Vipul Bindra: 0:04

Hey, Val, thanks for coming. It's been a long time coming. I wanted to have this talk with you and, like we were talking before I started, and I've said many times, the goal of this podcast was just to have these high level conversations about filmmaking and, you know, business and anything in general, and just I want to share these with people because I know they could have helped me and people have shared already so much valuable information. So I can't wait to, you know, talk to you and see what all you know we talk about. But I'm just looking forward to it. So thanks for coming.

Valheria Sanchez: 0:36

Thank you. Thank you For those that have never seen this face before. I'm Valerie. People call me by Valley. I like to think that's my artistic name, but it's also like the shortcut of it. And yeah, I've been in Orlando for five years now and I'm a filmmaker especially well, I graduated in media production but I'm more of a 2022.

Vipul Bindra: 1:04

Okay, and I became more of a documentary sale or ucf, ucf, ucf go knights.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:14

Yeah, uh, ucf media production. I kind of dip into filmmaking for a little bit and never kind of find myself doing narrative or short films and things like that, but I love to be involved. So I'm more into the art department of, like, short films and things like that, but I believe my genre is more of a documentary. But I work as a media producer. So, from events to branding, to a lot of things, I I do a lot of things so that you can ask any question because, like, I do dip into many different things that's awesome.

Vipul Bindra: 1:53

So, um, like I said, it's always great to talk to you. So we first met that was, I think, my the, the, so david did these filmmaker meetups and I think it was like literally the third one and I kind of I would call it sponsor it or whatever and I got us a whole suite or a box. That's super cool the kia center was called the mv center back then, and I think that's where we met right am I mistaken okay, so awesome so I need this uh, you know and I don't know anyone.

Vipul Bindra: 2:20

It's like so many people. So do you remember anything from that interaction? I don't know I do, I.

Valheria Sanchez: 2:27

I remember you having the only person branded in the room and I could definitely we had a conversation. You have a production company, um, and at the time I was freelancer video editor for c4, um. So at the time I remember you asking me oh so what do you do? And I'm like, well, I'm doing this, blah blah. But I think that meeting was a blast because it was a really social. Everybody was like I don't know, like feeling in the middle of like that.

Vipul Bindra: 3:01

Yeah, I don't know how many people were actually watching the hockey game, because I think that's what it was.

Valheria Sanchez: 3:06

It was like a hockey game.

Vipul Bindra: 3:08

I just got the whole box. They said up to 30 people.

Vipul Bindra: 3:11

I was like, well, I don't know, 30 people in Orlando, but I do know 30 filmmakers, you know, so that was perfect.

Valheria Sanchez: 3:18

We were about that number, right? No, no, we were maxed out?

Vipul Bindra: 3:24

no, we were maxed out. I was having to do so last minute cancellations. That was the only annoying part. So you know, because it was official tickets, I had some people last minute be like oh, I can't make it, then I have to get the ticket back for them and then give it to someone.

Vipul Bindra: 3:32

It was like a transfer thing, so it was kind of a little bit I would call um annoying process. But that's that's not on the people, that's just how the the ticketing system or Ticketmaster, works, okay, but overall it was really good and to be able to do that it was so cool.

Valheria Sanchez: 3:49

No, it was a high standard. After that I'm like well, which one is the next one? I'm coming? I know I've been trying to do that.

Vipul Bindra: 3:55

Hey, that event where I got that is coming up, so maybe they'll have a crazy thing. You know, you would think this is a very creative um, you know, technical field, so it's open to anyone right as long as you're creative, technical, but, as you remember, there was like barely any girls there, it's all just just men. So it's very neat every time I meet people you know who are um, you know females who are in this industry because they're kind of, you know, breaking through the gender barrier or whatever. However you want to say it.

Vipul Bindra: 4:31

So have you noticed that? Do you feel that you know? You remember that meetup? Right, you were one of the very few, Absolutely.

Valheria Sanchez: 4:37

And the other two girls I met in that day. I keep in touch with them, which is Sophie and Ruth, and they happen to be from Venezuela too. So I'm like what? But yes, it's always you have to deal with that in every single setup. Personally, I never think of being a woman like you know, like something that it wouldn't support, something you know like. I never think of myself like, oh, victim, I'm right here alone and stuff like that. I always love to see all the girls doing their thing. But yeah, it's like I guess, through the years and kind of the way I do, like I have a lot of friends, are guys Like I know how guys mentality works and it's honestly it's a blast, Like I love to work with guys.

Vipul Bindra: 5:32

And I just feel like, so here's funny. I had Nat on the podcast. Same thing, she said the same thing. I was, like you know, asking her very similar questions, like you know she's a great camera operator was like but what, what? Why are you the one of the only few? And then same thing she's like well, you know, blah, blah, blah.

Valheria Sanchez: 5:46

but also I'm like guys girl you know, I like so maybe that's a common thread, you know it has to be because, like you know, the guys are playful, uh, in my opinion, and girls are not so much, even though we can always have fun as a girl. But it's like at work, I feel like just the the vibe of guys is like a little bit more chill, more relaxed.

Valheria Sanchez: 6:09

We get the work done and then we're joking the whole time or like at least make it I don't know easier on the things Because, like normally, when we have a shoot or anything that we do, it takes hours. It's never like one hour gone. So in that sense I like less troublemaking. I mean it's, I don't want to talk like it like it's a standard, but like girls like are like more, like they're looking for mistakes and things like that, and so then people get all sour because it's like, oh for, for no reason, and it's like I don't know, I feel like I'm more of a.

Vipul Bindra: 6:44

I mean, that's good though that's a good team person If you're looking for mistakes, so we can fix them before they happen.

Valheria Sanchez: 6:49

Exactly.

Vipul Bindra: 6:49

I think that's a great team member. But, that is true, though, now that you say the other side of it, I'd like to hang out with people who are fun, so, yes, I will carrying of their yeah, you know men or women or whatever. My main thing is, you're gonna be fun on set right exactly so maybe that is why men end up being exactly more fun. I didn't ever think from that side. So that's really cool.

Valheria Sanchez: 7:11

Yeah, say that yeah but at the same time, um, you know, like is it I believe in every shoot should be at least two or three girls. Uh, just because of the is, the eye is like is is a compliment uh to to the group.

Valheria Sanchez: 7:27

So I I think, like, if you don't have any problem like I do to be with more men or women, uh, then you're set up for this. Like I think all the girls I've met in the field are kind of the same approach. Uh, we're like self-sufficient, we don't. We, we're unapologetic. If we have something to bring to a table, we will, and I think that's amazing that I wish all the girls feel in the world.

Vipul Bindra: 7:50

I wonder if that's why people girls are producers more.

Valheria Sanchez: 7:55

That too.

Vipul Bindra: 7:56

Yeah, because I've noticed that at least a lot of times when our producer is on set and they're, you know they tend to be female, so maybe that's why, because they have attention to detail. Absolutely. And things like that. So that's a pretty neat perspective. So you got into film right. You went to. Ucf and you started media production. But why film? Was there something about movies?

Valheria Sanchez: 8:21

Well, movies always tap into my mind. When I like a movie, I can obsess about it, I love it, I know what I love it. But really I didn't have. Uh, I think my influences like tv and stuff like that will be my sister, my dad, my mom they'll bring, always like the good movies and I'll be just sitting there and watching. But it was more of a.

Valheria Sanchez: 8:43

I was interested in studying audio engineer for some reason. Like I knew that I couldn't do something like that or yes, but I don't know. I was like, yeah, I want to study this because I was, you know, like when you hit your 15, 16, you're like, well, so what are you going to do? What are you going to do? So I was like I don't know, I don't know, I, I don't see doing this, and so I I pulled that from me liking a lot the music in general. So I was like, yeah, I think I want to do this, maybe become an engineer, audio engineer or something like that. But that was supposed to be in the capital of Venezuela. And yeah, my mom is a professor at the university locally where I live and she was like, why would you do that? Like, you have this university. It's super good, just find something to do here. And then I was scouting like what to do. My sister knew that she wanted like design and architecture and stuff like that, but I always sucked drawing.

Valheria Sanchez: 9:47

So I'm like, no, I'm not gonna do something like that just because it's creative, because I always felt like I was creative but never had like the tool really. So I was like, well, um, and then I discovered media production and one, one of their mentions which is like we'll say the mayor here will be. It was audio. So they have I'm trying to think from Spanish so they have photography, which will be cinematography, then audio and production. So that's like kind of the three things. But since I didn't know anything, I was like, oh, audio, cool, I found it, I'll go for it. So first day in school is like, hey guys, we're media production, but we're trying to change the name soon to filmmaking and I'm like what do you mean? It's like, yeah, we're rebranding the, the school and the name of the mayor and all of that. So I'm like, okay. So first semester I'm so lost because everyone knew they wanted like filmmaking I love this.

Vipul Bindra: 10:57

I love kubrick. You got into it thinking it was audio production and it ended up being film production film production and they do have like specialty for audio but it's like audio for film, not even for anything else. Yeah, that's so crazy, and this is in Venezuela this is in Venezuela, and is that why you're friends with Emmanuel, because you're Venezuelan.

Valheria Sanchez: 11:22

It's so funny. Yeah, here most of my friends are super international, like far, far land from venezuela. Then I came to orlando and I started meeting, like my two business partners I'm from venezuela and we met what work? And I'm like where are you from? Was the last question we asked for each other.

Vipul Bindra: 11:43

Well, you know, emmanuel, he's like not super venezuelan he's like very american emmanuel on the yeah, obviously, but I think, uh, he was born and brought up here, yeah, so yeah, so emmanuel's been on the podcast. People have listened to him, so what? So? What brought you exactly to america? Was it just higher studies or something, or?

Valheria Sanchez: 12:00

higher studies and the country just getting completely oh yeah, we've all heard stories of venezuela yeah uh, so obviously that was happening, and when was it?

Vipul Bindra: 12:10

when did you get here?

Valheria Sanchez: 12:12

um 2015 so 2015.

Vipul Bindra: 12:15

I'm in my 10 year mark right now, so you've been here 10 years, which is a long time.

Valheria Sanchez: 12:20

I could not like when I remember uh being here like my first year and hear people. I've been living here for 30 years, for 20 years, for 10 years, and I'm like, well, that's a lot of time. You know, I'm like I can't believe that it just went by so fast. Right Time goes crazy.

Vipul Bindra: 12:39

I just remember yesterday I was just making friends films with friends and somehow we're here sitting in this room you know, talking about films exactly it's so crazy and um. So obviously, um, you came here. You know you're studying, um, um and then um, what exactly? So tell me the story. Yeah, that's what I want to know. I want to know when did you meet emmanuel, exactly?

Valheria Sanchez: 13:03

okay, um, so yeah, that's what I want to know.

Valheria Sanchez: 13:04

I want to know, when did you meet Emmanuel exactly? Okay, or how did you meet him? So, yeah, that's a really fun part of it because since, okay, I moved back, I moved here and started from zero, decided to move from filmmaking again just because, if I didn't figure out the whole world from there like I was, I needed to adapt here, learn the language and see and all I heard. Well, one of my uncles live in LA and he's in the entertainment industry, he's an actor and he just had a real talk with me and he's like, hey, it's hard, you know, filmmaking is hard, so just heads up and then you know, like, with all this information, I was like I should not maybe and then I was like, okay, how about, um, I just go to ucfs and find something I like, and I decided to start advertising in public relations.

Valheria Sanchez: 14:06

But what happened there? I was like it's mainly copyright and I'm very visual, like I can write, but I'm not gonna be like, oh, I'm the best writer in the world, like I'm so creative writing, or things like that, plus, it's my second language. So I just felt, oh my god, I I'm back into, I don't know what to do. And that's where I switched to media production. But at the same time, being in media production, I talked to my advisors and stuff and I was like, yeah, but I like to jump into the commercial world and more of the advertising and the commercial side. I think there's a lot of potential, very creative as a, and there's money for sure. So I was like, yeah, it seems like a plan, I want to do that.

Valheria Sanchez: 14:58

And so I did one internship, I think integrated here in Orlando, and I started working with Fernando. So with Fernando, you know, we would just have work assignments, you know little things. I produced like a short documentary for the agency and you know like, know like, from doing like little projects, he invited me for one that was not for work and he was like hey, um, this is my idea. I'm trying to produce the blue room, uh, and I want to direct it. I would love to so. So by that time I think Fernando discovered I had talent doing gaffer and I was very enthusiastic because I was taking the classes. I was like I love it.

Vipul Bindra: 15:53

You know you brought into this project.

Valheria Sanchez: 15:55

Yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 15:56

Fernando's project as a gaffer. Yes, interesting, all right yeah.

Valheria Sanchez: 16:01

So he was like, hey, I really like how you play with the lights and for this interviews and stuff like that, do you think would you like to be part of my short film? And I'm like, of course I love it, yeah, why not? You know, like that's my main thing. It's like I don't think of myself a filmmaker because I'm not here. I'm like, oh, I have an idea with like creating this character and telling this story. Uh, I, I normally work with real resources like I know the person, I know the story and I'm like, okay, this is a story, but, um, but I love the art craft, you know like, wow, that's, that's the best thing ever. So I was like, yeah, you can do this, blah, blah, blah.

Valheria Sanchez: 16:41

And we shot in a little tiny apartment. So the crew was like maybe five, six people, or that's a lot, I think five. And of course, cinematographer was Emmanuel, of course. And we met for the first time and we just vibed and we were like laughing the whole time. It was super exhausting because we start early. We blocked off all the light to make it dark, the apartment, fernando's apartment, and then we spent a whole day until like 4 am together. So, of course, at the beginning it was like a little hey, how are you?

Valheria Sanchez: 17:17

And then by 3 am we were like laughing our ass off and we were really proud of that whole project at the end because, like, it was the first time that I was involved with like a completely different um, creative, um, you know group. I'll say, and you know that is also kind of weird to like jump into. Like normally when you're a creative or creator, you're always like oh, that's my idea you know gonna get people involved, but when somebody involve you in their idea, it's kind of really cool, you know like it's like, okay, I'm stepping in a different world and I'll make my work.

Valheria Sanchez: 17:58

You know, just work around this and we end up like going to film festivals and having a blast just with that little short and then we became just like closer and closer, and then, of course, working with the same um agency, we were brought back to set many times, and now obviously, um, your business partners are the we'll get to that in a second.

Vipul Bindra: 18:23

So I want to know what type of lights were you using, so you're a gaffer. Obviously, it sounds like your first gaffing project.

Valheria Sanchez: 18:29

Yes, and what?

Vipul Bindra: 18:29

type of lights did you have? Did you go to your school and grab them? How did you get access to lights and stuff like that?

Valheria Sanchez: 18:35

Yeah, At the time. So that was a cool thing about UCF, the production workshop, is that you could have access to apertures. That was when I first started using it, cause, like we, we will have the, the old school for now, and you know, get burned in the hot lights and stuff like that and we had to like set it up and make sure we know how to utilize those equipments.

Valheria Sanchez: 19:03

But the professors also thought it's like, hey, it's a little outdated, they just use this, yeah. And then I invested in buying like a couple of them and I and then we just brought the first, like what 120d or whatever? Uh, we yeah the 120d the mark one, mark three mic two, mark two, oh so that those are my first aperture lights too I bought a three light kit and used it a lot so yeah, it was. So yeah, the yeah it was.

Vipul Bindra: 19:37

We have the same the three.

Valheria Sanchez: 19:38

Yeah, that's exactly what I bought and I started like digging into like gels and stuff and I love to think of that one because we did not have a single RGB on that set. Yeah, and the whole set is blue and red and, like all this, you know, shadows of blue.

Vipul Bindra: 19:57

Oh, so you were playing with gels.

Valheria Sanchez: 19:58

We were playing with gels and different shadows of gels like a black, that it was like and they melted down at some point and it was like, wow, I don't deal with that funny enough.

Vipul Bindra: 20:08

I still have some gels in my van, but we barely use them I think ever since I switched to led, it was like I think 300ds that did it for me, so I bought 120d mark twos like a three light kit and I still have a had a ton of hot lights okay, and you know because they didn't fit everywhere, they weren't bright enough, whatever. But when the 300d's came out I was like oh, all the hot lights, because and I don't remember ever since them ever even wearing gloves on set and you know you couldn't, you couldn't touch some of these old without gloves or or some kind of hand protection.

Vipul Bindra: 20:40

Right, and it's so crazy how times has changed? I don't remember at all, for like past five, six years no, you don't see them anywhere.

Valheria Sanchez: 20:49

Yeah, and what we do, which is commercial?

Vipul Bindra: 20:51

work? Uh, because even then, I think the last lights that I remember that weren't um leds was m18s that I've used on some commercials, but even those have been. Now the new 1200ds. 1200xs can easily replace them for for what we're using them for. So, yeah, there's no reason to have exactly anymore that's so crazy. Everything's turning rgb, so now again, you don't need gels, I have these um exactly I like to use these location kits I don't know if you've used them from lee or roscoe.

Vipul Bindra: 21:21

They already come cut out right. Yes, it's so easy to clip again. Same thing.

Valheria Sanchez: 21:26

I don't remember last time using them no, I know it's like some things get outdated so fast because, like, if we're thinking about this is four years ago, everything that I use on that set is completely old school, like super old school. Isn't that crazy what to think about?

Vipul Bindra: 21:43

I'm like, I was like I didn't start this company that long ago exactly and I was using gels and I'm like now it'd be, and not that gels aren't used, uh, but I'm saying with these modern day fixtures you don't need to, because most lights have green, magenta fixed uh color shift and then most of them are rgb or if you need rgb effects, um like, yeah, I mean, it's so crazy, it's so crazy yeah, so that's awesome. So you were on your set.

Vipul Bindra: 22:11

You gaffed and like so you used gels you know you made it happen with the script demanded yeah, how was that like?

Valheria Sanchez: 22:18

how did?

Vipul Bindra: 22:18

you feel doing that? Did you feel like I felt?

Valheria Sanchez: 22:21

that my work really had. You know like, so we normally people that don't know much about filmmaking, think of the director being the top. You know, labor you'll do, and then cinematographer, of course, and then the rest of it is like just little pieces going. The rest of it is like just little pieces going. But then I realized that really a good gaffer that has a good communication with the dp can achieve so much and, um, it can go way beyond whatever story. The director is proposing.

Valheria Sanchez: 23:00

And then I was like, wow, I love that, and.

Valheria Sanchez: 23:04

And then it kind of opened my mind to, you know, maybe at some point I was like, yeah, I'll invest and get my own camera and be like, yeah, dp freelancer, the same route like most people do.

Valheria Sanchez: 23:18

And then I was like, going back to our first conversation, it's like, well, I do find myself as a girl leading with like cameras and stuff like that. It's like it's a lot and and you kind of need to have like like just a physical work, uh at all, and. And then for me I was like, yeah, but there's a lot of guys and they're all talented, including manuel, and it's like I know, I see how they're talented, how they can carry a full gimbal and do all this for eight hours, great. And then I was like, do I want that, though, or can I make the picture look good through, you know, gaff and art direction and things like that? That kind of flows like more natural for me, and I was like, okay, now new door open for me, and then I'll start getting like more tools that will help me to achieve that side of like gaffing. But I did not stay just gaffing from that experience.

Vipul Bindra: 24:23

I just no, and I'm so glad you found your lane because you know, at the end day it's all about where you fit in. But you know, just to say, not that girls can't do it, uh, but I rather you be up front. I had this happen once, so, where I was trying to hire someone to uh like be a grip or whatever on set, something like that. I don't remember, but I remember this girl wanting to work with me and I was like, absolutely, you know, I was like, oh, this would be great. And then I was like, okay, awesome, this is the job requirements. Right, you're gonna just come in.

Vipul Bindra: 24:53

You know how we in corporate sets like, technically, you're gonna do a little bit of everything, but most of it is, you know, moving gear from here. It's gonna. It can be heavy, are you okay with that? And she was like, well, I don't know if I can lift heavy gear, so well then I guess it's not gonna be the right job for you I appreciate it. She was up front, but I was like I think she could have done it yeah, confident and and uh, you know being like yeah, absolutely, it's not like I mean, I get it video equipment's heavy but it's not that heavy, like that you can and you know you're not alone.

Valheria Sanchez: 25:22

You always have three, four percent minimum so anyway, but yeah, I remember I always think of yeah, it's true, and things are heavy, um, and I mean, if you think you can, you, you will do. I mean I've, I consider myself very strong and I can do stuff that sometimes I'm like thinking I shouldn't. I'm like wait, I should not do this real quick, but I I do it because I'm that way. But what I saw is not only for the equipment side, but it's like how saturated being a dp was at the time and I was like, oh, I just don't want to be. I mean no offense, but I don't want to be competing with people like I just want to be hired for who? What you like about me, you know what I mean.

Vipul Bindra: 26:10

So it's like you can easily shoot through, because here's an advantage. Here's what I notice. Most new dps don't rely see.

Vipul Bindra: 26:17

Here's the difference between and tell me if I'm wrong difference between a dp and a camera operator is lighting right so most these people I find and again I'm not saying at the higher level, I'm saying people who are starting out, who are like I'm a dp, they'll go in, they'll learn, like, buy a camera, learn to operate some cameras, and then they go I'm a dp and it's like, but they have no idea how to shape light, work with shadows or any of it, I'm like but you're in charge, the gaffer is your partner to help you achieve that.

Vipul Bindra: 26:47

They somehow think the gaffer is in charge of lighting. I'm like no gaffer works under the dp, exactly you know and and fulfills dp's vision. So the lighting doesn't look good, it's not the gaffer's fault, it's the dp's fault so how many dps are coming up, and that's what I'm saying. So you would have actually had an advantage. So, you didn't choose that path and that's okay, because you understood lighting.

Vipul Bindra: 27:08

And you'd be amazed how many DPs especially, like I said that mid to low level have zero understanding of lighting. And it's not like you have to know every fixture, but you have to be able to light a set.

Valheria Sanchez: 27:30

You have to be able to shape and play with. You know motions and, and so many dps can, and that's why I'm like you're not a dp, you're just a camera operator, exactly that's the thing.

Vipul Bindra: 27:34

That's the thing. And then, and then, they show up on real set and it takes me a few minutes to go okay, you know, either never bringing you on or only bringing you on as a camera operator, because if you can't shape light, you can't make anything look good. You know what I mean Like. Come on Exactly, you can expose Well, sure.

Valheria Sanchez: 27:48

You're a good camera operator, since you know we're talking in my experience, just like seeing how it was saturated but profitable, like I always knew that being a DP was profitable just because the workflow is, you can command a higher rate, right?

Vipul Bindra: 28:03

Because you know again, supposedly lighting and both cameras.

Valheria Sanchez: 28:07

However, I thought maybe my input in production comes from different other random skills and it's not like I completely thought I'm never going to do this job again Because at the end of the day I turn on the camera, do the DP work? And it works. And people are like, oh, I didn't know you're a DP. And I'm like, excuse me, I'm like, yeah, I always been, but I just didn't push that as my uh skill and what I want to be hired for. And then once you start working with really killer dps and stuff like that, you, you don't want to yeah change mindset, like at this point.

Valheria Sanchez: 28:58

I'm so comfortable knowing the the dps I work with because I, just I, I need zero uh effort to like translate my thoughts. You know, I have clear communication. This is what I need, this is what it is. Blah, blah, blah. I concentrate what I should be doing and I know everything is taken care of but that took a little bit.

Valheria Sanchez: 29:23

When you don't have that, you have to be your own dp and kill it, because otherwise, like I am, my standards for professional work are high. I'm like I, I study television, I, I saw big sets. I you know like I cannot you know, and so I I try to scout the people that could you know help to bring that.

Vipul Bindra: 29:47

So that's great. So you know, and that's what I'm saying, we're all trying to just, you know, improve our craft, do better at the end, create good images and give our clients results. So that's so awesome. So you already knew, hey, I want to do more corporate and commercial style work because, a there's money in it, b you can still be creative and you know it's it's really hard to make money doing indie movies. Let's be real. Yeah, right, um, so at what point did you start doing more corporate and commercial work?

Valheria Sanchez: 30:18

and well, right about the same time because, uh, I was an intern for this ad agency, I started like looking into what a video um, you know team does inside of an agency or something like that, and I was editing commercially too. So, it was at that time, everything was commercial, commercial, commercial, commercial right now. Right now, I'll say, uh, I'm more not in like just one role, I'm more like involved in more roles right now. But I'm dealing with smaller brands, uh, brands that come to me and I'm like I'm helping them from scratch. But you know the, the gigs that I had that were, you know, for nationals, like very big companies. Uh, my job was like maybe one role, one, one thing, very specific, and that was the time that I was like mostly editor and and how were you finding these gigs?

Vipul Bindra: 31:19

through that agency or you did? You? Did you have an independent way of finding clients?

Valheria Sanchez: 31:25

um, and so no, through the agency I'll be on set you know bigger set um projects and clients, uh, and learning the thing. And then after I was done with that uh agency, like my internship time, I didn't stay for a position in the company but I stayed as a freelancer so they would call me for whatever they knew I would fit in. And that was the same case with Fernando and Emmanuel, but Fernando stayed there. He was kind of the lead who picked us for a specific role. So they do have a lot of content nowadays. Uh, the time we were like more, like, oh, let's do this big commercial, uh, let's do.

Vipul Bindra: 32:13

And so he will need more people he will take care of, like putting, and that's so great hey, it's all about people you know, and that's the smart, like so smart what you're saying right now. Because, look, if you are new, the best thing you can do. A lot of people are apprehensive about getting a job.

Vipul Bindra: 32:29

I'm like no go get a job at an agency. They're willing to hire people who are somewhat green because they have a team right. They can have some people at the starting out, some people experience some people at the top, and then guess what happens. When you're like at the top or you get the skills, you can leave. But you can become a freelancer for them and most agencies need freelancers, even if they're in-house teams. And then when you know the people, like Fernando in-house. Who are they gonna call they're gonna call their own people. Right, that's a very smart move.

Vipul Bindra: 32:58

You can basically go in, learn, leave, do your own thing, but not leave the agency in a in a way in a way and plus you're like number one, number two on the call list because he's gonna call a man or he's gonna call you and you know because, he knows you, he likes to work with you guys.

Valheria Sanchez: 33:14

Right, that's, that's a, that's perfectly it's perfect and it's like in a. I know how isolated it feels like to be. Okay, this is my first day I'm a filmmaker. Where do I get my clients? You know, I have a lot of respect for people like sean uh, who was so determined to figure out the whole thing man.

Vipul Bindra: 33:35

His podcast was so good because he was. He went from 10 grand something to like over six figures. Yeah, that's a big jump to go from year one to year two and that's what the determination is right.

Valheria Sanchez: 33:46

Yeah, exactly exactly, but it also. We all go through that. I don't know what I'm doing. I hope it's good and sometimes it's not good and you have to do a lot of changes and then you're like all exhausted. I'm like, oh, should I just go back and do groceries or whatever. But yeah, I mean, for me it was very strategic but very meant to be, because I found out like really good connections and it's good to connect with people but it's even greater when they see what you can bring to the table.

Valheria Sanchez: 34:31

You know like I'm always trying to pitch myself in a sense, so people know where I fit, exactly because I don't want to do like. Since I'm like so annoying with like not getting a job professionally, then I feel really bad if I'm not the the right fit for it. I'm like oh, oh, no, I'm going to hate this. So I prefer these days to think I'm going to hate this, but I know somebody that can kill it and will appreciate this opportunity. So I'm more of that person right now, but at the time that I only didn't have this. And fun fact, photography photography is being in my like useful tools forever. I freelance photography since I was like first year here that's so I'm like people are oh, can you take a picture of it?

Valheria Sanchez: 35:18

and yeah, and then so people start thinking of me as a photographer. When I thought I was, photography was more of a hobby, but I never stopped doing it, so at some point I will be get hired just for photography.

Vipul Bindra: 35:32

That's crazy. And there is a thing, well, first, I want to talk about. You're absolutely right about you know, people you know and putting yourself out there Because, at the end of the day, you're finding a solution for your clients. Like you said, they have to be able to see what you can bring to the table because otherwise, like you said, you're just a sea of dps. They can hire anyone and and like or production company or whatever, right, and it's like no, I'm not the same, I'm giving you a custom solution, or whatever that is but, they have to see that, so to be able to show them is incredible.

Vipul Bindra: 36:04

And then your second point is so great about photography, because you know a lot of people get pigeonholed. I've done that to people where I've hired them and you know I'm like oh, so what do you do? I'm a photographer. Okay, I need a photographer. And then I hire them and then completely forget they also do video or some other role, right? So have you had that happen where you know you did photography and they just think that's all you do and you're primarily a video?

Valheria Sanchez: 36:27

person. Yeah, oh my god, that happens a lot. And then I had this like kind of weird relationship with photography, because people would be like but you're so good, why don't you do this? And I'm like because I'm trying to merge and make it bigger for myself. I like the entertainment and the arts you know like, and I feel video is a tool and photography as well, and it comes from the same kind of brain, but it's completely two different things, like I love that you said that so many people somehow think photography and video are the same thing, and they're completely different.

Valheria Sanchez: 37:03

Completely different. I was like we had a photography class at the studio last weekend and I was, you know, for a very long time just having a little bit of the concepts and you know, the same things. We deal in the same to video and photography, which is the ISO, the speed shooter, the aperture and all of that. And I'm like, okay, guys, here's the basics. This is a mentality of a photographer. You are self-sufficient, 100% at all times. Here's the brain of a video person. You're not sufficient, you need people. You are visionary and you're not sufficient. You need people. Yeah, you are visionary and you're good communicating, but you know, like working with, uh, photographers are completely different in terms of communication, in terms of like execution, everything yeah, because let's not okay.

Vipul Bindra: 37:59

I love photographers. They make me a lot of money.

Vipul Bindra: 38:01

But let's be real. Photography is much easier. One person can manage it, because all you're trying to do is freeze the frame and it's so much easier to light, which is why I love flashes for them, because, you know, it's a lot easier for a battery to do one thousandth of a second, a huge blast of light. Imagine you can use that for video. You would need ginormous batteries to even light. The point is, it's a different art form. They're self-sufficient. They can do it by themselves or, you know, maybe a team of two can handle most events. At least that's what I need. However, with video, it's a completely different art form. So there's experts in lighting, there's experts in camera, there's experts in.

Vipul Bindra: 38:38

You know, like I said, managing talent yeah, wardrobe design, I mean we can go all in all. These are individual jobs and a videographer job is even harder because now you have to do all these people's work by yourself and you can never be an. I don't care what anyone says, you cannot be an expert in 30 jobs and yeah, you know what I mean exactly. So it's like it's a, it's mind blowing when I meet people and they're like, oh, I'm good at everything, and I'm like are you, though, are you, I'm not good? At everything, nobody is.

Vipul Bindra: 39:11

You know, like because you know the only reason you're good is because you collaborate right. You work with people you like and then you create something amazing and that's what video is and you could change things because you can show emotion.

Valheria Sanchez: 39:27

you can, you know, and and you can do that like you can choose to make people happy, sad, whatever right based on the colors we use, the dialogues we write, the emotions the actors portray or whatever, whatever um, it's, but it's so that you know like it's a little bit of a lot of people. Yeah, uh, the performance is so important and they're almost the, you know the, the center of everything. But yeah, it's like it's the difference between knowing that you can get all the work by yourself as a photographer and then knowing that you cannot get all the work by yourself, because that's kind of the same approach to every single person that wants to do video.

Valheria Sanchez: 40:09

It's like, well, I'm gonna do everything yeah and then by the time they do their first like short film, they hate it yeah because why?

Valheria Sanchez: 40:18

because your sound was terrible. And then this doesn't look good. And then you're trying to direct and also film, and it's crazy. But only you know that when you start learning and really getting in the industry, you know like then you know, okay, that person has such a narrow and specific role on set, but without that person, this is not going to be the same. And then you know you start building your own visual brand, which is very interesting. No, if you have the same people involved every time, you kind of work the same the things around and make different results every time. But it's like, literally, you have a formula, you know your players, you know everything and you know how to get it done. So it's like it's never like a surprise when you already build your your own team. It's like I mean, we're gonna do a variation of what we did the last time, but with this vision you know what I mean, yeah and talk about manual.

Vipul Bindra: 41:23

So you, you guys, did a documentary together, right? So which is? How was that experience? I think it was a very important subject that you found. How did you come across that and how did you guys start with that?

Valheria Sanchez: 41:36

so, yeah, greatest project we had last, uh well, I'll say the two things, the and the documentary, but we're so different in mentality that they in my mind didn't overlap, but it was exhausting for sure. So this comes from. I don't know if you know, did I tell you before? But I'm a cultural anthropology person. I studied anthropology before and so I am a very research person in all the oh.

Vipul Bindra: 42:13

Really, I didn't know that, so now I know who to call if I need some research done.

Valheria Sanchez: 42:17

Okay, yeah, so yeah, cultural anthropology is like my minor, but it's actually a tool I use for my first documentary I did with emmanuel, which was based on. It was called ink therapy, but I technically compare the tattoo session to like psychological um therapy, and especially that, uh, one that is called behavioral therapy, where the therapist put the person to to interact with arts and music and things like that, and and kind of the point is like yeah make that person express themselves freely.

Valheria Sanchez: 43:02

Yeah, and I thought that was very much tattoo session. You know why? Because you're picking your, your art and you have this one-on-one conversation with that person, sometimes for hours, because not everyone get like a little tiny so this is before the one that you just did, oh, I didn't know about this one so I know about the latest project

Vipul Bindra: 43:24

exactly, I don't have talked about it okay, so uh, so, oh, that's so that is the origin origin.

Valheria Sanchez: 43:31

So is this research, this 15 minute short where we dip into the tattoo life of this too?

Vipul Bindra: 43:41

very young thought about it. Yeah, I thought it was a pain session.

Valheria Sanchez: 43:46

Well, some people like really talk about why kind of the pain is enjoyable in some sense and that was always like something. But for me, in this specific thing, it's like I was looking for a pattern in a different place. They said, well, you can go and check out coffee shops and see what the patterns look like there, and when I mean patterns is like observing everything that goes around the place. So how people look, how people behave, what they consume, what they do, and all of that. People look, how people behave, what they consume, what they do, and all of that.

Valheria Sanchez: 44:28

And I felt like in tattoo is like more visually there. You know, you see it, and when you see a person that is full of tattoos, you relate that image to maybe rock and roll, music and motorcycles and you have like a whole niche there that subconsciously exists because tattoos were completely out of the pocket, um on society for so long up to I think 1995, it was illegal in new york to get tattoos so crazy to think about, because people have been tattooing themselves for thousands of years exactly you know, in various cultures and, to be real, I was like that too.

Vipul Bindra: 45:08

Funny enough, I had to hang out. The way I ended up with my tattoos is because I used to work, you know, one of my last jobs at this company and I hung out with Miles. I doubt he'll ever listen to this, he's not a filmmaker, but he would just talk about tattoos, like you know, like that right, like it was something he just loved to do and he was just covered, right, he was trying to get sleeves and everything done. And then, you know, after you hang out with somebody for so long, they kind of influence you. And I was like you know what.

Vipul Bindra: 45:35

I have this idea and I really want to do it and, like I said, I went. And I went to his artist recommendation because I don't know, and it was such a surreal experience to get this tattoo done. This is my first tattoo and, funny enough, they say that it's true. It didn't. I didn't feel any pain I didn't feel any discomfort, uh, you know. So I was like, oh, this is great.

Valheria Sanchez: 45:55

I was like doing this for two, three hours and then I was like this is incredible and the question I um, we kind of based the research on was do you remember the first time you had a tattoo, the first time you got a tattoo? And it's like everybody knows vividly everything that happened that day. You know what I was wearing, what we talked, and there's like a lot of things that are memorable about the experience that I thought this is interesting. So from that documentary we did pretty good. We got four awards Look at that Two in LA here. We were selected in Orlando Film Festival and then we start having a lot of fun again with the little productions.

Valheria Sanchez: 46:42

But I was in my second day of screen at Orlando filmmaking, um, I mean Orlando film festival, and I I had my. You know, the second screen is never as special as the first one. First one people, your friends, everyone goes. And then the second one is like, well, whatever is left, I'll be here at 2 PM. You know so. Um is left. Yeah, I'll be here at 2 pm. You know so. Um, I had like almost full room.

Valheria Sanchez: 47:09

I remember I was sharing room with david. Uh, he had his um documentary showing and well, we were there, the, the room was almost full. So I got to do doing and a's, and you know people, oh, love it, blah, blah, blah, like this or that blah blah. And so a girl chased me after we were done, after the qa. She didn't ask any question personally but she just came to tell me hey, I really liked it, I really appreciate your uh research. Because I talked a little bit about what was behind the, the documentary, and she was like I know somebody that is doing a research that I think will appreciate if you share this with her uh, and here's her like contact.

Valheria Sanchez: 48:00

And she showed me just a business card and I am in the middle of like you know, like, this is so weird, because people are talking yeah and I'm like so I I grab the, the card, and I'm trying to pull and she pulls back and I'm like wow, this is weird. And I'm like what? And she's like no, this is my only card take a picture of it and I'm like, oh my god. So I took my phone, took a picture, told her, yeah, I'll reach out to this person, and literally that was october, maybe in january. I'm like, oh my god, I never text this person. What is? Wrong with me, so this happened to all of us.

Valheria Sanchez: 48:41

Yeah, I'm like I never reach out. So I just sent an email in the tone of sharing my work and knowing what was her work all about, but mostly introducing myself. Hey, somebody told me that you would like this and, yes, I would like to know what are you working on technically. And she was so amazing in like her feedback. It was insane, and I read all the emails. She's like will you be interested in meeting me in a coffee shop? And I'm like, of course. So we went out, had a coffee, spoke about it. She said, like I love it, I'm working on this. My project is the the positive outcome of tattoos in the area of breast cancer. Um, and I'm like, what do you mean? It's like, yeah, we're talking about medical tattooing. And I'm start hearing all these things that first time I heard in my life. And we're like, wow, I have no idea until like right now that, if you ask me, I have.

Valheria Sanchez: 49:49

So much knowledge in it. Um, but yeah, from that day, uh, we also had like such a good conversation that you know, two hours passed by and we're like, oh my god, okay, amazing, nice to meet you and all of that. And I'm about to leave the coffee place and I'm like but, by the way, whenever you're ready and if you want to do a documentary, I'll be really interested. I think what you're doing is insane. And she was like really, and I'm like no, for real, like this is insane. And she's like OK, and I'm like, no, for real, like this is insane. And she's like okay, yeah, for me, say yes. So that day, literally, we just set up, we're going to start a documentary together.

Vipul Bindra: 50:33

That's so cool. Without thinking everything that has to be done to get a documentary, but we kind of say it in words like yeah, let's do this and that's such an incredible thing that you know we don't think about, to be honest, on a daily basis. Because this is more for their own empowerment, right, if I understand? Because at the end of the day, it's a medical tattoo. It's not necessary because these people have gone through surgery and this is for their own. How would you put it like like this is empowering, right?

Valheria Sanchez: 51:07

they're making them feel normal uh after having gone through this, this horrible experience, I can this disclose a little bit of what the project is is a project mtfm and is a um. Two girls behind it a medical tattoo artist, tacey Baker, and a clinical psychologist which is Miranda. So Miranda started all of this by researching about, you know, how women is affected mentally on this and she's trying to figure out how to, you know, help them to stabilize their mental health and kind of embrace the new part of them and all this. And so she started doing this research where she will get people that got tattoos and kind of share how they feel about themselves and all of that and compared to people that didn't have, it was crazy how different they have. They suffer from this term that is called body dysmorphia.

Valheria Sanchez: 52:23

So, and it's distressed- really because, like the body dysmorphia is like where, when we don't feel good with our, our bodies, but the distress is after something impactful happened in their life and stuff like that. So, um, so it happens to be real that a lot of women, after they go through mastectomy, uh, they, they don't like their bodies anymore, they stop dating, they, they feel like this broken relationship with their body, uh, just because feeling completely, uh out of normality. So that's where the distress, the body distress, uh, come from. It's like I had this, I don't have it anymore, I don't feel good, uh, more than the dysmorphia that is like, oh, I used to look like this and now I look like that, you know, so all these traumas compel and all that.

Valheria Sanchez: 53:18

And then the medical tattooing is where it gets very interesting. Is, you know, different technique? No, so far from what the tattoo is, but it really taps into the psychology of the client because it's not like a walk-in, whatever you go vape and and get a tattoo, um, it's really in a medical setting. Um, you were coming from a medical procedure. Uh, the person need to know how to troubleshoot with that kind of skin and all that, and so it's a, it's a way, it's a top layer to what tattoo really is, and it really is more about like, how psychologically we treat these people to get them back to feel normal with themselves. So, specifically, this is women after gone through breast cancer. So whether they had mastectomy and they lost everything and they just have hard scars or just having, uh, you know, losing the nipple and getting the 3d uh nipple tattoo.

Valheria Sanchez: 54:24

So, yeah, that that was kind of like my my first intake of what the project was and I just sat down and start you know, kind of researching for myself, since I had some research to support my documentary. I was like, well, cool, because facts are going to be provided, but also, and how do I digest all of this for an audience, right? So I had a lot of time, just like in pre-production, was also school and learning, all this blah, blah, blah. And then I was like, well, how do I convey their research? As they managed to do it and we just opened cast for people to just launch themselves. I really said to them it's like you guys reach out to women that you have contact to, because a filmmaker coming to a breast cancer community and being like hey, who wants to tell my story, it's kind of weird because it's so sensitive. Uh, they're not fully healed, uh, some of them, and you cannot push somebody to like that extreme, you know so I really relied on them bringing on the girls.

Valheria Sanchez: 55:44

I, of course, introduced myself and be like whoever feels brave enough to have this conversation, uh, for the benefit of my for all. You know, it's like you are just gonna enlighten someone else, like dark road, so you just might as well just share something.

Vipul Bindra: 56:02

Documentaries like this. Where you're, you know you have a positive subject. You're highlighting a story that's not highlighted normally. That's so incredible. So is it done? Yet it's done yet. It's done, so you've edited it. Put it out, yes.

Valheria Sanchez: 56:19

How's the response been? One main screening at UCF during the art night, which is one weekend a year that they do. All the art majors have an expo and things like that. And I had a room. It was not my favorite room I'm trying to push the documentary through the film festival circuit first but I thought it was very special to have a first ever screen at UCF. These other two women, the research one they both are UCF students, so I felt like between three of us, why not? And it was pretty special. You know, when we were talking about like how to achieve feelings and things like that. So two things about this is one I edit, produce and direct, and that sounds easy to say, but it's really hard. And that sounds easy to say, but it's really hard. And you know, like I was like well, at some point I was like this needs to get done or I am going to get done to myself.

Valheria Sanchez: 57:36

I'm like I'm going to die. But once I was done and all of that, I was like so nervous to see the result.

Vipul Bindra: 57:43

Yeah, because you have this, you know story of somebody else that they haven't seen. How long did it end up being? What's the?

Valheria Sanchez: 57:51

runtime An hour and four minutes.

Vipul Bindra: 57:54

Hour and four minutes, so it's my first feature and the first time the client's seeing it. It's their impactful story. How did that feel?

Valheria Sanchez: 58:03

It went super good.

Vipul Bindra: 58:04

Did they have good feedback.

Valheria Sanchez: 58:06

Yeah, I have two or three comments to do about it. I was like, well, you know, first thing, I was like a little bumped because there wasn't like a good sound system and it was in a school room technically. So we have a projector.

Valheria Sanchez: 58:23

The projector was good enough, um I get it's not the highest quality, yeah, so I was like, oh, but even though we have that technical side of it and the responses, like we had like two of the talent that was there interviewing brought family and then some friends. Emmanuel wasn't there, though he hasn't seen the whole thing. I haven't shown him TV or something like that, because I really want him to see it big. So I'm like, well, since he couldn't get there on time, I was like, well, next time it's going to be a film festival, sorry.

Vipul Bindra: 59:04

Hopefully he sees through it, because he talks through the screenings, which was that we were watching fernanda's screening recently and people were shushing the scenes.

Valheria Sanchez: 59:14

It's like that's how this one we did and that was funny, yeah so, uh, for that uh screening, what I loved it was I was in you know where the teachers, so you have like your desk here and then all the seats over here.

Valheria Sanchez: 59:30

So I sat there and I sat on the floor and look up and here's the screen. So I kind of had like a hiding place to watch it, but I also had visibility to the audience faces. So I'll be sneaking in seeing how how they feeling as we progress, cause like I know every single that, like everything that is there, like I know every single word of everyone. So I'm like I, you know, I like I was like I don't want to see it, cause it feels so I feel shy to see it, but then I'm like super proud of how the outcome. So I was like let me just see how they feel. And my first comment will be one of the husbands, one of the talent, was there and when she started her line that is like I was diagnosed or something like that the guy just slammed the top of the well, like this school table.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:00:39

Yeah, yeah, yeah and he just left because it's so strong. She's the only one who cries in that part. And he couldn't take it he couldn't take it seeing her saying it, you know, because she's like she started and her voice started cracking and you see how vulnerable that person is.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:01:05

But she did so well you know it was just a moment where she kind of broke and he was I can't take this, but he left. 10 minutes happened. He came back and then he saw the end of the, the story and how I portrayed it and he came to me and said, wow, okay, you really touched my feelings and like I love this and I'm like wow, even though I mean it sounds negative, but it's actually a good experience because they had such a.

Vipul Bindra: 1:01:31

Yeah, I plan for that exactly.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:01:34

I plan for building up to that. Uh, diagnosed to be like what this is another person, you know. Like that that was my intention is to, because that was what I learned. I was like, wait a minute, every single one that is involved in this project has a different age, different, like, I'll say, every single story, and for whatever side you you compare it, it's a completely different dinos or case or age group or ethnicity. So I was so shocked it's like comes from everywhere and I was like, oh my god, no, I hate this at the same time. That's what I wanted the audience to feel like. So when I saw reactions like being in shock, mad and leaving for me was positive, I'm like what I'm making feel people, things, and then, in the progression of that, you know, there's people who cried, people who laughed and all of that, and I'm like, well, I guess this is what it is.

Vipul Bindra: 1:02:51

This is why we like work.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:02:53

Because I don't feel like this is my best work forever. This is top, top. I feel like already can see how we could do things better.

Vipul Bindra: 1:03:01

But that's how a filmmaker is. I haven't never had and I don't think anyone has where you do a project and go oh, this is the best ever you know because you're always like trying to improve.

Vipul Bindra: 1:03:10

You're always trying to go better, but then it's funny, I don't know if you've done this, I do this. You look at your work from 10 years ago. I was so bad. From 6 years ago, you go, I was so bad. You look at it from 1 year ago. You're so bad because you're constantly improving. You know, I think yeah that's, that's what filmmaking is.

Vipul Bindra: 1:03:29

You and you were you're trying to chase perfection yeah, that doesn't exist, so you always improve and improve, and you get better and uh, so no, I'm so happy for you yeah, seems like you picked, uh, you found, rather, because it was you didn't go out looking for somebody came, somebody came to you Exactly, but you found an incredible story with a meaningful impact and you did your first feature documentary and you took people through an emotional roller coaster while educating them about this medical tattooing thing, which is so important for these women's health.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:04:04

So that's so cool right.

Vipul Bindra: 1:04:05

I mean, this is what we do, right yeah?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:04:07

and that's why I love to tell creators and filmmakers and documentaries. It's like you don't know where your next adventure is gonna start, and I do believe in like attracting things that your mind are like alike, and so then I feel like my best advice or piece of advice will be concentrate of what your mind is actually trying to search or, you know, wonder, because for me was like I was shocked to learn myself that tattoo could be compared to psychological therapy. But then from there to where the journey took me, I'm like I'm just a medium.

Vipul Bindra: 1:04:57

You know what?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:04:57

I mean I'm like, at that point I felt like, okay, yeah, this totally chose me, me, but who else could do the job I did when I'm a women when I can't see how tattoo goes beyond than just like covering skin exactly, and I had the sensitivity to you know, make everyone that was part of this like comfortable about talking about this because, like even myself, like who wakes up thinking in cancer if they're not affected?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:05:33

but by some reason, everyone wants to avoid that as much as they can yeah, because they've already gone through the trauma, they've gotten the surgery right.

Vipul Bindra: 1:05:42

they're already not doing well, mental health wise. So, and now you're like, hey, here's a camera Talk to me. I see it and then at the end, but again, that's where you separate a good filmmaker Cause that's the idea we want to capture the raw emotion while making them feel comfortable, which is hard, it's hard, it sounds easy, right, but it's not, you know it's it's very hard. And then the uh, obviously, like I said, I'm so glad you were able to do that and is you have put it out there? Not yet.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:06:10

You said you just screened it there yeah, just screen it there, I am not anywhere. People could go watch this right now, not now um, just because I'm trying to um get it like so for premiere official, I won um the florida film um festival which is the one that a asian, uh, and then from so you're gonna do the whole festival circuit, right?

Vipul Bindra: 1:06:33

that's the yeah that's my plan, and then afterwards I've, I'll you know, just think of the platform that will be more useful for it, and I think, uh, to be real, we don't peddle anything on this podcast because the idea is education, but I think, yeah, it's, it's important for people to go watch it, or at least just see the the work. So whenever it comes out, I can go put it in the description of this podcast. Yeah, I would love to so. Whenever you do have a public link, please share it with me I will do I will put it down here it may be in the future, but you know, whenever, whenever that happens yeah, no it's.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:07:06

I'm kind of like I'm biting my nails not to share it because, like I feel really excited about it.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:07:11

You gotta run through the circuit and all that, but yeah like, uh, we do have uh an instagram where I'm gonna keep uh updated everything and even from the, the experience of uh, the short you were involved for Manuel, the guys. I'm like maybe sometimes in this first quarter of the year I'll probably do a private kind of like crowdfunding more screening at the same theater and see if I can push, because of course, guys, everyone, filmmakers out there, the film festival circuit is not for free. If you don't know it, if you're trying to get it, it's not for free.

Vipul Bindra: 1:07:57

It costs a lot of money. You know it's a business for them, but it is what it is.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:08:02

But I mean that's the first assumption. Oh, film festival is fun. No, it's. Every entry has a price. So I'm considering, you know, doing that for you know, having like a bigger and better setup to watch it and also be like, hey, there's QRs if you want to ship in something you know, like kind of that. We're trying to promote this still.

Vipul Bindra: 1:08:27

And that's my thing, because you know, know, I'm working on my movie, right? Now my first feature length movie, which is so crazy to think about. Uh, but uh, same thing. You know we're gonna have to do the whole and I was like the whole idea is to make the best looking, not indie movie ever right at zero dollars. But so I'm like but technically the budget won't be zero because we can't go through any film festival for free.

Vipul Bindra: 1:08:48

So we're going to have to somehow get funding, because we have to, obviously, if we're going to make such a good impactful, but mine's more I shouldn't say impactful, mine's more entertainment, it's like a mass market thing that we're trying to do.

Vipul Bindra: 1:09:04

But either way it's going to be very expensive to take it through all these film circuits and, yeah, that's going to be very expensive to take it through all these uh you know film circuits and, um, yeah, that's going to be interesting oh, like well, if I think of how a great well I never thought this documentary will hit the feature length, I was like maybe we can tell the story in 15, 20 minutes.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:09:24

And then, when I was dipping, I was like there's no way I can tell all of this information in this um amount of time, just because it's going to be rude for everyone, um, and probably the message won't get there as much as uh an hour and four minutes did for me, so but tell me you about.

Vipul Bindra: 1:09:44

Like your feature, oh, yeah, I'm trying to do 100 minutes.

Vipul Bindra: 1:09:49

So it's like a full feature length movie and I'm trying to do it for no budget, but I'm also trying to. The task is at hand. We've talked about it a little bit. The task for my movie is simple I want to do the most visually nice looking indie movie ever. Usually, you know, when you look at low budget stuff you could tell, hey, good story or whatever, but it's low budget, it is what it is right, and I don't want people to go, oh, it's low budget. I want people to look at and be like whether they like it ideally, hopefully they like it but even if they don't like it, I don't want them to think, oh, you know, they did it for no budget. I want to be like, oh, they wasted millions of dollars making this right. That's the, that's the mindset and the, the technique that I came up with, um, to do that. Obviously it can't just be done. That's why it doesn't get done so we are we strategically?

Vipul Bindra: 1:10:40

I came up with this story. It's kind of like a crime docu-fiction. I would say it's like a documentary, but it's a fictional documentary where people are talking on camera. But, as you know, cost-wise it's a lot easier to do people talking on camera and we do interviews all day, every day.

Vipul Bindra: 1:10:57

So that's why the idea is that I'm going to get Arielexa Mini LFs is what we're going to shoot it on. We're going to most likely use I'm still testing looks I'm going to most likely use I'm still testing looks I'm going to probably use Atlas anamorphics. So it's going to be anamorphic, going to be on Alexa's. It's going to be very beautiful, but at the end of the day, it's just interviews, it's people talking to camera and that's where we are, because it's an hour and a half more than that right Of people just talking to camera. You got to keep it interesting. Yes, so our story, which I had Mario on the podcast, you've got to listen to it. We've been like literally trying to make beats at every like, let's say, 10 minutes, because the audience will get bored right.

Vipul Bindra: 1:11:39

Of course, it cannot just be. Let me tell you about this. This happened, or this happened.

Vipul Bindra: 1:11:47

I mean like okay, or this happened. Like okay, we have to keep audience attention for hour and a half, yeah, so the only way we can do that it's like oh, this happened, then you go oh shocker. Then, 10 minutes later, oh, this happened right. And then we're bringing twists and turns and new characters into it okay so so you keep attention, because at the end of the day from the filmmaking side of it is just people talking to camera there's nothing happening, right maybe?

Vipul Bindra: 1:12:09

and the only other footage you ever see is either photos or potato home footage, because you know it's crime fiction from a long time ago. You write like a real documentary would be. It's based on real documentaries oh, so the idea is what I'm saying is at the core of what the film is this bunch of characters talking on camera that's all it is, and that's all we could do at our level of budget and make it cinematic, correct and and well, I think you hit something really important.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:12:42

For, for those that you know don't have the full scope of doing a feature is what you talked about how to make it efficiently for the budget that you already have it's crazy because, like you might think, oh, a director will be like this and that and this and I want that and I want this and I like that's, of course, top of the dream, top of the ladder, I top of the ladder. I don't know once in a lifetime. But most of us are just trying to figure out, with the things that we do normally, how to put story together. And yeah, I mean corporate does our life with like all the you know, you can achieve something interesting. You can achieve something interesting and then from there just develop a whole story that you're going to put together creatively, because being low budget makes you more creative, exactly.

Vipul Bindra: 1:13:36

You're basically reaching to figure this out, and then the truth is like you said we know the limitations, I'm like, okay, I do have an inherent advantage. I will say that because, yeah, the light went out.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:13:50

Welcome to live podcast.

Vipul Bindra: 1:13:52

It is what it, is All right. So you know the well. We just deal with it. There's no editing this live, so anyway, we look amazing. Yeah, anyway. So what was the thing? Oh yes. So basically, you know, I already know the limitations. Now I have an inherent advantage because I have all the gear right so we don't have at least gear expenses, and I get it. Most indie filmmakers don't have gear or whatever. They're working on those limitations. I know the people, so we will have a very talented team.

Vipul Bindra: 1:14:27

I know I have the gear have we'll have a very talented team. I know I have the gears. We'll have very good gear. So I don't want to take anything away like oh you know, there is zero dollars. There's no budget, everyone is putting their time in.

Vipul Bindra: 1:14:36

I'm putting all my equipment and time exactly, but at the end of the day it's still an indie movie and I'm going to take advantage of all the resources we have here to tell the best visual story I can, and then also, uh, I won't. I don't want to take credit. I did come up with the story, but mario and will are doing the, the script, so it's on them, you know okay so I'm saying they're gonna do a great job on that and at the end, you know, hopefully we can cast it.

Vipul Bindra: 1:15:02

Well, yeah, and you know, get, get, get it made. And then, I'm so excited because the here's the crazy thing about my movie. Like I said, it's just people talking on camera. We're telling a story every five to ten minutes. There's going to be something crazy happening. Obviously, to keep people's attention span right and remember, we're trying to make it mass market. This is no indie art flick you know like create a critical thing.

Vipul Bindra: 1:15:26

This is a entertainment flick, yeah, but at the end we want to do with this amazing twist that I can't wait for so we just want to get people to that 190, no, 100, sorry, 180 minute mark, 190 minute mark, because you know so. Like I said so, but um, uh, 200 pages roughly is where I'm aiming for. Oh, no, sorry, 100 pages. So at like 90 pages. We're going to do this twist, but if people don't watch the first 90 minutes, sure, let's say my last 10 minutes is incredible, right? It's this crazy twist.

Vipul Bindra: 1:15:59

People talk about it, but if they never get there then they never see the twist, they never talk about it. So our entire goal is somehow get people to be entertained, be intrigued, watch the movie so we can do this twist that we want to do at the end, so I'm looking forward to it.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:16:15

I love it, I love it. I think, well, I would love to be involved in some mockery. I would love for you to be involved, because I think that's the idea I want to involve all the people that have been on this podcast are my favorite people, so you know I'm going to ask.

Vipul Bindra: 1:16:28

Obviously, I get it. Everyone's schedule may not work, but I'm obviously going to ask all the people that I know to be part of it Because, at the end of the day, I think it's like I said I couldn't do it myself. Same thing I came up with a story, but I couldn't have even written it. I I called Mario. I was like look this is the story. Please put it on paper. And then Mario put it on paper, incredible. And then it's so good to see something that's in your head on a piece of paper right.

Vipul Bindra: 1:16:53

And now we were like, okay, we got it there, but like you know, he's Peruvian, the dialogues, it's okay, you know, english isn't his first language.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:17:08

So now we're Brad, now and that's what I'm saying.

Vipul Bindra: 1:17:11

It's a collaborative thing. You bring new people in and then, once that's ready, it'd be incredible to, like I said, bring other people locally, be like, okay, let's make the best looking indie movie.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:17:22

I think it'd be so cool and two things about what we just talked about here that might other people feel like oh, so what, what? How different the process is. And it's like, for your case, you already have, well, will have. Whenever the story is already set, you have something to give to your editor and then your editor will work things around, maybe switch things around, but you can have the structure. For me, the structure was here, but all shuffle, all really shuffle, and then you know and in I say techniques of telling stories, I start trying to put things together and then I'll be like, well, I'm going to start with this, then I'm going to jump on this and I had like, let's imagine I have my brain was at one terabyte or two terabyte of, like different folders and footage and photos and things like that. That if you open an S, yeah, and you're going to be like what the fuck is this?

Vipul Bindra: 1:18:30

you know right, exactly, it's in your head and you do not translate that to exactly.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:18:34

So I will go oh, I want to tell this story this part first, and this other part first, and this blah blah, blah. And that took so much of me because I was already in love with the story and for me it was oh my God, I think this is amazing, no matter what part comes first. But then I start showing for feedback and then my mentor Emmanuel, my sister, my brother-in-law, random-ass people like, hey, can you watch? This Seems a little slow in this part, and I'm like, oh, and then I'm like, okay, go back.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:19:22

Tweak things Come back. Why do you feel about this? Oh, that's cool, that goes. I'm like, yes, so I will test out. Uh, just scenes, uh, maybe five minutes, ten minutes, uh, here and there, and then, after I had enough useful feedback, I closed my windows to more feedback and I was like zero from zero, start the timeline, like I copy some of the things I cut down and then I start well, this part, copy paste, this part, copy paste and then figure out a whole different timeline, and that's so great, though, but you, you did it so incredibly right.

Vipul Bindra: 1:20:06

You essentially had your own focus group right, and and that's so.

Vipul Bindra: 1:20:10

I think that's so smart of you as a filmmaker, because sometimes I also think we get in our head and we think, oh, we know everything but the truth is, we're so involved in the process, we see every mistake, we see every pacing thing and sometimes we have to stop and let other people see it and see if they even notice something we're worrying about for two hours that wasn't even important, and then something we missed completely that may be relevant to them. Like you said, pacing to you would be like oh, this is perfect pacing, but the audience may not get it. And I think it's so important as a filmmaker to sometimes just take a step back and just accept that look.

Vipul Bindra: 1:20:50

I need to show it to other people. Let me get feedback, you know and see what other people are seeing.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:20:56

And have that different perspective, because I have my mentor which is really talented and DP and commercial, really talented and DP and commercial. He is kind of the one who brought me into like the commercial narrative and all that. So he knows. Yeah.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:21:15

So he made his point like really clear about communication. Then I had Emmanuel coming through and feeling, just reading his body language, he was getting bored and I'm like, yeah, part, I mean could be faster and they're both know about what we doing. Then I had to jump to a different mindset, which is my audience, and then I go to show my sister, which is highly educated in watching things, you know. So getting her feedback was useful because she sees, as any other people who watch TV, unlike us, that is like we don't watch, that, we just process image really. But for people, that is authentic audience.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:22:04

you need to ask them how they feel about things you know, because they're not hyper analyzing the image exactly, they're just into the story they're into the story and so it's like did that resonate to you really or not?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:22:16

or, or you can just watch their genuine reaction to things, and then that's how my focus group was really it's like a little bit of people don't know, a lot of people that is involved, a lot of people that is involved and a lot of people that does what I do and that's it, and I wish I had like more time to discuss and probably will bring me to a different outcome, but at some point I felt like I'm the responsible of this. This needs to get done now, and I was like it doesn't matter. I feel like this story is one of those stories that will be more useful if it's out sooner than later, because they're trying to change things in the medical side of finances and they do have some changes to get done in order to make this thing available for every woman, you know. So knowing that there was kind of the deadline behind the story kind of made me feel, as long as I have everyone professionally well-said and clear, what they, what I want to accomplish with this, educate a little bit, raise awareness and I did have like a like a vision board type of thing and where I put like the values I wanted to, you know, reinforce, which is let's be positive about this topic, let's bring awareness, let's propose a about this topic, let's bring awareness, let's propose a solution and not a problem. And since I had that in my mind, so like that was what really put the structure. It's like it's a whole set of values and then I'm like I just want them to.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:24:05

Of course, the owners of the research I always share my brain and I'll be like, hey, do you think this should be the end of it? Because, like, I feel like, yeah, we can go through this and this, that, and then this is. And they were like, yeah, that's incredible, and they come from different science and also they have background in art and that was also like super cool to think it's like how different in art we're involved and how much in psychology we have in common, because their work is technically based on things that for me matters a lot. Like if I somebody asked me what's my goal and stuff, I will always love to tell stories that convey to a day of like awareness, self-healing, mental health and things.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:24:52

That really is an outtake for humans. Is it? The only thing we really can take from others is like how to process our own life? And I think with them we just sat in the same page and it's like that's crazy. We just wanted the best for others. So, since that was the structure, then the little things which were the toughest thing was like putting the narrative to convey those things that we talked and that's so amazing and, like you said, it's a mental math where you, as the filmmaker, are like okay now this terabyte footage.

Vipul Bindra: 1:25:27

There's this folder structure and only you get it. So I'm so glad, like I said, you put it together. You told an impactful story. I haven't seen it but I would love to see it, but I know the kind of work you and a man will put out, so I know it'll be good. Uh, because, like I say, me and a man have done tons of projects together yeah, you mentioned a documentary I want to watch.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:25:45

Which one one, I don't know. The one you most recently did together. Oh, that's a really good. That's going to save lives.

Vipul Bindra: 1:25:51

No, that one is going to save lives. I just came, by the way, from a conference in San Diego where we shared Basically, the team was there like they were sharing it, and the response is amazing. I think they're going to get-on sponsors to get it done because that one's like, genuinely like.

Vipul Bindra: 1:26:11

You know, we say live lives that one's gonna save lives and I'm excited about that one. So so it's so cool. But talk about documentary. So I did.

Vipul Bindra: 1:26:18

Obviously I'm mostly in the corporate side of things. I did this corporate documentary and, you know and emmanuel was part of some of the filming sessions of it is so crazy because, like you said, it's in my director's head but sometimes I can't edit because I'm shooting. So I had this happen earlier this year. So, like I said, emmanuel was part of it. We were telling this, this company, um, they're, they're, they're, um, you know, uh, it was like a 35 minute, you could say corporate documentary, but it was so crazy for me because, you know, we filmed, filmed, filmed and we didn't get the last filming done until you know it's like oh, we need another day, another day until, like, let's say, tuesday. So here I am the event. By the way, this event is on saturday, so I'm like, at tuesday going all right, julie, here's three, four terabytes of footage from five days of work with 50 people, and guess what? You have to use every single one of them because you know it's a corporate thing they have requirements.

Vipul Bindra: 1:27:15

So it's like, okay, the only rules are you have to take them through a roller coaster journey it needs to be about 30, 35 minutes and um, you have to use at least one sound bite from every person. Go, and I can't imagine the nightmare you know, I'm going through because I have a story, but to tell an editor like, and then I was like oh, by the way this needs to be done by friday so the client can see it, because it needs to be played live at the event on saturday.

Vipul Bindra: 1:27:43

That was an experience, she didn't sleep for three days and I was like, and you know, as a director and producer.

Vipul Bindra: 1:27:51

I'm like I want to see cuts, but we don't have time you know, right, it's three days. I'm like what if on friday this is completely different?

Vipul Bindra: 1:27:59

than the story that I made but anyway, it was a nightmare so I can't imagine.

Vipul Bindra: 1:28:05

That process and I would love to have her on podcast one day, but like talk about it because she went straight. Imagine that process and I would love to have her on podcast one day, but like talk about it because she went straight on three days and I'm going through this nightmare in my brain.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:28:14

I'm like you have to have like a different sensitivity to footage yeah, and because footage is footage and it could get very boring and then if you're like those kind of like action um oriented editor, you might not find anything that you that pick your attention, but you rather like for me, one hour, 10 minutes of interview. That was like we sat a time for it, like I was like the main people max 120. And the other 45, 50. Yeah, like the one who like get emotional and need a break, an hour mark Each hour for me to process, to make. So I had an AD. So the AD will keep all the notes, all the time codes and I love that so much.

Vipul Bindra: 1:29:12

it was the first time I was like yes, yeah, because, like you said, that's a lot of footage to go through and find bites, and so much so every hour will take eight hours of

Valheria Sanchez: 1:29:26

digestion, really, because, of course, the hour you can listen to it like a podcast, uh. But then for me it's like I like to mark my timeline and do all question answer hint, and so I'll have every single one of them completely marked by different colors, which is different topics, emotions and things like that. So not only like totally like analyzing what they said, but also OK, now this player is going to be main character or not, be main character or not. And something that really is funny about, um, that documentary is that we didn't have like a main character until the very end. Uh, we didn't have a narrative driver and I that was driving me crazy because you're like filming all this and you don't know exactly.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:30:21

So I was like how, because it could be the kind that is informative. This happened, you know, like when it's like event sharing, and I was like, yeah, cool, but I would love to have somebody that takes us through the journey. And that person didn't show up till like the last thing and it was one of the last actual interviews that I directed um, actual interviews that I directed and when she, when we were done with her, I was like whoa, now I know how to put the story together because through her, we saw, from the first consultancy of like how, like when she want to get the tattoo, all the way to the footage of getting the tattoo done.

Vipul Bindra: 1:31:08

Oh my goodness, that is the story. Right there, right there.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:31:12

And, like the rest of the girls that you know, volunteered. This wasn't an official cast. It's like whoever wants to share the story were tattooed already, so we only have this one that was about to get a tattoo and that's I think very important to show exactly so it was very important because we can hear oh yeah, this is good, this is good, this is good, we love it, we love it. But when you see somebody going through it, like yeah and how and she had like very subtle emotions.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:31:49

I feel like there was more emotional other stories, but that also was good, because I wanted um less of it linger in suffering and more of uh can do this. And she is literally like so strong. She's like, yeah, I'll do this, yeah, yeah. Well, I, I really want to fly this week, but I still have some other like treatment to get done and I'm like, wow, like she did all this so brave, so like there's nothing that I learned a lot from her and also it was perfect to fit her as our narrative driver, which is funny because, like it wasn't planned from first day wow, that is so cool and I want to switch gears.

Vipul Bindra: 1:32:37

Talk about what we started in the beginning the, the studio yes, oh my goodness, that's the other big thing you did, yeah, so I've talked to manuel about it. What you know, I, like all of us filmmakers, I've been going for years. It would be nice to have a studio, but then I ran the um. You know, at least for me, the economics of it. It just never seemed to work. But you guys went out there out of nowhere, just built it yeah so it's you, emmanuel, and you have another business partner all venezuelan so I guess that was the key to getting it done you know uh, which was why I was not invited too bad.

Vipul Bindra: 1:33:13

Um so anyway, but no, no, it's good. I'm so happy for you guys. I went there I literally stole for my space was. I was building it like I was talking to you. I I you weren't there, but emmanuel was I was like, okay, so my space is mostly done I'm. I want to come see your space finally. And I went there and I was like, oh, that'd be nice oh, I need a makeup mirror oh, I need a couch.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:33:33

I literally kind of that was kind of like the point of doing the um and building the studio content because of that you know, like, how useful is to like. Okay, I'm almost done with mine. It will just spark something in you. Exactly right, we're all just again copying of each other.

Vipul Bindra: 1:33:53

I mean, uh, I was blazing enough to literally ask for links I was like just send me the links anyway, but tell me, talk me through, because you know obviously, like I know what you guys did, but like what was going through or what was that conversation like initially, before you've done it right where you guys did, but like what was going through or what was that conversation like initially, before you've done it right where you guys it was the coolest thing because, well, I mean, I talk to emmanuel daily basis, um, and you know, at some point we will gather in some coffee shop we love create, uh, and then we will just sit there and talk about this imaginary studio we will have in the future and all the different ideas that we will do, instead of getting the done job and then they were done, but I'll speak in english or spanish, english, english, yeah, yeah um, so, anyway, we're talking about this idea, blah, blah, blah, but it was always something that we will just fantasize about and it's like, okay, yeah, we'll talk about this, and then how are we gonna do business this month?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:34:52

I have this technique, I have that and whatever, and. But um, we had this gig together, we were hired separately, but we were like hey, you're going to that gig tomorrow, yeah, me too. I'm like oh snap cool and we love it.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:35:07

And so we were, I think, in Gaylord Palm Just for a corporate thing, and it was the slowest shift that we've ever done together. I don't know why. It was something about the whole convention not having a good drive of people doing the interviews that we were supposed to be doing, and it was just eight hours so what was his role?

Vipul Bindra: 1:35:30

was he the dp? And what were you hired for?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:35:33

I think for that one I might have been gaffing okay and um just assisting a production assistant and for him assistant production assistant and for him uh, camera up camera.

Vipul Bindra: 1:35:53

Yeah, so he's camera up you're gaffing in pa and you guys were hired separately even though you're friends, yeah show up and it's a boring day it's a boring day, we're just.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:36:00

It's cold as hell and I'm like okay in orlando we don't get cold days that often no, but it's super cold because of the inside of the hotel and when you, when you're like in a corporate gig, yeah, as long as you're walking, it's all good, but if you're sitting it's so cold, if you're like camera up in a big convention, you're like you need sweaters literally. So we were just there talking and he's like hey, val, I found this place, but they're like all mysterious and we were like just with a whole like crew, so. But we just sat there and started talking about how he found out about Alexa Mill 50. And he showed me the floor plan, he showed me the workspace. We started talking about the living workspaces and he's like I don't know you, but I'm obsessed about this and I'm like, by the time we're four hours in, we're like we were already thinking where we're gonna put stuff and where, and this is the price, how do we manage?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:37:02

blah, blah, blah. And I was like, but the end of the the day I'm like, okay, okay, this is a yes from me, I'm gonna partner with you and we're gonna go see the apartments this week. And it was such a fast phase how we took all the decisions and at some point then I was like, well, there's going to be the headquarters of emma films and, um, hazelnut production. And since I do have a partner, uh, which is mariana, I'm like, well, if it's going to be hazelnut, can we have mariana? Mariana, it's hybrid. She, she's not ever like there all the time, but she totally will have a good use of this space. And then it was kind of more of a you know executive.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:37:54

Yeah, it was like you know what? Yeah, that that works for everything. Three ways the rent, yeah, which?

Vipul Bindra: 1:37:59

say which would help, because that's why I was like when I was looking at it I was like the economics never work, but if you can split it three ways it makes way more sense to have a creative space Plus you guys work together a lot of times anyway.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:38:14

Might as well, just hang out together Exactly.

Vipul Bindra: 1:38:17

Save the coffee shop money.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:38:19

Literally like the coffee. Oh, my God, we went to and that was also like a bigger thing. I like to think that life prepares you to the next step without you thinking about it. Because of the documentary and the projects I was doing, I was, like, so eager to use studios and tell my clients, let's use studios, studios, studios, studios. And because it looks better, it's going to you know anyway. And so by the time we had the opportunity to open studio, we've been in so many studios, we've been using studios, we know the the positive and the negative of other studios we've been and we're like, yeah, I think can do this, and it was just being determined to like then having an empty space and building something out of it.

Vipul Bindra: 1:39:06

So I think you guys did great for, for obviously it's not like a huge studio but, for the size. That you have you guys very efficiently laid out. You know there's a psych wall, multiple backgrounds, makeup station, right, it's a place for clients to hang out. So I think overall you guys very efficiently built it in a very usable way. Plus there's three desks there.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:39:26

You can all work exactly I was very surprised and happy for you guys, because I'm like this is such a cool space and you've been using it.

Vipul Bindra: 1:39:33

You've been doing photo shoots there. You put it up on peer space you know, so I actually finished.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:39:39

I finished the documentary editing the documentary in the empty studio because, like I was so happy to finally like what we talked earlier to separate work and life. Yeah, uh, I've been like from my freelancer years before, and emmanuel as well. We, we were working from our rooms yeah meaning we face the computer from the bed, and that's crazy because like sometime is cool, like working from home, like just going out for shoots. It was good and the the stage was nice for me. But then I'm like I cannot have a break and like I'm not feeling well.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:40:22

so first thing when I got the place, I'm like boom took everything that it has to do with my office in the space and then I start re-adapting to having a workspace and having like a kind of like a schedule, like hours. I'm back to having like an office hour type of thing and I'm happy. Do you like that?

Vipul Bindra: 1:40:46

Yeah, Because, see, that was my thing. Now, to be real, I don't know I will be that good if I'll have office hours, but my whole thing was genuinely like having done like you. You know, your personal space is your personal space. But when?

Vipul Bindra: 1:40:58

your personal space becomes your workspace, I feel like you can never enjoy your personal space anymore. Yeah, it's like you're all, because you know at least for me, and and I want to know your perspective in this you know what we're doing is creative and technical and business thinking. So this is the space where I'm sitting and doing that. I can't now go lay down and chill and watch a movie, I don't know, I, I just can't neither and I had to do that for years.

Vipul Bindra: 1:41:26

So when I finally did this, you know, like I said, my entire rule was just this as long as I can separate it, I want no video production equipment on this side.

Vipul Bindra: 1:41:35

Right, if I cross this barrier, I'm working and if I'm this barrier, I am hanging out, chilling whatever you know, or maybe emails I'm not, I'm not taking. If I'm this barrier, I am hanging out, chilling whatever you know, or maybe emails I'm not. I'm not taking emails, but you what I mean? Like there's no actual editing or or production or anything, or equipment prep or camera prep happening on that side and I've only had this space for a little bit, but it's been game changer so so has this like you, yeah, and especially with the biggest project, to get it done, I was struggling.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:42:08

Waking up in my room opening Premiere start, you know, like shifting things around and then having a client calling me and then a meeting, and then I'll be like, well, then I'll keep editing after, and then I was not getting things done.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:42:28

Have a food meal yeah, because at the end of the day you time gets like a little prioritized with like the things that you gotta get done, and then you're at home and then it's like, okay, let's make some food and then let's do this, and and then I was like, okay, I'm not getting stuff done. And then as soon as I change that, I know that I'm leaving my house by by 9, 10, and then I probably won't be back until 7, and but in the meantime my hours working are gonna be super, um, like proactive, because at the end I get back and I don't have my main computer there. So if I'm, I don't have that, because that's the practical part of it. It's like, well, I didn't get this done, but my computer's in the in house and and I'll get it done as soon as I get there.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:43:17

But then it's night and you don't want to do that um. So yeah, it kind of separated for me in my mind and then now I have priorities like getting home and maybe working out or just like relaxing, no opening it, like like literally shutting down my brain, and I think that's super healthy, that's so good, I'm so happy for you, I think, if anyone can learn anything from today's podcast is that and the and the, and I love the part that you guys did because to me, obviously you build a great studio, you.

Vipul Bindra: 1:43:47

You have an hour work-life balance, both you and emmanuel, and, I'm guessing, your third partner that's the person I don't know yet, so yeah, I don't want to speak for them, um, but here's, like I said, the coolest thing anyone can do. This, because here's what you guys did, like let's break it down and I love it. Three friends get together, get a space, you guys split rent and then it makes it financially viable Because now you can do your individual things.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:44:12

Exactly.

Vipul Bindra: 1:44:13

You're doing your thing, mano's doing his thing, your third partner is doing their own thing. You're running your each individual production company, but then now you're running your each individual production company, but then now you're running companies together right so now you can not only collaborate with each other, pass on work or bring each other, but then you can keep doing your own thing and it only costs you one third the space would have, which may not have financially worked for either one of you, but together it works so I'm like why can't three people listening to?

Vipul Bindra: 1:44:41

this or friends go together and look at the space, build a studio, have a, have a space to just you know, be productive and then keep having that because, like you said, that was been my biggest nightmare. It's like not having any ever since I started this company. I had no work-life balance up until a few months ago, when I get the space done and and it was a game changer but took me six years. If somebody could skip that by you, because you know I didn't have, I didn't think of that right, I didn't go.

Vipul Bindra: 1:45:10

Oh, let me call two other filmmakers and do it together three, uh, genuinely so.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:45:15

You guys, I think, are an inspiration for other people because, like they can do that now, they can be productive from day one exactly, and hopefully you'll get more business yeah, and and and thinking of yourself, of like, let me grow in my niche or my skill, and all that is something you plan in the future. And then you have to rely on the people that is around you, and I feel like we have in our hands such a good material to grow in so many different ways, and I love to think that, even from media production I stick to media production it's just because everything that we mentioned today is media production.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:45:58

And so people are like, oh, but that is a very big concept. And then no, because you have more and more options and I feel like having a place does the same role, which is well. We are now thinking well, let's try a little bit of events and let's try a little bit of education. A little bit of events and let's try a little bit of education. We start hazing an academy where we're gonna bring an instructor to talk about a topic they're proficient.

Vipul Bindra: 1:46:29

You're already like expanding your portfolio things that you can exactly and things that you know.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:46:34

Education is not a skill set. Uh, gaffer has right, but then, through the medium and through the other plans you've been doing, I think having a Gaffer class will be very useful for other people. I would love to have you talking about business and business side of the thing that's exactly what I love to do.

Vipul Bindra: 1:46:55

Funny enough, you say that I'm like we need more episodes with you because we barely even started, have? We haven't even started talking business and it's already like almost two hours. That's crazy, right, wow so before we, uh, you know, because unfortunately, well, not fortunately I wanted to talk to you about. We'll be back yeah, but like before we go, I do want to talk business with you yes so, because we both love business, and I think that's the key of it.

Vipul Bindra: 1:47:22

How are you finding so? Now, right, obviously, you have this experience, you have this studio, you have everything. How are clients finding you? Or how are you finding clients, which is the way, more common way, and what's your process?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:47:37

Well. So at the moment we've been very base, local. That both is people reference prior work we've done, but it's been like two years since I partnered up with Mariana. We decided to bring our skills all together in a package and start naming it like branding audiovisual branding. So, from small business to small business, we've been getting other people that just started or they want just to refresh their company name or their logo and things like that, and so we work in partnership to do all the branding.

Vipul Bindra: 1:48:27

So what does she do? Again, she?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:48:29

is a graphic designer and a brand specialist. Oh, I see, so you're that audio video, yeah?

Vipul Bindra: 1:48:33

And she's doing branding.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:48:35

And oh, this is so cool.

Vipul Bindra: 1:48:36

I got to talk to her too.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:48:38

Yeah.

Vipul Bindra: 1:48:38

At some point, maybe season two, it'd be so cool. So this talk to her too. Yeah, at some point, maybe season two, it'd be so cool. So this is incredible, yeah, and and that's what I'm saying. It's about partnering with people who have different skill set, right, so you two use your unique skill set. Brought it together and now your audio visual branding exactly that's pretty cool. What type of businesses are you targeting?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:48:55

any specific industries I love products just because it can get so nice and creative.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:49:03

But we're dealing with services. You know we try to tap in a little bit of like all the branding of real estates and you know, from their logos to their headshots and maybe their piece of content in that side. But I think last year was when we start making sense, because the year before was me first of all trying to get mariana to partner with me and then, second, explain this from from my perspective. Uh, a lot of people don't get really what uh audio, uh visual branding is, uh, and then you really need it for, like, consistency in your outlet, so it's very important to have all the branding throughout match.

Vipul Bindra: 1:49:47

Yeah, now here's the the question people want to know. Partnering with people is very hard. Yeah, business partner, a lot of businesses fail just because the partnership fails so how did you a have that conversation and what is the split? Is it like 50 50?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:50:01

yeah, 50, 50. Uh, we work, uh, based on project, project base, so, um, and also we are happy to get other people involved, depending of the budget. We are not gonna, you know, beat so big and get like all messed up for that um. But yeah, if it's something that is only branding, yeah, um, she'll take care. That's her share, and then we might have, uh, just a 30 20 percent. That goes to hasten it for other things in general, like okay you know like things.

Vipul Bindra: 1:50:37

That is the wrench in the thing. Let's, uh, let's get. The other thing I know is in graphic design. All you need is a computer, maybe a color calibrated screen, but in video you need lights cameras so it's more expensive. So, does that affect the split in any way? Because what you're doing, your part of it, is more expensive and costs are higher than what she's doing. So, with the 50-50 split, how do you make that work.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:51:02

Well, because the 50-50 always comes from our like the percentage we set for just hasten it. But if she's designing something and we quote it. So that's another thing that we do a little bit differently. We work as a consultancy. So somebody comes and needs oh I need a logo, I need a headshot, I need this and I need a website, and then we figure out budget quotes and everything else. So quotes, that has to do only with branding, depending on the special needs. She will take care of that and then we have our percentage.

Vipul Bindra: 1:51:42

That goes for both of us, but it's not 50-50 then no, that's not it, because it makes sense she's doing it.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:51:46

Then for me, like if I'm filming, she can help maybe.

Vipul Bindra: 1:51:51

How do you split that then, with the graphic design? The first one Does she take like 80%, you said, and then the hazelnut gets 20% and is it the same for video If you're primarily just doing video then, 80 and then 20 goes to hazelnut. Is that how it is?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:52:04

Yeah, so not really, because, hear me out, for example, we have a bigger project and we have a part that is graphic design, a part that is video production, a part that is photography, and I'm not going to take care of the video, but I'm going to hire somebody, I'm going to pay whatever the person tells me that it is and I'm going to include it in my thing, and we all have a little bit for our percentage, which is a hasten of percentage. But at the beginning, like starting off, it was like we want to have the client regardless. So, um, probably she will do some work that have nothing to do with and have no money to get from it, but, uh, it's the client that we we're sharing really. So if I'm bringing somebody else, depending on what the client already talked to me, if I'm bringing a dp that covers up everything they ask for, that's what you get like, especially like, especially when I ask you which one is production?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:53:06

yeah, exactly so, just like a typical agency exactly so in in that case, I feel like, uh, I I love to reward the people that I bring on, like honoring their value, uh, more than me putting a value on it, uh unless, yeah, I mean, it's like I'm hiring you you. How much is your rate? Is this?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:53:28

okay, that's what you get paid and we are both happy, right exactly uh, but on my side I will have to make sure if we even bring in mariana for just designing assets, her part will be there too, Meaning in your quote how much it is to design all the lower thirds and how much is to do the little quick opening or the logo for the production, and then her money will be involved in the budget.

Vipul Bindra: 1:54:01

So far it's like that because we're we don't have other employees under us uh, and we don't have to, yeah, and then you bring in outside contractors as needed yeah, that's probably the treatment. I'm glad you figured it out because, uh, like I said, tell people partnerships are great yeah two people can do things yeah, better than one, but then, at the same time, you need to define all these things now don't do handshake agreements, because that's what I've seen so many friends or partnerships fail because they didn't have this communication, like you did, yeah, and figure out exactly how you're gonna do the splits when things you know because I was like, if you partner with a graphic designer, video costs are higher.

Vipul Bindra: 1:54:39

You gotta have all those things uh, you know calculated in there, but that's pretty cool. What type of rates are you trying to aim for, like? Is there like an average project price that you guys aim for? Yeah, you know, small businesses go we can't afford exactly, so what's?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:54:54

the price range we, we always try to push there well, especially if you are like super new, just maybe register your company and that's all you got. We will like offer like a full branding um package which is what logo, all the brand guidelines, all the brand, brand guidelines, the, the use of the brand, all the values and all the copyright, the verbal identity and things like that, and, of course, the first person that we literally make them understand and pay. It was a price that we will never touch again.

Vipul Bindra: 1:55:40

So what is the price you charge now?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:55:43

so, uh, for the full branding 1200s is like, um, the best we can do. But since we consult and they're like oh no, but we have our verbal identity because we, we plan for this copyright, then we'll move around things like that and how do you charge for consultancy?

Vipul Bindra: 1:56:03

do you charge by the hour or? What's their minimum hours. So what's the minimum rate people can pay to consult with you guys?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:56:10

I think, uh, first thing, with when you let us know that we are going to be hired, for sure, the consultancy part is included, okay, but if you're just asking me questions and not knowing if you're gonna really gonna do that, I said like a meeting hour, of course, I'm not like hour done, done, uh, because so you're charging for the meeting, that's the consultation, and what is the rate?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:56:39

obviously I get it, you're not gonna be like 16 minutes done yeah it's by the hour most likely right yeah, I'll like, I'll just try not to overkill myself and be like, okay, let's, let's talk for as much as we can for a hundred dollars, and that's pretty fair, and then for somebody to have that conversation.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:56:56

That's where you're trying to help them figure out their identity exactly all that, and then you can obviously do logo and yeah, and it's so funny because, like, it's really pretty much like uh, uh, I don't know psychologist or I don't know, not a psychologist, but it really like a consultant in any kind of your life is like so what is your idea, what is your goals, what is your life looking like, what is your mentality? So it's like a conversation that gets really, really dense and long. So I like to at least have that to like hey let's let's stop this here.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:57:29

But sometimes I've done that for free and I'm then I'm like, oh, I gave out all these ideas for free, but that's what happens, right, with creative people.

Vipul Bindra: 1:57:37

They were going to do it anyway, so, but we have to learn that it's a business and do it right, and then on the video side. So you're still doing video what's the primary way you directly work with clients? Are you like a videographer? What do you?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:57:50

present yourself as a videographer what people expect you to call yourself exactly, and then what?

Vipul Bindra: 1:57:58

rates are you? Are you trying to charge by the day rate? Are you trying to charge for a whole project?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:58:03

Yeah, project based.

Vipul Bindra: 1:58:04

So what's the average rate that you do projects? And let's say 2024 last year, last year, what were you trying to say?

Valheria Sanchez: 1:58:11

Let's say a package of X amount of reels, x amount of photos, content ready to go, no posting and doing the marketing which we're gonna start doing it from this year on, but just a package like that. It could be maybe one day of filming, like five hour filming, and then post production and everything that involves it, between 600, 700 pushing it, because they would be like, oh that's a little expensive, yeah, but then you know, that's low, that's low because I have to be a full-on DP videographer everything else yeah, and edit too.

Vipul Bindra: 1:58:54

So basically you're doing 600 to 700 day and that's just half a day, let's say shooting and then maybe editing the rest of the day yeah, and then you're giving them reels and photos or whatever right and and that's uh, that's pretty great right for a small business who's starting out and trying to, you know, get the content that they need and this is more social content.

Valheria Sanchez: 1:59:15

Did you do anything that was different than social content, or that's where you think most, I think that's where my clients really sat in and also photography, headshots and things that showcase their business and some portion. I like to have like that variation of things, cause we looked at them social, you know, look from the beginning and be like like, yeah, you might need this kind of thing and stuff like that. So what I do is like, since I know the budget already, I just come with all the ideas fresh and I just utilize the five hours to get done all the different ideas so it's not like reels on average.

Vipul Bindra: 2:00:01

Are you trying to get done in that five hours?

Valheria Sanchez: 2:00:05

um, between like, so it would be monthly, say three week type of thing. So we're looking at 10, 12. That yeah, yeah, okay, yeah no, that's pretty good.

Vipul Bindra: 2:00:16

I mean, I think the smart move that's a very good rate. You can definitely get a lot of the small businesses. Are you trying to do retainers?

Valheria Sanchez: 2:00:24

because then you can do for so many months right yeah, retainer, or you've done it one time each I'm. I have only one retainer. Okay, yeah, and do they?

Vipul Bindra: 2:00:33

pay that like every month yeah, there'll be how many months do you do the retainer for?

Valheria Sanchez: 2:00:38

uh, we do like four month is like kind of like the first line where you can continue yourself or keep doing this or change strategy, maybe. Uh, I think like four minute. Uh, four month mark is kind of you already know what you deal with, you know. But we also have like things that are less formal, but we just want to keep their social media active. So we just do small little and you know clips and things like that and I just curate a lot of the what those pages will have.

Vipul Bindra: 2:01:19

Oh my goodness we could so talk. What's crazy is our time is up, even though, and it's time to wrap things up, and it's so crazy we just got into so, so I know we could talk two more hours about this, so I can't wait to bring you back in season two. I would love to continue and talk more in this business. I I really want to talk about your documentary, so that's why we spent so much time on it because I think it's so great, um.

Vipul Bindra: 2:01:43

But on the other side, I'm so happy that you have your production company, you have your studio. You guys are killing. It sounds like you've got your business strategy figured out with the target, any audience that you are targeting. I would like to say I'd love to go more deep into it maybe next time, but before we go, any other stories you want to tell anything else you know you can tell quickly. I don't know, you know uh I mean, it's been uh well.

Valheria Sanchez: 2:02:10

First, I'm super glad to be here, always talking to you. It's like amazing. And you know, knowing that what you really want to do with the community is generally share our brains, I felt very comfortable to share mine.

Vipul Bindra: 2:02:24

No, that's the entire plan of this is to share and help, because I want you know, you to go watch all the episodes and maybe be able to imply you know, put some things in your brain and the same goes with everyone. It doesn't matter the skill level you are. You can always learn something from someone now I didn't promise two hours of full education for everyone. We're just chatting.

Vipul Bindra: 2:02:45

I've noticed that in the other episodes, like nuggets thrown at 10 minutes somebody said something gold and then you know 10 minutes of bs we're just having fun we're just filmmakers having a conversation and, like I said, we would have done this anyway might as well record it, so I'm so happy that you came and took a time because I know you're busy, you're editing, you're filming, you're running a production company in a studio and, um, like I said, we got to continue having more of these conversations. Lastly, before we go, do you want to tell people your instagram or where?

Valheria Sanchez: 2:03:14

can they follow? You well, I highly encourage you to follow my personal page, which is just delightful creativity and nothing really personal, which is V-A-L-H-E-L-C-C-S-P. That's my user and Instagram. And then please go and follow Hazenet Production. It's Hazenut Production. That's Hazel, as in H-A-Z-E-L right, hazel, because we're nuts, you know that's why Do you have a hazel eye or something.

Vipul Bindra: 2:03:53

How'd you pick hazel?

Valheria Sanchez: 2:03:55

Hazel, it just comes from a whole different that could be an episode that was my sister and I.

Vipul Bindra: 2:04:00

You know I haveelnut eyes so I didn't know. It's like that.

Valheria Sanchez: 2:04:02

Yeah, no my eyes are no hazel, but hazelnut is the best ingredient in every single thing ever.

Vipul Bindra: 2:04:08

Oh, I love. Uh, what is it? Ferrero roches? Oh my god, I think they have um hazelnut in the middle right and that's even one of our like verbal identity it was like where are the ingredients you're missing?

Valheria Sanchez: 2:04:21

we're like oh, that's, that's the little thing, so nutella whatever she hazelnut, that production, that's our um instagram. And then I will say don't miss the opportunity of checking the studio 124. Um, that is the three, the three of uh my accounts that I I spent a lot of time.

Vipul Bindra: 2:04:45

Plug everything, plug everything. Um no, but, thank you, like I said, again coming, can't wait to continue this conversation and I'm so excited about this year. I think we're gonna actually collaborate. Like I told you, I think, uh, let's do productions together, let's raise the bar and let's kill it.

Valheria Sanchez: 2:05:00

Yes, hell yeah, awesome, thank you. Let's do productions together.

Vipul Bindra: 2:05:01

Let's raise the bar and let's kill it. Yes, hell, yeah, awesome. Thank you, val.