We had the good fortune of connecting with Julian Tejeda and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julian, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I chose to pursue a career in filmmaking because it combined the two things I love most: storytelling and creating art. From a young age, storytelling has been an important aspect of my life. There is no better feeling than being able to command a room full of people with a simple story, and so that element has carried over to me in the form of filmmaking! Not only do I get the benefits of entertaining mass amounts of people, but I get to create the story and create the world it exists within. I am truly happy when I’m working on a film (whether it’s a short or a feature) which lets me know this is the right path for Me!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As of now I’m beginning to build up an independent production company which has produced three short films so far. Every short I’ve made was written, edited, composed, and co-directed by Me! I believe what sets me apart from others is my ability to wear multiple hats on one project, along with my passion and drive to create. I am truly proud of the work I’ve created with my peers and am extremely excited to see where it takes us.

I’d say I’ve gotten where I am professionally thanks to the first major project I was attached to, a feature film titled: Tardy Terror. Tardy Terror (renamed “Horror High” for distribution) was produced by the entirety of my junior media technology class and was recently picked up for worldwide distribution by the company ITN. On this project I was the lead actor, props master, co-writer, associate producer, and score composer. Thanks to this film, I was able to acquire an internship on a SAG-AFTRA production called “Red Stone” which was recently distributed by CINEDIGM. Since then I’ve participated on many short films, including a project for “48 hour fest” which won the Best In Dallas 2020 award.

As of now I’d say the biggest challenges I’ve had to overcome would be my own self doubt. I tend to get in my own way and stress myself out. I’ve learned to take it easy and not worry about the little things; everything works out in the end.

Right now I want the world to know that I care so much about filmmaking and I want to create the best possible entertainment for them all to enjoy!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
It’s hard to pick just a handful of fun locations in such a large area, the Perot Museum certainly comes to mind for me. However, nothing beats driving around Downtown Dallas and simply looking for something to do, there’s just so much fun to be had wandering through the city. Food wise, I absolutely urge everyone to try Campisi’s or i Fratelli Pizza. You just can’t go wrong with Italian.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are three people that I would love to shoutout, Tyler J. Case, Austin Williams, and Ahna-Marie Cruz.

Tyler J. Case was my junior year media technology teacher at Dubiski Career high school. Tyler taught me everything there is to know about filmmaking and cinematography. We’ve worked on two feature’s together along with a handful of short films/PSA’s and I am always honored to work by his side!

Austin Williams is a producer/assistant director who I met during the production of a feature film I was starring in. Austin has shown that he truly believes in my abilities to make it in this industry. Not only has he gotten me a position on a SAG-AFTRA production, but He has also recently given me the opportunity to compose the original soundtrack to a feature film! I am forever thankful to him and all of his hard work and hope we can continue to work together in the near future.

Ahna-Marie Cruz is my business partner, director, and co-creator of a production company we both own. Since meeting in our sophomore year of high school, we both knew we were extremely passionate about filmmaking and we wanted to get our foot in the door of the industry. We’ve since worked on two feature films and a copious amount of shorts! This year we’re dedicating all of our resources to starting up an independent production company: Out Of Touch Productions. Without Ahna’s hard work and dedication, much of my work simply wouldn’t exist.

Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChxdCIXOrqaSuFw2Q7LmT6A

Instagram: https://instagram.com/julian_d_tejeda?utm_medium=copy_link

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChxdCIXOrqaSuFw2Q7LmT6A

Other: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm11718235/?ref_=m_nmfm_nm

Image Credits
Ashley Hernandez, Tyler J. Case, Abby Glass

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.