Today we’d like to introduce you to Julius Sanchez
Hi Julius, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story began at the Moores Opera Center at the University of Houston. I entered university as a Psychology Major, but I felt disconnected from it and began exploring how else I can make a difference. I was already involved with choir at the time and a good friend recommended I change my major since I was passionate about music. Thus began the process of auditioning into the music school. During this time, my friends mentioned they needed more men to join the opera chorus and were pushing me to join. My initial thought was, “Why on Earth would I ever do THAT?”. Through some persuasion, they dragged me to chorus rehearsals. I hated the music rehearsals, but I fell in love with staging rehearsals. I had an absolute blast being involved. After that production finished, I asked my friends, “So, when is the next one?”. I joined the next production, and had even more fun. Upon its closing, again, I asked my friends, “So, when is the next one?”. Needless to say, I was hooked! The next production did not have a chorus, however, but it DID have an opening for an Assistant Stage Manager. I said, “I do not know what that is, but I’ll do it!” Anything to just be involved. Being an Assistant Stage Manager was so chaotic and hectic and overwhelming and the learning curve was steep. But I fell deeper in love with theatre and said to myself, I want to do this and I want to be in charge. So the next season, I became the Stage Manager at the opera at UH. I started to freelance as a Stage Manager in Houston, and eventually, I started to travel throughout the country. Running parallel to that journey, I had a cheap DSLR camera. I started to photograph and film those same friends and help them with their audition journeys. At first, I invested myself into photography and videography as a hobby, and it eventually grew into my favorite way of expressing myself. The same semester that I became involved with the opera, I found out that I was rejected from the music school. It is very cliché, but as one door closed, another door (in this case, multiple doors) opened; stage management, photography, and videography. All of these avenues have helped me with different forms of production. And here we are! Almost 9 years later, freelancing, traveling, and making art.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Absolutely not. We tend to glamorize the life of artists and freelancers, myself included. I initially did not want to commit to any of these paths because I was scared I would fail. My journey has been filled with uncertainties and insecurities, especially since I did not have any proper schooling for any of the career paths I have chosen. The skills and knowledge that I possess I acquired through experience or was self-taught. I was incredibly embarrassed to even market myself as a stage manager, photographer, or videographer because Imposter Syndrome reared its ugly head whenever I did. I made some mistakes and learned some lessons harshly through the process. But I decided to learn from them and chose to better myself. I believed in the work that I was a part of and this, in turn, helped me believe in myself. Through hard work, humility, and a lot of grace, I slowly became comfortable with what I do and the monikers they came with. I began to believe that I AM a part of this. I AM a Stage Manager. I AM a Photographer. I AM a Videographer.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a videographer, photographer, and stage manager. I specialize in recital videography, portrait and adventure photography, and opera stage management. I am most proud of setting a relaxed and genuine tone, whether that is in my photography and videography shoots or in my rehearsal room. I believe having an approachable and respectful demeanor allow subjects to reach further and unafraid of making mistakes. My general rule, during a shoot or in rehearsal, is that there is no such thing as a stupid question. I want people to be their most comfortable and most authentic selves.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success as being comfortable with oneself; when you can hold your integrity high in any project or setting you are in.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://juliusdsanchez.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliusdsanchez_studio/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@juliusdsanchez
Image Credits
Yolanda Marcano
