Joseph Herrera Puts In The Work

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Dallas based filmmaker Joseph Herrea had the passion for filmmaking before he could walk. He is an actor and filmmaker from Dallas, Texas. Joseph made his directorial debut in 2015 in “Alone Inside”, which was screened in the first annual Rack Focus Film Festival and Competition.

Joseph wrote, produced, and starred in the feature “Teenage Wasteland” which was distributed by ITN Studios to Tubi TV and online retailers. In 2021 he teamed up with ITN again to do a supernatural feature which will be released this October entitled “The Apparition”.

In addition to The Apparition, he has worked on numerous other projects both for himself and others in the Dallas/Fort Worth film community. Recently he accepted a full-time editor position for a popular true crime YouTube channel.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

 Alan Mercer:  When did you realized you wanted to be a movie maker?

Joseph Herrera:  I knew it when I was a little kid, and I would watch a movie at my grandmas’ house and then I would go outside and recreate the movie. I would play all the characters in the backyard.

AM:  Do you remember a specific movie you liked and recreated?

JH:  Yes, Scream was one of them. In 1996 I would go and play that in the backyard. I was a little kid playing all these adult parts and I would change things. That’s the writer in me. I thought to myself that I will do things differently. Filmmaking is something I am pursuing. I’ve been lucky so far and now I’m trying to catch that big break.

AM:  You have been making short films. How many have you completed?

JH:  I’m not sure. It’s less than ten. I started making shorts because I couldn’t get booked for anything. I figured out I was going to have to start making my own stuff to show people, look I can create stuff. Doing that did get me booked for other projects.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

AM:  You don’t star in your short films, do you?

JH:  No. When I first started, I was acting in all of them because I felt that would get people to trust me. Now that I have grown into my reputation here in Dallas, I don’t have to act in my films anymore. Now I hire actors and focus on directing and producing. I love working behind the camera.

AM:  Do you write all the films?

JH:  Most of my stuff I have written. In the last year and a half people have started hiring me for their work. I prefer to produce and direct someone else’s work, more than mine. I like writing but I want to create other people’s magic and bring it to life.

AM:  I see you’ve worked with an actor I really like and that is Leon. What did you do with him?

JH:  That was one of the best projects I’ve done so far. It hasn’t been released yet. It’s called ‘Roman’. I was hired by Amber Pickens. She is a Julliard trained actress and choreographer, and she wants to step more into film. She just did a movie on Netflix called ‘Passing’, so she got a taste of that. She was looking for someone in Dallas to co-produce and direct her first short film. She had a budget and stated asking around who would be good, and my name was thrown in the mix, so we met up.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

AM:  You shot that in Dallas?

JH:  Yes, at the African American Museum.

AM:  How long is this short film?

JH:  30 minutes and it took 3 days to film.

AM:  Did you have fun?

JH:  It was a challenge. It was the first time I ever worked with actual actors who have been in the business a long time. Leon was just one of them. There were a lot of people on that set and when someone else’s money is involved, there is a lot more pressure. I loved the challenge.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

AM: What was being on set like for you?

JH:  Off set I might seem like I’m a pushover, but once I’m on set, no one is walking over me, especially if I am the director. That took a lot of people by surprise because I am a quiet, shy guy in real life but when I’m on set in director mode it’s a whole new ballgame. There were some tensions, but it was all good. We got it done and it’s beautiful.

AM:  You’ve already worked with a handful of other celebrities like Tony Todd and LeeAnne Locken. Do find working with celebs different than unknown actors?

JH:  It’s funny because when I was growing up, I remember thinking I can’t wait to work with celebrities and then when you’ve grown up and finally do get to work with them, it’s just work. It’s no longer the fantasy, I want to be a fan, but that gets thrown out the window. Working with experienced celebrated people is a little harder on me, but I learn so much.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

AM:  Learning is forever and that is what makes it all so stimulating. What are you doing this summer?

JH:  I’m booked all summer with a couple film shorts where I am acting. I want to do more acting so I can be on bigger sets. I did some background work last year just so I could be on bigger sets. I was on ‘Walker’ which is a spin-off of the original ‘Walker: Texas Ranger’ and it’s filmed in Austin. I have a full-length movie which is a Latino film titled 'La Chancla el Diablo' we will be filming. I also have a lot of editing work.

AM:  Sounds like you work constantly. What do you do with your rare personal time?

JH:  I sleep. I really want to be busier.

AM:  I like how ambitious you are. You don’t waste time. You don’t party away your life.

JH:  No, occasionally I will go have one drink with friends, but I can easily choose work over frivolous fun times.

AM:  So, what do you tell anyone who wants to do what you are doing?

JH:  Just get out there and network. It’s all about meeting certain people. I grew up in Fort Worth, which is a different world than Dallas. As soon as I graduated from high school in 2015, I made my way to Dallas and started meeting people. That was the only way for me.

AM:  Were you well received?

JH:  No, I was hanging around a lot of older, experienced people who saw me as a young boy toy, but now they respect me because I’m still in the game seven years into it. I’m glad I did all this because no one can ever say I didn’t put in the work.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.