Today Reuben Hernandez Studios celebrates 15 years of making stuff, creativity, and resilience. We have also moved into a new studio location at 67 West Street in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and are now located in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
We were actually in the same Brooklyn building before the pandemic so it feels like a full circle, homecoming moment. Five years ago, there was a lot of uncertainty and we were unsure if we could continue this work. And here we are. Thanks to everyone that that has supported and believed in us on this wild journey. We look forward to seeing you at our new studio.
Brooklyn
Freelancers Union Photography Show Opening Reception /
I’m excited to show my work from Antarctica and the Arctic at the Freelancers Union Photography show at Industry City in Brooklyn. Join us on Thursday, September 14th for the official gallery opening reception from 5 pm - 8 pm at 241 37th Street, 3rd Floor - Suite A326, Brooklyn, NY 11232. Beer and refreshments will be served and the show will run until January 10, 2024. More info/RSVP here. I hope to see you there!
Freelancers Union Photography Show
September 14, 2023 – January 10, 2024
Opening Reception
September 14, 2023
5pm – 8pm
Freelancers Hub
241 37th Street
3rd Floor – Suite A326
Brooklyn, NY 11232
Her Favorite Patient Beacon Screenings /
Her Favorite Patient is screening Saturday, 7/22 at 12:30 pm at KuBe Art Center Theater (211 Fishkill Ave, 1st Floor, Beacon, NY 12508) and Sunday, 7/23 at 4:30 pm at The Cinehub (20 W Main St, Beacon, NY 12508). Her Favorite Patient is part of a one hour short film block programmed by the Beacon Film Society in conjunction with Beacon Open Studios and Upstate Art Weekend. Sponsored by Ethan Cohen Gallery and Beacon Arts. Tickets by donation with a Q&A to follow each screening.
Directed by Reuben Hernandez
Written by Brady Evan Walker
Starring Barbara Miluski (Girls, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Isabelle Pierre
Settling Up live screening at Malarkey Film Festival /
Settling Up is screening live tonight at the Malarkey Film Festival at 6:30 pm at 3 Dollar Bill (260 Meserole St, Brooklyn, NY 11206). We’re excited to screen Settling Up in front of a live audience again. More info here.
Reuben Hernandez Studios 10 Year Anniversary /
Photo by Evan Burgher, March 2010
Today marks the 10 year anniversary of Reuben Hernandez Studios and being independent/self-employed. Ten years ago I quit my full time job at Oakley, Inc., hopped on a plane bound for Mozambique, and never looked back. It has been a wild journey with a lot of unexpected turns including the current crisis were are all living.
I dedicate the past 10 years of my business to my dear friend and mentor Brian Robbins, who sadly and unexpectedly lost his life to cancer on February 2, 2020. I had known Brian and his family for nearly 16 years, and he believed in me, took a chance on me, and gave me my first real job at Oakley Inc. We continued to be friends and I considered him a mentor and guiding light to this day. Brian showed me a tremendous amount of courage when he quit his job to start his creative journey. Little did I know that I would soon follow in his footsteps four years later, quit the job that he gave me, and embark on my own creative journey. There is a piece of Brian in every business and creative decision I've made over the past 10 years. He showed me what it looks like to be a loving father and husband well before I became one myself. Thank you Brian for shaping and molding me into the person I am today, both personally and professionally.
As I reflect over the last ten years, I have a lot of memories, feelings, and emotions. I'm so grateful that my family and I are healthy and safe in the midst of the current COVID-19 epidemic. We live in New York City, now considered the US epicenter. I have to admit we sometimes suffer from moral fatigue, and I get anxiety when I leave the apartment to buy groceries or mail a package. Taking my daughter outside for walks feels like human frogger trying to maintain a safe social distance from all other humans. My daughter seems to be doing ok, is happy, and joyful. It's been beautiful and absolutely wonderful watching her grow up. I love my family dearly and couldn't imagine having to survive this without them by my side. Today Leuca turns 18 months old, which means she is officially a toddler.
Below are some discoveries and key learnings I’ve taken to heart over the past decade.
"If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed."
- Naval Admiral William H. McRaven, The University of Texas at Austin, May 17, 2014
Ever since I watched this commencement speech, I have made my bed every single day. "If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and will encourage you to do another task, and another, and another... Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that the little things in life matter." I've extended my morning ritual to include grinding coffee beans and making pour over coffee. This morning ritual gives me a small sense of pride and accomplishment. Making and drinking my morning coffee is my moment of peace and calm, before I start the day. Yesterday I made chocolate chip banana bread from scratch with a lot of love that my daughter thoroughly enjoyed. While I made this bread, I got lost in the process and the moment and completely forgot that we are in the middle of a crisis. It was a therapeutic moment of joy and peace. Keep creating and making stuff. Make things out of love. It's a form of therapy and will get you through a crisis. My family and I celebrated my 10 year anniversary by breaking and eating banana bread together. The little things and the little victories in life do matter. Here’s the banana bread recipe if you’d like to make it.
Family First
Being self-employed has afforded a flexible schedule and allowed me to spend more quality time with my family. At the end of the day, I want to be remembered as a loving father and husband, someone that loved my family dearly. As much as I love my work, I love my family more. If Reuben Hernandez Studios does not survive me, my family will. And they also love me back (as far as I know).
Motherhood, Antarctica © 2015 Reuben Hernandez
Motherhood, Arctic Norway © 2014 Reuben Hernandez
Be Kind And Respect Everyone
Kindness goes a long way and you never know who will hire you next. My friend Evan Burgher took the jumping tank photo of me at the top. We met at Oakley, Inc. and have been friends for over thirteen years. Even is also independent and we’ve worked together hiring each other numerous times over the past decade. Evan flew me out to Dallas last month for a job.
Get A Mentor
Find someone to help you get through life and succeed. Shoutout to Brian Robbins, Greg Harvey, and the mentors and leaders I have had and learned from in my life.
The Train Is Moving Forward. Get On or Off.
I embraced this concept when I directed and produced my narrative short film "Maddie". People will come and go; however, the project is moving forward regardless. There were so many lessons learned on that set. You can accomplish anything with a great team, heart, and dedication. People will come and go in business and in life. Never give up.
In closing, I will share some COVID-19 resources that may be of interest to you. The NYC Department of Small Businesses is offering employee retention grants and zero interest loans for NYC businesses. More info here. Adobe, Squarespace, Quickbooks, and other companies are offering COVID-19 relief. Delta has been incredibly flexible with their cancellation and flight change policy (we cancelled our flight to Aruba last week). Local restaurants Anella and Jimmy’s Diner have offered pay what you can takeout meals. Yoga With Adrienne is helping me survive. You can watch 75 SXSW 2020 short films online for free and here are 15 Short Films Now Streaming From Great Directors: Nolan, Waititi, and More (including Waititi’s Oscar winner). Individuals and businesses are doing beautiful things for the community. I’m hopeful and confident we will flatten the curve and get through this.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to my family, friends, collaborators, casts, crews, and clients that have supported and believed in me over the past decade. I wouldn’t be here without you.
Stay healthy and safe. Sending lots of love and virtual banana bread.
Best Thoughts,
Reuben
Sold Out Settling Up screening /
Our Settling Up film screening sold out at the 10th annual Williamsburg Independent Film Festival! We had a blast having our film open the festival to a sold out crowd. Thanks Willfilm for screening our film and we look forward to coming back again.
Settling Up Screens at the Williamsburg Independent Film Festival /
Excited to screen Settling Up as the opening film at the 10th annual Williamsburg Film Festival at the Wythe Cinema (80 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249) on Thursday 11/21 at 7 pm. This is one of my favorite film festivals and where it all began for Settling Up. Tickets: https://bpt.me/4429873 and full schedule.
We hope to see you there!
Directed by Reuben Hernandez
Written by Brady Evan Walker
Starring Jonathan Randell Silver, Jessica Frey, and Kristen Adele
Produced by Reuben Hernandez, Maryann Alspaugh, and Brady Evan Walker
Sound Mixer and Sound Design by Ash Knowlton / Silver Sound
Edited and colored by Patrice D. Bowman
Made in collaboration with the Filmshop collective
WAVE. PARTICLE. DUPLEX. BY STUDIO SWINE /
I was a DP for these short videos directed by Adam Sjöberg showcasing the making of WAVE. PARTICLE. DUPLEX. by Studio SWINE at A/D/O by MINI. It was challenging lighting the red and yellow rooms, while maintaining the integrity of the exhibit.
”From August 2018 through January 2019, acclaimed designers Alexander Groves + Azusa Murakami -- aka Studio SWINE -- participated in a design residency at A/D/O by MINI. This film by director, Adam Sjöberg, documents their research and exploration that culminated in a site-specific exhibition of their works entitled Wave. Particle. Duplex. at A/D/O in Brooklyn, NY.”
Read more about the making of WAVE. PARTICLE. DUPLEX. here and here.
Directed by Adam Sjöberg
Cinematography by Adam Sjöberg and Reuben Hernandez
Gaffer John Hudak
G&E Swing Milton De La Cruz
Produced by Loose Luggage Media
2018 A Year in Review /
2018 was a life changing year because I became a father and embarked on one of my greatest adventures. Leuca Louise was born on September 30th, 2018 and it was the most remarkable experience I have ever had. I couldn’t help but cry the moment she was born. We’ve experienced so much love and beauty with Leuca. Yesterday she turned three months old, and I cherish every moment I spend with her and can’t believe how fast she’s growing. Being self employed has allowed me to spend quality time with her almost everyday, and I’m absolutely grateful for that. I love taking her to the movies and taking her for walks around the neighborhood in her carrier. She usually passes out from the body heat. Time is finite and something that I can’t make up, so I want to be intentional about how I’m spending and prioritizing it.
Earlier this year I was commissioned by BBC Travel to do a photo and video story for their To the Ends of the Earth series. I had the opportunity to visit Supai, the only US town that receives its mail by mule train and is only accessible by hiking eight miles into the Grand Canyon or by helicopter. I hiked more than 20 miles off the grid carrying 40 - 50 lbs of photo and video gear, food, and camping supplies for this story. It was an adventure to say the least, and the Havasupai Falls are one of the most beautiful natural wonders I have ever seen. Check out the full story and interview with tribal elder Rex Tilusi here.
I traveled to Yellowknife, Canada near the Arctic Circle and photographed the Aurora Borealis for the first time, which has been at the top of my bucket list for quite a while. I was absolutely mesmerized by the aurora and seeing the green, magenta, red, and blue colors dance above me for several days was transcendent and beyond description. Photographing in 0 degree temperatures was challenging and much colder than the temperatures I experienced in Antarctica! I am currently developing a big project related to this and more on that to come…
I joined Filmshop, a film collective committed to developing new work through peer support and collaboration. We meet weekly to workshop works in progress and to help bring each other’s projects to life. It has been invaluable being part of a community of like minded creatives and has forced me to be productive creatively. I directed a narrative short film, which was very much a Filmshop collaboration, and it will premiere on the big screen next year. Leuca even made it to one of our Filmshop meetings! Work has been steady and I issued my 300th invoice this year.
My biggest takeaway this year is that life is beautiful and miraculous in a way that I have never experienced. Seeing Leuca being born and spending time with her has been extraordinary and wonderful. It's hard to believe that a year ago Leuca didn't exist. Now that she's here, my priorities have shifted and I must live in the present moment more than ever. I'm learning to be patient and focus on the big things that matter in life. According to my Dad Day instructor, being patient with Leuca is one of the most important things I could do for her development (patience is also required in many aspects of my work). He also said to be on time and I could definitely work on that. Our time is valuable and finite, and some would argue it's the most valuable thing we have to give. I don’t want Leuca to look back and wish I was around more. Going forward I'll have to live a more structured life to prioritize my time between family, work, personal projects, and exercise/dance/self-care.
Much love, peace, and Happy New Year to you all.
All My Best,
Reuben
NYC Summer 2018 /
NYC Summer 2018
Filmshop Presents Unfinished Business /
This past spring season I was accepted as a member of the Filmshop collective, a supportive community of filmmakers that regularly collaborate, workshop, and provide constructive feedback on works in progress on a weekly basis. Filmshop members actively support each other to help bring each other’s projects to life. Filmmaking can sometimes feel isolating, so joining a likeminded community of creatives has been one of the best things for my professional growth. It has forced me to do more and work on passion projects more regularly. Each week we share a creative goal and try to hold each other accountable on a consistent basis. This has been one of my most productive seasons as a filmmaker, and being part of the Filmshop community is one of the best ways to get a film completed. There are a tremendous amount of resources available through Filmshop.
This upcoming Saturday, July 21st at 7 pm, is Filmshop's yearly showcase of short films at Rough Trade NYC in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The latest film that I directed will screen this Saturday along with other Filmshop films on the big screen. Our film was written by Brady Evan Walker, and edited and colored by Patrice D. Bowman, so it is truly a collaborative Filmshop effort. Our lead, Jonathan Randell Silver, played the lead in a Sundance short film this year and it was a joy to work with him along with the rest of our cast and crew. Some behind the scenes photos are below. We look forward to sharing our new film with you on the big screen! Tickets can be purchased in advance here, and use code "Filmshop" for 20% off.
If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming a Filmshop member, we are hosting an open house for prospective members tonight from 7 - 9 pm (Monday 7/16) at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP (30 John Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201) in Dumbo. Applications for the 2018 fall season are due next Monday, 7/23 and can be found here.
In other news, I am also in the middle of developing an exciting and immersive virtual reality project that I have workshopped at Filmshop. My team and I are currently applying for grants and will hopefully have some news to share soon. More on that later...
BTS photo by Nikolai Basarich
BTS photo by Nikolai Basarich
BTS photo by Lars Fuchs
BTS photo by Lars Fuchs
2017 A Year in Review /
According to the Weather Channel, it feels like 2°F outside in Brooklyn right now! Mamma mia! After living in NYC for nearly seven years, it still feels like a foreign concept to have to check the weather every single day. No one ever talked about the weather where I grew up in SoCal. Despite the cold, I still love it here and enjoy experiencing seasons and continual change.
And so 2017 ends on a very cold note. 2017 is also the end of American made denim; today the Cone Mills White Oak plant, the last American selvedge denim mill, sadly closes it's doors after 112 years in operation. Cone Mills White Oak denim is my favorite denim fabric, and I ordered one last pair before White Oak shuts down for good.
As 2017 comes to a close, I look back with gratitude. My narrative short film, Maddie, premiered at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema in NYC (sadly also closing it's doors for good next month) earlier this year. Maddie screened at a handful of film festivals and unexpectedly took home a few awards, including the Best Williamsburg Short Award at the Williamsburg Independent Film Festival in Brooklyn last month. Maddie will screen at a few more festivals in 2018. Big thanks to everyone that came out and supported our film this year.
Another project I enjoyed working on this year was This Is Our New York, a short spot I directed for the New York Immigration Coalition, that was broadcasted on the big screen in Times Square.
On a personal note, the major highlight of 2017 was marrying my best friend Lisa in Puglia, Italy last summer alongside our dear friends and family members. We hosted a three day celebration and were intentional about spending quality time together with our loved ones over the course of several days. Afterwards, Lisa and I road tripped, swam, and ate our way around Southern Italy for a month. It was a memorable summer to say the least!
Photo by Nathan Smith
Grotta del Soffio, Italy
Grotta della Poesia Grande, Italy. One of our favorite spots.
Matera, Italy
This year I really had to learn not to sweat the small things in life. Life is too short to focus on little things that really don't matter in the end. I definitely want to continue working on this in 2018 and beyond.
Next year, I will also dance much more.
I also launched a brand new website that you're looking at right now (thanks to my web guru Katherine).
Last but not least, I moved my business into a new studio this year with my friends at Skypie Studio, and have been much more productive and happier. It has been really great and invaluable to move my work life outside of the house, and constantly be surrounded by a community of creatives. I have some exciting projects that I'm looking forward to working on next year.
Much love, peace, and Happy New Year to you all.
All My Best,
Reuben
Maddie Wins Best Williamsburg Short Award /
Maddie wins the Best Williamsburg Short Award
The audience at the 11/16 screening of Maddie at the Wythe Hotel Cinema
Neil LaBute and Gia Crovatin both won awards for their short film, Good Luck (in Farsi)
Maddie won the Best Williamsburg Short Award at the 8th Annual Williamsburg Independent Film Festival in Brooklyn, NY last week. This was a total shock and completely unexpected.
I want to thank my talented cast and crew for your tremendous hard work and dedication. Without you, this film never would have been possible. It has been quite a journey ever since we started production back in the summer of 2016. I'm so honored and grateful to share this award with you.
Overall I was really impressed with WillFilm. The programming was strong and the organizers did a wonderful job of making us feel welcome. It was also great to meet Neil LaBute, who won the Best Screenplay Award for his short film, Good Luck (in Farsi). I would highly recommend this film festival and look forward to coming back.
Maddie Screens at NewFilmmakers New York /
BTS Photo by Jen Trahan
Maddie will screen at NewFilmmakers New York in the East Village next week:
Wednesday, 11/15, at 6 PM
Anthology Film Archives
32 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
Tickets are $7 (purchase at the box office) and include all screenings that night
Maddie trailer:
https://reubenhernandez.com/maddie-trailer
Thanks for all your support and we hope to see you there.
Marina del Rey Film Festival /
Thank you, Los Angeles and the Marina del Rey Film Festival. That was an incredibly special and unforgettable experience sharing my film, Maddie, with you on the big screen. A big thank you to everyone that came out and supported our film. I'm forever grateful and look forward to doing it again soon!
Maddie Wins an Award of Merit /
My film Maddie recently won an Award of Merit at the One-Reeler Short Film Competition and will have its LA premiere in competition at the Marina del Rey Film Festival.
Maddie will screen at the AMC theatre in Marina del Rey in October. Stay tuned for screening info and we look forward to sharing it on the big screen out west.
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The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the day after it devastated New York City and surrounding areas. It gave me an excuse to try out the new 24-70 f2.8 II lens.
All images copyright Reuben Hernandez. All rights reserved.
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Here are my photos that exhibited at Photoville. The shipping container gallery next to us featured the work of Stephen Dupont, one of my favorite photographers. It was exciting and such an honor to be part of Photoville, a veritable village of freight containers transformed into temporary exhibition spaces occupying more than 60,000 square feet in the heart of Brooklyn Bridge Park. Huge thanks to everyone that came out to support me!
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Domenico DeMarco, 75, has been making every single pizza at Di Fara Pizza for nearly 50 years. It is widely considered the best pizza in NY. (Taken with Instagram at Di Fara Pizza)
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House made of 6 shipping containers & insulated with NASA ceramic infused paint. Pure genius (Taken with instagram)