Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Yara Estrada Lowe. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Yara , so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
I believe that confidence comes from doing, and self-esteem comes from believing in yourself. When you apply yourself and sharpen your skill set, you naturally become confident in what you set out to do. It’s sort of like studying for a test. If you study tirelessly, you’ll have the confidence that you might do pretty good on that test since the time and effort was put in.
With that said, I wouldn’t have achieved anything in life if didn’t believe in myself. I couldn’t have made this film, and I couldn’t have gained the experience in learning the art filmmaking over the years if I didn’t just go out there and do it. With an industry that always tell you “no” or that it “cannot be done”, your self-esteem has to be rock solid.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a filmmaker, and this year has been the most rewarding and exciting part of my career thus far. And that’s because my feature film DEMISE (distributed by Gravitas Ventures) has been released on over a dozen platforms and is streaming now. You can find the movie on Amazon Prime, TUBI, Roku, VUDU, and more. I wrote produced and directed DEMISE. It’s a noir thriller about love, infidelity, and revenge.
From a young age I always had a passion for the arts. During my journey here in Los Angeles I’ve spent many years as an actor. And yet, my love for writing and cinema lead me to learn the craft of screenwriting. Around 2013 I came to the realization that I wanted to learn how to make movies, (in hopes that one day I would get the opportunity to produce my very own). So I did just that! I worked on any independent film I could get my hands on, and I learned just about every position on a film crew.
Most of my experience at the time came from a job I found on a popular internet soap opera. This show was the epitome of guerrilla style filmmaking. I started off as a script supervisor and the during the show’s third season, I came on as a producer and assistant director. While on set one day, I was asked to direct some scenes. I was thrown into the fire with no prep, and it was then that I instantly caught the directing bug.
It was blessing in disguise because to my surprise – there was something natural that came to me with directing. Even then as an amateur I had confidence in what I was doing. After filming 150 episodes, I definitely consider that show as my film school. I’ve grown so much in my craft since then, and now with my directorial debut ‘DEMISE’ I can finally show the world my artistry as a cinematic storyteller.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I’d say the three qualities that were the most impactful in my journey and still to this day are: Persistency, mastering your craft, and meeting filmmakers.
There are a lot of ups and down in having a career in the entertainment industry. If you aren’t persistent, you will give up when the tough times arise. You have to keep at it, because no one is going to hand you a career. Being persistent is key.
Secondly, I say master your craft – because you need to always be at the top of your game. There’s always room to grow and sharpen your skill set. As a creative I never have the feeling that “I’ve arrived.”
Last, there’s a reason why directors like Martin Scorsese work with many of the same actors and crew members. That’s because once you find your dream team – you’ll want to keep working with them. Getting out there and meeting filmmakers is golden because finding talented people who you gel with- is essential to filmmaking.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
In 2010 I read a book entitled The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. This is the book that changed my life and my outlook on success. It taught me to maximize each day by implementing habits that work toward a long term goal. It made me realize that success wasn’t an overnight thing, and that everyone who is successful has put in the time to achieve that success. When your daily habits work toward a career goal, over time you will be at a different place with that goal then when you began. This book is life changing and I definitely recommend it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.demisethefilm.com
- Instagram: @yaraestrada_lowe
Image Credits
Photo with blue velvet pants – Photography by Easton Schirra Red Carpet Photo – Getty Images Photography by Paul Archuleta On Set Photo of Yara standing (wearing glasses) Photography by Victor James
