THE BEGINNING
It all started when…
It’s interesting how everything began and to be honest I never saw any of this coming, but I regret nothing whatsoever. Let me take you back to the very beginning where I am at the age of 6 years old, where I’m sitting in a theater with my father. Granted my father was not a very good man and I do not wish to discuss all that he did in my life, but what I can say is he was the start of me getting into movies and watching people on the screen where back in the 90s you would hear the introductions of each trailer saying coming soon. I remember I would try to mimic the trailers and my father would discuss and critique each film that played on the screen, unfortunately, that was the only subject me and my father would discuss with one another. I was just in love with TV from the very beginning.
I also come from a long line of family members where their art prevailed vividly when they were young but died as they got older. To me, this was sad because I know my brother Jose won’t admit it, but I’ll never forget when I would always ask him to draw me anime characters before he came home from school. As he got older though unfortunately, he let go of that ability and his creative vision to sing as well. The same thing happened to my mother, I remember seeing her in the recording studio where she would sing her heart out. She even made her first EP and even made it on the radio, but once again, just like my immediate family and ancestors, she let their talents die. I wanted to break that bloodline and start a new generation where I knew I was a creator, but I didn’t know what my niche was.
You're probably reading this and wondering where is this leading. Well, now this is where everything begins, from what my father and my mother's talents did for me. Fast forwarding to me being in 3rd grade I’m not sure if you all remember, but there was a program where Scholastic and Pizza Hut teamed up with a program, where if you would read a book you would get a ticket and receive a personal pan pizza. The one problem that I struggled with was comprehending, so what I did to be able to get a ticket was read the back of the book to develop a minor knowledge of what each story was about. I then would write a report, make up my own story, and turn it in, and each time I would pass without my teachers knowing that I didn’t read the books at all. Of course, my mother noticed my pattern due to me never being able to get passed her, but as they always say mothers know best. I don’t recall what my tutor’s name was, but what I do remember was sitting in the chair of our glass kitchen table and man was it so cold from every first touch, but as she laid the book before me she would ask me to read the first page and describe to her what the story was about. I then stared in despair because I couldn’t recollect anything. So, she laid her hands on the book and closed it, teaching me a method to help me understand. She stated,” Everything is okay fernando theirs no need to be ashamed, it takes time that’s all. Now tell me who is your favorite superhero?” I then looked at her in confusion and curious about why she asked that question, yet I replied,” Static Shock”.
“Wonderful now when you watch your favorite series I bet you can state what happened from front and backward am I right?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Alright Fernando, I want you to imagine yourself watching static shock or a film and imagine each word, by turning it into a film. Do you think you can do that?” I then nodded my head in agreement.
I closed my eyes and went back in time hearing the film roll back to where I would be next to my father bonding and being indulged within the film. As I said before I don’t respect one thing about my father, but what I can say is he imbedded that in me to be a writer where he would write films and my mother as well where she would write songs. I then opened my eyes and read the book hearing a voice like I would during a trailer reading back to me in my head. She then asked me the question again.
“Now tell me Fernando what happened on this page?” Where I was able to repeat exactly what happened in confidence. So in conclusion the boy who couldn’t comprehend and I still can’t to tell you the truth, became a man who can write stories.
Fast forwarding more from the grade of 5th to 12th I then develop more of my mothers talents within me where I would perform on stage to everyone, which to me is so odd due to me being an introvert, yet when I stepped foot on stage seeing the crowd with the stage lights calming the goosebumps on my skin, I was able to perform my own songs. I never really kept that part of me going because at the time I thought it was for me, but it didn’t make me happy. Yet in my senior year, I’ll never forget being in broadcast and production with Mrs. Hauk which if I spelled your last name wrong I do apologize. Being in her class for once I felt accepted, where I was in a world drowning in the sea of my tears from the teens who shared no acceptance nor even care if I drowned. The moment I stepped into her class I then realized what made me happy, but it wasn’t yet confirmed. Where we would use old cameras and edit on a program called Sony Vegas. I’ll never forget doing a project called The Mystery Box where we would create a scenario where we would have to create a story about the box. Boy was me and my two partners which ones name was Josh Smith, but the other I can’t remember, but what I do recall is that he always had a way of making me laugh. So even though my home may have been different from everyone else, at least in that classroom I for once felt normal.
As the pages turn to the year 2015 I remember being in the TV lounge at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where I saw Nick Tyson, Alex Ulaky, Brandon Hain, and the rest of the group from Back to the Drawing Board, which was an IUP version of a series we all know called The Office. So I decided to ask to join the series and from there I was able to understand what it was like to write scripts properly, use a camera, act, and edit a video. If you all are reading this I want to say thank you for teaching me everything that I know now. The years at IUP were one of the best years of my life, yet when the year 2017 came reality kicked in that it was time for me to narrow down what I wanted to do, now that I have a bachelors in Graphic Design. Don’t get me wrong I applied to many jobs and there were many opportunities given to me straight out of college, but there were two issues one I didn’t have a car and the other was the jobs I applied for I felt like I would be working in a dungeon and couldn’t imagine myself five years from now, so I decided to develop a new path, but I was lost with only $2 in my name. I then decided to go for a walk which I believe was January or February when I could only afford a hotdog sitting on a bench in the cold wondering, where do I go now? So I decided to go for a walk to a place where I never walked before. As I walked I heard the wind blow beside my right ear which it guided me to turn my head seeing a happy family making me wonder to myself, what can I do to create a happy family like that? So I decided to go back to my old roots at Dunkin to make a little cash to build something of my own.
During my years at Dunkin, I created a podcast called Be Unique where I would interview people pursuing careers outside the norm, which to me was my way of networking with other entrepreneurs and having them help me understand when I didn’t have a vehicle at the time to network. Then I came across a program when they were an online school called Light Film School where I learned how to shoot a music video because I loved being on stage and filming with my camera. Especially when I saw an ad for full-time filmmaker where I saw Parker Walbeck live his entire life with his camera and that is what I wanted. As I was perusing The Light Film School program I filmed my first music video for a band called 3 of Infinity, but they changed their name to Cuddle Puddle. Fun fact I filmed my first music video with a broken hand, a Nikon with no autofocus, a gimbal, and a cast on my hand and I didn’t let that stop me whatsoever! This music video was all I had and I shared that music video everywhere and it led me to a group called First Angel Media. They then led me to a band called Tropedlic which I was terrified to go on stage, which was filmed on my YouTube channel where you can see for yourself that I hesitated to go on stage and you’ll see as well, the lead singer pointed at me to come on stage where I ran on stage and saw a wave of people and felt a feeling I haven’t felt in a very long time leading me back in time where I use to be on stage performing and it was raining my I add, but hey I didn’t care because in that realm I was for the first time in a place I can call home.
After that moment I pursued doing everything that I could with a $300 camera which led me to not only buying new gear but also buy my first car and my second car by myself and move out of my home where I was taught by my parent that no matter what even when times get tough and even when you can’t walk you push yourself to your limits. Plus Vegeta taught me that too which only anime fans would understand. It led me to my first tour with The Secret Eyes, meeting people in my life I never knew I’d meet, was able to leave on my own without any help, and lastly, most of all it led me to the love my life and her name is Olivia Dell’Aquila. She taught me to do more than I thought of myself and see more within me that I never even knew existed. She’s my queen and I am her king to one day be her husband. Until that day comes I will fight to my very last breath to make a living off of my camera for musicians and with the people that I know now I desire to make new films and documentaries under my official name Fernando De La Cruz Productions LLC, where your desires are limitless. In my business, I do cinematography, photography, and graphic design, where one day I’ll achieve the goal that I always wanted as a child, which is to be a part of the movie screen uplifting people the same way I was enlightened at 6 years old.
WHAT MAKES ME VALUABLE?
I remember back doing my first music video where I got to shoot for this amazing young group of kids. They were all hyper and full of life which again they were young so it was interesting working with them. Then when I heard them play I had to put my camera down because who I saw in the lens and who I saw behind the lens were two different people. I will be honest though I was nervous editing it since it was totally new to me. Then when it was done I knew they were going to love it and welp they did.
Then I responded thank God cause I was nervous. After they finally released their first music video they built a fan base and a name in the area so quickly it made their heads spin. Then one day after months of not seeing them we ran into each other and they responded to me with such appreciation. The reason why is because even to this day there still looked at as stars, and it all started with one successful video that turned them into something more.
That’s what makes me valuable because instead of just working with you I like to get to know you and bring out what I see in you that no one else sees. Whether it is your band, your acting, your product, or even your special day. At the end of the day we as humans love to connect it’s in our DNA and there is no better way to connect with anyone around the world than with film.
COMPANIES I’VE PARTNERED WITH
