Nephtali Marin graduated from PUC in 2021 with a B.F.A in Film, and decided to stay on our beautiful campus to continue his passion for videography by helping out the PR department. Having worked at PUC’s PR office since his freshman year of college, he shares that being a part of the Pioneers family is a beautiful thing and a relationship that lasts a lifetime. 

How did you decide to work for PUC?

I decided to work at PUC for many reasons, and being a broke graduate is one of those, but jokes aside, I kind of just fell into it. To give you some context, I have been working for the PR/Enrollment office since I was a freshman. Although I mostly answered phones, got coffee, and ran other errands, I did do some content creating. Occasionally I would get asked to take photos for Instagram or the website, which was way better than walking 20 miles (that’s what it felt like) to the mailroom to promptly be told that they had nothing for me to pick up. As the years went by, I began to take on bigger projects, until I pretty much was the President, okay that’s false but you get the idea. So when I graduated, I already had experience working in that office as a videographer. It only felt right to come back, one because I love PUC and creating content but two because it was familiar, it was family (someone put that on a sticker).

What do you enjoy most about creating videos?

My favorite part of creating videos is interacting with students and capturing a variety of reactions from “I am a star” to *hides face. People are funny when there’s a camera present and it makes my job a lot more fun. 

Can you walk us through your creative process of making videos?

You want to know my creative process? That’s a secret kept down through hundreds of generations…but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to share. It really depends on the project but if I’m shooting an event, I’ll usually let the event guide me. If it’s energetic, then I want to bring out that energy, so that’ll sway the way I capture it, but if it’s peaceful then I probably won’t be running around doing backflips. Also, I always try to remember that people are the key. Sometimes I get caught up in the small details, and making them look cinematic that I forget to capture what really matters, the students! Taco night is fun and all but it’s not about the tacos, it’s about the experience those tacos bring to the students. I try to keep this in mind when filming and editing. Plus our audience is parents, alumni, and students, videos of tacos will get pretty boring without people. 

How did your experience at PUC prepare you for the job you have now?

PUC overall pretty much molded me into this job as I talked about before but as far as how my degree prepared me, well that is a different story. My degree prepared me for this job by presenting me with a wide range of knowledge and it was my duty to decide what I wanted to do with that knowledge. Because we are such a small college a lot of us here take on multiple roles, and being the videographer, there are times where I’ll need to do a lot on my own. This means I need to know a little of everything. The visual arts department did a really good job pushing me into multiple directions, which allowed me to do a lot on my own when I needed to.

What is the most valuable lesson you learned from the film department? 

The most valuable lesson I learned at the film department was trying it on my own first before approaching professors. We want the easy route, just go ask our professors or the TA but I was always encouraged to figure it out on my own. Although I didn’t always find the answer, it helped me practice learning things on my own. Once you graduate you might not have your professors available 24/7. 

What was your favorite class at PUC, and why?

I had so many favorite classes but I really enjoyed Typography I with Milbert Mariano. It has completely changed the way I look at type usage in the world. It’s everywhere! Not only is it a great class for creatives but for anyone.

What advice do you have for students who want to pursue film?

Use these few years here to grow and learn as much as possible, so jump on every project you can, get outside your comfort zone, and gain experience. Be kind and make connections, they’ll last you a lifetime. 

Where is your favorite place to eat in the valley, and why?

Bon appetit, that’s a no-brainer! Just kidding, although I do like their food most of the time. I personally really enjoy sunshine market sandwiches. 

What are other things that you are passionate about?

I really enjoy playing music, not very good but it’s fun! So if any of you are reading this, please join Wind Ensemble or Orchestra cause we need musicians! I also love dancing, socializing, and making people laugh. 

What is the most important thing you learned during your time at PUC?

It’s going to sound cheesy but PUC taught me to be me. Just be yourself and you’ll find people who genuinely care about you, and I found those people here.