Meet Julio Copelly of CineDeCopelly in Glendale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julio Copelly.

Julio, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Straight out of high school in 2011 I started interning for K&Z Entertainment who put on some of the best underground shows in the metal genre here in the Valley. I was going into the interview expecting to do all the grunt work but when he asked me what I wanted to do in life I said: “I wanted to work in film”. He immediately said, “Okay you’re going to be the videographer for all my shows”. That was it, that was my start. He lent me his old Panasonic camera and an old version of the premiere and I started shooting right away. I documented shows, did interviews with bands, and then produced recaps of the show, all while learning.

There are two things I always wanted to do in life since I was little. Direct Music Videos and be a party DJ(more on this later). Before I had in my head that I wanted to direct films and be a famous auteur, I wanted to be a part of all the cool and weird stuff artists were doing in the 90’s/early 2000’s. So with the gear I had, I started offering free music videos to any artists that wanted it. My life in video world was great from 18-21, I got to work with little to no budgets and just be the boss. I was the happiest being in control of everything and I should’ve kept it going but then I started monetizing my editing skills to clients around the Valley.

Breaking into directing is hard and at the time I did not want to run coffee or move stands around for other people but editing allowed me to be a part of the creative process. Long story short, at SCC Film School I was found to have good editing potential(stress on the potential at the time), I got a great internship for a post-production company where I met a lot of important people who have helped me to this day, I quit school and went out on my own doing editing with the contacts I had made. Not long after I hated just sitting at home for 14 hours doing nothing but editing. I had kind of a fiery personality so, and I use this very metaphorically, I had to grab people by their throats and demand that I be let on their shoots as a camera operator. Of course, a lot of people said no but that all changed when I got that one YES.

So now I’m in my early 20’s and I’m doing both shooting and editing for weddings and corporate events. My persistence and intense attitude paid off because I’m traveling around the U.S. to shoot and getting paid at the same time. I shoot a music video once in a blue moon, I get into nightlife videography, and I start helping out like-minded individuals with my eye on their short films. My favorite part of this time period is producing short documentaries on my own which further helps me get sought out for work.

I’ll keep this part short but at the end of 2017 I go through a breakup of sorts and it destroys me. I also start experiencing burnout and go through most of 2018 just getting by. Suddenly I get an email from VolunteerMatch, a subscription that hasn’t emailed me in years, telling me about projects I could lend my hand. I see one about photographing a race for PlayWorks Arizona. I say “Sure”. I go, photograph the event, come home and start editing, finish editing and deliver the pictures. As I get the email from them thanking me for my work I come to the astounding conclusion that I did a job and finished it all before the day ended. That NEVER happens in video world. So I said, “Okay I’m going to be a photographer from now on”.

Today I am a veteran of event work, it has immensely helped craft my eye. Roger Deakins once said that “documentary is a great way to train your craft” and I swear by this. Taking on photography tremendously helped me with figuring out lighting. A lot of photographers are scared of flash and I took a baptism of fire learning it, I’m still getting over the anxiety of it but man has it been worth it. I still help out friends on short films and have been more active in seeking actual cinematographer roles to little hesitation from people trusting me. I have done just about every single niche there is in video and photography so I’m a very well rounded and knowledgable individual. I also have been teaching myself how to DJ at age 26 during downtime and getting better every day. I plan to go into business with this new skill in about a year using the same contacts and know-how of the event industry.

After two years I am finally wrapping up a 20 minute documentary on a young African Immigrant named Papay Solomon who creates the most beautiful portraits that will be premiering February 13th at the Jospeh Gross Art gallery in Tucson. All the comments from industry insiders I’ve let watch have been phenomenal so I’m glad I could do Papay a solid with this one. Will my directing career take off after this? Who knows and I don’t care anymore. I know I’m good at what I do and I’m going to continue to work and learn every single day until my death.

Has it been a smooth road?
Honestly, most of my early struggles came from me. Early in my career, I had such a fiery personality, but it was with the best intentions possible, and I for sure alienated people along the way. However, had I not had any of those experiences and took the time to reflect and learn… I wouldn’t be the professional I am today. The road feels a lot smoother but only because I’m used to how bumpy it is.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the CineDeCopelly story. Tell us more about your work.
Anthony Bourdain once said there are three types of line cooks “Artist, Exiles, and Mercenaries”

In the video world, I’d say there are only Artists and Mercenaries. With that being said “CineDeCopelly” is a mercenary for hire. Meaning, I am someone who takes photos and videos for the money and I do it well. Don’t get me wrong, my heart feels like it might burst from joy when capturing that special moment when the groom sees the bride for the first time, and if that were the case I’d had been dead back in 2014.

As of 2019 and going strong into this new decade, I have learned to hone my skills and really put yourself, the client, in front of me. I have set my ego aside and learned to use my talent to serve and deliver. CineDeCopelly generally works for other production companies/professionals with the promise to be your right-hand man or a great component of your team. I have found that I am happiest when I can help make your business grow or save that memory from fading.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I can’t really speak on this because yes I’m in the industry but I wouldn’t say I’m an industry insider on these topics. Next five years for me? Hiring an accountant and people that manage the “business” side so I can just shoot and play freely. Again not an insider but here’s what I’ve noticed: As professionals in a smaller market like Phoenix, we’re going to need to offer more in our packages. Yes, and I mean more than we already do.

In the next 5-10 years if you’re a videographer, be prepared to offer and do it all yourself. Video, lighting, photos, drones, live streaming, audio, hair, makeup, etc. Of course, there’s always going to be those productions that require one person for one job but good luck getting in those because I sure don’t know-how. If you’re starting out, be prepared to deal with clients that negotiate by saying “Well why charge so much when I could have my staff shoot the event on their iPhones”. In this scenario offer to photograph the event using their phones so that way you still get paid and save the shutter on your camera a couple of thousand clicks.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cinedecopelly.com/
• Phone: 602-481-2816
• Email: cinedecopelly@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cinedecopelly/

Image Credit:
Luis Colato

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