Meet John Colón Rivera

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to John Colón Rivera. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have John with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

The value of role models and mentorship can never be overstated. Growing up in a single-parent household, my mother always set out to be an example for me and my siblings to follow. There were times where she fell ill or had surgery, but she would always show up to work the next day. She understood the responsibility she had to those she cared for. I’ll always be grateful to her for the difficult years we overcame together. My father taught me how to be patient. He enjoyed highs and suffered lows in his profession, but he never wavered from what he knew he was good at. He passed that onto me and to this day, he refers to me as “bull-headed.” Taking pride in what I do and showing up to do the work are the values that were passed down to me. Lastly, I have to shout out my dearly departed mentor, Robert Dassanowsky. He took all the disjointed pieces that I was and put them together. He showed me the path forward and said to aim for the peak. Even though he’s no longer here with us, I work a little harder each day to make him proud.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Everyone has a unique story that deserves to be told but the same ones keep getting told over and over again. This nagging thought tortured me as I tried to find a way to express myself creatively. After an unfulfilling year of studying animation for film, I transferred over to film production. From there, I set out with my friends and video camera to create and direct several films in my undergrad. The best film school I ever experienced was driving three hours south to film in giant, windy sand dunes and relying on the sun for lighting. I didn’t start out as a director but I slowly evolved into that role, including writing the screenplays that we would shoot. I am entering my final year at Dodge College of Film & Media Arts, where I have been fortunate to direct several films centered on underrepresented stories and backgrounds. As to what’s next, my upcoming thesis film will tackle Puerto Rico in the 1970’s, an era defined by cold-war paranoia and militant activism. The inspiration for the story came from an interview I conducted in 2020, where I first learned about the Cerro Maravilla massacre, one of the most controversial events in Puerto Rican history. Learning this history so late into my adult life left me feeling shaken, and hopefully this feeling will be shared with all who see the film.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

It doesn’t matter where are you are in your creative journey, you need to maintain a student mentality. Any of the greatest filmmakers will tell you this. Watch as many films as you can, read interviews and essays, go to an art museum, listen to a great album; do whatever you can to stimulate your mind. You need a healthy diet of art; however, the next best quality you need is knowing how to balance and moderate your life. Every artist needs to experience life in order to fuel their creativity. You can’t fake experience. People can smell it from a mile away. There is no need to list things out since this will be different for everyone, but just remember to live. Have some kids or something. Visit Europe. Lastly, depending on how this interview is formatted, I had spoken previously on work ethic. Martin Scorsese has a great quote where he speaks on who makes it in the business. He says it isn’t the smartest, but the hardest-working, that make it. No matter what it is that you do, show up for it. Arrive early. Show everyone around you that you want it more than anyone else there. That is what makes the difference. The X-factor.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

Every artist has at one point felt overwhelmed. That itch on your back that you can’t scratch. It can manifest in various ways, such as writer’s block. Whenever this happens, I realize that I have been failing to balance my life. I have gone in too deep. So, the best thing to do is get up and walk away from my computer, or whatever it was that was consuming me. It can be for a few hours or a couple days if needed, but coming back with fresh eyes may just lead to that breakthrough. I usually go for a walk to get fresh air or sit down at a busy intersection and people watch. Seeing snapshots of people’s lives can reveal so much and open your eyes in the writer’s room, editing suite, where ever.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_johncolon/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOKJSMNW6B2tceDyjoDQoMQ