We had the good fortune of connecting with Julian Ojeda and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Julian, why did you pursue a creative career?
Several factors led me to pursue a creative career, specifically as an actor/filmmaker. Throughout my childhood, I always felt different, like an outsider of sorts, never really being able to connect with most people. Despite this, one might assume that movies provided me with a sense of belonging or escapism, but I only realized this much later. As a child, I actually leaned more towards video games simply due to the fact that I could control my own narratives and I didn’t realize that until high school. I recall partaking in this one specific class that really brought about that passion of cinema & storytelling for me, which the storytelling bit was always in me. However, this one class with Ms. McCoy in my junior year really inspired me to pursue a creative career as I enjoyed those bell ringers everyone hated in which we were given these prompts to try and build a story around. That was also the year in which I became more engaged with cinema, watching movies from literally dusk until dawn, trying to learn all the minutiae things that go into storytelling. Overall, I feel like my struggle to connect with others and my reluctance as a child for passive narratives fueled this desire to become an actor/filmmaker. I feel this deep passion to share these stories that resonate with the most fundamental aspects of the human experience and illuminate these untold narratives.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Professionally speaking I currently work as a Beat Reporter for ClutchPoints, covering the Orlando Magic. The path that led me there was quite intriguing, starting at a local newspaper, ‘Miami’s Community Newspapers,’ which allowed me to spread my wings and make connections with multiple NBA teams such as the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, and Orlando Magic, as well as the NFL with the Miami Dolphins. During my tenure at the newspaper, I attended noteworthy sporting events including many NBA games, the NFL Pro Bowl in Las Vegas last year, and the NBA Draft. Doing all of this within a year has been exciting, and I have undoubtedly learned a lot of lessons while continuing to network at these events. In addition to sports coverage, I intend to expand my personal news outlet with Wepa.FM, covering a variety of news from sports, politics, to entertainment.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Some of my favorite spots within Miami would have to be the Brickell and Key Biscayne area. However, I would love to highlight my hometown of Cutler Bay, as I currently live in the City Beautiful, Orlando. There are a few spots in Cutler Bay that I enjoy eating at the most, and of course, those would be the local Cuban restaurants Cubavana and El Rinconcito, known for serving some of the best vaca frita. I can’t forget to mention the best spot in town to grab a burrito, Ernesto’s. Additionally, for those who haven’t been down there, definitely check out Black Point Marina, which offers some great dishes.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are many people I would love to shout out. First and foremost, it would have to be my parents and grandparents, who have always been my support system and encouraged me to strive for greatness. Then, there’s my band of brothers, all in our “Los Padres” group chat with Cameron, Aidan, Roger, Corey, etc. Lastly, I have to shoutout another brother of mine, Michael who is also striving to reach the pinnacle of the film industry alongside me, similar to the partnership between Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
Website: https://wepa.fm/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianojeda23?igsh=bGtxajQ2cGczdmQz&utm_source=qr
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-ojeda-487a71220
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jowepafm
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@julianojedafilms?si=Nj7pfJvgzC9R0edC
Other: ClutchPoints Bio: https://clutchpoints.com/author/michaelfernandez
Image Credits
Cameron Williams