Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Raynes.
Hi Adam, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In high school, I was a theater kid. I had big ambitions to become an actor and pursue performing arts school, but those plans really fell apart through various life circumstances. Acting always was nudging at me and a few years after I had graduated high school, I reached out to a close friend who was making films in LA and asked if he wanted to make something together. My first short film, Shadow, was ambitious and expensive for what it was.
The next handful of short films made me realize I was in this trap of asking for permission to create. No one needs permission to create. Opportunities do not come knocking. You have to make your own luck by building your own chances. I realized the fulfillment I was getting from filmmaking was less from acting and more so in the creative components behind the camera and that is where my focus shifted.
Today, I have made over 25 different projects, ranging from commercials, music videos, and short films. I am very thankful to be doing this and enjoying it as much as I do. It keeps my metaphorical cup full.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As an independent filmmaker, the road has never been smooth. The biggest hurdle for me is always between projects. I get this wave of… depression?
When working on a project, you feel excited. You have drive. You have focus. You have purpose. When the project ends, you feel empty because all of that is *POOF* gone. I always hit a creative rut as I try and find what the next project is going to be.
Forcing oneself to be creative is difficult. I don’t think it ever really works, but it seems to be a part of my process. I try and try and try to make a new idea come to me and try to shape and mold ideas that I am not passionate about, but inevitably (and thankfully), my next idea always hits like a lightning strike and pulls me out of that creative rut and whisks me away back into the exciting world of filmmaking. You have to trust the creative spirit.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I love making films, but the money just is not there to pay and compensate collaborators as well as they should be paid. Because of this, I often end up wearing a lot of hats before, during, and after production. This is good and bad.
Good, because I have learned SO MUCH about the various jobs that go into making a film. It has built my respect for others, understanding how difficult all of these jobs can be. When I wear all of the hats, I shoulder a lot of the blame for when things go wrong.
Bad, because filmmaking is a collaborative medium. If you are focused on doing too many tasks, you won’t be able to effectively do any single task as well as it could be done. I mostly circumvent this by having a longer pre-production and setting myself up for success as much as possible before filming. Still, having people I can count on is always a very welcomed addition to any film set. I love finding people as passionate about filmmaking as I am and hope to continue to grow my friends and network in this field.
I think amongst the filmmaking community, I would be known for doing a lot with what little I have. That is by necessity, but I do enjoy the challenge.
What does success mean to you?
Success is hard to define and I think it is a goalpost that moves for each individual creator in filmmaking. If you want to be a filmmaker, take a camera (any camera!) and tell your story. Maybe it will end up the way you want it to, but if it doesn’t, don’t stop creating- make another film… and another… and another one after that.
Success in filmmaking comes from creative fulfillment. Am I enjoying this? Am I having fun? I feel most successful in filmmaking when I feel fulfilled.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajprjr
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@adamraynesirp
