Today we’d like to introduce you to Manuel Brea.
Manuel, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey as a filmmaker began as a child.
From an early age, I have been interested in creating and learning how things work.
When I was nine years old, my parents introduced me to the original Star Wars films, I was fascinated. I felt as if I had been transported to another world and I could not get enough. This is where my interest in filmmaking began.
My interest only grew as I continued to discover movies. At the age of 10, we took a family trip to Universal Studios Hollywood. I took the trolley tour around the film set and I instantly knew this was what I wanted to do.
When I was 10, my mother bought me a camcorder. I began filming my toys. I would create sets with Legos and film them as if I was making a movie. I created all of the time into my teen years, where I began making movies with my friends. Once in high school, I took courses in drama and filmmaking. I saw an improvement in my work and my thirst for knowledge only grew. This was around the time when YouTube came out. People started to post tutorials on the platform and I would watch everything I could to get better.
As my skills improved people began asking me to work on their projects. My first project was a trailer I did for a church drama. The trailer got people excited for the play, and It was very satisfying to see people react that way to my work.
I continued working on various unpaid projects until my fitness trainer (Irene Gonzales) asked me to do a video for her. During this time, I was learning about storytelling in films, and I really wanted to create something that would tell her story. I put a lot of work into it and upon watching the finished project, my trainer and her team came to tears. It was the best compliment I could have received. From that moment on, I wanted to make videos that connected with people and told their stories. Following the release of her video, I began to get offers for paid video work.
Making videos became my part-time job for the next few years. I wanted to turn my passion into a full-time job. I applied for various film jobs in town. However, nobody gave me the opportunity. Therefore, I decided to build my own company. I continued to work on side projects and I used the money I made to buy the equipment that I needed. It took some time but in 2019 Room 44 Films was founded with my friend and business partner Juan Parilla.
In the beginning, it was still a side job. I was working as a lead IT tech for Orlando Health. The job gave me a lot of experience with customer service and professionalism in stressful situations. A skill that became crucial to the growth of my business. However, as my business grew I could no longer keep up with both jobs.
Around mid-2020, I landed a job with a local record label THEBLKBL. They flew me out to Los Angeles and I got to work on a lot of their projects. It was challenging as I’ve never worked on so many projects at once. The project gave me enough to take the chance and dedicate myself to my business full time.
I have been fortunate enough to have a constant flow of clients ever since, all through word of mouth. The people in this community have made it possible for me to do what I love and I am grateful for that. I hope to one day make a full feature film. However, the goal of my business is to provide my community with Hollywood quality work. I always aim for quality and to make videos that take people on that same journey that Star Wars took me as a child.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For the most part, things have worked himself out naturally. I have had plenty of other directions I’ve wanted to head to in life. However, filmmaking seems to follow me no matter what I try to do.
I had had some struggles with the business side of things in the begging.
I have lost money. When I first started getting paid for my work, I would give a price only to lose it all from production cost. I’ve had to learn how to budget correctly and take all possibilities into account.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I do videos, photos, and digital art.
I work on a lot of different types of videos, from music videos to commercials to weddings. Anything the client needs, I do to that standard.
However, my specialty is creating videos that take the audience on a journey. Videos that tell story through imagery.
My favorite example is a video I did for local spoken word artist “Chamz” called Addiction. I planed every single shot in that video meticulously for it to work and I really liked how it came out.
What sets me apart is my passion for it, the attention to detail. I tend to get angles that most people don’t get. I edit every single frame carefully. Every project I work on is special to me no matter how small. My clients are often surprised on how excited I am for their projects. I work tirelessly to make the best possible video every time…
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is to work hard even when no one is looking. There are many things that prevent us from working hard and distract our focus. It is important to avoid these things because we need to work harder than the next person in to stand out. If you look at the most successful people, they work harder than everyone else. My favorite athlete was Kobe Bryant, and he was the first to enter the gym and the last to leave. The pattern is similar with all the greats.
I always try to live in the moment, meaning my focus is on one thing at a time. When I am editing, I am editing. When I am driving, I am driving. Keeping the mind focused on what you are doing in the moment is very beneficial to become the best you can be.
Also equally as important is to never stop learning, Always look at what you do and think on how you can improve as there is always room for improvement.
Lastly, I’ve learned who you surround yourself with is very important. You need that person what is willing to tell you when you do something wrong or when your work sucks. This is very important as otherwise, you continue making the same mistake.
Contact Info:
- Email: mannybrea@room44films.com
- Website: room44films.com
- Instagram: room44films
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv0H7Q41A-E
Image Credits:
Nicole Brea
