Today we’d like to introduce you to Oscar Rivera.
Hi Oscar, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
As a native of the Sonoran Desert, I grew up in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico until I was 14 when I moved to Tucson with my family. Already knowing that I wanted to be a filmmaker, I decided to teach myself the craft and I poured myself into every book, magazine, website, and DVD special feature I could find. By the time I graduated from high school in the summer of 2007, I had managed to make and exhibit a short film (with the help of my family) and had accepted an offer to shoot my first feature film as a cinematographer. That film led to another, and the friendships I made on set led to more relationships over time.
In the following years, I would continue to study, develop my craft and network, meet the love of my life, and with her help (and as always, the help of our families) face the uncertainties of a life as a freelancer. Over time, I became established in the Tucson film and advertising markets, where I shot 10 feature films, 28 short films, and well over 250 commercials. However, as anyone who aspires to work on bigger and better projects, I always kept an eye on Hollywood. I made frequent trips to LA where I expanded my network and participated on a number of projects. Eventually, I was asked to participate on James Cameron’s Avatar sequels (II & III) as a reference camera operator for the motion capture portion of production. Finally experiencing what big-budget filmmaking feels like and rubbing elbows with Cameron, Weaver, Saldana, Worthington, Slang, Winslet, and many other talented artists and technicians taught me that no matter the size of the budget, filmmaking is always a very personal and intimate experience for the people involved. Despite the armies of people and incredibly expensive sets and gear, it all comes down to the ideas and emotions expressed before the lens, which is also true for the tiniest, cheapest, and most humble of productions.
I returned to my loving family and the warm (sometimes sweltering) embrace of the Tucson valley, where I continue to grow as an artist and as a person. In addition to cinematography, I have also begun to carve a parallel and complementary career path as a writer of both screenplays and books. As I go on to teach myself another craft and face a different set of challenges, I remind myself of the obstacles I have already overcome, the lessons I’ve learned, the wonderful people I’ve met, and the loving support of my family and community. I look forward to the convergence of both my passions and the telling of stories that inspire and empower generations to come.
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?
As a filmmaker with grand ambitions, one of the biggest challenges has been career advancement while living outside of the industry hubs of Los Angeles and New York. Though splitting my time between Tucson and LA has been one of my strategies, paying double rent is certainly not fun or sustainable. That, and the fact that my partner and I would rather live close to family has kept me in Tucson.
People will tell us that if we have a dream, we must do absolutely everything to make it a reality. While I agree with the sentiment, I can’t help but to ask myself the following questions: “Should my dream come at the expense of not seeing my family for 11 months out of every year for the rest of my life?” “Should I trade the soul-nurturing haven of Tucson’s nature for the promising yet ridiculously expensive concrete jungles that are LA or New York?” “And if life is so short, should I spend it doing as much as I can professionally or having as much fun as possible with the people, I love the most?”
For me, these are not easy questions to answer, and yet here I remain, holding on to my dreams, my family, and my roots. I hope a day will come when the film industry in this country is decentralized and much more accessible to artists from different communities. I hope the industry will open its mind and arms to the humanity, beauty, and heart available in Arizona and all the other states in this wonderful country.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a filmmaker specializing in cinematography, with 15 years of experience. At different capacities, I have worked on projects locally and internationally, doing narrative and commercial work for some of the biggest brands out there (Such as Nike, Adidas, BMW, eBay, Netflix, HBO, 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Roche, and others).
As proud as I am of the work I have done so far, it is my journey as a person that I care about the most. Though I am far from being perfect and have so much more to learn and grow, it is my personal and spiritual development that brings me the most peace and satisfaction. I have healed from emotional wounds, replaced paradigms that no longer served me, and transcended cultural programming, to become a person that is more open-minded, patient, understanding, compassionate, and loving.
It is that love for humanity and the natural world that makes my work special, and it is evident in the way I interact with others, the way I compose a shot, and the types of stories I choose to tell. In my collaborative relationships, I’m a creative ally, a relentless problem solver, a calming presence, and an endless well of ideas.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I am always open to meeting and learning from other people, and I look forward to many more soulful collaborations. I welcome anybody with a strong desire to make the world a better place to get in touch, so we may bounce ideas and get inspired by the power of stories and the human spirit.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://oscardrivera.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oscar.rivera.cine/
