Before filmmaker Edy Martinez was creating the culinary EATFW and Chef Stories for Visit Fort Worth, his future seemed uncertain. The self-taught creator faced challenges but his passion pushed him to keep shooting to make his dreams come true.
Martinez was born and raised in Monterrey, Nuevo León in Mexico, where he eventually obtained his degree in graphic design. He never imagined a hobby he picked up with his skater friends would eventually turn into his full-time career. Martinez recalls shooting on a VHS JVC camera that belonged to his grandfather, who simply hoped Martinez wouldn’t break it. After moving to Fort Worth in 2006, Martinez didn’t touch a camera for almost two years because he felt he had left that hobby in Mexico. But soon, interest in filmmaking sparked once more after meeting other creatives at his church who were producing video content. It was then that an old hobby slowly turned into a passion.
Martinez went on to work for a Telemundo station in Oklahoma. His valuable time here led to the realization that news doesn't lend itself to much creative freedom. After the Telemundo gig finished, he returned to Fort Worth's North Side and made the decision to become a freelance filmmaker. The first year was hard. With little work to show on his portfolio Martinez often worked for free or very low pay to build his resume.
“I struggled to get people to see or consider my work,” Martinez said.
Martinez's first paid video gig was shooting a friend’s sister's wedding. Soon thereafter, the work started to come in. He currently produces music videos for popular local and regional Mexican groups such as La Maquinaria Norteña and La Fiera de Ojinaga.
