Today we’d like to introduce you to Angel Ruiz.
Hi Angel, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My filmmaking journey kind of started by accident. Since I was a small child, my dream was to become a comic book artist, which was my goal until 2002, when I was offered a video editor position at my job. I had no experience editing videos, but I was referred to this position because my boss at the time knew I was an artist and figured I would be good at video production. I was put through a one-day class on editing videos in Adobe Premiere and after that I began putting together training videos for Swift Transportation, the largest truckload carrier in the nation. After working on corporate videos for a couple of years, I decided to put together my first short film. It was a silent horror film that was shot in my dining room which was staged to look like a dark room. In the film, I played a photographer who received a mysterious package of undeveloped film. As I developed each photograph, I realized the images were just a premonition of my death. I grew up watching a lot of horror and sci-fi films and shows like the original Twilight Zone, so I naturally gravitated towards those types of stories, although throughout the years I have crossed over into other genres from action to comedy. In 2006, I created my own production studio, Flicks of Fury, and continued to create films for film challenges and film festivals across the country. Because I had a day job, I had to squeeze in my film projects on weekends or weeknights with friends or other people I met through film networking events. A major turning point for me was in 2022, when I was named Arizona Filmmaker of the Year by the Phoenix Film Foundation. This led to many more opportunities where I worked as a cinematographer for other projects such as indie TV pilots, short films and as a camera assistant and gaffer for the indie feature film Land of Wolves. Throughout the years, I also maintained a presence in front of the camera, acting my own films and other short film projects as well as several independent feature films and commercial work. At the moment I am working on several short film projects for an acting studio workshop in Tempe and prepping to be the director of photography for a feature film in the Spring of 2027. I am also looking to write my first feature film at the end of this year with hopes of shooting that at the end of 2027.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For me the struggles have ranged from equipment issues to budget constraints when making films. Because of this I have slowly acquired my own film gear for the past 15 years from several cinema cameras, audio recorders and mics and lighting gear. I never wanted to be too dependent on others so I learned as much as I could about lighting, cinematography and production, to ensure that if someone on my team could not make a shoot, I could still fill in to keep the production rolling. Now my biggest struggle is simply age. Most of the people I used to shoot with have either left the film industry or moved out of state. I never went to school for film production, so I don’t have a group of friends to call on when I want to put a project together. So now I reach out to a select few filmmakers I know when I need help or I post on social media to gather crew or actors for my films.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’ve always believed that the more you know, the more you grow. So, I’ve tried to learn as much as I could about film production from directing, cinematography, lighting and editing. Because I have acted for over 20 years as well, that helps me to better understand actors on my sets so I can give them clear direction to get the best performance for the film. I think what sets me apart is how much I know about the filmmaking process because it helps me to convey the final vision of the film to my actors and crew so they can connect more with goal we are trying to reach. One of the things I am most proud of is a film I shot for a film challenge several years ago for the Almost Famous Film Challenge. This was one of the rare times I stepped out of my comfort zone of horror and sci-fi and wrote a comedic film. That film went on to win several awards including Best Actor, Best Actress,
Best Writer, Best Director and Best Film. It took a lot of work to create the film, but I was fortunate to have a talented group of actors and crew to help me push through.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The next 5 years will be interesting with AI making its way into film productions and film equipment becoming more accessible. I believe independent film will actually thrive more especially with the current state of Hollywood films with bloated budgets that focus on spectacle over story. This is the time where new filmmakers, young or old, can possibly get noticed since we are used to doing a lot with very little.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelruizdirector?igsi=MTVkZWsxOWoxcml5Yw==
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@adamruiz6090
