past year alone, for visual work, I’ve been sent to LA, all over Texas, Bahamas, Atlanta, Baltimore, Connecticut and a few other places. Besides directing music videos I get great jobs from tattoo conventions and amazing tattoo artists themselves. All together my videos come from my passion to create stunning visuals and go as hard as I possibly can on every project I take on. When I do a video it’s exactly the same as an artist making a song or even a painting. I put myself into my work and take on every single challenge that comes my way.

What initially sparked your interest in filmmaking? 

During my final years of high school I was not doing very good at all and was not motivated. No matter what I still maintained a great connection with my teachers and they recommended I take a film class and see if it interested me. I ended up taking the class and through that class I found my passion and what I wanted to pursue. Then I went out and purchased my first DSLR [camera], and shortly after that got accepted into the Tribeca Film Institute.

How has your Film Fellows experience continued to feed your creative life and career?

Film Fellows was the first big step in my film life and career. They taught me so many valuable things that are so essential in my life today. Ranging from cinematography to screen writing, anything film related, and even my life in general!

They have helped mold who I am today as a filmmaker so in all actuality they helped me with everything! They were the ones who first really taught me how to even control the amount of light coming into my lens, all the way to writing my first script, to knowing the terminology of anything film related in general. Of course like anyone else I gained most of the experience I have from being on my own sets and working along other artists but no matter what Tribeca led me down that path to even have the ability to do those things to begin with! Also the people I met in Tribeca I still communicate and work with to this day!

What advice would you give to an aspiring filmmaker?

My advice for young filmmakers goes on forever! I always say to stay true to yourself, never ever be afraid to make mistakes. Especially in film because you’re probably going to end up making a lot of mistakes haha and the biggest key is that you have to learn from your mistakes!! Collaborating with other artists and filmmakers is very important, and make sure every piece you get out is better than the last one! 

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Photo credit: Francisco (Cisco) Perez, To keep up with Cisco follow his updates on his website and Instagram. 

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