14 of the Capturing LA Video Contest (hosted by Samy’s Camera) competing filmmakers have given the audience an inside look at the making of their films. Watch and vote for the short films that express what makes LA so special. Click on the film title or the image to watch!
A Day In: LA
“A Day in LA”
“This was our first ever film and we shot the entire piece in one day between sunrise and sunset to see how much of LA a person could actually see in a day.”-Cody, Porch House Productions
Los Angeles Memories
“Los Angeles Memories”
“In LA dreams do come true. See how beautiful the nature they have in LA. Meeting all this amazing and creative people in only 6 months”- Sondre Fristad, Fristad Film.
Capture LA
“Capture LA”
“Capture LA Captures the Beauty of LA from morning, dusk & knight. It showcases the depth of Los Angeles. Capture LA showcases the warmth of the ocean, the concrete of the city filled with Graffiti & the sounds of the streets filled with dreamers from all around the world.
Our film shows the beauty & complexity of Los Angeles. People around the world travel to Los Angeles to fulfill their dreams in the entertainment industry, music industry & be a part of the circulation of life that we call home.
Capture LA shows the viewers the iconic places that Los Angeles has to offer. From the skyscrapers in downtown, the sporting events of the Staples Center & the Dodger Stadium to the echos of beautiful music playing at the Hollywood Bowl, to the beautiful blue oceans that surround our city. Capture LA shows us the beauty that LA has to offer to it’s existing & newcomers around the world” – Steve Nazarian, Sky Media Film.
Imagination
“Imagination”
“My film (Imagination) was inspired by my affection for silent films, the desire to create something with my nephews, and my unwavering imagination that has propelled me toward a filmmaking career” -Hector Cortez.
Valley Relics
“Valley Relics”
“What I would like the global audience to know about my film, is that inspiration can come from anywhere. Seeing a guy going out of his way to preserve the pop culture landscape of the San Fernando Valley was very interesting to me. Even a short film like this is extraordinary hard-work. I am basically a one-person operation and put this entire thing together by myself. I am very proud of this piece and I hope to be able to do more like it down the road”-Mark DiNatale
The Real Los Angeles
“The Real Los Angeles”
“I can only pack so much into a film. Los Angeles isn’t just Hollywood and the beach, there’s a lot of unique features in LA that you cannot find anywhere else, most people just won’t take the time to seek them out. My inspiration for this film was to point out those smaller features alongside larger trademarks of Los Angeles”-Harrison Bliss
Marina Del Rey Video
“Marina Del Rey”
“Our Stunning cinematography shows a breathtaking view on Marina del Rey, Los Angeles. The film captures the love of life you can find by the ocean”–Cristina Iordache
Highland Park is ____…
“Highland Park is ____”
“Highland Park is________ was created as a 3 part social experiment documentary about gentrification in Highland park.
Highland Park is home to the most diverse amount of ethnic backgrounds per capita in all of Los Angeles.
The whole project was catalogued in Occidental College by a professor studying the history of LA. He said our video will be a significant memory of a huge turning point in Highland Park”- Zachary Bloom
LA DAZE
“LA DAZE”
“After seeing the Capturing LA contest I knew that I wanted to participate because I had spent so much time attending film school and seminars there over the years. My songwriting friend Phoenix Mendoza agreed to join me in the contest with his original song “LA DAZE” We both live in Nashville but travel to LA often. Phoenix tours the U.S. and Europe with his group “High South” The visuals along with the music will appeal to all their fans worldwide.
I hope that my film will influence everyone to want to visit LA to experience the wide diversity of people, places, music, food, and history like it did to me. The entertainment industry there is legendary and has presented the city in so many ways that it is difficult to express on film all it has to offer.
LA has a lot of picturesque and cinematic scenery. I tried to use some familiar sites as well as some of the local flavor to show its diversity. I could have used more scenes however did not want to “junk” it up in staying with the beats to the song as a narrative. I am sure there will be stiff competition with all the clients that have a history from Samy’s Camera so good luck to all the filmmakers”-Ray Boone
Capture LA
“Capture LA”
“The film I made for the Capturing LA contest is a inside look on Los Angeles, California as I have seen it this past year. I moved from New York to Los Angeles this past year for studying film and television production at Loyola Marymount University and absolutely fell in love with it. LA is not only such a beautiful place of perfection, but such an inspiring atmosphere for creativity. Each week on my YouTube channel, I post a series following me around with my adventures in California from school to red carpet events, filming, and so much more. Capture LA is a short that shares a glimpse into that perfect world”-Sarah Hamilton
What Makes L.A L.A
“What Makes L.A L.A”
“I’d like the global audience to know that I really did explore Los Angeles for a total of four separate days to discover what capturing L.A. meant to me and to fellow Angelenos. The landscapes and places we went to were so unique that, at first, I thought that would be my focus. Then, I realized that the food is one of a kind. You get so many different type of food in L.A. You can eat tacos, walk a block, then get some chow mein. It wasn’t until I started editing all the pieces together that it became obvious the people were what flavored and shaped all of those experience. They are what made it real, and they are what made it Los Angeles.
The food was even more delicious than it looked on film.
We didn’t act at all in this short film. Everyone that came out with me are real friends that I’ve connected with for different amounts of time. I think I’ve known one of the friends that showed up to the beach for one year. That’s the smallest amount of time of friendship. Mostly everyone else I’ve been friends with for 5-10 years. I invited them out. Told them a friend would be filming us on the side, but to ignore it. I just wanted it to be a normal hang out session. And, to me, it worked. It was a great excuse to hang out with friends and have an incredibly fun time.
It was cool to see how my friends and family reacted to this video. Especially because they had no idea what I was really shooting. In all honesty, I wasn’t even sure what I was shooting or what the finished product was going to be. Again, I started the project trying to answer the question of What makes L.A L.A. not knowing if I’d actually come to any conclusions. So for everything to come together the way it did feels great. And it feels great to have my family in friends be in this short film that ended up meaning a lot more to me than I thought it would”- Joseph Aceves
For the Love of Food
“For the Love of Food”
“For the Love of Food – This love story about a woman who has traveled and experienced the passionate culinary world during her lifetime shows that she finds what she loves is right here in Los Angeles. What is best about Los Angeles is that anyone can know and love the world through food and enjoy any authentic dish within a few moments. Its cultural diversity honors the vast variety of ingredients, techniques, and traditions globally, as it enhances a sense of caring and openness to one another personally” -Adam Andrews
Missing You From L.A
“Missing You From LA”
“My film, Missing You From L.A, is about a new L.A resident who misses her special someone in her hometown and finds a way to share some of the beauty L.A has to offer with her person back home. This film is a personal story as I always want to share my adventures in LA with my parents and friends back home and I know my parents have always wanted to share their adventures in America with their family and friends back in India. No matter where we go, we all wish we can bring our family and friends along with us”- Shravya Chavva
Sunrise
“Sunrise”
“So Cal offers so many options that I would suggest everyone experience most of them at their own pace. Also, the rapport between the actors is so phenomenal that it really portrays the So Cal vibe”- Jesse Robinson
Check out the Capturing LA Video Contest where you can watch and vote for as many films as you like once a day!
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