Meet Tony J Rivas

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tony J Rivas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tony J below.

Tony J, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

Creativity, while integral to the artistic process, can be elusive. Fortunately, I have always maintained a natural drive to seek something more. Art, no matter the medium, is an ongoing conversation. What many fail to realize is that maintaining one’s place in this conversation is essential for any artist. That means engaging with other works, whether past or present. For me, this manifests in actively reading books, listening to music, and watching films. I use the word “actively” because it is important to engage from a critical standpoint rather than being steamrolled under passive acceptance and allowing it to act on us ideologically without our input. Asking critical questions not only allows me to find inspiration in the dissonance, it grants some insight as to why I find certain things inspiring, which in turn bolsters my creativity.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am an artist that has endeavored to create within several mediums throughout my life. My journey began as an actor, progressed into songwriting and singing in a few bands, and has now found grounding in writing and directing my own films. I find filmmaking particularly exciting and rewarding because it harnesses all of my artistic talents under one banner and allows me to play to my heart’s content. Whereas writing is a largely isolated process, filmmaking gives me a chance to channel my ideas through a community of talented individuals. This communal aspect of filmmaking is simultaneously challenging and emancipatory. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of working with a group of artists, actors, and technicians who understand what you’re trying to do and will do everything in their power to help you achieve your vision. To date, I have written and directed three short films: The Thing from the Hallway, Scraps, and WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOUR TEETH?. The latter two were produced under my own company, Rivas x Reza Productions, which I founded alongside my creative partner Sharon Reza, who is an amazing photographer and producer in her own right. My most recent film, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOUR TEETH?, is a dark comedy / horror / musical with a bombastic dance number that features a song co-written between myself and acclaimed composer Michael Levine. I am immensely proud of it and encourage you to check it out online at tonyjrivas.com or rivasxreza.com.

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 will preface this answer by stating that I always knew I wanted to be a writer of sorts. When I was younger, I would often write my own stories and crudely-drawn comics. As I got older, I decided to study writing in college and graduate school. This decision allowed me to work with mentors and professionals who both challenged me and encouraged me to sharpen my craft. Consequently, I am a huge proponent of higher education, specialization, and expertise. As such, the current populist denouncement of these things we are currently witnessing in the United States is disheartening and regrettable.

As far as the three components that have been the most impactful on my journey, I would have to say: critical thinking, physical activity, and persistence.

Critical thinking because engaging and meaningfully interacting with past and present works of art is a crucial task for any artist. However, in order to do so one needs to express a healthy degree of skepticism and understand how to ask the right questions, otherwise you remain at the mercy of whatever ideology said work is attempting to sway you with.

Physical activity comes in many forms. For me, I often find that a combination of singing and yoga can get me out of a funk. Stimulating the ol’ vagus nerve really does wonders.

Finally, persistence is an essential ingredient for success because it involves showing up for yourself. No one is going to force you to finish that script just like no one is going to force you to eat right or get enough sleep. Persistence is cultivating the mental fortitude to physically see your endeavors through to completion.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am always on the lookout for actors, models, and producers who would like to collaborate on films. Interesting faces and talent are quite literally the meat of the film world, so if you have seen my work and feel like it speaks to you, please feel free to reach out. If you are a producer or have access to funding, I am currently looking for backing on a feature I just finished writing. Reach out and let’s talk.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Sharon Reza, Andreas Petker, Brandon Sullivan, Sofia Guadarrama

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